SAN JOSE, Calif. — Nobody likes to shoot pucks more than Phil Kessel.

Few guys score more goals than he does, either.

But Kessel’s most important shot of these playoffs didn’t end up in the net. And it probably wasn’t supposed to.

But it did get the Pittsburgh Penguins started toward what became a 3-1 victory against San Jose Monday night in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup final at SAP Center.

The victory that has given them a 3-1 lead in the series also put them into position to win the fourth Stanley Cup in franchise history. They’ll have a chance to do it on home ice for the first time when the teams meet in Game 5 Thursday at Consol Energy Center.

The Penguins never have played a potential Cup-clincher at home. Their titles in 1991, 1992 and 2009 all were won on the road and on the first opportunity.

The Penguins have lost two games in a row just once in these playoffs and have not dropped three in a row since a 0-4-1 skid in mid-December.

The Penguins stopped their most recent losing streak at one, thanks to a solid team effort that was highlighted by a 23-save effort by rookie goalie Matt Murray and two-point contributions by Kessel and Evgeni Malkin.

They were outshot (24-20) for the first time in 13 games, but played with a lead from the time defenseman Ian Cole scored at 7:36 of the opening period until time expired.

Cole, who had not scored in the previous 104 games, counting the regular season and playoffs, put them in front to stay when he threw a Kessel rebound past Sharks goalie Martin Jones.

“I was saving a special one for a special game,” Cole said, smiling.

Kessel had shot from the right side, and Jones steered the rebound right where Cole expected it to go.

He anticipated there would be a rebound because the Penguins routinely put the puck on goal with the idea of creating one that can be converted into a scoring chance.

“Maybe he was trying to score, and it ended up that way,” Cole said. “But I have to give him the benefit of the doubt and say he saw me and put it over there on purpose.”

Although Cole put the Penguins ahead to stay, Malkin — shut out in the first three games against San Jose — scored the winner during a power play at 2:37 of the second, when he set up at the right post and chipped in a feed from Kessel for his first goal in seven games.

Malkin also had assisted on Cole’s goal and turned in one of his best showings of the spring.

“You saw tonight how dominant he can be,” Cole said.

The Sharks, with predictable desperation, surged during the final 20 minutes, throwing 12 shots at Murray and getting on the scoreboard when Melker Karlsson beat him from inside the left circle at 8:07.

“They pushed hard,” center Matt Cullen said.

“We defended hard. It was a heck of a hockey game. It was up and down, and (Murray) was up to the challenge.”

Checking-line forward Eric Fehr snuffed any chance of a third consecutive overtime game when he beat Jones from the slot at 17:58 to restore the Penguins’ two-goal advantage.

And to move them within one victory away of a championship that seemed unthinkable when 2016 began.

“We know that’s the hardest one to win,” center Nick Bonino said.

“I’m sure we’ll see their best game. And we have to bring ours.”