It's not so much that the San Jose Sharks haven't been able to secure a lead - not a single one - through four games of the Stanley Cup Final. It's that the Pittsburgh Penguins refuse to trail.
In fact, NHL Public Relations informs us that the Penguins last trailed in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning, when they lost 4-3 in overtime. At no point during regulation in that game were the Penguins behind.
The last time the Penguins trailed in regulation was in Game 4 against the Lightning, when they were down 4-0. They made a game of it, scoring three times in the third period, but fell a goal short. In other words, the Penguins are on a dominant six-game stretch right now.
That's bad news for the Sharks. And here's more:
Here's some good news for the Sharks:
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If it wasn't his day job, we'd say he had too much time on his hands.
Vin Masi, an ESPN research specialist, decided to see if he could recite every Stanley Cup-winning goal of the expansion era.
When prompted by co-worker Mark Simon, Masi not only listed every winner, he even added details about many of the championship-deciding markers.
For his next trick, we'd like to see him do every winner ever.
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Pittsburgh's been waiting a long time. And it's ready. It's actually never been more ready.
Penguins faithful were gathering outside Consol Energy Center early this morning, some lining up as early as 9 a.m., to view the game outdoors on a jumbotron.
Six hours before puck drop, to watch the game on a large screen outside Consol. #Penguins pic.twitter.com/99ByKCt5g8
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) June 9, 2016
The Penguins are looking to win the fourth Stanley Cup in club history, but first on home ice. They took care of business in Minnesota in 1991, in Chicago in 1992, and in Detroit in 2009.
In fact, the Pens have never lost a Cup-clinching game, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Dave Molinari. They beat the Stars in six games in '91, the Blackhawks in four straight in '92, and rallied from a 3-2 deficit to beat the Red Wings in seven in '09.
The last time Pittsburgh celebrated an in-city championship was 1960, when the Pirates won the World Series. Their subsequent titles in 1971 and 1979 were both won in seven games on the road.
Enjoy, Pittsburgh.
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While pregame cliches may peg Thursday's night's Game 5 as just another game, Matt Cullen knows that is not the case.
The Pittsburgh Penguins lead the Stanley Cup Final 3-1 over the San Jose Sharks. One more win will crown new champions and Cullen admits that's all that is on his mind.
"You can’t fool yourself and say this is just another game. It doesn’t work. Your body knows it. Everybody knows it," said Cullen, according to Pens Inside Scoop. "It’s not like you can show up in the morning and say it's Game 40 in December or whatever. We understand how big this game is."
For Cullen a victory in one of the final three games would give him his second-career Stanley Cup after claiming his first as a member of the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006.
"I think you can share those experiences," Cullen said, recalling the 2006 postseason, according to TSN's Frank Seravalli. "Really, it comes down to try to make the most of each moment. It’s a bit more of a challenge to keep your focus here. That’s the test for all of us. You’re close to the end of the road here. It’s exciting, but it’s about using that excitement as energy. We’re really happy with the position we put ourselves in, but now the work really begins."
Cullen has contributed four goals and two assists on his latest Cup-run.
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P.K. Subban's no-trade clause kicks in July 1. Until then, things may get a bit silly.
TSN's Darren Dreger was on TSN Montreal 690 radio Thursday, and revealed that a Western Conference general manager who recently inquired about the availability of Subban was "flat-out told that (Subban) wasn't going to be available."
Subban's a lightning rod for criticism, even though he's put up more than 50 points from the blue line in each of the past three seasons. He had six goals and 45 assists in 2015-16, but the Canadiens collapsed, eventually missing the playoffs, which led to a lot of finger pointing in Montreal.
Dreger added that while circumstances can certainly change, he doesn't believe an offer that makes sense for Montreal will present itself.
Subban's under contract through 2021-22 at a cap hit of $9 million. He turned 27 on May 13.
- With h/t to Today's Slapshot
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Pittsburgh Steelers safety Ross Ventrone is a big fan of supporting local sports teams.
The backup defender is accustomed to playing the role of cheerleader. On Thursday he channeled his inner Herb Brooks and Kurt Russell in an effort to help the Pittsburgh Penguins win the Stanley Cup on home ice with the famous speech from the "Miracle on Ice".
This is not Ventrone's first venture in support of the Penguins' playoff run.
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The San Jose Sharks have plenty of concerns as they prepare for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night.
The Penguins lead the series 3-1, and aside from allowing Joonas Donskoi's overtime winner in Game 3, Pittsburgh hasn't trailed at any point in the final.
Here's a handful of questions facing the Sharks as they attempt to extend the series.
San Jose's offensively gifted players have dominated the 2016 playoffs, but they've been shut down by the Penguins.
Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Logan Couture and Brent Burns have combined for only one goal in the final - Marleau's marker in Game 1.
Pavelski is still at a point-per-game pace in the postseason, but he's been held off the scoresheet entirely in all four Cup Final games. Couture was on a historic pace through three rounds, but has only a pair of assists in the last four contests.
The Sharks need more production from their top point producers.
San Jose's 28-10-3 record away from SAP Center was the best regular-season road mark in the NHL, and the series shifts back to Pittsburgh for Game 5.
The Sharks defeated the Penguins in their only regular-season meeting at Consol Energy Center in November, but the Penguins held serve at home in Games 1 and 2 of the final.
Without the benefit of home-ice advantage, the Sharks needed to win on the road at some point in the series, and after losing Game 4 in San Jose, a win away from the Shark Tank is now imperative.
Since the Stanley Cup Final went to a best-of-seven format in 1939, only one team - the 1941-42 Toronto Maple Leafs - has come back from a 3-1 series deficit to win, falling behind 3-0 in the series before stunning the Detroit Red Wings in seven games.
Teams that have held a 3-1 series lead in the Cup Final have won the championship 31 out of 32 times.
That doesn't bode well for the Sharks, but they do have a couple of more recent sources of inspiration, including one involving their opponent.
Recent Cup Final teams down 3-1 to win on Road in G5: 2006 Oilers (Pisani OT winner) and 2008 Penguins (Sykora 3OT winner).
— Mike Halford (@HalfordPHT) June 9, 2016
Goaltending hasn't been much of a storyline in the series. Both netminders have played well, but neither Penguins goalie Matt Murray nor Martin Jones of the Sharks has stolen a game on their own.
Jones has allowed 10 goals on 133 shots in the final, which amounts to a respectable .925 save percentage, but he hasn't dominated any of the four games.
San Jose could use a show-stopping performance from Jones to avoid watching the Penguins celebrate another Cup victory Thursday night.
The Sharks have several young players who will help the club build toward the future - Donskoi, Tomas Hertl, Melker Karlsson and even 26-year-old Jones, but San Jose's foundation is rooted in its core group of veterans.
Specifically, the Sharks' heart and soul lie in a pair of 36-year-old former captains, Thornton and Marleau.
San Jose is playing its first Cup Final and could certainly contend for future championships, but this very well could be the last opportunity for the two faces of the franchise who've been relatively successful together for more than a decade.
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New hockey cards, posters, and plaques are sure to be developed if Sidney Crosby raises the Stanley Cup for the second time in his career Thursday.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a single win away from capturing hockey's ultimate prize, fitting as Crosby's first known hockey card has recently surfaced.
(Photos courtesy: puckjunk.com)
The card was included in a magazine called Rookie Review and while it references Shattuck-St. Mary's, it includes a picture from the 2002-03 season where Crosby played for the Dartmouth Subways as a 14-year-old, according to puckjunk.com's Sal Barry.
That season Crosby would go on to score 95 goals and 193 points in 74 games while adding 24 points in seven playoff games, according to Barry. Maybe then it's no surprise he became arguably the best player in the world.
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There is a price to be paid for young talent.
On Wednesday TSN's Darren Dreger reported that there has been 'aggressive offers made' for the Columbus Blue Jackets' No. 3 pick in the NHL Draft.
While Dreger doesn't believe that the Blue Jackets are 'even remotely close' to trading away the pick - that is expected to be used to select Finnish forward Jesse Puljujarvi - the fact is nothing is ever absolute.
The right deal can always turn the tide for a diligent franchise and with that, here are three teams that should consider dealing for the pick and the opportunity to draft Puljujarvi.
To put it bluntly, the Montreal Canadiens are thin on the right side.
Behind Brendan Gallagher, the Canadiens boast the likes of Mike Brown, Sven Andrighetto, Michael McCarron, Daniel Carr, and Brian Flynn - players who are either designated right wingers or have spent time playing on that side.
The latter five players combined for just 40 points this season. So, bringing in a talented and sizeable right winger would be invaluable to the franchise. Heading into this season the Canadiens dressed the third-shortest club in the league, averaging just over 6-feet, according to The Globe and Mail's James Mirtle.
Puljujarvi stands at 6-foot-4 and 203 pounds. He is a towering force whose size hasn't hampered his speed. It wouldn't be easy for management, but coupling in the club's ninth overall pick with assets might be able to secure the right to draft the right-winger the club demands.
The Carolina Hurricanes find themselves in the midst of a rebuild and like the Canadiens, find themselves without a bona fide right-winger.
The club is very young and is just beginning to take strides - finishing 10th in the Eastern Conference - and continues to acquire assets, as the Eric Staal trade proved.
While the team's assets in terms of players might not be as alluring as other clubs, what makes the Hurricanes appealing is their copious amount of stocked draft picks.
The team has a combined 20 picks in the next two drafts, 13 of which are in the first three rounds. While the allure of having so many picks is the increased chance of landing a big fish, they could also exercise prudence by nabbing a player who already appears NHL-ready.
The St. Louis Blues might not be the most needing of Puljujarvi's services, but acquiring them could also aid the team in other places.
The club's right side has the chance to grow drastically thin with Troy Brouwer and David Backes both hitting unrestricted free agency in less than a month and there are no certainties that either will be returning.
The club is also up towards the cap and as has become expected, rumours surrounding the Kevin Shattenkirk's future have arisen once again. If the Blues could package Shattenkirk in a deal they might be able to acquire the pick and in turn solve their dilemma with his impending free agency while filling a possible void left by Backes and Brouwer.
The Vancouver Canucks are another team that could benefit from the likes of Puljujarvi, but with the fifth overall pick and the chances of drafting either Matthew Tkachuk, Pierre-Luc Dubois, or a big time defender, it seems more likely the club will stand idle.
A trade for a top-three pick would not be easy, but it would certainly be one worth mulling over.
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