For the first time since 2009, the Pittsburgh Penguins are Eastern Conference Champions.
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The two will take the ice in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in their careers on Monday night in Pittsburgh, ending a long journey that included many disappointments and criticism that was often undeserved. “We’ve had some really good teams over the years”. They defeated their arch-rival and the President’s Trophy winners, the Washington Capitals. The Penguins are averaging 35.1 shots per game in the playoffs, and the Sharks are at 28 per game. The Penguins’ speed may give them a slight edge. But they bounced back in Games 6 and 7, getting two goals from rookie Bryan Rust in the finale to pave the way to a 2-1 victory in Game 7. How do the Pens stack up?
“Their offense speaks for itself”, defenseman Brenden Dillon said.
A review of the regular season stats shows the Penguins and Sharks are remarkably similar offensively. The Penguins were 3rd in all of hockey with 241 goals during the season, or 2.94 goals per game. Indeed, Tampa Bay went 31-42-9 in the season before they selected Steven Stamkos first overall in 2008. He has done this with a winning record, been a Vezina finalist twice, and taken the Lightning to 3 straight playoff appearances all in just 3 years as a starter.
With exceptional puck-retrieving defensemen such as Martin and Marc-Edouard Vlasic, strong puck-moving blue liners such as Burns and Justin Braun, and physical players such as Dillon and Roman Polak, the Sharks will be looking to quash the Penguins’ attack before it can even get started. The Penguins and Sharks run similar offensive schemes. Not just a good core, a good team.
There were several surprise additions and omissions when the eight teams revealed the final seven additions to their 23-player rosters for the tournament September 17 through October 1 in Toronto.
Another potential concern is the loss of Trevor Daley.
According to Sportsbook.ag, Pittsburgh enters the series as -135 favorites, with San Jose a slim +115 underdog.
The goaltender comparison is also incredibly close. He needs to have a. 930 save percentage in the series.
“I think my brother sent me the picture of me and Patty together in Pittsburgh”, Thornton.
That effort – or “desperation level” as Crosby calls it – provided the Penguins with the boost they needed to overcome a bit of unfortunate history and the return of Stamkos. San Jose finished third in their division and with teams like Chicago, Dallas, St. Louis, and Anaheim it was hard to picture the Sharks winning the west. They truly have defied the odds and for certain they will ground some optimism in that. San Jose has a prolific power play. They have never met in the postseason.
We remember the New York Rangers using that diagonal breakout pass from a defenseman that was aimed at hitting a winger in stride where the blue line meets the half wall. “There are 27 other teams that would love to be where we are”.
Kevin Allen: Penguins in 6. The Sharks are not far behind, placing 7th with an 80.4% kill rate. Regardless of the fans feelings about his mobility, the 2016 Eastern Conference Final proved just how valuable his ability to play the puck is to the Lightning. San Jose can match Pittsburgh’s speed and has an advantage in size as well. Phil Kessel’s tallied a third-best nine goals while Sidney Crosby’s added six more, and center Nick Bonino’s assisted 12 and Evgeni Malkin 11.
“I don’t think you could dream about that”.
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What I kept focusing on last night was the fact that the Tampa Bay Lightning had played badly enough right around the time the Colorado Avalanche were playing badly that they got similar draft picks.
