They couldn’t erase one final deficit Sunday as the Penguins took a 2-1 lead on Letang’s goal 7:46 into the second period off an assist from Crosby.
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With the Stanley Cup in the building and the champagne on ice, it was the Penguins who came out with desperation in the third and limited the Sharks to two shots while Patric Hornqvist sealed the win with an empty-net goal with 62 seconds to play.
Now, before Sunday’s Stanley Cup Final Game 6, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the San Jose Sharks will take a moment to honor Howe, who wore the number nine.
San Jose Sharks defenceman Marc-Edouard Vlasic has left Game 6 of the Stanley Cup final, though it’s unclear why.
Pittsburgh has now won its fourth ever Stanley Cup and its first since 2009.
In the third period, the Sharks managed just two shots as Pittsburgh grabbed a 3-1 victory. “He’s our leader”, said winger Conor Sheary. The Pittsburgh Penguins are the well-deserving winners, and the San Jose Sharks’ dream has been approached but not achieved. There, they raced out to a 3-1 series lead and, after failing to close out the Sharks on their home ice, won in San Jose. Prior to the Cup presentation, Crosby was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs. “To come in here after losing a tough game at home to play the way we did was incredible”.
This play pretty much summed up the futility of the Sharks: While they were playing at 60 miles per hour, the Penguins were blowing past them at 80. “There’s not a lot of room out there and when there’s no room, you’ve got to make sure you play good defense too”.
Plus, the Penguins never put themselves in vulnerable positions, committing only 11 penalties in the six games and allowing only one power play goal, to Tomas Hertl in Game 2. “I think it’s more of a mental thing realizing your opportunity to finish it off is getting smaller and each loss gives that other team that much more belief and momentum that they can get it done and pull it off”. In a pivotal away game for a chance at the Stanley Cup, Kessel will be a big force in tonight’s game. Ha;f chances was all the Sharks would generate for the remainder of the game, as the Penguins continued to block the Sharks’ shots from seemingly every angle.
Pittsburgh’s Brian Dumoulin opened the scoring with a first period power play goal.
It took seven years, and there were a lot of obstacles to overcome, including serious concussion issues that had him anxious he might never play again.
Matt Murray, meanwhile, responded with a fine 18-save performance. He was spectacular again in game 6.
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Defenseman Ben Lovejoy was asked whether Penguins fans would be alright if the Pens won the Cup on the road. Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said Hertl is making progress every day.
