The Pittsburgh Penguins pulled off an improbable run to take the Stanley Cup from the San Jose Sharks with their 3-1 win in Game 6.
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It is the fourth Stanley Cup in franchise history.
Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates behind the net and passes the puck to Kris Letang #58 (not pictured) in the second period against the San Jose Sharks in Game Six of the 2016 NHL Stanley Cup Final. “I think individually and as a group we had high expectations, we knew we needed to be better”. “He’s a great goaltender and he’s only going to get better”. With the core we have, you think everyone’s going to stay together, the team’s not going to change. I’ve said all along here through the course of the playoffs, he’s deserving of the Conn Smythe. It’s hard to win this Cup. “Just kind of enjoy the feeling when you do”.
The goal was illustrative of Crosby’s increasingly vital behind-the-scenes role on the Penguins: Letang might have been the star of the show, but Crosby was backstage, feeding him the lines.
RW Joe Pavelski was held off the scoresheet for the fifth time in six games of the Stanley Cup finals. But he was hardly a passenger. Mike Sullivan replaced Mike Johnston as coach in December following the Penguins slow start. He set up Evgeni Malkin for a goal in a Game 5 defeat.
Kessel played as if he were immune to the pressures of big games, and started scoring big goals in big moments. “He’s that good in my mind”. His numbers don’t indicate the impact he had on helping this team win, or the impact he had on a game-to-game basis. But a series of concussions that led Crosby to miss nearly entire season and a half, and a run of early playoff exits that included twice blowing 3-1 series leads prevented a second celebration in the Crosby era until now. “He’s our leader”, said winger Conor Sheary.
The turnover this season was a major reason for the turnaround in fortunes after six straight years of playoff disappointments. Sullivan’s intention upon his promotion was to play to the strengths of the team’s best players.
Couture tied the game 1-1 with 13:33 left in the second period with his 10th goal of the playoffs, stickhandling as he worked his way toward the Penguins’ net to buy some space before his shot on goal got through Matt Murray.
“It wasn’t easy getting here”, Crosby said. “I look at this as a total team effort”. I just tried to work hard every night, do my job just like everyone else.
“I don’t know if I did anything different or specific”.
He was just as good Sunday night at SAP Center, albeit with fewer chances to shine.
“At a young age, going back-to-back like we did, you just think it’s going to be an annual thing”, said Crosby, his MVP trophy sitting next to him on the dais, his beard far less patchy than it had famously been in 2009. Based on how he performed in the final, it wouldn’t have been surprising if Martin Jones also received a vote or two.
The San Jose Sharks had a goal by Logan Couture in the second period.
Dumoulin’s second goal of the playoffs came 26 seconds into the power play. The Pittsburgh Penguins won 3-1 to win. But for the 39-year-old, who may or may not retire after this season, the chance possibly go out on top was special.
“This team had a big core group who wanted to win”, said Penguins center Matt Cullen.
“Not sure where that stigma comes in, but I hope this quiets down most of it”.
Joe Thornton said that after the Sharks had gotten through the West, “we thought we had the team”.
Sullivan’s Penguins trailed in only one game of the final, outshooting the Sharks 206-139 while controlling play often enough with devastating speed and depth.
Dumoulin took advantage of the power play when his weak shot beat Jones from the point.
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Brian Dumoulin opened the scoring for Pittsburgh midway through the first on the power play, and the lead help up for almost 20 minutes of playing time.
