Pittsburgh was shorthanded 42 times in its first 11 playoff games when it allowed seven power play goals.
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The Sharks had just one power play goal in 12 chances, with the lone score coming in Game 1 from the now-injured Tomas Hertl.
Game 6 was about the Penguins defense.
San Jose’s first trip to the Cup Final didn’t go as planned as the Sharks had few answers to Pittsburgh’s superior speed and struggled to generate any consistent offensive attack.
Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan raises the Stanley Cup after Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals against the San Jose Sharks Sunday, June 12, 2016, in San Jose, Calif. The Pittsburgh Penguins won 3-1 to win the series 4-2. I think guys just welcomed the opportunity, welcomed the challenge, tried to get back on track.
The Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball posted a picture to congratulate the Penguins.
From that time, this team is now something else and for this transition Coach is responsible, aslo players have themselves contributed and did those hard works to be at the position in which they are currently now.
Pittsburgh knocked off the New York Rangers in the first round, Presidents’ Trophy-winning Washington in round two and then rallied from a 3-2 series deficit to beat Tampa Bay in the Eastern Conference final. The penguins have certainly had their share of legendary players but this Penguins team brought home this Cup thanks in large part to outstanding defensive play by both the goalies and the defensemen. That was the last Game 6 to air on a Saturday, the least-watched night of the week.
That play also resulted in Logan Couture starting a two-day discussion about how players cheat on faceoffs.
The city prepared for a victory parade to celebrate the Penguins’ Stanley Cup championship as its police and other public safety officials celebrated a victory of their own: making only one arrest as fans poured into the streets to celebrate Sunday night’s win.
Jones’ performance in Game 5 was the sole reason the Sharks kept the series alive, and he did his best again in Game 6.
Likewise, 22-year-old goaltender Mike Murray had something extra to be proud of. They know 2009 was supposed to be the first of many, which is maybe why they didn’t cherish it as much as they should have. They controlled puck possession the rest of the period and carried that into period two as well. “I think the fact that a large number of them are back is a great sign”. Then there is the HBK line of Carl Hagelin, Nick Bonino and Phil Kessel. “It feels really good to win your last game of the season”. 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.
“That doesn’t take anything away from what those guys accomplished”.
“It took everybody to get this”, Crosby said, who earned the Conn Smythe as the playoff MVP. “I thought we just slowly got better and better”.
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“We’ll reflect on it in the next couple days”, he said. Pittsburgh has also had timely goals from depth forwards such as Conor Sheary and Eric Fehr.
