Forty-nine times a team in the Stanley Cup Finals had a 2-0 lead, 44 of them went on to hoist Lord Stanley’s trophy. The Pittsburgh Penguins, after defeating the San Jose Sharks last night, 2-1, will now see the series shift away to play in California.
Although each game has been close on the score sheet, the two teams are playing on completely different levels. Pittsburgh is playing like a well-oiled machine and it is showing. Though they haven’t been able to separate themselves by much in terms of the score, the Penguins have been leaving the Sharks in their dust.
San Jose, on the other hand, is struggling to keep pace with the Penguins, a tough task for any team. But now, with the series going to their home turf, the series is still a toss up. If the Sharks should win Game 3, they have a great opportunity in shifting the balance a little more in their direction.
Matt Murray was, once again, an impenetrable force between net for Pittsburgh. The young rookie has done a remarkable job thus far and has looked fantastic in each of the two Stanley Cup Finals games thus far.
The Penguins were also assisted by another young and impressionable player, Conor Sheary. For the second game in a row, the game-winning goal has gone to a player who, months ago, was unknown to many fans around the city.
Late-Game Heroics
Sheary, in a fantastic play drawn up by Sidney Crosby before play began, was able to snag the puck from a pass by Kris Letang off the faceoff and slide the puck in over Sharks goalie, Martin Jones.
Jones did not have a terrible game by any stretch. In fact, he is the sole reason as to why San Jose, in many opinions, are still not out of the hunt for the Cup. If not for the great skills of Jones, there is a good chance this series would be all but over now.
Pittsburgh has been fortunate enough to have role players surrounding Crosby and Evgeni Malkin step up and make the plays needed to win games. But, at some point, the stars of the team will need to rise and slam the door shut on San Jose.
Post-Game Controversy
Following the loss, forward Logan Couture of the San Jose Sharks had this to say to the press: “He cheats and he gets away with it. He’s Sidney Crosby.”
When asked how it is exactly Crosby cheats, Couture followed up with: “”He times them and [the officials] don’t kick him out for some reason. Probably because of who he is.”
While it is possible the two stunning losses have put Couture in a bad mood, this is nothing but him attempting to stir the pot and get in the heads of not only Pittsburgh players, but the officials as well.
It is also no surprise that Crosby is one of the best when it comes to faceoffs, and it is surprising to see that a player, whose team is still very much in it, took this route in calling out Crosby and the officiating.
What’s Next?
The Pittsburgh Penguins will now go on the road for two games in the hopes of sweeping the San Jose Sharks. Game 3 will be played this Saturday at 8 p.m.
Photo credit: @Penguins
