The number of power play goals Phil Kessel has this post season, which is good enough for the playoff lead. How the Penguins got here: The Penguins easily beat the New York Rangers surprisingly in five games in round one, dispatched the President’s Trophy-winning Washington Capitals in round two, and fought back from a 3-2 series deficit to defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning in a seven-game classic series. A relaxed mentality can do wonders for a group’s first time on the NHL’s biggest stage. Yes, they want to win the franchise’s first Stanley Cup, but the pressure from the fans is off now that, after years of playoff disappointment, they have finally made it over the hump to the Finals. One thing the Sharks also have going for them is the sense of exceeding expectations. He won’t have to steal them any games, but he certainly cannot lose any of them. Jones will have to be on the top of his game. They have a high-powered offense with a solid defensive core that makes it frustrating to score, including Norris Trophy finalist Brent Burns, who as a defenseman has more points than the top point-scorer on the opposing Penguins. How they win: The Sharks play fast, fast, and fast. If they win, who wins the Conn Smythe Trophy: Joe Pavelski leads the team with 13 goals, five more than the next Shark with four of those goals being game-winners, which checks out to be more than enough to win the Conn Smythe. The Sharks defense will play well in front of him, and Jones can’t win the series for the Sharks, but he can certainly lose it for him. There will be zero room in any of these games against the Penguins and the Sharks don’t have a reliable backup like the Penguins. Jones has also had his less-than-shining moments this playoffs including letting in four goals on 19 shots, which got him pulled in the previous series. The Sharks will need him to play even better this series to combat the high-powered Penguins offense that is both deep and powerful.Īctual player to watch: Martin Jones. The Sharks goalie has been pretty good this postseason posting a modest 2.12 GAA and. This is important whether you swear by playoff experience or by beginners’ luck, and, either way, their experience will play a roll in the final.Ĭliché player to watch: Martin Jones. The number of combined playoff games that Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau had played without a Stanley Cup Finals appearance. Louis Blues in six games to move onto the franchise’s first Stanley Cup Final. How the Sharks got here: The Sharks shocked a lot of people by defeating the Los Angeles Kings in five games in round one, went on to dispatch the Predators in a lengthy seven-game series, and then defeated the St.

Regular season series: The two teams split the regular match up with the road team winning both times, with the Sharks winning 3-1 and then the Penguins winning 5-1 a month later.

Penguins score stanley cup.2016 game 7