If the San Jose Sharks are going to salvage a Stanley Cup win out of their first Stanley Cup Final appearance, it'll require a feat for the ages.
Stanley Cup Final 2016: Penguins on the verge of a championship after Game 4 win
The San Jose Sharks are in familiar territory.
Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
San Jose's 3-1 loss at home in Game 4 gave the Pittsburgh Penguins a 3-1 lead in the series. The Stanley Cup Final shifts back to Pittsburgh for Game 5 on Thursday. The Sharks are up against the ropes and the odds of them clawing back are not good.
Since the Stanley Cup Final became a best-of-seven series 77 years ago, teams that go up 3-1 in the series are 31-1. And if that wasn't daunting enough, the Sharks have plenty of problems to sort out just to eke out one win. How will they restore their power play to its peak condition? Can they get Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton back to scoring in bunches? Can they find a way to score the first goal for once so they don't chase the whole game?
Though, if any team in the league understands the frailties that come with being on the cusp of winning a playoff series, it's the Sharks. They've endured their fair share of heartbreaks in the past decade. Whether they can be the ones to dole it out this time will be fascinating to watch, even if the odds aren't in their favor.
Scores
Penguins 3, Sharks 1 (PIT leads series, 3-1)
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3 things we learned
1. Matt Murray is nails after losses
If there's one thing Pittsburgh doesn't need to worry about after a playoff slip-up, it's a bad night from its rookie goalie. In five starts after a loss this spring, Murray is 5-0 with a 1.76 goals against average and a .941 save percentage. His poise was best exemplified by this sequence in the third period:
Marleau chance pic.twitter.com/I23l0DQXta
— Stephanie (@myregularface) June 7, 2016
2. San Jose is being mean to Sidney Crosby
3. The Sharks’ defensive corps is falling apart at the worst time
For the past two games, the most noticeable culprits of this downturn were Roman Polak and Brenden Dillon. That pairing got roughed up again in Game 4, but they were joined by a bad night from Justin Braun (a team-worst -10 Corsi and responsible for a goal against) and a quiet night from Paul Martin. Brent Burns was the only Sharks defenseman who could claim a good night possession-wise, and he can't carry the load if they want to win the next three games. Figuring out the right matchups is a huge Game 5 priority.
Impact Moment
It wasn’t the game-winner, but Phil Kessel connecting with Evgeni Malkin on the power play was a good sign for the weary Penguins center.
Stat of the Night
— Angie (@acarducci) June 7, 2016
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