Stanley Cup 2016: Five reasons to love Penguins-Sharks matchup
While the Pittsburgh Penguins squaring off against the San Jose Sharks in the Stanley Cup Final — beginning Monday (8 p.m. ET, NBC) — may not be the finale we all expected entering the season, here are five reasons why it's the one we all deserve.
1. Joe Thornton finally has a shot at hockey’s biggest prize. "Jumbo Joe," the unapologetic former captain playing some of his best hockey in years, can finally get his hands on the game’s Holy Grail. He has three goals and 15 assists in 18 playoff games this year, but it has taken over 1,300 career contests to reach this pinnacle. He’ll be 37 in July, so it’s hard not to think it’s now or never for the best bearded man in the league.
2. Everybody loves a comeback. What’s better than seeing a team mired in struggles early on then riding the wave of monumental changes all the way to the Cup Final? That’s the 2015-16 Penguins. With the catalyst being coach Mike Johnston’s firing in December, everything fell into place from there — Mike Sullivan taking over, Sidney Crosby erupting on the score sheet, Matt Murray emerging as a stabilizer in net. It will continue to be excellent theater.
3. The Cup Final features two exciting teams. If there’s one thing this series won’t lack for, it’s a wide variety of performers. Both teams have an arsenal of goal scorers, playmakers, shot-blockers and shut-down defenders. Both teams play with pace. Even with the amount of big names, both teams have received contributions from the secondary players, too. It’s the type of chemistry that adds an extra element of entertainment.
4. Joe Pavelski and Phil Kessel are, at last, getting the recognition they deserve. Pavelski and Kessel are two of the brightest American hockey stars, yet for different reasons, they haven't gotten enough praise. Until now. Each of the Wisconsin natives is generating Conn Smythe buzz for their performances in this postseason. Kessel has nine goals and nine assists, while Pavelski has 13 goals and nine assists, and both have a habit of showing up biggest when it matters most.
5. The Sharks have been waiting forever for this. In their 25-year history, a history of playoff disappointment and shame, San Jose has never made a Cup Final. The infamous first-round loss to the Los Angeles Kings in 2014, the back-to-back conference final losses in 2010 and 2011 ... there’s a lot of healing happening along with this postseason run. San Jose will be playing with some extra motivation.