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Stanley Cup Final 2016, Penguins vs Sharks: Preview and predictions

By Dave Stevenson

Dec 1, 2015; San Jose, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks right wing Dainius Zubrus (9) clears the puck away from Pittsburgh Penguins in the third period at SAP Center at San Jose. The Penguins won 5-1. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports.
Dec 1, 2015; San Jose, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks right wing Dainius Zubrus (9) clears the puck away from Pittsburgh Penguins in the third period at SAP Center at San Jose. The Penguins won 5-1. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports. /
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Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

Prediction

This series could go either way. It’s quite fathomable that the Penguins offense proves to be too much for the Sharks to handle. The Sharks could do an excellent job shutting down Crosby and Malkin and still lose because of the HBK line. Matt Murray has proven to be capable of stealing games in his brief career and the Penguins defense was good enough to hold off an extremely good Tampa Bay Lightning squad, even without Daley for the last part of the series.

On the other hand, San Jose has held some elite offenses (namely the Dallas Stars) in check. Plus, who isn’t rooting for Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau to win a Stanley Cup after having to hear their names in trade rumors over the past two seasons? The Sharks play a physical brand of hockey that has worn down teams, but the Penguins have already beaten an even more physical team in the Capitals.

The Stanley Cup Final will come down to one factor: Daley’s injury. It’s sad that Daley got injured after finally finding a home in Pittsburgh, but that’s an injury that can determine a very close series. He meant a lot to their blue line and to their power play and they’ve appeared vulnerable without him. The Lightning weren’t able to take advantage of that, but San Jose should be able to.

Prediction: Sharks in seven; should be an epic series. Fans either get to see Phil Kessel troll the Toronto media by winning a Stanley Cup or they get to see Thornton win a Stanley Cup. Everybody wins regardless of which team wins.

Conn Smythe: Brent Burns. He’s been incredible for the Sharks this postseason. Burns has been asked to play a shutdown role and has still thrived by producing over a point per game. Couture and Pavelski are deserving candidates, but Burns has been on a different level for the entire postseason.

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