Sharks vs Penguins Stanley Cup Final Preview

The San Jose Sharks have been in the NHL for 25 years but have never played in the Stanley Cup Final.

That changes Monday.

For the first time in their history, the Sharks are four wins away from winning the Cup. Their pursuit continues in the Final against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

It will be a thrilling time for the Sharks, particularly veteran forwards Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton. Marleau has been in San Jose since he was the second player selected at the 1997 NHL Draft; he has played 1,411 regular-season games with the Sharks and another 165 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Thornton arrived in 2005 in a trade with the Boston Bruins.

“We’re just enjoying the ride right now,” Marleau said. “We’ve had some really good teams over the years. This team is a little bit different.

“The confidence we’ve built over the regular season and now in the playoffs, I think winning on the road helped us get close as a group during the regular season. It carried over into the playoffs so far. Just having each other’s back out there, working for each other.”

Sharks defenseman Brent Burns has emerged as one of the better defensemen in the NHL and was recognized last month when he was named a Norris Trophy finalist. Burns had 75 points (27 goals, 48 assists) in the regular season.

The Penguins have been a different team since Mike Sullivan replaced Mike Johnston as coach 28 games into the season. Sullivan has allowed the Penguins to use their speed to their advantage, and top players such as centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, right wing Phil Kessel, and defenseman Kris Letang have thrived.

Crosby scored 36 goals and had 85 points during the regular season, and he and Malkin each has 15 points in the playoffs. Letang has 10 points and a plus-4 rating.

“We know how tough an opponent this is,” Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said. “They’ve got two of the best players in the world (Crosby and Malkin). They’re a deep team. It’s a great challenge for us. Our guys are excited about it.”

The Final will feature a unique goaltending matchup.

Martin Jones was acquired by the Sharks on June 30 to be their No. 1 goaltender and has shown he is capable of filling that role, winning 37 games during the regular season and going 12-6 with a 2.12 goals-against average and .919 save percentage in the playoffs.

Matt Murray has supplanted Marc-Andre Fleury as the No. 1 goalie in Pittsburgh after the latter sustained a concussion March 31. Fleury had a chance to grab his job back in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning, but he allowed four goals on 25 shots in a 4-3 overtime loss.

Murray turned 22 on May 25 and has 28 games of experience between the regular season and postseason on his resume, but he has shown the poise of a veteran and his teammates have full confidence in him.

There will be no shortage of talent in this series at any position in what should be a dramatic Stanley Cup Final between teams that have faced each other 35 times during the regular season in 25 years. It begins with Game 1 in Pittsburgh on Monday (5 p.m. PT; NBC, CBC, TVA Sports).

FORWARDS

Penguins: Crosby will always be the first name mentioned when it comes to Pittsburgh’s offense, but the Penguins are loaded up front. The acquisition of Kessel from the Toronto Maple Leafs last summer has paid dividends; Kessel enters the Final as Pittsburgh’s leading scorer this postseason with 18 points (nine goals, nine assists) in as many games. Monday, he’ll play his first game in the Final.

“You cherish it, because let me tell you, they don’t come very often,” Kessel said Saturday. “It’s tough to get here. I’m really excited to be here. … You never think this is going to happen. You dream it. But to get a chance to play for the Stanley Cup is something you dreamt of as a kid, and it’s right here.

“You realize how tough it is. It is really tough to get here. And we’re here, so hopefully we can make the best of it.”

Kessel is part of what has been dubbed the “HBK Line,” consisting of left wing Carl Hagelin, Nick Bonino and Phil Kessel. Bonino has 12 assists in 18 games, and Hagelin, one of the League’s fastest skaters, has five goals and seven assists.

Crosby has spent much of his time this postseason skating with Conor Sheary and Patrick Hornqvist. Sheary has two goals in 17 games, and Hornqvist has 11 points (seven goals, four assists).

Bryan Rust is going through the playoffs for the first time, but he sure doesn’t look rattled. Game 7 against Tampa Bay arguably was his best of the postseason; he scored each of Pittsburgh’s goals in a 2-1 win. Rust likely will skate with Malkin and Chris Kunitz, who has 10 points in 18 games.

Pittsburgh’s fourth line features two veterans, Matt Cullen and Eric Fehr, and one rookie, Tom Kuhnhackl. Cullen has scored timely goals, is solid on each end of the ice and is dreaming of hoisting the Stanley Cup for the first time since 2006, when he helped the Carolina Hurricanes win a championship.

Sharks: Marleau and Thornton will dominate the early storylines in this series, but center Joe Pavelski was born for this time of year. Pavelski has 13 goals in 18 games this postseason, including four game-winners. The first-year captain’s leadership on and off ice undoubtedly is one of the biggest reasons San Jose has gotten over the hump and reached the Final.

Center …

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