Blades of Teal
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San Jose Sharks: Intriguing Stanley Cup Storylines

By Mike McCareins

San Jose Sharks F Tommy Wingels (57) checks Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby (87) John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports.
San Jose Sharks F Tommy Wingels (57) checks Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby (87) John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports. /
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The 2016 Stanley Cup Final between the Sharks and Penguins features everything a fan could ask for – star power, veterans searching for their first ring, goaltending dilemmas and one team trying to write its own history.

If you were to take a look at the NHL standings on Feb. 5, just over two months before the postseason began, you’d see the Pittsburgh Penguins on the outside of the playoffs looking in and the San Jose Sharks in the playoffs by a mere two points.

Yet, the Penguins found their groove in the spring and were the best team in the NHL from that date forward (23-8-1 in last 32 games), and the Sharks were just welcoming back Logan Couture from injury, which gave them a huge boost down the stretch. Perhaps Pittsburgh’s underwhelming play for the first 70 percent of the season and the Sharks taking a back seat to more popular teams who had success in the regular season such as the Kings and Blackhawks in the Western Conference is why both teams flew under the radar this year.

However, whether your team dominated the whole season en route to the Cup Finals or flew under the radar, it doesn’t matter. These were the two best teams in the playoffs and one would be hard-pressed to argue otherwise.

May 23, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; San Jose Sharks defenseman Brent Burns (88) is seen during the second period in game five of the Western Conference Final of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the St. Louis Blues, at Scottrade Center. The Sharks won the game 6-3. Mandatory Credit: Billy Hurst-USA TODAY Sports
May 23, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; San Jose Sharks defenseman Brent Burns (88) is seen during the second period in game five of the Western Conference Final of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the St. Louis Blues, at Scottrade Center. The Sharks won the game 6-3. Mandatory Credit: Billy Hurst-USA TODAY Sports /

This series packs a punch of stardom. Brent Burns is a Norris Trophy finalist defenseman for the Sharks and Pittsburgh defenseman Kris Letang is sure to finish in the top five in Norris Trophy voting as well. Burns is one of the two or three best offensive-defensemen in the league and Letang is right there with him, racking up 67 points despite playing in only 71 games in the regular season, with an equally impressive defensive game as well.

May 20, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (58) skates during the third period of game four of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena. Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
May 20, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (58) skates during the third period of game four of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena. Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

The same can be said for the forwards squaring off in the finals. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel versus Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton and Couture in a four-to-seven game series? Thornton, Crosby and Malkin as sure to go down as three of the best players of this era, Kessel and Pavelski are special, All-World talents and Couture leads the league in playoff points with 24. Yes, please.

In San Jose, two Sharks – Thornton and Patrick Marleau – are making their first Stanley Cup Final appearance in their historic, most likely Hall of Fame, 18-year careers. Burns, Pavelski and Paul Martin have all waited 10-plus seasons for this moment as well.

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According to Elias, Thornton and Marleau played an astounding 2,778 regular season games before Game 1 puck drop on Monday night. Thornton is one of the best passers of this generation, and Marleau has been a model of class and consistency throughout his career, the entirety of which has come in San Jose.

The only thing missing from their resumes is a Cup. They’ll both have the chance to do that in the coming weeks.

As for the situation in the crease, this year’s Stanley Cup net minders and their situation is fascinating. These are not two teams that have been carried through the playoffs by unbelievable goaltending and/or a household name. Two first-year starters have been called upon by both the Sharks and Penguins, and both have answered the bell.

Sharks GM Doug Wilson made the decision last summer to bring in a young, unproven goalie but with potential, even if it meant trading away something substantial, and it worked to perfection. Team teal swapped a first-round pick to the Bruins for Martin Jones last June, just four days after he was traded to Boston from Los Angeles. Jones’ performance in his first-year as a starter has been stellar after two seasons of backing up Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick. He completed the regular season with a 37-23-4 record, 2.27 GAA and .918 save percentage. He has even stepped it up a notch in the playoffs, going 11-5 with a 2.12 GAA and .919 save percentage thus far.

May 24, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Matt Murray (30) makes a save against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the first period in game six of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
May 24, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Matt Murray (30) makes a save against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the first period in game six of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /

In the Steel City, the situation has been messy ever since March 31 when regular starter Marc-Andre Fleury went down with an injury. Then, in the last game of the regular season, backup Matt Murray left the contest versus the Flyers due to a nasty collision to his neck/head, thrusting third-stringer Jeff Zatkoff into the starting role for the first two games of the playoffs. Zatkoff was fine in his two stints, but Murray would come back for Game 3 of the Rangers series and guard the net nicely, and Fleury healed up soon after as well.

Since, aside from Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, Penguins Head Coach Mike Sullivan has stuck with Murray, and that worked out well as the 21-year old goalie has put up impressive numbers. Murray is 11-4 in the playoffs and maintains a fantastic .924 save percentage.

Here’s a list of each Stanley Cup champion’s starting goaltenders since 2007: Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Chris Osgood, Marc-Andre Fleury, Antti Niemi, Tim Thomas, Jonathan Quick (twice), Corey Crawford (twice). One of these two first-year goalies will join that admirable list. Not that Jones or Murray will never be as good as an Osgood or Fleury, but both of these first-year starting goalies helping their team to the Finals in their first season receiving significant minutes is astonishing.

Next: Sharks Draw Penguins In Stanley Cup Finals

The 2015-16 season is San Jose’s 25-year anniversary as a franchise, and this is the first time in club history they have reached the Stanley Cup Final.

Meanwhile, Pittsburgh’s front office made bold moves in the last calendar year, dealing away a lot of their youth and picks, including current Shark Nick Spaling, to acquire Kessel and others, and that decision by GM Jim Rutherford has proven to work out beautifully. Kessel has been an X-factor in Pittsburgh in the postseason.

One similarity between these franchises, despite being on opposite ends of the continent, is how much tweaking and risks they made to their roster in the last 365 days. Both made gambles and those risks turned into conference championships for both squads.

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