Sharks can change history

On Thursday night, the stage was set for the Pittsburgh Penguins to win their fourth Stanley Cup championship in franchise history. For Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, the dynamic forwards would have each gotten their second ring along with great defenseman Kris Letang.

For the city of Pittsburgh itself, it would have been the first time that a championship of any major sports team was won within the city limits since the Pittsburgh Pirates of MLB did it in 1960 against the New York Yankees. The Stanley Cup was in Consol Energy Arena, and the fans were wild with anticipation.

Then, the San Jose Sharks crashed the party, win 3-2, and sent the series back to SAP Center for Game 6.

Most believed San Jose was cooked. The Sharks had lost a pair of one-goal decisions in the first two games at Pittsburgh before barely winning an overtime contest in Game 3 at home. Game 4 was more of the same, with the Penguins dominating huge chunks of the game and ultimately winning to send the series back to the Steel City with a commanding 3-1 edge.

While the Sharks did flip the script and took Game 5, there is still much reason for worry within the San Jose dressing room. The Sharks did not outplay Pittsburgh for the vast majority on Thursday night, staking themselves to a quick 2-0 lead withing the first four minutes, only to hold on for dear life the rest of the way.

At this juncture, it appears 26-year-old goaltender Martin Jones is going to have to do magic tricks between the pipes as he has done throughout the series for San Jose to have any chance. The Sharks have been woefully outchanced and outshot in all five games of the series, including a shot disparity of 46-22 in the most recent contest.

If San Jose wants any real chance of winning its first title in its 25-year existence, it has to start blocking more shots, taking away passing lanes toward the middle of the ice and throwing more rubber at Penguins goalie Matt Murray. Murray has been very good throughout the postseason as a rookie, but he has also a.lowed some soft goals. The Sharks have to pepper him with pucks and hope for an easy goal.

For years, the Sharks have been viewed as choke artists who can never win the big game. This year, they have bucked that trend regardless of the outcome over the next 1-2 games and showed a mettle we didn’t believe to be inside them.

San Jose has to take its ample firepower and get rolling for two games. If it can do that and somehow complete an improbable comeback against Crosby and Co., the Sharks would finally be champions.