Well over half the players on the roster of the Pittsburgh Penguins not only know what it's like to play for the Stanley Cup; they know what it's like to win it as well.
The San Jose Sharks collectively don't have much in the way of rings, and none of the stars who grew up in this system have ever reached this point. Getting to the Stanley Cup Finals puts the Sharks in uncharted waters, but they clearly won't be satisfied with just getting to the last series of the year.
Stanley Cup Playoffs Odds at BookMaker.eu
San Jose Sharks +120
Pittsburgh Penguins -140
SERIES SCHEDULE
Game 1: San Jose at Pittsburgh (5/30, 8:00 p.m. ET, NBC)
Game 2: San Jose at Pittsburgh (6/1, 8:00 p.m. ET, NBCSN)
Game 3: Pittsburgh at San Jose (6/4, 8:00 p.m. ET, NBC)
Game 4: Pittsburgh at San Jose (6/6, 8:00 p.m. ET, NBC)
Game 5: San Jose at Pittsburgh (6/9, 8:00 p.m. ET, NBC, If Necessary)
Game 6: Pittsburgh at San Jose (6/12, 8:00 p.m. ET, NBC, If Necessary)
Game 7: San Jose at Pittsburgh (6/15, 8:00 p.m. ET, NBC, If Necessary)
ODDS ANALYSIS
There's no doubt that the Penguins have earned the right to be called the odds-on favorites to win the Cup at this point. They've clearly been the best team in hockey from about the middle of January on, and though they had a tougher last series against the Lightning than the Sharks had against the Blues, they still have home ice advantage, and that's worth a lot.
The oddsmakers have already set the trend that home ice advantage is going to be about all that's separating these two teams after lining Pittsburgh at -135 to win Game 1. That very well could continue through this series, as we'd expect to see the home team favored in every game of the Finals.
KEY PLAYERS
Brent Burns, San Jose: There's just no one on the ice quite like Burns. He's got 20 points in these playoffs, and he's already ripped off 60 shots on goal in 18 games. Add in the fact that he's a fantastic penalty killer to go with his obvious prowess of ripping shots from the point, and you've got the most dangerous player on the ice for the Penguins to try to figure out how to stop.
Kris Letang, Pittsburgh: Letang isn't the best defensive defenseman in the world, but he's got a rocket from the point like Burns does. The real key for Letang is going to be controlling his emotions. He's committed some really dumb penalties in these playoffs and has spent a team-high 22 minutes in the sin bin. Letang might only have 10 points in 17 playoff games, but he's been incredibly vital to the success of the Pens.
KEY STATS
17: The number of power play goals the Sharks have scored in this postseason. Simply put, they've got the best power play in hockey for our money regardless of what the stats say. The Pens took far too many penalties in this postseason, especially in the Eastern Conference Finals. That might've been fine and dandy against a Tampa Bay team playing without Steven Stamkos most of the way, but against San Jose, Pittsburgh would be asking for a lot of trouble if it was in the box five or six times per game.
35.1: The number of shots per game the Penguins are averaging this postseason. Consider the fact that the Sharks are allowing just 27.1 per game on the other side of the ice. Martin Jones is sure to be in for a rude awakening. He's had the best run a San Jose goalie has ever had in the playoffs in franchise history, but this is a far different challenge.
QUICK PICK
We stated earlier that the Pens had the best team in hockey, and we're standing by that. We actually don't think the Stanley Cup Finals will end up being all that close after a fantastic lead up to this point.
Jones hasn't been tested the way he's going to be in this series from start to finish, and we're not sure he has it in him to avoid crumbling in this spot. We'll give San Jose a game based on its offensive abilities and its power play prowess, but we don't think it's getting more than that.
It's been a great run for the Sharks, and they should be really proud of what they've accomplished, but this series and season will belong to the Steel City.
NHL Odds: Penguins in 5 Games
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