For some, it is the culmination of a year's worth of demanding and draining work. They are the lucky ones. For others, it is about achieving a goal that was set a lifetime ago.
Either way, the tension is palpable, and it creates unrelenting pressure.
When a team is one game away from winning the Stanley Cup, it is in a unique position. That's where the Pittsburgh Penguins find themselves as they prepare to play the San Jose Sharks in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final at the Consol Energy Center Thursday night.
Head coach Mike Sullivan's team has parlayed a brilliant stretch run in the regular season and an even better one in the postseason to stand one game from championship glory.
For Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang, Chris Kunitz and Evgeni Malkin, it will be familiar and wonderful territory. They were part of the 2009 Stanley Cup-winning Penguins who wrested that crown from the Detroit Red Wings. However, Phil Kessel has never been close to the Stanley Cup, and after playing with the Toronto Maple Leafs during the previous six seasons, he may have felt like he never would be.
The Penguins admi ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Steve Silverman
Stanley Cup Final 2016: Sharks vs. Penguins Game 5 Odds, Props, Predictions
June 9th, 2016 by Steve Silverman Leave a reply »
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