Five games in, and we finally have some intrigue in the Stanley Cup Final.
The San Jose Sharks staved off a furious Pittsburgh Penguins attack Thursday, living to fight another day and forcing Game 6 in California on Sunday night.
It may not have been the performance San Jose was searching for, being outshot 46-22, but it was certainly the end result they needed.
Here are three keys to the Sharks extending the series.
Martin Jones
In record-setting fashion, Jones stole the show. After making 44 saves, the 26-year-old became only the third goalie since 1987-88 to make 40-plus regulation saves in the Stanley Cup Final.
Additionally, Jones set a franchise record for regulation saves in the postseason, and made the most stops in a Stanley Cup elimination game since 1968.
Martin Jones' 44 saves are most in a regulation win when facing elimination in Stanley Cup Final since expansion in 1968 (via @EliasSports)
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 10, 2016
Simply put, his performance was one for the history books, but the Sharks can't allow Jones to be under siege again if they want to force a Game 7. While Jones became the fourth netminder since 1990 to register multiple 40-save games in the Final, none of the previous three won the Cup.
Logan Couture
It's apt to say Couture is enjoying the spotlight.
For a team desperately in need of an offensive spark, it was Couture - the postseason points leader - who stepped up, delivering three points in the first period.
A secondary assist on Brent Burns' opener, a beautiful deflection goal of his own, and a silky pass to Melker Karlsson for the eventual game-winner yielded Couture's most impressive performance yet.
Couture has been San Jose's most involved forward throughout the entire series, and has built a seven-point cushion atop the points leaderboard with 29. He's scored five points in five games, without doubt carrying a silent offense on his back.
The lead
Finally, San Jose was ahead.
The Sharks jumped out to a lead 1:04 into Game 5, remarkably their first goal advantage of the series.
Although they relinquished an early 2-0 lead, they got it back, and held on for dear life. The Sharks lamented their lack of leads earlier in the series, and though it was a close call, learning they're capable of hanging on could pay dividends as they head home.
