It's not so much that the San Jose Sharks haven't been able to secure a lead - not a single one - through four games of the Stanley Cup Final. It's that the Pittsburgh Penguins refuse to trail.
In fact, NHL Public Relations informs us that the Penguins last trailed in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning, when they lost 4-3 in overtime. At no point during regulation in that game were the Penguins behind.
The last time the Penguins trailed in regulation was in Game 4 against the Lightning, when they were down 4-0. They made a game of it, scoring three times in the third period, but fell a goal short. In other words, the Penguins are on a dominant six-game stretch right now.
That's bad news for the Sharks. And here's more:
- Teams that have gone down 3-1 in the Cup Final have lost 31 of 32 times.
- The Penguins are 9-3 at home this spring.
- Pittsburgh's won 25 of 32 since Jan. 17 at home, including the playoffs.
Here's some good news for the Sharks:
- They're 3-0 in Game 5s in the playoffs.
- They've been tied with or trailed the Penguins by just one goal for 86 percent of playing time through four games.
- Home teams with a chance to clinch the Cup are only 9-8 since 2000.
