Stanley Cup Final Schedule 2016: TV Info and Preview for Sharks vs. Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins have long been known for the talent on their roster. The combination of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin made them the envy of most teams in the league because either one or both of those players could put on an offensive show at any time and lead the squad to a one-sided victory.

However, something had been lacking on the Penguins since they brought home the 2009 Stanley Cup. Since that time, all their Stanley Cup endeavors ended in disappointment, and many were even shameful.

Whether it was losing a seventh game at home to the Montreal Canadiens in 2010, blowing a 3-1 lead to Tampa Bay in 2011, getting hammered in a nonstop goalfest by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2012 or being swept in the Eastern Conference Final by the Boston Bruins in 2013, the Penguins' seasons ended badly.

When Mike Sullivan took over behind the Pittsburgh bench in December, this once-formidable team was playing badly, and the playoffs seemed to be a touch-and-go proposition.

Matchup	Game 1	Time	TV	Skinny
San Jose Sharks vs. Pittsburgh Penguins	May 30	8 p.m.	NBC, CBC, TVAS	Sharks' Big Three of Couture, Pavelski, Burns looks unstoppable.

Sullivan slowly but surely helped the Penguins turn their season around, and they hit full stride by March. They won 14 of their final 16 regular-season games and rolled over the New York Rangers in the first round.

After that five-game warm-up, they found a way to upset the Presidents' Trophy-winning Washington Capitals in six games before meeting the Tampa Bay Lightning for the right to go to the Stanley Cup Final.

The Pens found themselves in a dogfight, and when they trailed 3-2 after losing in overtime in Game 5, another disappointment seemed likely. But they bounced back in Games 6 and 7, getting two goals from rookie Bryan Rust in the finale to pave the way to a 2-1 victory in Game 7.

The Penguins still had Crosby and Malkin, and the talent level on the roster remained high. But the Penguins played with a determination and toughness that had been missing in previous years. The team concept that had been so difficult to secure in the past was in full effect in the final two games of the Tampa Bay series.

"I think we have evolved into a team in the true sense of the word," Sullivan said after the game, according to Wes Crosby of NHL.com, "and I think tonight, that was on display. … We wanted to play in their face and in the gaps tight. … I think we took the speed away that makes Tampa Bay so dangerous.

"I know there's a lot of stories that surround this group, but the greatest story of all is the group itself."

The Penguins will play the San Jose Sharks in the Stanley Cup Final, and that team will be playing for the first league championship in its history. The Sharks disposed of the St. Louis Blues in six games, and like the Penguins, they overcame years of playoff disappointment with victories over the Los Angeles Kings, Nashville Predators and the Blues to get to this level.

Sullivan's assertion of team play has been a strength for both teams. Phil Kessel is the Penguins' leading postseason scorer with nine goals and 18 points, while Malkin, Crosby and Nick Bonino are right behind with 15 points. Carl Hagelin, Patric Hornqvist, Kris Letang and Chris Kunitz are also double-digit point-scorers for the Penguins.

The Sharks' scoring depth is even more impressive. Logan Couture (24 points), Joe Pavelski (22 points) and Brent Burns (20 points) are leading the way for the Sharks, and that trio has had huge moments through the first three rounds. The Sharks are also getting timely contributions from Joe Thornton (18 points), Patrick Marleau (12 points), Joel Ward (11 points) and Tomas Hertl (10 points).

While the Penguins will have home-ice advantage in the series, the Western Conference representative has won four consecutive Stanley Cups. No Eastern Conference team has hoisted the legendary trophy since the Boston Bruins did it against the Vancouver Canucks in 2011.

The Penguins and Sharks split two games that were played early in the regular season; the Sharks won 3-1 in Pittsburgh, while the Penguins rolled to a 5-1 triumph at the SAP Center. That victory was the Penguins' first in San Jose since 1997.

These two foes are not overly familiar with each other, but the depth of talent on both sides should make this an exciting and potentially high-scoring series.