Stanley Cup 2016: NBC TV Schedule, Start Time for Penguins vs. Sharks

Two down, two to go.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are now halfway to their fourth Stanley Cup title with a 2-0 series lead, though the San Jose Sharks have two games at home to try and right the ship.

Here's the schedule for Saturday's game at SAP Center in San Jose, California, with NHL Live kicking off at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

Date	Time (ET)	Watch	Streaming
Saturday, June 4	8 p.m.	NBCSN, CBC	NBC Sports Live Extra

For the Sharks, moving past the bitter disappointment of two close losses will be key.

In Game 1, Nick Bonino's goal with 2:33 left in the game gave the Penguins the 3-2 win. Game 2 was even more heartbreaking for the Sharks. Penguins left winger Conor Sheary's goal just 2:35 into overtime gave Pittsburgh the 2-1 win and a 2-0 lead in the series.

Don't expect the Sharks to hang their heads or concede the series anytime soon, though.

"Game 1 was decided in last two minutes, tonight was decided in overtime," Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said after Game 2, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). "We'll hold off on the funeral."

Captain Joe Pavelski concurred.

"We've got another level and we're going to have to find it here," he told Pierre LeBrun of ESPN. "It goes to this next game. They've done their job here at home, but we've got to go win the next one."

So, how do they do it?

Well, for one, they need to find a way to counter Pittsburgh's superior speed. The Penguins have pestered the Sharks and rarely allowed them to smoothly transition to offense. In the process, the Sharks have turned the puck over far too often and managed just 48 shots on goal in two games.

We'll ignore any Sidney Crosby faceoff conspiracy theories, however. Faceoffs are an issue, however, as Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News noted:

Other things are out of their control. The Penguins have been fantastic at clogging up shooting lanes and blocking shots. And the Sharks—the league's deadliest team on the power play—have managed just three man advantages in two games.

And it's worth noting that the Sharks have won seven out of nine home games in these playoffs—with losses coming in Game 4 against St. Louis and Game 3 against L.A. But for long stretches, they have not resembled the team that was so good in the Western Conference playoffs.

It's also worth noting that teams that take a 2-0 series lead at home in the Stanley Cup Finals "are 44-5 and win it all 89 percent of the time," according to the Associated Press (h/t USA Today).

But it's hard to imagine the Sharks not getting one back in Game 3. They've been excellent at home, they've lost two incredibly close games despite being outplayed by the Penguins—suggesting that if they play better, they are more than capable of matching wits with Pittsburgh—and they have the star power and postseason experience to avoid any panic. 

The Penguins look like the better team. They look like the team that will win this series. However, they don't look like they'll sweep the Sharks. They don't look invincible. 

Two down, two to go. Expect the Sharks to get one of their own in Game 3.

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.