Stanley Cup Final 2016: Penguins vs. Sharks Game 4 Result, Updated Schedule

Following Monday night's 3-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks, the Pittsburgh Penguins are one victory away from capturing the Stanley Cup.

Behind goals from Ian Cole, Evgeni Malkin and Eric Fehr, the Eastern Conference champions extended their lead to 3-1. They can capture their first title in seven years when they host Game 5 on Thursday night.

According to WhoWins, NHL teams have protected a 3-1 lead 90.1 percent of the time. The odds of a comeback diminish in the Stanley Cup Final, where nobody has erased such a deficit when needing to take Game 7 on the road.

Pittsburgh has three chances, two at Consol Energy Center, to close the deal. San Jose, meanwhile, faces a steep climb to hoisting its first trophy in franchise history.

Game	Date	Away	Home	Time (ET)	TV
5	Thur., June 9	San Jose Sharks	Pittsburgh Penguins	8 p.m.	NBC
6*	Sun., June 12	Pittsburgh Penguins	San Jose Sharks	8 p.m.	NBC
7*	Wed., June 15	San Jose Sharks	Pittsburgh Penguins	8 p.m.	NBC

Ben Margot/Associated Press

Although hardly a blowout and evenly matched for most of the evening, Game 4 marked Pittsburgh's most decisive win of the series.

The first three contests all went to the wire and were decided by one goal. Not on Monday, when the Penguins built a lead in the first period and never looked back. 

However, these close calls oversell the series' competitiveness. Claiming their lone win in overtime, the Sharks have yet to hold a lead during regulation. The recent outcomes also haven't reflected the shot tallies.

The Sharks submitted four more shots (24-20) than the Penguins on Monday, two days after claiming their only win despite a 16-shot discrepancy. Despite Game 4's slight edge, they have amassed 35 fewer shots throughout the series.

One of the Sharks' biggest strengths has abandoned them on the grand stage. For the third straight game, they failed to convert any power-play opportunities. They're now 1 of 8 on the series after finishing the season third in power-play percentage and scoring 17 goals en route to the Stanley Cup Final.

Pittsburgh, meanwhile, delivered its first power-play points of the series when Malkin scored late in the second period. The star center also assisted Cole's earlier goal to earn his first Stanley Cup points. NHL.com's Pete Jensen tracked his slump further back in the playoffs:

Malkin's stellar performance validated Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan's lack of concern entering Game 4. He foreshadowed the extra gear his star found on Monday night before the game, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Jenn Menendez:

"

When we always use the phrase we want to play the game the right way. A lot of it starts with the decisions we make with the puck, with an understanding of situational play. Geno is no different. He is buying into our team concept here. He’s been a big part of this playoff success. But certainly I know that there’s another level that he has to help us win.

"

With those two points, Malkin now has as many this series as Sidney Crosby. Yet Pittsburgh's attack doesn't live and die with its marquee names. Getting exquisite goaltending from a rookie doesn't hurt either.

Pressed into action, Matt Murray has saved 91 of 98 shots this series. As noted by NHL Network, the 22-year-old neophyte will enter an elite group if he leads Pittsburgh to the finish line:

Marc-Andre Fleury's injury replacement has logged a 92.5 save percentage during the postseason. Stellar defense from Kris Letang and Co. have kept Murray out of treacherous circumstances, but he's blowing by all reasonable expectations after only playing 13 regular-season contests.

If he remains sharp on Thursday night, he'll earn an opportunity to hold sports' most recognizable trophy.