Sharks vs. Penguins Game 5 TV Schedule, Live-Stream Info for 2016 NHL Final

The San Jose Sharks came into the Stanley Cup Final with high hopes that they would be in a position to hoist the trophy at the conclusion of the series. 

After four games, they know the Pittsburgh Penguins have outplayed them in each game, and they have dug themselves a huge hole in falling behind 3-1. When they take the ice at the Consol Energy Center Thursday night, they will play to keep their season alive, hoping that a road win sends the series back to San Jose for Game 6. 

NBC will televise Game 5 nationally at 8 p.m. ET, and you can stream it on NHL.TV. 

The Sharks are not in this position because of a bad bounce or calls that have gone against them. The Penguins are the better skating team and have played at a faster pace.

The Pittsburgh defense has challenged the Sharks through the neutral zone, and that unit makes it difficult to advance the puck. The Pens challenge every pass and every move by the puck-carrier.

That limits San Jose's possession time and ability to create good scoring chances.

The Sharks need something good to happen if they are going to turn around this series. They have the talent on the roster with Joe Pavelski, Brent Burns and Logan Couture to do so, but none of those three players has found the formula to get the jump on the Penguins to this point.

With the Pens playing so well, they may finally be on the verge of winning their first Stanley Cup since 2009.

That's because the Penguins have a 3-1 advantage in the series. They have been in this position before in recent playoff years and have failed to close out their opponents.

Matchup	Series	Date	Time (ET)	TV
San Jose Sharks at Pittsburgh Penguins	Pittsburgh, 3-1	June 9	8 p.m.	NBC, CBC, TVAS

In 2014, the Penguins jumped out to a 3-1 lead over the New York Rangers in the second round. Two of Pittsburgh's victories had been shutouts, and when the Penguins returned home for Game 5, everyone expected an easy victory. Instead, the Rangers rolled to a 5-1 win and went on to take the series in seven games.

In 2011, the Penguins blew a 3-1 lead to the Tampa Bay Lightning by dropping the final three games of the series. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang were with Pittsburgh when it lost both of those series.

The Sharks know that the Penguins have fallen apart at the worst possible moments in the past. San Jose is not talking about that part of Pittsburgh's history, but if the Sharks can get off to a better start in Game 5, that thought may become more prevalent.

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

The Sharks are operating under the theory that they can play much better hockey than they have shown to this point.

"You just have to stay positive," defenseman Paul Martin told Carl Steward of the San Jose Mercury News. "We have a lot of good leadership in the room and a lot of guys who've been through a lot. We believe in the guys we have, and we haven't given our best game yet. I think everybody feels we have another level we can rely on and we believe we can get to it."

The Sharks' best game involves a more aggressive demeanor, putting more bodies in front of Penguins goalie Matt Murray and attacking the net. The Sharks have stayed outside of that area and have not screened Murray or jumped on enough rebounds to make a difference in the series.

The one goal they scored in the 3-1 Game 4 defeat came when Melker Karlsson took advantage of a loose puck in the slot and whipped a shot that got through Murray to give the Sharks some life.

That goal triggered a San Jose surge, but the team could not put another puck past Pittsburgh's goalie.

It is time for Pavelski, Burns and Couture to get back to the consistent scoring they showed in the first three rounds. It would be nice for head coach Peter DeBoer if Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Joel Ward can join them.

The Penguins have had issues closing out opponents in the past, but if the Sharks don't pressure them with their best play of the series, they will most likely watch their opponent and the city of Pittsburgh celebrate Thursday night.