Stanley Cup Final 2016: Complete Odds and Predictions for Penguins vs. Sharks

The Pittsburgh Penguins are not going to try to change anything in their execution as they make the final preparations for Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final against the San Jose Sharks.

The two teams will face off Sunday night at 8 p.m. ET at the SAP Center in San Jose.

The Penguins dropped a 4-2 decision in Game 5 at home, but they dominated the game from a territorial perspective, and that advantage was demonstrated by the 46-22 edge they had in shots on goal.

While the Sharks broke on top with a couple of early goals, the Penguins tied it up shortly thereafter on goals by Evgeni Malkin and Carl Hagelin. After that, they had the Sharks backed up throughout much of the game, but San Jose goalie Martin Jones simply would not yield a thing.

That's why the Penguins don't believe they have to change their strategy for Game 6. 

“I don’t think you can ask for more, especially scoring chances-for and scoring chances-against,” defenseman Kris Letang told Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette after the team's Saturday practice session. “We have to tweak a few little things and keep the same game plan.”

If the Penguins can continue to control the puck and maintain possession the way they have through the majority of the first five games, the pressure will once again be on Jones to come through with a slew of spectacular saves. Chris Kunitz says the Penguins can make life more difficult for Jones by putting more screens in front of him when they shoot the pucks.

While the Penguins have every reason to feel confident, they would probably feel much better if Sidney Crosby could break free for a big game. Crosby has 17 points in 23 postseason games, but he has just two points in the series and has not gotten on the board since Game 2. Both of his points in this series are assists.

Matchup	Series Standing	Odds	Prediction	Skinny
Pittsburgh Penguins at San Jose Sharks	Pittsburgh, 3-2	Pittsburgh, minus-107; San Jose, minus-103	San Jose, 3-2	Good start propels Sharks to series-tying victory.

The effort has been there for the Penguins throughout the postseason, and they have had very few lulls throughout this series. They got off to a slow start in Game 5 and that allowed the Sharks to change the flow of the series, but they were able to bounce back quickly.

Patric Hornqvist says the poor start is something the Penguins can do something about in Game 6. “We need to clean up the first five minutes,” Hornqvist said. “But other than that, I think we played a hell of a game.”

The Sharks were encouraged by the return of their Big Three to the scoring column in Game 5. Logan Couture had a goal and two assists, while Brent Burns scored the opening goal and Joe Pavelski scored the clincher when he fired the puck into the empty net late in the third period. 

If all three can get on the board again, it seems likely that the Sharks will be successful in Game 6.

Prior to Sunday, the Sharks were seen as slight favorites in Game 6. However, more money has been coming in on the Penguins, and hours before faceoff, the visitors are minus-107 favorites, according to Odds Shark. Those betting on the Sharks must risk $103 to win $100. The over-under for Game 6 is five goals.

The Penguins are 11-10 favorites to win the series in six games, according to OddsChecker. They are 31-10 to win the series in seven, while the Sharks are 3-1 to take home the Stanley Cup in seven.

Prediction

The Sharks made a big statement by winning on the road in Game 5 and keeping the series alive, and they should have an advantage at the Shark Tank in Game 6.

However, the Pens are true professionals who have been at the top of their game since early March. They are not going to be overwhelmed by playing in front of a loud crowd against a desperate opponent.

Look for the Sharks to get off to a good start here as Pavelski and Burns get the scoring started. The Penguins will respond with a big third period, but the Sharks will have enough of the lead to hold on and get the win.

Look for San Jose to force a seventh game with a 3-2 victory in Game 6.