Penguins Prepare For Stanley Cup Finals
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – It's the eve of round one of the Stanley Cup Finals here in Pittsburgh. The San Jose Sharks are in town, and the Penguins are getting ready.
The national spotlight is on Pittsburgh, which carries with it an economic impact – it's good for business. The Stanley Cup Finals have not been here for what seems like an eternity; the last time was in 2009. And now, the Penguins look to hoist that trophy again.
But it won't be easy, as San Jose has done to the west what the Penguins have done to the east.
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The goaltenders, starting with Matt Murray, will be taking on a team in the Sharks that have never been to the finals, but they are loaded with experienced players who have yearned for this opportunity.
Guys like Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau, who have combined to play more than 3,000 games between them, but have never gotten to a Stanley Cup championship.
As for head coach Mike Sullivan, this has been a ride that has been as satisfying for him as anything in his long hockey career.
"You know, when you get into this profession, it's this type of experience that we all aspire to be a part of," he said, "and so fortunately for me, I've got a great opportunity here to coach a great group of players that have played extremely hard to get us here, so we don't take one day for granted and we're excited about this opportunity."