Penguins try to stay calm hours before possible Stanley Cup clincher

While the Penguins tried to talk themselves into believing that Thursday was just like any other day and not the day they could be crowned Stanley Cup champions, the San Jose Sharks tried to persuade themselves that they were one turning point away from flipping around a Cup Final that can end with a Penguins victory Thursday night at Consol Energy Center.

The Penguins lead the Final, three games to one, and can clinch in front of their home crowd in Game 5. They’re 9-3 at home in the playoffs this spring. The Sharks, who have not played with a lead yet during the Final, will not have left wing Tomas Hertl in their lineup Thursday because he has a lower-body injury.

Members of the Penguins said they were eager to drop the puck on Game 5, but they’re not taking anything for granted and they’re prepared for the Sharks to make a concerted push-back to extend the series to a sixth game, which would be played Sunday at San Jose.

“We know they’re going to come out hard,” Pittsburgh left wing Carl Hagelin said after the team’s morning skate. “They’ve done that every game. But I think we’ve done a great job of doing the same thing. Our plan is we’re going to focus on ourselves. We’ve got to come out and set the pace and set the tempo, and if we do that, we’re going to have a good chance.”

Rookie Conor Sheary said he spent Wednesday with family members and taking care of their needs so he could have Thursday free to concentrate on Game 5. “It’s exciting and I’m energized and ready to go,” he said. “I want it to be eight o’clock already, but you don’t want to rush through this day. You just want to go through your routine and have a normal day.”

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San Jose defenseman Brent Burns listed several simple keys for his team to prolong its season.

“Play hockey. Good start,” he said. “It’s pretty close. Two good teams going at it. You’ve just got to get a good start. Two good teams. It’s pretty close in chances, everything. Step it up a little more. Play good. Whatever sounds good in the article.”

Kind of him to be concerned about the media. So was Sharks Coach Peter DeBoer, though in a different way.

“I think our group’s whole motivation is to make all you guys get back on a plane and go back to San Jose again,” he said. “That’s everybody’s goal. I know it’s mine.”

But to do that, they’ll have to make the Penguins chase them, instead of the other way around. One goal, DeBoer said, can make the difference Thursday.

“We talked about scoring first. If we don’t, we can’t just back the bus up and head home,” he said. “We want to play with a lead and put them in a position where they’re playing from behind. We haven’t done that yet. So that’s the goal.”

The Sharks are 1-0 in elimination games during these playoffs, having defeated the Nashville Predators in Game 7 in the second round. DeBoer hopes for a similar outcome Thursday.

“I think anytime you get in a situation when your back’s against the wall, you always wonder what the response of your group is going to be. That for me said a lot about our group,” he said. “I expect the same thing here.”

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