Don't hand the Stanley Cup to the Penguins just yet

Sure, it was anticipated before the puck dropped to open Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final that the San Jose Sharks would be challenged by the Pittsburgh Penguins’ speed. Or that the Pens would have to solve Team Teal’s beefed-up blue line and ability to turn its game up as 60 minutes tick on.

But frankly, there probably aren’t too many people out there who expected the series to shift to San Jose with the Western Conference-winning Sharks being so heavily outshot and out-chanced like they were at Consol Energy Center this past week. Even as San Jose rallied in both contests to tie things up on the scoreboard — including tying things up late in the third frame in Game 2 and forcing overtime — Pittsburgh found ways to beat Martin Jones’ blocks at just the right moments to find the back of the net and give the Eastern Conference greats the series advantage.

So what can be expected of Games 3 and 4? Will San Jose find its footing on home ice, where the Sharks have had so much success these playoffs? Will Pittsburgh invoke whatever mojo helped give it a 5-1 victory at SAP Center during the regular season?

On San Jose’s end, the key to success could be mixing up its lines, although head coach Peter DeBoer remained mum on the subject in a conference call with the media on Thursday:

“I haven’t decided if we’re going to start where we ended last game… I liked the response we got in the third period. I thought we were better.”

Maybe it’s just a simple matter of minimizing mistakes?

“I think we made a few mistakes and opened up a few things for (Pittsburgh),” forward Joel Ward told NBC Sports. “We’ve played against some pretty quick teams. They are a quick team. I think there’s more on us to do our deed and make the right plays.”

Or maybe, just maybe, getting in front of the Sharks’ home crowd is the best medicine.

DeBoer told the press: “Obviously, we're not coming home under the best circumstances, but we also know we're a tough out, we're going to be a tough team to beat at home.”

The Penguins, however, think they already have the winning recipe that can keep the South Bay club from finding success.

“I think our team has the ability to wear teams down with our puck-pursuit game and forcing defensemen to turn and go back for pucks,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan told USA Today. “It's tiring. It wears on people.”

Can it be expected that the Penguins continue to wear on the Sharks in such a fashion? Or should it be expected that the Sharks turn things around in Game 3?

The series remains difficult to predict but is still an open battle headed into Game 3 puck drop on Saturday.