I am in transit right now, contemplating the possible end of the hockey season tonight. For selfish reasons -- this has been a great series and I think it deserves a seventh game -- I hope it goes the distance.
It's nothing new in hockey for the team that scores first to win the decided majority of the time. The numbers these playoffs bear it out again. When the Penguins have scored first in these playoffs, they are 12-3 (.800 winning percentage). Trailing first, they are 3-5 (.375 winning percentage). When the Sharks score first, they are 11-3 (.786 winning percentage). Trailing first, they are 3-6 (.333 winning percentage).
Those are still some pretty significant numbers but at least it's not like it used to be back in the "Lemaire hockey" neutral zone trap, clutch-and-grab eras when it felt like virtually every damn game was a game to one. Score first, you win. Give up the first, you lose.
It's not necessarily lights out for either the Pens or Sharks if they give up the first goal tonight -- keep watching, because anything could still happen. Even so, whichever team takes the 1-0 lead will be in the driver's seat.