Pittsburgh wins Stanley Cup in six games

The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the San Jose Sharks 3-1 on the Sharks’ home ice Sunday night to capture the NHL’s Stanley Cup in six games. It was Pittsburgh’s first title in seven years and its fourth in franchise history. Pittsburgh center Sidney Crosby, who set up Kris Letang’s go-ahead goal midway through the second period, was named the playoff’s most valuable player. “I was just thinking about how hard it was to get to this point, just trying to enjoy every second of it,” said Crosby who also was a member of the Penguins team that won the Stanley Cup in 2009. “It’s not easy to get here. Having won seven years ago at a young age, you probably take it for granted a little bit. You don’t think you do at the time, but it’s not easy to get to this point.” In the years between titles, Crosby had suffered concussions that nearly ended his career, seen early playoff exits, and dealt with a rough start to this season that led to a coach being fired. “It’s so hard to win it year after year,” said Penguins owner Mario Lemieux, who won back-to-back titles and MVP awards as a player for Pittsburgh. “For them to be able to come through this year and win their second Cup is big. Hopefully there’s a few more for them.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.