San Jose Sharks-Torture?
SportsThe San Jose Sharks currently hold a 2-0 lead over the Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference semifinals. The Sharks seem to have nothing stopping them from reaching the Western Conference Finals in back-to-back years.
But what makes some people doubt how far the Sharks can go is the story.
The Sharks fall short when it comes to chasing the Stanley Cup in April and May. Year after year, we see the Sharks become the favorites to win it all, and then we see them falter when it comes to crucial games and series.
The Sharks have never won a Stanley Cup, let alone reached the Stanley Cup Finals.
Does it remind you of another Bay Area sports team?
The Sharks compare a lot to the 2010 World Series champion San Francisco Giants, who reside an hour from HP Pavilion.
The Sharks tend to play very close games, much like the 2010 Giants, and as a result, the Sharks are four for four in overtime games in these playoffs.
Torture.
Also, the Giants have never won a World Series since moving to San Francisco in 1957, and the Sharks have never won a Stanley Cup since expanding to the NHL in 1991. Although there have been several opportunities.
The Giants played underdogs in 2010 and shocked the baseball world by defeating heavyweight after heavyweight en route to the World Series title. And even though the Sharks finished second in the Western Conference standings, history would still suggest they are underdogs to win all this year, despite a very good game at this point in the playoffs.
But what may draw even more similarities to the 2010 Giants are the players the Sharks have drafted this season who have played a huge role in getting the Sharks to this point.
Kyle Wellwood is to the Sharks what Pat Burrell was to the Giants.
I’ll make you a better one.
Ian White is to the Sharks what Cody Ross was to the Giants.
It’s well known that Burrell’s sudden resurgence of power since the Giants signed him midway through the 2010 season helped the Giants reach the playoffs. It is also well known that Ross’s series against Doc Halladay and the Phillies helped the Giants reach the World Series.
Midseason picks Wellwood and White have done much the same for the Sharks, but only in the playoffs.
The Sharks were clinched for the playoffs long ago, but it’s Wellwood and White’s playoff play that has the Sharks seeking the Stanley Cup Finals in 2011.
Think about it. Wellwood was released by the Vancouver Canucks in 2010 and was forced to play in the Russian KHL only to be picked up by the Sharks to help solidify the four lines.
Reminds you of someone? Maybe Aubrey Huff, who neither team wanted in the offseason, or even Cody Ross, who the Florida Marlins placed on waivers toward the end of the 2010 season only to be picked up by the Giants as a bench assist.
Wellwood now has one goal and three assists on a +/- of 6 in these Stanley Cup Playoffs.
White, in the same way, has been a big boost in helping solidify defense lines. He has a goal and five assists, while he sports a +/- of 6, too, in these playoffs. Not to mention having instant chemistry with his linemate Niclas Wallin.
You can even include Ben Eager as a physical reason why the Sharks are playing well right now.
Although the Sharks and Giants have several similarities, the NHL playoffs can be a much different beast than the MLB playoffs. Things can change at any time in these NHL playoffs, and the Giants seemed like a team of destiny from the start.
That’s not to say the Sharks don’t feel like a team of destiny, too, but the Sharks have been here before, and this year it’s time to produce a Stanley Cup. There will be plenty of time to be crowned a “Team of Destiny” later on.