Silver Medal Line: Joe Pavelski and Co. Carry the Weight for the San Jose Sharks

Bay Area hockey fans no longer have to wonder what their team is going to do once the beloved-Patrick Marleau/Joe Thornton Era comes to an end. 

They no longer have to speculate on what will happen if these “superstars” don’t live up to their often overhyped hockey lore.

The future is now for the San Jose Sharks.

In the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the members of the San Jose Sharks’ atrociously labeled “Gold Medal Line” continuously failed to make an outstanding difference, whether together or scattered throughout the lines. 

Marleau, Thornton, and Dany Heatley combined for 10 points but only one goal. Also, they were the only three forwards on the Sharks with a negative plus/minus.

The forwards who were able to produce when the pressure mounted were considered budding NHL prospect only a few years ago. 

Something must have snapped in Joe Pavelski after watching three straight seasons of playoff disappointments.

“Little Joe” finally realized that “Big Joe’s” line isn’t going to step it up…ever. He also realized that his line will have to make the difference to propel this team throughout a serious playoff run. 

In the six-game series against the Colorado Avalanche, Pavelski was the Sharks’ knight in shining armor. He hustled his behind on every shift and for his relentless efforts, he earned eight points, leading all Sharks in Goals (5), game winning goals (2) and time on ice (21:05).

While Pavelski will receive a lot of the credit because of his timely goal scoring, much has to be said about his line mates, Ryane Clowe and Devin Setoguchi.   

Clowe owned the ice during the first round series, much like Joe Thornton usually does during the season. He dug for pucks deep in the corner, fought off prodding defensemen, and found ways to force the puck deep, keeping the play alive.

The extra efforts along the boards paid huge dividends for Clowe, tying Pavelski in points (8) and leading the Sharks with seven assists during several dominant performances.

Setoguchi also played a huge part in getting the Sharks over the first-round hump. 

After a season with more ugly streaks that an Old School DVD stuck on repeat, Seto looked like a completely different player once the playoffs were underway. Like Clowe, Setoguchi displayed increased discipline, moving towards plays instead waiting for them to move to him. 

Unlike the top line, Pavelski, Clowe, and Setoguchi cohesively work together as a unit.  They skate hard on every shift, try to do everything possible to take control of the puck, score when needed, and most importantly looked like they actually care.

These three warriors have pacified fans, letting them know that there is a line that will step it up when things are down, when things get hairy, and when they need them the most.

With Pavelski and Setoguchi schedule to be restricted free against at the end of the season, they are essentially playing for their next contract and doing a fantastic job showing the big wigs that they are players that will be able to keep this team competitive well into the future.

On the other hand, Marleau’s contract is also almost expired and has done very little to show any reason why they should re-sign this overpaid, regular season star. 

Marleau’s lack-luster efforts in the playoffs are past tiresome, and if his stagnant performance persists, he will undoubtedly play his last game in Teal once these playoffs are through.

This will definitely open up some contract wiggle room for Doug Wilson to resign two of his strongest three players thus far this playoff year. Parlay that with Clowe’s contract good through the 2012-2013 season, and these three players could be competing for Stanley Cups together for the next several years.

If you enjoyed this article, please check out more articles by Jason here on Bleacher Report and at MTRmedia.com