NHL Playoffs 2012: Are the San Jose Sharks Under Less Pressure This Year?

In previous years, the San Jose Sharks have had amazing regular seasons, but have failed to live up to expectations in the playoffs. 

This season, they had one of their worst regular seasons in recent memory. For the first time since the 2007 season, the Sharks failed to record 100 points in a season and because of their up-and-down season, they fell off the hockey map. 

No longer were the Sharks picked by hockey pundits as the team to beat in the playoffs. No longer were they dubbed as the Western Conference favorites.

They were just another playoff team.

But that's exactly what they might need in order to go deep in the playoffs. So far the role of underdog has been friendly for the Sharks after they won Game 1 of their playoff series against the St. Louis Blues on the road, 3-2 in double overtime.

Sometimes when a team is flying under the radar, they can develop an "us against the world" mentality and pull off some shocking upsets. 

Despite their rough regular season, the Sharks have a plethora of talent and there's no doubt that they can win the Stanley Cup. They pretty much have the same cast from previous seasons. These are guys like Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski, Patrick Marleau, Logan Couture, Marc-Edouard Vlasic and a Stanley Cup-winning goalie in Antti Niemi. 

All of these players have playoff experience and they're used to playing with each other. 

The only difference this season is that in years past the Sharks would dominate the Pacific Division. Because of that, people just expected the Sharks to go deep in the playoffs and would constantly be selected by fans and media as one of the top contenders for the Stanley Cup.

Rather than meeting those expectations, the Sharks would get anxious and end up choking away series after series every year. Their most notable flop came in 2009 when they accumulated 117 points in the regular season, but lost in six games to the Anaheim Ducks. 

Constant failure led many to believe that the Sharks couldn't handle the pressure that was on them every year. But this year, that pressure's not there anymore. 

Coming into the season, the Sharks had to live up to the same expectations they see every year. However, as they struggled to find consistency throughout the regular season, those expectations dwindled away heading into the playoffs. 

Now, they're expected to fail. No one thinks a No. 7 seed can run the table and make it to the Stanley Cup Final. 

But as the Sharks have learned so well in the last few years, it's not about what happens from October through April. All that matters is to get into the playoffs in whatever way possible and get hot at the right time.

The Sharks have been playing intense playoff-like hockey for the past month now as they've fought for their lives. Their opponent, the St. Louis Blues, have pretty much known they were going to be in the playoffs for the last couple of months. While they're still a great team, the Sharks are more prepared for playoff hockey at the moment.

San Jose has won five straight games now, including their last four regular-season games, and have all the momentum and confidence in the world. Their 0-4 record against St. Louis during the regular season means little.

This year, the tables are turned. The Sharks are the team that's hot and no one wants to face—and they're going up against teams that had virtually locked up a playoff spot long before the season ended.

The Sharks now have a 1-0 lead in the series and are feeling great about themselves. Never forget that HP Pavilion has one of the best home crowds in the league and the Sharks absolutely love playing there. 

Now they have home ice back along with their swagger, which has been dormant since the middle of last year's regular season. 

For them, the No. 7 seed is just a number.

And they're hoping it's a lucky one. 

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