Red Wings vs. Sharks: The San Jose Sharks Have a Date with Destiny

The City of San Jose is scratching their heads right now, wondering what to do if the Sharks do the unthinkable and lose another game to the Detroit Red Wings.

It’s something that Shark fans are trying not to think about, even as their team prepares for what should be another heart-attack game at the HP Pavilion. There are currently 10 ambulances parked on West Santa Clara Street, and the janitors have placed oxygen bags under 20,000 seats inside the stadium.

Nothing prepares a fan for something like this. Even though these are the Sharks and no series lead ever feels comfortable, most of us will probably end up swallowing a full bottle of cyanide if they don’t finish off the Wings tonight. Last year was painful no doubt, but there was never a moment where it seemed like the Sharks were on the verge of going deeper than they should in the playoffs.

One of those moments came on Tuesday, when Logan Couture slipped one past Jimmy Howard early in the third period to give the Sharks a 1-0 advantage. The lead was short-lived however, as the Red Wings bolted ahead with two goals in two minutes to complete their second straight comeback victory. I cussed at the TV screen, I threw my cat out the window, then I kicked my cat as he walked back through the front door of my apartment.

I suppose as Bay Area hockey fans, we should be used to this kind of thing happening. Over the years, Sharks’ history has been fraught with playoff failure and heartbreak. They’ve put up some of the most crippling postseason flops in the last decade—blowing an 2-0 lead against the Oilers in 2004 and losing in the first round against the eighth-seeded Ducks in 2008, just to name a few.

But a loss tonight after achieving a 3-0 series lead would make them the undisputed champions of playoff suck—even worse than the Chicago friggin' Cubs. 

Well, that might be a stretch, but you get the picture.

Honestly though, the Bay Area should be happy the Sharks are playing tonight. We get to see one of two things unfold:

a)      The Sharks will prove once and for all that they’re capable of performing in the postseason.

b)      They cement their legacy as the biggest chokers in all of sports.

It’s like playing a game of Spin the Bottle with Natalie Portman and Cloris Leachman. The chances of something awesome happening is worth the risk of doing something so heinous and disgusting that you won't ever get to leave your house in broad daylight without wearing a bag over your head.

I’ve said over and over again this season that these are the Antti-Sharks. After an epic collapse in front of the net in Game 5, Antii Niemi was back on his game in Detroit, stopping 42 of 44 shots and preventing what should have been a Red Wings blowout.

The Sharks need to give their goalie the lead early in the game tonight if they hope to advance in the playoffs. The Red Wings have the momentum and they will use it to try and take the crowd out of it in the early minutes.  I’m optimistic that 20,000 towel waving fans can be the difference in a close game; the Sharks just need to give them a reason to scream.

The Canucks faced the same task against the Blackhawks in the first round and squeezed out a win. If Roberto Luongo can be a hero in a deciding playoff game, then anything, ANYTHING is possible for the Sharks tomorrow or the next day.       

This might be even be a good thing if you look at the intangibles. The Sharks got to the Western Finals a little too easily last year, finishing off the Red Wings in five games and facing a Blackhawks team that had been severely tested in the first two rounds. Teams usually perform their best after a lengthy, high-pressure series. If the Sharks can overcome three straight losses to advance, the road to the Stanley Cup will look a lot less treacherous.

First things first, let’s take care of some unfinished business.   

The Tank will be rocking tonight, and it won’t be because Neil Young is in the front row.

Go Sharks.