In the NHL, San Jose has been known in recent seasons as a great regular season team, but they fade in the playoffs. They faced a tough test in the first round against a young Los Angeles team, and they showed a lot of heart to come away with a six-game victory. However, the Sharks still have a long way to go before we can stop calling them “chokers”.

The key to their win against the Kings was a massive comeback in Game 3 in Los Angeles, when the Sharks were down 4-0 in the second period. But they never gave up following a goaltender change, and the Sharks stormed back for a 6-5 overtime victory, their second of three wins in extra time. Ryan Clowe was the lead scorer with five goals and seven points, while the line of Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Dany Heatley combined for 14 points. Thornton has been the poster child for San Jose’s Stanley Cup betting capitulations, but he had two game-winning goals against the Kings, including the series-winner on the road in Los Angeles. A surprise in the series has been Kyle Wellwood, who had four points and was a +6 for the series.

Now of course, there are still three rounds left and the Sharks still need to win 12 more games to lift the Stanley Cup. The Los Angeles series showed that they had heart, and they could withstand the pressure of overtime, but how will they fare against a team with more experience, like Detroit or Vancouver (or even Chicago if they manage to upset the Canucks)? Will they continue to play as they did against the Kings, or will they crumble as they have in the past?

There are still some questions on the blue line and in goal, but there is no question that they have enough firepower, and remember, goalie Antti Niemi backstopped Chicago to the Stanley Cup last year, so he knows how to make timely stops. The Sharks have the weapons to win the Stanley Cup, but do they have the mental strength? Only time will tell.

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