@ 7:00 PST
29-29-9, 67 points		43-13-10, 96 points
4th in Pacific Division		1st in Pacific Division

Think back to last year's first round, first five minutes of the game. Calgary comes into The Tank, pummeling the helpless Sharks with a brutal forecheck, and manages to take a two nothing lead. They go on to win game one on the road. It was the writing on the wall for the Sharks.

Think back to last year's first round, game three. The Sharks establish a three goal lead courtesy of Clowe, Marleau, and Murray, only to piss it away in the Saddledome. They go on to fall to a two one series deficit. It was the writing on the wall for the Sharks.

Think back to last year's first round, game six. With San Jose's skate on the throat of Calgary, they get shutout on the road. All momentum shifts to the Flames as they head back to San Jose. It was the writing on the wall for the Sharks.

Think back to last year's first round, game seven. In front of a sellout crowd the Sharks chase Kiprusoff and win the first game seven in HP Pavilion history*.

* By the way, does anyone know what that toilet was all about last season? I never heard an explanation.

This ain't the playoffs Jack. And even if it was? We still got time. It's ticking, but it's still floating around out there in the cold dark abyss. If the playoffs are all about intangibles, six Cup rings are about as tangible as those intangibles can get. If the playoffs are all about overcoming adversity, then this current turd in the season, as well as the ghosts of playoffs past, will prepare the coaching staff and team for that. If the playoffs are all about depth, then the current wave of injuries will only make the team stronger from top to bottom (in theory, because McLellan hasn't shown much faith in his fourth line lately).

Blowing three goal leads, poor effort on the forecheck, losing puck battles along the boards, lack of production from our top line guys? It's all relative. March has historically been kind to the Sharks. Not this season.

The Sharks may drop em' both this weekend, they may win both. They may cough up the one seed and make things infinitely tougher on themselves, or they may right the ship and bring the Presidents' Trophy home to San Jose.

We've got seventeen games, roughly one-fifth of a season, to sort this all out. Now let's go dismantle LA.

Prediction: Sharks win 3-2. Goals by Patty, McGinn, and Boyle. Jody Shelley scraps with someone in the first and takes three shifts the rest of the game.

Go Sharks.