@ 7:30 PST
50-25-6, 100 points		50-20-11, 111 points
4th in Western Conference		2nd in Western Conference

What a wild ride it has been eh? It seems like only yesterday we were gearing up for yet another grueling 82 game season, licking our chops at the prospect of some glorious hockey after four long months of not knowing what to do with ourselves. From Patrick Marleau‘s first goal to the 76 minute third period penalty parade against Vancouver last night, we’ve seen our fair share of ups and downs, peaks and valleys.

And the journey is just beginning.

A wise man once said that the playoffs are an event “that will test the very fiber of our existence” (okay that man was me), and this year is no different. The pressure on this team to make a deep run is enormous, and every single shift Wednesday onward is bigger than life itself. It is by far the best time to be alive.

Alas, I am getting ahead of myself. With Fan Appreciation Night at HP Pavilion tonight, another division title in the bag for San Jose, and playoff seedings yet to be determined, I would like to take some time today to thank you for continuing to frequent our humble corner of the world wide web. You really make this an easy job for me to do, and without that vast support, I can assure you TCY, Ivano, and I wouldn’t be where we are today. Our passion for the team has grown thanks to you. Our desire to bring you the best Sharks coverage out there has grown thanks to you. And our hunger for fine wine and finer women…well, that hasn’t been changed in any way because of you. But you’ve accepted us all the same.

To show my gratitude for all that you’ve given us, here’s a song I composed late last night. It’s in the same vein as the “I Can Make One Phone Call” track that hit store shelves last summer, and while it’s probably not as good (seriously, how freaking great was that song), a parody of Bud Light’s Real Men of Genius commercials seemed to fit the zany mood of this site quite well.

I’m obviously out of my vocal range on this one– oh how it burns indeed. Lyrics can be found here.

Thanks again for everything. I couldn’t ask for a better group of people to watch this team with during the next three months.

Prediction: Sharks win 3-1. Goals by Heatley (who gets number 40), Marleau (who could use a goal right now), and Demers (on the power play). San Jose keeps their first seed dreams alive and draws upon that passion from Thursday night all the way into mid-summer.

Go FTF readers, and most importantly, Go Sharks.