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The Lovable Sharks Are Cup Final Bound! Yes, This Is Real Life.

May 27, 2016, 4:15 PM ET [35 Comments]
Steve Palumbo
San Jose Sharks Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Mission Accomplished! The San Jose Sharks are Stanley Cup Final bound for the first time in franchise history.

25 years of lugging around the baggage that comes with years of infamous choke jobs and collapses all washed away in a dominating and thoroughly entertaining run through the Western Conference playoffs.



Yes, this is real life San Jose.

The Sharks are here because they were the best of the west in nearly every aspect. The Sharks deserve to be here and long suffering Sharks' fans need to enjoy every moment of this.

I have said this before, but in case you missed it, I am a lifelong New Jersey Devils fan. I absolutely enjoyed the Devils three Cup runs. I also enjoyed the two other times they made it to the Final and lost. I'll preface that by saying they already had two Cups before they lost their first Final. But, win or lose I want the San Jose fans to enjoy every moment of this because it's been awesome.

I have fallen in love with the character of this Sharks' squad. There is not a single player on the team that you cannot root for.

Martin Jones - LA Kings castoff finding redemption in San Jose. He has proven he's a legit number 1.

Joonas Donskoi - Drafted by Florida and left unsigned. Finds a home in San Jose and proves his worth with a solid regular season and a breakout playoffs.

Joel Ward - Free agent signing that has been nothing short of clutch in the playoffs. When the Sharks needed energy, he proved it. When they Sharks needed a big goal, he delivered it.

Joe Pavelski - A true leader on and off they ice. Captain America personifies what a hockey player and leader should be. He scores in every situation and never took a shift off. The Anaheim Ducks and LA Kings wish they had a captain like that.

Brent Burns - Often criticized for his defensive play, Burns has proven he's more that just a beard without teeth. He has sacrificed his body to make defensive plays and has an uncanny knack for putting the puck on net and in places where his teammates can tip-in or bang home a rebound.

Paul Martin - He came to the Sharks and filled a hole next to Burns. He's responsible with the puck and he plays a smart steady game.

Tomas Hertl - The guy has an infectious smile and always looks like he's having fun. He's also showing that the fast start to his career was not just an illusion. This guy can play solid hockey and perform on the big stage. He already has 10 points (5g 5a) ans is a plus-9 in the playoffs. He can score and be responsible in his own end.

Patrick Marleau - A San Jose lifer drafted second by the Sharks in the 1997 draft. He's been incredible and he was especially effective in game 6. How can guy at his age skate that dang fast????? If any Shark deserves this, it's him.

Joe Thornton - Picked first ahead of Marleau and it's hard to believe a guy with his resume has never been to the Cup final. He has played inspired throughout the second-half of the regular season and into the playoffs and more importantly...he is having fun. He never looks stressed or concerned. Thornton is playing as relaxed as I've ever seen anybody play and his teammates are feeding off it.

Pete Deboer - PDB is a good coach that got a raw deal in New Jersey. He certainly knows how to coach in the playoffs. Deboer with his cool head and calm demeanor is perfect for this group of Sharks. I believe his team wants to win for him because he wants to win for them. It's coach/player chemistry at its finest.

I can go through the entire roster but you get my point.

We have a few days before the puck drops so please enjoy it. Watch videos on Youtube. Watch replays of games and relive the amazing moments that got this team four wins away from the Stanley Cup. I mean it. Enjoy this because you never know when your team will be here again.

***

Game 1 is Monday in Pittsburgh.

The Penguins and Sidney Crosby defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference final on Thursday night. This is going to be a great series. Pittsburgh has home ice though. The Sharks, who have been at home in the playoffs, need to invoke that regular season road magic to win this series.

We will talk more about this before Monday.

San Jose will host its first ever Cup Final games on June 4 and June 6.

Thanks for reading,
Steve
Follow me on Twitter: @Faultlinehockey
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