The San Jose Sharks are facing elimination for the first time in this year's playoffs following their 3-0 loss in Game 5 to the Los Angeles Kings at the Staples Center on Thursday night.
If the Sharks lose at home in Sunday's Game 6, the team will have failed to reach the Western Conference Final for the sixth time in the Joe Thornton era (eight seasons from 2005-06 through 2013).
But even after a very difficult loss in a crucial Game 5, there are plenty of reasons for this Sharks team to feel confident about its chances of extending this series to a deciding seventh game.
The series will once again shift to the HP Pavilion in San Jose, where the Sharks have been nearly unbeatable this season with a 21-2-5 record, including a 4-0 mark in the playoffs. The Sharks have scored an average 3.25 goals at home during the playoffs, compared to just 1.8 goals scored on the road.
But the real advantage that San Jose has had at home during the regular season and the playoffs has been on the power play. Even though the Sharks have played just four games at HP Pavilion in th ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Nicholas Goss
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May 24th, 2013 by Nicholas Goss Leave a reply »
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