Northern California’s only NHL hockey team, the San Jose Sharks, have reached round two of the NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs, and are currently leading the Detroit Red Wings in that best-of-seven series 1-0 in games. The next game is tomorrow night.
The Sharks have had a strong season. After eliminating the Nashville Predators in the first round, San Jose and Detroit are renewing old playoff hostilities:
The teams also have some playoff history dating back to the Sharks’ post-season debut in 1994. San Jose shocked the top-seeded Wings, ousting their highly favoured foes in a seven-game classic.
However, the Wings returned the favour the following season, sweeping the Sharks in the second round.
If the Anaheim Ducks (who play in the same arena that is the rumored future home of the Sacramenno Kings) dispatch with the Vancouver Canucks in round two and the Sharks get by Detroit, it’s quite conceivable that round three of the NHL playoffs will feature an all-California Western Conference Final, with the NorCal Sharks playing the SoCal Ducks. Those would be some bragging rights. The winner of that series would then go on to play in round four – more relevantly known as the Stanley Cup Final – against the best team in the east.
The Sac Rag 