The San Jose Sharks are facing elimination for when in this year's playoffs following their 3-0 loss in Game 5 for the Los Angeles Kings for the Staples Center on This night.
If the Sharks lose at your home in Sunday's Game 6, the team should have failed to reach a Western Conference Finals for the sixth time in this Joe Thornton era (eight times from 2005-06 through 2013).
But with a very difficult loss within a crucial Game 5, you can find reasons for this Sharks company to feel confident about its likelihood of extending this series to a deciding seventh game.
The series will again shift to the HORSEPOWER Pavilion in San Jose, where the Sharks have been nearly unbeatable regarding who the winner 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, as compared to just 1. 8 goals scored on the road.
But the real advantage that San Jose has received at home during the totally normal season and the playoffs is actually on the power enjoy. Even though the Sharks possess played just four video game titles at HP Pavilion with the postseason, they still lead this league with 11 power-play goals in the house.
In its only two wins with this second-round series, both which were at home, San Jose converted at three of its nine opportunities along with the man advantage. Both these victories included game-winning targets from star center Logan Couture over the power play.
Special teams is always a key factor within the outcome of every playoff series, and this matchup has been no different. For whatever reason, the Sharks' success concerning special teams is far larger when they play upon home ice.
With the support with the rabid Sharks fans giving the team loads of energy on Sunday, there's a simple strong chance that San Jose will bring a ton of energy and a high level of effort to the primary period of Game 6.
The Sharks have outscored opponents 5-2 within the first period at home in the playoffs, and when this team switches into the first intermission which has a lead, it's 4-0 in the postseason.
Not only are the Sharks a more suitable team at home than while traveling, the Kings have played far worse away from the Staples Center as compared to their performance on home ice over the playoffs.
Another reason why the Sharks should never panic after losing Game 5 is because of the fact that this has been an unusually close series. They didn't been severely outplayed by way of five games, and if San Jose didn't sacrifice two power-play goals inside final two minutes of Game 2 in La, the Sharks would possess a 3-2 series advantage with an opportunity to close out the Nobleman.
This is still an unusually winnable series for this Sharks, especially since starting goaltender Antti Niemi is actually fantastic in the playoffs to date.
Through nine games, he has a. 929 save percentage and then a 1. 95 GAA, both of which would be career playoff highs assuming they were his final stats for the postseason. Niemi gave the Sharks a chance to win Game 5 by allowing only two ambitions and making some brilliant saves inside the first and second intervals.
Given his impressive success from home against the Kings in this series (2-0 with a pair of goals allowed), the Sharks can use Niemi to give the team a major performance on Sunday. He has Stanley Cup-winning experience and knows what it takes to win high-pressure activities.
San Jose will will need to win at the Staples Center just the once to end Los Angeles' Stanley Drink defense and reach this Western Conference Finals, but the focus right now is to continue its dominance concerning home ice.
If the Sharks care for business in front within their hometown fans on On the, they will be a confident group playing with house money in Online game 7. In that circumstances, all of the pressure is on the Kings as being the home team with its championship defense on the line.
As a team which includes a strong veteran core which has a lot of experience with closeout games, the Sharks will present plenty of confidence and focus in Game 6. They played their worst game with the playoffs on Thursday, but this team has done a great job from turning the page, not panicking and focusing on the next challenge all of season.
For veteran players like Joe Thornton and Ike Marleau, this year's postseason run is considered one of their last quality opportunities to win a Stanley Cup in San Jose. Both players' contracts tend to be set to expire right at the end of next year (per Capgeek), and their future while using the team beyond 2013-14 is uncertain today.
These players will be highly motivated to extend their season by some other game, and as the leaders from this team, Thornton and Marleau helps the Sharks win Game 6 and force some deciding seventh game funding Los Angeles on The following thursday.
San Jose has please let its fans down plenty of times over the last few years with aggravating playoff exits, but there aren't going to be another heartbreaking ending with Sunday.
Nicholas Goss will be an NHL Lead Writer at Bleacher Report. Nick was a credentialed reporter for the 2011 Stanley Cup Very last and 2012 NHL playoffs, and he is also a credentialed writer with the 2013 NHL playoffs with Boston.
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