The San Jose Sharks have to be one of the most feared teams in the Western Conference. They have scoring, a strong defense, and most importantly, they have Evgeni Nabokov. With Joe Thornton anchoring the forwards and Brian Campbell solidifying the defense, San Jose has the making of a serious Cup contender.

The Sharks once trailed the Dallas Stars in the standings, but with recent success over the past 17 games, have given the Sharks a six point lead over Anaheim and a 12 point lead. Dallas had a six point lead over San Jose on February 28; since then the Sharks have gone 15-0-2 on their way to clinching a playoff spot.

San Jose clinched a playoff spot on March 20 when the defeated the Minnesota Wild 4-3 in the shootout. The berth will mean a fourth straight trip to the playoffs which has shown little success in the past. The last two seasons saw San Jose exit in round two; in 2004 they were eliminated in the Western Conference finals.

Expectations are high in San Jose every year, but with little success to show for it. The Sharks are always picked as one of the teams to beat in the West, and they always exit in the early rounds. This season is different though for San Jose. With five games remaining, San Jose is on pace to have its best regular season the 2006-07 season when they had 107 points.

After a deadline deal that brought in high profiled Brian Campbell to help secure the defense, San Jose now is primed for a deep playoff run. Mix that in with Joe Thornton and Evgeni Nabokov, you have the makings of a trio to be reckoned with.
For San Jose to make it possible to finally advance to the Stanley Cup finals, several things will need to fall into place. Key players will need to step up their game after having sub-par seasons.

Patrick Marleau, who has been a consistent point producer over the last two seasons, is having a horrible season offensively and defensively. In 73 games this season, Marleau has 16 goals and 26 assists. The Sharks captain is a team worst -17. Marleau is on pace for his worst offensive performance since the 1999-00 season when he only produced 40 points in 81 games.

If the Sharks are fortunate enough to advance to the Western Conference finals, they will most likely face the Western Conference power house Detroit Red Wings. If a Sharks-Red Wings conference final happens, then Marleau will need to pick up his game. Marleau isn’t the only high profiled player struggling this season.

Jonathan Cheechoo has struggled all season after putting up 93 points in 2005. Back then, Cheechoo was a consistent goal scorer and also known for his clutch goals. Of his 56 goals, 11 were game-winners; however, this season has seen a decline in all offensive categories. Cheechoo has 22 goals and 14 assists in 68 games. He is having his worst season offensively since his rookie season in 2002-03 when he only recorded 16 points.

Even with his struggles this season, Cheechoo is seen as a key part of any success San Jose might have in the playoffs. This season has been one major slump for the Moose Factory, Ontario native, but slumps can be snapped at any moment and a breakout could happen. Cheechoo does have the talent to breakout in the playoffs and assist Thornton in leading the Sharks.

There have been a few players struggling this season, but there have been consistent performers over the entire season. Joe Thornton is once again the top Shark in San Jose since coming over in a December 1, 2005 trade with the Boston Bruins. Thornton has 26 goals and 65 assists in 77 games to lead San Jose in scoring; his 91 points rank fifth in the NHL scoring race. His +18 rating is tied for the team lead.

Evgeni Nabokov is having his best season of his career. He has already set career highs in games played (73), wins (44), minutes played (4,362) and is on pace for his best GAA (2.16). In his first full season as San Jose’s number one netminder, Nabokov has posted a 44-20-8 record, 2.16 goals-against-average, and a 0.909 SAV % in 73 games.

Brian Campbell, who was acquired on February 26 from Buffalo, is having his best offensive season. When acquires, Campbell had five goals and 38 assists in 63 games for the Sabres. Since then, Campbell has posted two goals and 12 assists in 15 games with the Sharks.

Veteran Jeremy Roenick has been a huge surprise for the Sharks. It was thought that Roenick, 38, was going to retire after a hard 2006-07 season; he decided to play one more season to try for his 500th goal. San Jose signed Roenick to a one-year contract on September 5, 2007 not knowing what to expect. He has already surpassed his goal and point total from a season ago. Roenick has 13 goals and 16 assists in 65 games. He scored his 500th goal on November 10, 2007 against the Phoenix Coyotes.

With one more win or an Anaheim loss, San Jose will clinch the division title for the first time since 2004. The Sharks have all the makings of a team that can have success in the playoffs, and they might be the only team in the Western Conference to upset the Detroit Red Wings.