If you were Todd McLellan, you probably didn't let the Sharks watch the playoffs on Friday night, the visual of a highly touted team getting eliminated as the Red Wings were by the Predators on Friday, probably isn't the right kind of theme to build upon if you were coaching a team facing elimination on Saturday.
Like the now vanquished Red Wings, the Sharks have been perennially counted among the teams most likely to advance, though unlike the Wings, they rarely seem to find the way to the final dance.
Now facing a very young, very fast and very motivated St. Louis Blues team, the task ahead is that much harder.
Add in a must win game on hostile and ice and the realization that they are once again the topic of discussion among hockey fans looking to explore teams that never seem to finish the job, and the pressure surely is mounting for the Northern California squad.
The only way to knock down the chatter and the ruminations of the future is to win games, sadly for the Sharks and their fans, that isn't something that they've been able to do on a regular basis, both in the latter stages of the season and into the playoffs.
One loss and their out, the Blues and their fans are hoping that's the case for Saturday night.
Game Five-- San Jose 1 at St. Louis 3
ST. LOUIS WINS the series 4 games to 1
Previews and Reviews
Post Game
St. Louis Post Dispatch-- Blues win without stars by sticking to Hitchcock's program
St. Louis Post Dispatch-- Blues , Sharks stay true to form
St. Louis Post Dispatch-- At last! Blues win playoff series
St. Louis Post Dispatch-- Elliot shines for Blues in series clincher
St. Louis Post Dispatch-- Blues celebrate, await 2nd round opponent
St. Louis Post Dispatch-- Little things add up big for Blues
St. Louis Post Dispatch-- Blues fans get huge reward for years of patience
San Jose Mercury News-- San Jose likely to get roster makeover after early playoff exit
San Jose Mercury News-- San Jose Sharks have changes to make, but it probably wont start with...
San Jose Mercury News-- Inconsistency haunted San Jose Sharks from regular season to ...
San Jose Mercury News-- Faceoff failure comes back to haunt Sharks
San Jose Mercury News-- Forty-five seconds was the difference for Antti Niemi and the ...
San Jose Mercury News-- San Jose Sharks ousted from Stanley Cup playoffs ...
San Francisco Chronicle-- San Jose Sharks' season ends with 3-1 loss
Globe and Mail-- Blues savour first playoff win in a decade
Globe and Mail-- Blues eliminate Sharks in five games
National Post-- Blues advance to second round with win over Sharks
Pre Game
St. Louis Post Dispatch-- Blues face toughest game yet with chance to clinch
St. Louis Post Dispatch-- Sale of Blues to Stillman coming "soon"
St. Louis Post Dispatch-- Faceoffs key for Blues
St. Louis Post Dispatch-- Blues are true believers
San Jose Mercury News-- Reeling San Jose Sharks in need of a catalyst
San Jose Mercury News-- San Jose Sharks just trying to stay alive in series
San Jose Mercury News-- St. Louis Blues' special teams outperforming Sharks'
San Jose Mercury News-- Sharks Looking to rebound...
San Francisco Chronicle-- Sharks down 3-1 to Blues, but it doesn't mean out
Globe and Mail-- Blues have Sharks on the ropes
Globe and Mail-- Blues looking to hit playoff high note
Previous items on this series
Game Four
Game Three
Game Two
Game One
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