They ended a nearly unbroken line of hockey recidivism by coming from off the early pace to become the one thing they’d never ever been.
Narratives die hard, and the San Jose Sharks are not yet safe from the suspected-rather-than-respected list for the same reason that their next opponents are.
No Cups. No parades. No fun. No pride of ownership. One long finger in the eye, applied repeatedly, and with sadistic consistency.
But after their 5-0 Game 7 evisceration of the Nashville Predators to reach their fourth-ever Western Conference Final, the Sharks are finally playing with the casino’s money, reputationally speaking.