La Forza Del Destino

{NB: This is a personal post, without the usual well thought out ideas that fill this page. Please keep that in mind.}

Friday night. 11:59. The clock literally about to strike midnight for the San Jose Sharks, ending their season with yet another second-round defeat, this time at the hands of division rival Dallas. Down 2-0 after 2 sloppy periods, I hang my head, begging for a miracle, but realizing that one will not come.

James Duthie and the TSN panel discuss the likely end to the Sharks season and how it is all but over after two.

{As an aside, should former Star Matthew Barnaby be allowed to comment on this series? He's clearly biased. Although Glenn Healy is clearly biased towards Dallas and that doesn't seem to matter...}

I look around my room. The first thing I see - my Sharks puck on top of my bookcase. I have been a San Jose fan since they entered the league in 1991, and am still anxiously waiting for a Stanley Cup. My hope for this year's team is falling.

Then it dawns on me. I open my closet to find my original Sharks jersey, circa 1991. Sure I was 10 then, and it clearly doesn't fit anymore, but this is a sign. I take it out and lay it on the bed.

Third period starts with the Stars on the power play. Brendan Morrow looks like he has the dagger with a goal, but it's immediately waived off, after replays show the puck went off his glove and in. No penalty on the cross check from Craig Rivet either. The tide is turning.

Patrick Marleau gets his third breakaway in as many games, but Marty Turco pokes checks him and perserves the shutout. No goal, but the confidence is building.

Christian Ehrhoff takes another dumb penalty, and common sense says pull him off the ice and send him to the minors forever for another stupid penalty in a playoff game, but the Sharks kill it off easily. But, it's still 2-0.

After the penalty, Joe Thornton steals the puck behind the Dallas net and throws it out front to Milan Michalek, who beats Turco to cut the lead to 1. After being invisible in the Calgary series, Michalek now leads all scorers in the series with 4 goals.

4 minutes later, the aforementioned Ehrhoff sets up the ageless Jeremy Roenick, who outlets to Brian Campbell, who shoots a bullet past Turco to tie the game. Campbell's finally on the scoresheet and the comeback is complete.

The jersey seems to have worked, and as the overtime starts, I sit up, jersey clutched in hand. The jersey I wore to school in grade 8 after the Sharks completed their improbable upset over the 1st seeded Red Wings in their first ever playoff round. The jersey I wore while watching Mike Gartner beat Arturs Irbe in game 7 of the Leafs-Sharks playoff. I think my tears are still on there, buried deep in the teal fabric.

The jersey I held in my hand when Joe Pavelski beat Turco above the glove hand to seal the victory for the Sharks in Game 5 to send the series back to Dallas 3-2.

The jersey I will leave on my bed throughout these playoffs from now on. The jersey I will clutch on Sunday night at 9.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.

And yes, there is something to be said about the power of fate.

It's been 33 years since the '75 Islanders came back from 3-0. And it was 33 years before that when the Red Wings did it to the Leafs.

La Forza Del Destino. The Power of Fate. 2 more wins to go.