The Sharks have a franchise-record 109 points in the standings and have already claimed the Pacific Division title, but while limping in and out of the Tank, can they hold off Detroit for the top seed in the West?
Mounting injuries are become a major roadblock as the team hits the road for three of their next four games, where they are 2-5-1 since Feb. 26.
The Good News: San Jose jumped two points ahead of the Red Wings for first place in the league standings -- and in the chase for home-ice advantage throughout the postseason -- with a win Saturday against Phoenix.
The Bad News: Patrick Marleau left the game after a lower body injury three shifts into the second period. Add injuries to Jonathan Cheechoo, Rob Blake and Ryan Clowe -- among nine San Jose players scratched from this past game -- and you've got added pressure on the Sharks backups.
Detroit has six games remaining (four of them at home), so the Sharks have one in hand with seven to play, and three of them at the Tank.
The Sharks games tonight in Calgary, and then Thursday in Edmonton, will go a long way toward showing us if San Jose can hold off another Detroit attempt to play leapfrog at the wire.
Laurence Scott anxiously awaits the NHL playoffs and intentionally did not use the verbs 'bite' or 'clip' in this article. It's simply a matter of taste.
