
SAN JOSE -– Maybe it was by design. Maybe it wasn’t.
But as the media awaited the three league-chosen Sharks players -– Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski -– to arrive at the podium for the postgame news conference on Wednesday after the Sharks finished off the Blues in the Western Conference Final, Thornton and Marleau took their seats while Pavelski’s was left empty for the first few questions.
Sure, Pavelski is the captain and has been the team’s best player throughout its current playoff run. But on the night that the Sharks clinched their first-ever trip to the Stanley Cup Final, the attention was squarely on the two franchise icons that entered the night with the most playoff games among active players without a single one coming in the NHL’s final round.
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Now, the top two picks in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft, along with 21 of their teammates, have finally earned that right.
“The fans here have waited so long, 25 years. We've waited 18 years, or so,” said Thornton, who played in his 150th career playoff game. “So, it's a great feeling.”
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Marleau, playing in his 165th career postseason game, said: “We're just enjoying the ride right now. We've had some really good teams over the years. Like Joe was saying, this team is a little bit different.”
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Different, and better. And Wednesday’s game reflected how.
It starts with the depth, which is something Thornton has pointed to a number of times throughout the season, even going as far to say that this is the deepest Sharks team he’s ever been a part of in his 11 years in teal. On Wednesday, free agent addition Joel Ward scored a pair of goals while rookie Joonas Donskoi added another in the 5-2 win.
“Everybody makes big contributions. That's why we're here right now,” Thornton said.
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The goaltending is also superior. While previous Sharks netminders tended to let in bad goals at inopportune times in the playoffs, Martin Jones has remained calm and collected throughout his first playoff season as a starter.
In Game 6, he made two huge saves that could have quickly turned the momentum over to the Blues. He stopped Alex Steen with a glove early, just before Pavelski gave the Sharks that all-important first goal. In the second period, Jones shifted from his right to his left in getting a pad on Jori Lehtera’s one-timer to keep San Jose’s advantage at 2-0 through the end of the middle frame.
“Jonesy [is] so big, he looks so calm in there,” Thornton said. “He doesn't get out of position too often. I love that.”
Thornton and Marleau, of course, are both helping the cause, too. Thornton’s contributions have come on a much more regular basis, as he’s recorded at least one point in nine of the last 12 playoff games after a superb regular season. He assisted on Pavelski's early score.
Marleau didn’t do much against the Blues through the first five games with just one assist, but it was evident early that he had his legs for Game 6. He had a pair of helpers in Game 6, though, showing his speed before slamming on the breaks to help generate Donskoi’s goal that gave the Sharks a commanding 4-0 lead in the third period.
The teammates of the two best players in Sharks franchise history recognized the magnitude of them finally advance to the Stanley Cup Final.
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“That’s I think one of the first thoughts that a lot of us have on our minds, as far as them getting that opportunity that’s well deserved,” Paul Martin said. “The courage that they’ve had, how far they’ve come, how hard they work. They set a great example for all of us on how we are on and off the ice. Everyone in here is happy for them.”
Joel Ward said: “They're Hall of Famers, they're Olympians, they're gold medalists, they're all of the above. For me to get a chance to be beside them day-to-day is an unbelievable experience. Just want to try to help them achieve the big goal and win.”
Completing the journey against either Pittsburgh or Tampa Bay is next up on the agenda.
“This is not the end goal,” Thornton said. “I'll tell you that right now.”