The Sharks proved they aren’t going to go away in this series. They’re still the vastly superior team, and every member of the squad played like it last night. Martin Jones, after being surprised by that Mike Fisher goal, stood on his head. Joe Pavelski looked like one of the best wings in the league. Joe Thornton was ready to play. Patrick Marleau proved himself.

That Mike Fisher goal really was a surprise for Jones. You could see it in his face, and how oddly out of position he was. He wasn’t ready for that pass, and didn’t see Fisher. But after that goal, which you can equally blame on the defense for not clearing the paint, Jones was ready. He stopped 24 shots and kept the team pumped and with the momentum for two periods. After that one goal, the Sharks scored four more. They were able to do so because they were able to trust their goalie and played offensively instead of having to dissolve into defense.

But the credit for this game goes to the offense. Having had more contested games in Nashville, the Sharks offense showed that this is a team capable of anything, of domination, of shutting down a team, of getting goals from anywhere and anybody. And this is why I’m rooting for them. The Sharks are my team moving forward in these playoffs, and it’s this game that showed me why I originally had faith in them, that renewed my faith in a great team. The Sharks weren’t a playoff contender last year – they didn’t qualify. They didn’t make that many offseason moves, but the players who suffered last year have stepped up.

The Sharks defense is underrated. Having faced better defenses – LA with Muzzin and Doughty, Nashville with Josi and Weber – they are able to contend with the offenses of these teams and help their goaltender, figuring out ways to shut down those offenses while springing their own. This is a deep defense, with Brett Burns, a Norris nominee, on their second pairing. Vlasic and Braun are a solid first pairing. Burns by himself would make a great second, but when you add Paul Martin you get offense and defense from the same pairing. Polak has been quiet since being acquired and Dillon is young, but they don’t have to be amazing with the four defensemen they have in front of them.

The Sharks depth down the middle is maybe the best in the league. Thornton-Couture-Marleau-Tierney is a great four line combination, and when Marleau is put at third line center that means you have four great top 6 wings, which the Sharks do. We’re talking Joey Pavs and Tomas Hertl. We’re talking Joel Ward and Joonas Donskoi coming at you with one of the most fun names in hockey.

The Sharks will roll into the next game with some swagger. Hopefully they bring the black cat with them, because it turns out black cats are the opposite luck for a team that has had bad luck in the past.