Gene Principe

Evgeni Nabokov has performed well thus far in the playoffs.

It goes without saying but I'll say it anyways: the San Jose Sharks have been playoff busts. They've had more disappointing post-seasons then Jennifer Aniston has had failed relationships.

It's like hockey and romance cross paths. Just when your ready to take the plunge and think this is it; things break down in a short time and it's over. Poor Jennifer and poor Joe, Patrick and Evgeni.

However, I believe this is their year. While Chicago would be considered the sexier choice, (I'm no longer talking about Aniston but I could be), I really like S.J.'s chances.

The Sharks appear to have an important quality: Resiliency.

In both rounds the Sharks have demonstrated the newfound strength.

In the opening round against Colorado the own goal by Dan Boyle, which Ryan O'Reilly got credited with, would have sunk previous Sharks teams. They would have folded like a cheap suitcase but they didn't and won the series in six.

In round 2, San Jose jumped into a 3-0 series lead on Detroit which was surprising but then they got pummelled in Game 4, 7-1. Another opportunity to go further undergorund than Osama Bin Laden but the Sharks responded against an elite team for the first time in the past decade.

These aren't those same Sharks of years gone by, who at the first sign of failure would drown. Joe Thornton has been much-maligned for his playoff performances but Jumbo finally came up large. He had the winner in Game 2, set up the OT winner in Game 3 and had a goal and a game winning assist to close out the Red Wings in Game 5. Patrick Marleau who had been lumped in with Thornton, also started slowly but he scored the gamewinners in Games 3 and 5 against Motown's finest. That's good enough for me.

Lastly there's Nabokov. Left for dead in Vancouver by Canada at the Olympics -- he has bounced back. There were subpar games against both Colorado and Detroit but he's found a way to win and proven that he can be an elite goalie when the Stanley Cup pressure's high.

I think this is their year and they know it. The San Jose Sharks win the Stanley Cup and Jennifer Aniston falls in love and it lasts -- the rest of the NHL and men around the world would consider that to be the Pitts.