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San Jose Sharks Should Be Proud Of Themselves

By Bradley Phillipps

May 25, 2016; San Jose, CA, USA; The San Jose Sharks stand with the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl after defeating the St. Louis Blues 5-2 to win the Western Conference Finals of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
May 25, 2016; San Jose, CA, USA; The San Jose Sharks stand with the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl after defeating the St. Louis Blues 5-2 to win the Western Conference Finals of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
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 San Jose might have fallen short of their ultimate goal, but there is plenty to be proud of regarding the 25th installment of the Sharks.

After the performance we just saw I have to ask, what is Doug Wilson doing to the San Jose Sharks? I don’t get where this team is headed and it can only get worse from here.

With a 2-1 loss against the Detroit Red Wings on Jan. 7, the Sharks have now lost five of seven games. They have the fourth-worst record in the league and look poised to hand a shiny Auston Matthews to the Boston Bruins.

I don’t even know where to start. Yes they might have played better but a loss is still a loss. Something has to change. Otherwise, this could mean the end of Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton in San Jose. I don’t know how I can handle a talented team like this missing the playoffs in consecutive seasons.

Granted, Thornton and Marleau could still be traded this summer. But after the Sharks just finished the 2015-16 season in the middle of June, its fair to say that fans would prefer an appearance in the Stanley Cup Final over handing a lottery pick to the Bruins.

I can’t remember any of the problems this Sharks team was facing back then. This team has played better than anyone could have ever imagined. Gone were the days where Brent Burns was a defensive disaster. Joonas Donskoi looked like one of the best signings Wilson has ever made and Sharks fans were even starting to trust Dylan DeMelo on the bottom pairing.

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The Sharks may have stunted DeMelo’s development by acquiring Roman Polak but even their bad decisions turned out well. This team just made their first Stanley Cup Finals berth in franchise history. All of the bad decisions can be forgiven.

The blow-up after giving up a 3-0 series lead and signing John Scott and Mike Brown in response. That can all be forgiven with a Finals appearance. The Sharks might not have another season like this for a while and I think I’m okay with that.

So to all the Sharks fans that are disappointed, don’t be. The 2015-16 Sharks will forever go down as one of the best teams in franchise history. They exorcised many of their demons and their future looks bright.

This certainly feels better than last season when we were discussing the draft until the end of time.

Next: Sharks: Three Takeaways From Game Six

As for next season, Sharks fans have a lot to look forward to as well. Timo Meier and Nikolay Goldobin look like full-time NHL players, Martin Jones will continue to cement himself as the best goalie in Sharks history and we can be confident the Sharks won’t blow it up.

Even if Marleau, Thornton and Burns are about to enter the final year of their contracts, there is a lot to look forward to. If the Sharks can handle this situation well, this team might be on their way to another cup run next year.

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