The Sharks’ playoff failures have been well documented. Despite finishing first or second in the Pacific in eight of the past nine seasons, San Jose has advanced past the conference semifinals just twice—and it has never reached the Stanley Cup final in that span.

When the playoffs arrived, fans started thinking this year might be different. The Sharks floated under the radar for most of the season instead of being early favorites to win it all. They turned on the jets over the second half and then earned a six-game series win over the depleted Los Angeles Kings. Former postseason chokers like Joe Thornton were playing well, and San Jose looked solid in net with Antti Niemi.

Winning the first three games of the Detroit series seemingly solidified San Jose as a contender. How quickly things change. The Red Wings have won two straight games and can force a Game 7 if they win on home ice on Tuesday. San Jose certainly choked in Game 5, when it allowed three unanswered goals in the final 16 minutes of the game, giving the Wings a 4-3 victory.

Niemi was a major letdown on Sunday. He allowed four goals on just 22 shots and was a disaster in the third, when Detroit scored on half of its six shots. Thornton has also cooled off. After scoring nine points in seven games, he’s notched just one point and is minus-two in the past two losses.

Can the Sharks rebound and close out the series?

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