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Five years ago, the San Jose Sharks embarked on a journey to do the impossible, to come back from a disastrous second season and make the playoffs. No one expects a team to make the playoffs right out of the gate, so it may not have seemed like the first two seasons were a disaster to anyone outside Sharks fans, but to the hometown loyal, it was. Which is what made the third season all that more magical.

That third season is written in the NHL history books. It represented the greatest single-season turnaround in NHL history. From a season where they tied the league worst losing streak (17 games) and had only 11 wins and two ties (and 71 losses!), the Finned Ones posted a 33-35-16 record. A record which put them third in the Pacific and into the eighth playoff spot in the West.

As the season is recorded in the history books, so are the playoffs that year recorded in the memories of Sharks fans. That was the year San Jose, the real underdog, beat the number one Detroit Red Wings in seven games and moved on to Toronto (where they lost in seven). Detroit would never forget it, either, and let the Sharks have it the next year in four games. Four games that saw four Shark goals and 24 Red Wing goals.

Since then the team has been in constant turmoil. First, Kevin Constantine was fired and Jim Wiley took over. What followed was a 20-55-7 fourth season all Sharks fans would rather forget. Next, Wiley was replaced by Al Sims. Yikes. That move resulted in last season's 27-47-8 record, 25th in the NHL. In addition, the team itself turned over more players each season than a McDonald's does hamburgers. Irbe was gone. The "Ov" line was history. All the elements that made for the comeback and the playoffs had been forgotten.

Till this year. Actually, last summer. During the summer, a seemingly clueless Dean Lombardi proved his critics wrong. After the Ed "the Turkey Vulture" Belfour lamely flopped out the door and every goaltender worth his weight in pads had been signed by other teams, Deano came up with Mike Vernon, last year's Conn Smythe winner. Then Lombardi brought in veteran coach Darryl Sutter, a coach that had never missed the playoffs.

The season began with a follow up to the last two years and hit bottom on December 4th when the team had just nine wins and double that in losses. With the acquisition of John MacLean, the season began a remarkable turnaround. Since then, the Sharks are 22-18-2 and tied for seventh place in the West with Edmonton and Chicago. So what is different this year than the last two years? Let's look:

Jeff Friesen is one reason the Sharks are in the hunt. One BIG reason. Jeff has 30 goals and is one behind Owen Nolan's mark for most Shark goals in a season. Look for him to break that number against Anaheim this week. Jeff was a holdout for eight games or he'd have already done it. Friesen's incentive-laden contract guarantees him $1 million base, plus a cool mill if he can produce 80 points.

Mike Vernon has been on fire. Allowing three goals or less in 24 of 32 starts, Vernon is eighth in the league in wins. Not bad for a guy paired with a 37-year-old backup (Kelly Hrudey), making for the oldest tandem in the league. Vernon also has a personal best five shutouts this season, including one over Philly... in Philly, no less. Hrudey has not been the Hrudey of past, but it isn't all his fault. The Sharks don't seem to produce many goals with Kelly in net, averaging 1.61 per game when Hrudey plays.

Darryl Sutter. Sutter is a major change from Al Sims. Much has been written about the lack of respect that Sims had from the players. Darryl plays a defensive game and it seems to have taken hold. Want examples? Look at any game this year against the Wings. The Sharks have crushed Detroit this year and a major reason is that no Detroit player can make the Sharks' blue line without a horde of teal jerseys in around him. While Todd Gill may have had a bit of sour grapes over sitting on the bench for less-than-stellar play, the rest of the players seem to be getting better. And Sutter is a hard man to please. After putting out the Flames 6-0, he still says the team played sloppy hockey. And, of course, he never smiled.

John MacLean. I've already mentioned the team's improvement since he joined and there's no doubting that. Mac has also produced and has a four-game goal streak rolling at the moment. He might not be in SJ next year, but he is a key to making the playoffs this year and is second on the team with 41 points and 15 goals.

Al Iafrate. What? How can I mention the 15-game man? Well, with him the team is 10-3-2 (so far). And it is your humble correspondent's opinion that the big man was in everyone's minds all season. Like a secret weapon they were just waiting to trot out. It's no secret that he cost them his first game back out, but it was needed to get him on the ice. Just watch opponents near him. There is a level of respect there seldom seen.

Unless we're talking about Bryan Marchment. Since the deadline last month when he joined the club, not a single team has let Marchment out of their sight. Whether it was Dallas where he was greeted with a round of boos or Calgary where he leveled Flames players like Paul Bunyan laying out trees. He is never an also-ran. Respected, feared or hated, he is never ignored.

Mike Ricci by Meredith Martini

Mike Ricci. Another Lombardi acquisition, Ricci is the knife in every opponent's side. Watch Ricci in the offensive zone. He is everywhere the puck is. Eight goals and 18 assists.

How about Stephane Matteau? 15 goals, 12 assists and a +/- of +6.

And what about the D? Well, mentioned already is The Planet, but Bill Holder is the team's plus/minus leader with a +11. Hmmm, funny, he held that record with the Lightning last year as that team's plus/minus leader, too. He has also contributed in the scoring department with six goals and 22 assists.

Marty McSorley, though often scratched of late, is right up there with a plus/minus of +10.

Mike Rathje has made major strides toward eliminating 'the Sloth' as his middle name. Rathje has actually slammed home a couple goals of his own this year with a shot that looks (surprisingly) like the Planet's!

And the rookie Andrei Zyuzin? He is on the board with a +/- of +6 and 12 points of his own.

Speaking of rookies, the Sharks have the youngest rookie on the ice (Marleau) and the best trio to be found in the NHL: Andrei Zyuzin on the blue line, and Patrick Marleau (2nd overall last year) and Marco Sturm on the frontline. Both Marleau and Sturm have challenged all other rookies in the league for the Rookie of the Year. Sturm even pulled in a Rookie of the Month in December. Marleau is currently fourth on the team in scoring and Sturm, fifth. Owen Nolan calls Patrick Marleau "scary talented". These are men on which the Sharks can build a team.

And the team keeps improving. Ricci and MacLean play better together each game. The reunited Chicago line of Bernie Nicholls, Joe Murphy, and Murray Craven is putting its moves on the ice. The last six games the team has allowed two goals in 32 power plays, but has scored power-play goals - the Achilles heel for the team this season - in each of the last five contests, including three in Calgary alone.

Actually, all four lines are producing. Sutter has the luxury of putting just about any line on the ice while still expecting production. Iafrate is healthy. Marchment is lurking, just waiting to deliver the crushing hit. Friesen is the fastest thing on two skates with the puck and Vernon is pitching a career season. Even with Nolan out for perhaps the rest of the season, the Sharks have become what they were in 95: A team. And a team to be reckoned with.

With five games left and Edmonton, Phoenix and Chicago all in the hunt, what does it all add up to? The crystal ball is in the shop, but the loaner shows blurry images of teal and white in a deathmatch with the mighty Stars. Or is it the Wings? Either way, the Sharks have won the series in the regular season. It's a lone soul who sees them kissing the Cup, but don't be surprised if they make it to the third round. They won't be.

And Darryl Sutter still won't be smiling.

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