from Paul Gackle of the Mercury News,

After the Vegas Golden Knights took a 3-2 series lead over the Sharks Friday, Tomas Hertl stole a page from Mark Messier’s book, guaranteeing a Game 6 win, saying he believes his team will come back and force a Game 7, “for sure.”

I won’t go that far because I know the only guarantees in life are death, taxes and more inexplicably-stupid behavior from Boston Bruins bad boy Brad Marchand. That said, I’ve spent enough time around this Sharks team to know that they won’t be eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs without putting up a strong fight.

In the game of word association, Sharks hockey has never been matched up with the word “resilient.”

To the casual observer, the Sharks are synonymous with let down, underachievement and full-on collapse. That will happen when you make the playoffs 12 times in 13 years without winning the Stanley Cup, get bounced in the opening round after capturing the President’s Trophy or become the fourth team in NHL history to cough up a 3-0 lead.

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