You've heard the phrase "Stanley Cup or bust." Well, in San Jose, it may be "Stanley Cup or blow it up." You can expect significant changes in Sharks land if they can't deliver the goods this spring.
The good news for fans is this Sharks squad looks poised to do just that as they hit the postseason healthy, happy and hitting on all cylinders. The path from here to there is fraught with danger in the Western Conference; but, with all due respect to the Sharks' first-round opponents from Calgary, the danger shouldn't rear its head until at least the second round.
The Sharks finished the regular season with losses to the Kings and Stars, but that followed a 20-game points streak as the Sharks went from an aimless first half to a team of destiny in the second. The Sharks have the third-best penalty-killing unit, the 10th-ranked power-play unit, a group that has clicked since the arrival of defenseman Brian Campbell and the third-best goals-per-game output. All pretty heady stuff.
As for the Flames, calling them inconsistent is charitable. The team hasn't won more than two straight since the end of February. That's not the best recipe for upending the best team in the NHL down the stretch. Even usually stellar netminder Miikka Kiprusoff has shown he's mortal with a 2.69 goals-against average and .906 save percentage.

1. Peaking at the right time. After being dogged by criticism for most of the season, captain Patrick Marleau finally seems back on track and has chipped in 19 points during his last 20 games. His ability to produce during the playoffs will be crucial to taking some of the offensive pressure off Joe Thornton. Although that need might not be as great against Calgary, a strong start would do wonders for Marleau's confidence.2. Home sweet home? You bet. It's true that only Calgary had fewer home wins than the Sharks' 22 among Western Conference playoff teams. But that stat is a bit misleading given that the last time the Sharks lost in regulation at home was back on Feb. 14. As for playing away from home, the Sharks are absolutely formidable, rolling up road win streaks of nine or more games twice this season, the first time an NHL team has accomplished that in a single season.
3. Is there anybody out there? If the idea was the Flames would have a nice, balanced attack against the backdrop of a stingy, tough as nails defense under coach Mike Keenan, it hasn't exactly worked out that way. Jarome Iginla has once again established himself as an elite player with his second 50-goal campaign. But his 98 points were a whopping 32 more than the Flames' second-highest scorer, Kristian Huselius. Huselius has one goal in his last nine games and was a healthy scratch. Unless Huselius, Daymond Langkow and Alex Tanguay (two goals in his last 12) get in the groove, this series won't take long.
4. The machine called Nabokov. We will not suggest for a moment that Evgeni Nabokov will be tired when the playoffs start. But if he was tired, well, who could blame him? Nabokov has quietly emerged as a legitimate threat to unseat Martin Brodeur as the NHL's top goalie this season. Nabokov led the NHL in wins with 46 and in minutes played, was third in GAA and fourth in shutouts. Perhaps the most impressive statistic, though, is 25 of Nabokov's wins were one-goal games. Whether he ends up with his name on the Vezina Trophy or not, Nabokov gives the Sharks the kind of front-line goaltending they'll need to defeat not just Calgary, but anyone else.
5. Did they get it right this time? Last season, the Sharks made a huge splash at the trade deadline by acquiring forward Bill Guerin from St. Louis and defenseman Craig Rivet from Montreal. Guerin turned out to be a colossal bust as he failed to score in the postseason and the Sharks flamed out against Detroit in the second round. GM Doug Wilson rolled the dice again this season and acquired highly coveted defenseman Brian Campbell from Buffalo. Campbell has been nothing short of sensational since, collecting 19 points in 20 games and adding the puck-moving, power-play stud they lacked. The Sharks are 16-2-2 since the deadline, by far the most productive team over that period. But, as Guerin proved, the proof of deadline acumen is revealed in April, May and June, not in late March.

• Dion Phaneuf vs. Sharks offense: and It's rare that a single defenseman can change the complexion of a game or series with his hitting ability. Is Phaneuf that kind of player? Opposing players think he's borderline dirty. But he remains a powerful, physical presence on the ice, not to mention a significant offensive contributor. Given the lack of depth on the Flames' attack, they can't hope to trade chances with the Sharks. That means getting San Jose off its game and that means knocking them down. Watch for Phaneuf to try and create havoc with Thornton, Jonathan CheechooMilan Michalek. If he can, it will give the Flames a chance. • Sharks: Thornton, one of the game's finest playmakers, has nine goals in his past eight games. Cheechoo, a former Rocket Richard Trophy winner, went seven games without a goal before missing six straight with injury. He returned to the Sharks lineup Sunday and scored his 23rd of the season.• Flames: Iginla has points in 10 of his last 14 games, including six multipoint games. Veteran Owen Nolan has one goal in his past 24 games.
The Sharks have a lot to prove. They start here by manhandling the Flames. Sharks in five.

Scott Burnside is the NHL writer for ESPN.com.

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Sports Outlaw Fantasy Football League Champion 2007 - Maelstrom