For the first time in franchise history, the San Jose Sharks are in the Stanley Cup Finals, where they were down 1-0 to the Pittsburgh Penguins going into last Wednesday night’s game.

Since their inception in 1991, the Sharks had made the playoffs a whopping 17 times in 24 years, but they have never sniffed hockey’s ultimate prize, Lord Stanley.

After three convincing series victories to open the playoffs over the rival Los Angeles Kings, Nashville Predators, and St. Louis Blues, Sharks’ fans have reason to believe that this is finally the year that they break through and capture the title once and for all.

Early exits and underachieving in the playoffs are nothing new for San Jose, a team that had reached the postseason for 10 consecutive years from 2004-2014. A common sight every spring was lack of impact play from the team’s top players when it mattered most.

But for the first time in a long while, this current Sharks run just has a different feel than all the others, with a well-balanced squad that seems to have what it takes to get over the top.

Most of the aging stars are competing at the highest level they’ve ever played in their postseason careers. San Jose finished the regular season with the league’s best record away from home at 28-10-3, and a top three finish in the Pacific Division.

In addition, the Sharks were the only team in the NHL to boast three of the league’s top 10 scorers, Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski, and Brent Burns.

The squad has leaned on an absolutely lethal power play attack to punish opponents all year long and into the postseason. They play at an incredibly quick pace, relying on their blazing speed to wear down opponents in all facets of the game.

General manager Doug Wilson deserves a tremendous amount of credit for the moves he made during the offseason to bolster the roster, as well as the coaching staff.

The signing of head coach Peter DeBoer has proven invaluable from the start, as he’s managed to change the culture of the whole locker room in a very positive way.

Summer acquisition and veteran Joel Ward has played exceptionally all year long, especially in the playoffs where he’s scored six times. Offseason pickup Paul Martin has been a mainstay on the defensive side throughout.

Maybe the most important addition of all has been goalie Martin Jones, who finished the regular season as a top 10 netminder in major statistical categories. He has managed to hold his own throughout the playoff run, leading the league with three shutouts and 12 wins.

It’s no secret that this team has lacked the attention and appreciation that it deserves from Bay Area sports fans.

Ever since the neighboring Golden State Warriors started to turn things around a few years ago, and Stephen Curry has emerged as one of the most recognizable athletes on the planet, the Sharks have been completely overshadowed.

But much like their local counterparts, San Jose loves to light up the scoreboard, as they finished fourth in the NHL in goals scored during the regular season and first throughout the playoffs.

Let’s be honest here, what’s not to love about this team? It’s a genuine, gritty bunch of veterans that have worked tirelessly throughout their careers with not enough to show for it. But they are finally coming together with an energetic, confident group of young, up-and-coming studs.

Take 36 year old veteran Patrick Marleau for example. He’s a guy that has spent exactly half of his entire life wearing teal since being drafted by the team as an 18 year old rookie in 1997.

On the flip side, 24 year old Joonas Donskoi, a rookie out of Finland, has burst onto the scene this last month, showing a knack for coming up in the clutch.

And who can resist rooting for Burns, the eccentric defenseman with his caveman-like beard and absent front teeth?

Looking back, not even the sight of a black cat scurrying across the team’s home ice before a second round game was enough to slow the roll this team is on. The Sharks have all the aspects of a unique, quirky, feel good story, that has a tremendous amount of talent on the ice. I urge all of my fellow Bay Area sports fans to give this amazing team a chance.

No matter the outcome, they’re in for one heck of a ride in what should be a fantastic Stanley Cup Finals.