Another game 7. Another controversial call. Another Joe Pavelski moment. It's been the theme throughout the playoffs for this iteration of the San Jose Sharks.

San Jose, led by Joe Pavelski and Martin Jones, eliminated the up and coming Colorado Avalanche with a 3-2 victory at the Tank Wednesday night. The Sharks got a huuuuuge boost when their captain took the ice for warm-ups and determined he was good to go and boy was he.

I truly believed that he would take the skate as an emotional boost and the team had no plans to let him play. Man, was I wrong and I'm so glad I was.

"Pavs" made his presence known almost immediately, throwing his body around and scoring the games first goal by doing what he does best - tipping a Brent Burns shot past Philipp Grubauer. Pavelski added an assist when he found Tomas Hertl in front of the Avs net for a 2-0 Sharks lead. It was a perfect start for San Jose and one they made stick.

The story could not have been scripted any better. Or could it?

Colorado stormed back and appeared to tie the game at two goals apiece when controversy showed its ugly face once again.

Colorado forced a turnover at the Sharks line that sprung Nathan Mackinnon on the attack. The Avs best player found a wide-open Colin Wilson in front of Jones' cage. Wilson buried his chance and all the air vacated the Tank.

Then "it" happened. San Jose challenged the goal for offsides and the goal was taken off the board. It was determined that the play was indeed offside because Gabriel Landeskog didn't get off the ice and onto his bench in time. Do you believe in miracles?

Shorty there after, San Jose stretched their lead to 3-1 when Joonas Donskoi scored his first goal since January.

Still, Colorado would not go quitely. They scored less than a minute into the third period and outshot the Sharks something like 15-1 in the third period. The Sharks survived and found a way to hang on because of the heroics of Martin Jones. Jones made 27 stops overall. He seems to have put his early playoff struggles to rest, hopefully, for good.

It was another incredible end to another incredible series. I mean it when I say, it could not have been scripted any better by a Hollywood writer. Like I've said before, I believe this is a team of destiny. How could it not?

The San Jose Sharks are moving on the Western Conference Finals and I don't know how it can possibly end there.

Vegas and Colorado were the two teams that posed the biggest threat to the Sharks. Their speed and skill should have the Sharks Kryptonite. Yet, they survived and they won't see anything like that in the three other teams left in the playoffs. Could this finally be the year? The Hockey Gods seem to be doing their part to get San Jose over the hump. It's up to the Sharks to do the rest.

Stay tuned for a Western Conference preview and prediction.

Thanks for reading,
Steve

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