5 reasons why San Jose Sharks will win Stanley Cup

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SAN JOSE, CA – MAY 25: The San Jose Sharks pose around the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl after winning against the St Louis Blues in game six of the Western Conference Finals during the 2016 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the SAP Center at San Jose on May 25, 2016 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Don Smith/NHLI via Getty Images) /

4. Experience

In the last 20 years, every Stanley Cup winner made the playoffs the previous season. Only three didn’t make the playoffs the two years prior. Out of this year’s field, these are the teams who qualified for the playoffs each of the last two years: the Nashville Predators, Minnesota Wild, Anaheim Ducks, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals, Pittsburgh Penguins and San Jose.

If winning and playoff experience matters, then San Jose has to be considered a Cup favorite. No team has won as many games as San Jose since Doug Wilson was named general manager in 2003. San Jose is the only franchise in the top five in wins in that span to not win a Stanley Cup.

Only two franchises have clinched more playoff berths since the @SanJoseSharks began play in 1991-92: Detroit (24) and Pittsburgh (22). #NHLStats #StanleyCup
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) April 3, 2018

If there’s a such thing as a franchise being due, this is it.

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