We've seen this play before.
After a 2-1 win Saturday over the Los Angeles Kings in Game 2 of their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series, the San Jose Sharks hold a 2-0 lead, seemingly well positioned to knock off their state rivals and punch their ticket to the Western Conference semifinals.
The problem is, they were in an even better position two years ago, but proceeded to blow a 3-0 series lead to these very Kings in a scarring opening-round collapse.
Here's three reasons why history won't repeat itself in 2016:
Road warriors
In 2014, the Sharks won Games 1 and 2 in convincing fashion, outscoring the Kings 13-5. Those performances, however, came on home ice, where teams are expected to hold court in a seven-game series.
This year, San Jose squeaked out a pair of one-goal road wins, stealing home-ice advantage from the Kings. That the Sharks were able to take care of business in L.A. should come as no surprise; San Jose posted a 28-10-3 away record this season, tops in the NHL.
Their regular-season home record (18-20-3) left something to be desired, but the Sharks are traditionally a strong home team, and that they were able to win a pair in Los Angeles with three of a possible five games to be played in San Jose bodes well for shutting the door on another Kings comeback.
Kings' banged-up blue line
The Kings were forced to play Game 2 without defenseman Alec Martinez, who averaged over 21 minutes a night during the regular season. Jamie McBain was called into action in his stead, while Drew Doughty and Jake Muzzin were both given even heavier than usual workloads.
Brayden McNabb is the only other Kings defenseman to see an average of over 20 minutes through the first two games, with Rob Scuderi, McBain, and Luke Schenn seeing four to five fewer minutes.
Should Martinez not be able to return immediately, the Sharks should continue to wear down Los Angeles' top pair and take advantage of the weaker half of the defensive lineup, leaving goaltender Jonathan Quick more exposed than usual.
Luck is a huge factor in the playoffs, and health is on San Jose's side.
Mr. Jones
Antti Niemi was San Jose's number one goalie in 2014, but he finished only three of the six games he started, posting an .884 save percentage over the course of the series. Alex Stalock played well in relief, but in the end, it was a matter of too little, too late.
Last summer, San Jose paid a premium to acquire Martin Jones - Los Angeles' former backup - and he's proving to be well worth giving up a first-round pick early on this postseason, allowing only four goals on 51 shots, good for a .922 save percentage.
Should he falter, James Reimer, who sparkled after being acquired from Toronto prior to the deadline, is ready to step in and help close the door.
Jones is proving to be a star on the big stage, with Hollywood ready to be conquered.
