The Sharks have developed a reputation of not doing well in the playoffs. Some say (jokingly, I assume) that its because Arturs Irbe sold his soul to win against Detroit. Others say that the Sharks don’t have enough heart, whatever that means. Either way, they just can’t seem to get past the third round.

But while post-season failure is something that many teams share, there is a unique statistical oddity that surrounds the Sharks. Out of the seventeen seasons that the franchise has been in existence, the Sharks have made the playoffs twelve times – a respectable 70.6%. And, as they have never won the Cup, they have been eliminated by twelve different teams. The number of teams that have won the Stanley Cup after beating the Sharks? Zero.

That’s right, any team that has played a playoff game in what is known as the “Shark Tank,” has never gone on to win the Stanley Cup, whether its the Sharks themselves or the teams that draw them. The first few times, well, it could be excused as a coincidence. But now that it has happened a dozen times, well, I think this moves into “curse” territory – not so much a curse on the Sharks, but a curse on any team that has the misfortune of drawing the Sharks.

Now, here are some stats to show that I’m not just spouting off some BS.

The first time the Sharks made the playoffs in 1994, the season after setting an NHL record for most losses, they surprised everyone and beat the first-seeded Wings in 7 games (Jamie Baker’s GWG still stands as the most important goal scored in franchise history). The Sharks then lost to Toronto in the second round in seven games. The next round? Toronto lost to the Canucks in five.

The next year, the Sharks beat the Flames in 7, and then was swept by Detroit. Detroit then went on to win in five games over Chicago to go to the Finals. What happened next? They were swept by New Jersey, and a certain Claude Lemieux won the Conn Smythe.

The Sharks missed the playoffs for the next two years, and then made it as the eighth seed in 1998. They lost to Dallas in six, and then Dallas won in five over the Oilers. The next round? Lost to Detroit in six.

In 1999, the Sharks lost to Colorado in six. The Avalanche then won over Detroit in six, and lost to Dallas in seven.

In 2000, the Sharks beat the top-seaded Blues in seven, and then promptly lost to Dallas in five. Dallas beat Colorado in seven, and then fell to the Devils in six in the Finals.

The Sharks lost in six to the Blues in 2001, and then the Blues promptly lost in five to the Avalanche.

The Sharks won their division for the first time in 2002, and beat Phoenix in five. They lost to Colorado in seven in the semifinals, and Colorado lost in the next round to Detroit in seven.

After missing the playoffs the year before, the Sharks went the furthest in the playoffs in franchise history in 2004, making the Western Conference finals after dispatching the Blues in five and the Avalanche in six. They fell to the Flames in six, but then the Flames lost to the Lightning in the Finals in seven.

With the lockout in 04-05, the next Sharks playoffs run was in 2006, where they won over the Predators in five, but lost to the Roloson-led Oilers in six. The Oilers went on to beat the then-Mighty Ducks in five, but lost to the Hurricanes in seven in the Finals.

The next season, the Sharks drew the Predators again in the first round, once again eliminating them in five. They then drew the Wings and lost in six. The Wings then lost to the no-longer-mighty Ducks in six in the Conference Finals.

In 2008, the Sharks won the first round match-up against the Flames in seven games, and then lost to the Stars in six (Game 6 being the eighth-longest game in NHL history). The Stars promptly lost to Detroit in six.

This season, the Sharks drew the Ducks and lost in six. The Ducks went on to lose to the Red Wings in seven, continuing the curse.

Out of all the teams, that beat the Sharks, one lost in the semi-finals, seven lost in the conference finals, and four lost in the Cup finals. The large number of conference finals losers can be explained by the fact that out of the twelve playoff berths, the Sharks lost in the second round seven times, although it should be noted that some of those teams went on to the Cup Finals while some of the teams the Sharks lost to in the first round were eliminated in the Conference Finals.

This phenomenon is more than just a coincidence, and should make it that much more imposing for other teams: the knowledge that if you are unlucky enough to draw the Sharks in the playoffs, you will not win the Cup that year. Doesn’t matter what happens in the series, whether a team sweeps the Sharks or wins in a 7 game squeaker, if they play at the Tank they will not win the Cup.

And that is the Curse of the Shark Tank.