The San Jose Sharks are tied atop the Pacific Division with 94 points after a come-from-behind 6-5 shootout victory at Pacific Division rival Los Angeles on Thursday night.
The Sharks qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the eighth straight season even before the thrilling win thanks to the Nashville Predators defeating the Dallas Stars earlier in the evening. That outcome eliminated Dallas and clinched the postseason spot for the Sharks.
A wild playoff chase culminates Saturday when the Sharks and the Kings meet in the season finale in San Jose. The Sharks, with a victory, can leapfrog Los Angeles into first place in the Pacific. The other team contending for the division title, the Phoenix Coyotes, need three points in their final two games to dethrone the four-time defending division champion Sharks.
The postseason berth is the 15th in franchise history. Playoff seeding for both the Western and Eastern Conference will be set Saturday night.
