San Jose Sharks coach Todd McLellan, right, talks with center Joe Pavelski, left, and other players during practice Monday, May 17, 2010, in San Jose, Calif., for the NHL hockey Western Conference finals. The Chicago Blackhawks lead the series 1-0.Paul Sakuma/The Associated Press
The hardest thing for any coach, down 3-0 in a Stanley Cup playoff series, is to convince his team that it isn't over yet, even if the odds are long that they can ever get back in the series. The good news, for the San Jose Sharks' Todd McLellan, is that one team already this spring - the Philadelphia Flyers - overcame that seemingly insurmountable challenge and won a series in which it was three games down.
"I didn't know coming to the rink today where our group would be," said McLellan Saturday. "Would we be dealing with self pity, kind of feeling sorry for ourselves, or would we hold our heads high? The good sign was the first guys that walked in, they didn't necessarily have a smile on their face, but they were holding their heads up. And that was a real good sign. As the group arrived and I addressed individuals, I felt pretty good about where their mindset was.
"My job was made a little easier after reading where the team was at. I think some of the leaders took care of that. Quite frankly, they feel like I said last night, they've been in every minute of this series. We're not going to be perfect. There are going to be times where we break down, they play in our end and vice versa.
"It doesn't feel like a 3-0 series, but it is."