The Meltdown or Robert Lang's love child

I still can't believe it happened. Robert Lang, who has been invisible for the entire series, slips in alone and puts one past the rock steady Nabby to tie the game with 34 seconds left in regulation. Nabby, who made 46 saves in another heroic performance, fell to the ice and looked to the rafters in disbelief. Did this really just happen?? And Robert Lang of all Wings? Unreal.

Detroit stole Game Four and all it would have taken was 39 seconds. That's it. Five more seconds of penalty kill in the 2nd period. 34 more precious ticks of the clock to go up 3-1 in the series and it's lights out Motown. Instead, it is gut check time. The Sharks need to dig deep to pull this off. Detroit has all the momentum. They won two games they had no business winning. By all accounts, this series could very well be over. Instead, we will see what the team is made of....and I'll tell you what. I don't think it is a bad thing. Let me tell you why.

The Sharks are the most talented team in the playoffs. I still believe that. Doug Wilson put all the pieces in place to win a Cup this year. He added my invaluable namesake, Can't Stop the Grier, and penalty killer Curtiss Brown. At the deadline, he pulled the trigger on Rivet and Guerin. These upgrades were made to improve a team that had already flexed its playoffs muscles and won 22 playoff games since 2004, more than any other team in the NHL. Yet, this stat means nothing without the big prize and we all know you can't get to Lord Stanley without some major obstacles in your path. This is the Sharks test. Stand up tall, look each other in the eye and get it done. Here are three ways how.

1) Don't take your foot off the gas. When you get the lead, keep applying pressure. Sitting back and letting the Wings pepper Nabby with 50 shots will not win a series.

2) Ron Wilson - Please stop changing the lines. Stick with what got us here. Separating Clowe-Bernier-Goc broke up our second best line. Stop moving them around and roll the four lines that were successful in the 2nd half of the year.

3) Marleau and Guerin. Time to show up boys. Moving them around isn't going to help. Let them be and figure it out. If they don't, there is no one to blame other than two big guns that have been shooting blanks all series. Put them back together (if Guerin still has a face) and I believe they will have a big Game 5. They have been called out and these All Star performers will not disappoint again.

I still believe and so should you. Is this a real series? Yes. Have the Wings proven to be a more worthy opponent than I expected? Yes. I stand by my statement of rather having the Wings first. I'm sure Mike would agree, with the Sharks playing at 60% we are 2-2 with the Wings. The Ducks would have swept us by now. We will come out bigger, stronger and better. There is no free ride to the Cup. This is a not a bad thing - it will make us stronger if we get throught this. If the Sharks get past Detroit, Anahiem should be shaking in the pond.

Arthur King of the Britains had the Killer Rabbit. We have some Nasty Octapus. But we will reach the Grail, I have no fear. Just a flesh wound friends, just a flesh wound.