Talented teams with no Stanley Cup

In what has become a springtime ritual in San Jose, the Sharks cap strong regular seasons with dispiriting playoff ousters. Joe Thornton (19) and Patrick Marleau (12) are the faces of a franchise that failed to advance beyond the second round for four consecutive seasons (2006-09) despite superior talent. Even a roster shakeup before the 2011-12 season failed to do the trick, and their first-round ouster by St. Louis will likely spell more change. Counting Western Conference Finals losses to Calgary in 2004, Chicago in 2010, and Vancouver in 2011, the Sharks are still in the ranks of talented teams that were never quite able to take the final step to greatness.