Flippin' Quarters No. 1: Shark Bites Octopus, 1994

This is the 13th postseason since Gary Bettman and Co. flipped the NHL's playoff format for the 1993-94 season from divisional to conference-based. Here's the final entry for the Top 13 Stanley Cup Quarterfinal Series since the big format flip:

No. 1: Detroit Red Wings (1 seed) vs. San Jose Sharks (8 seed), 1994
San Jose Sharks 5-4 at Detroit Red Wings
San Jose Sharks 0-4 at Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings 3-2 at San Jose Sharks
Detroit Red Wings 3-4 at San Jose Sharks
Detroit Red Wings 4-6 at San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks 1-7 at Detroit Red Wings
San Jose Sharks 3-2 at Detroit Red Wings

Here it is, folks. The big cheese. Numero Uno. The best Stanley Cup quarterfinals series since they ~~screwed up~~ changed the playoff format.

The Red Wings scored 356 goals in the regular season, 50 more than the second-highest total in the league and 104 more than San Jose. Yet the Sharks took advantage of the league's 2-3-2 postseason format, winning twice at the still-new Shark Tank for a 3-2 series lead. After a Red Wings thumping in Game 6, 7-1, the Sharks won a 3-2 thriller in Game 7 on an unassisted goal by Jamie Baker in the third period, who would reminisce thusly with NHL.com:

"The part I really remember most is what Bob Errey did. He was our captain, and you talk about leadership. He'd won a Stanley Cup in Pittsburgh, so he'd been through it before. We were all celebrating together and he came in and said, 'Boys, we've got six-and-a-half minutes left. Let's not celebrate yet.' So, we wiped the smiles off our faces and went back to work."

The Sharks became the first team since the 1975 Islanders to make the second round in their postseason debut. Without a doubt, one of the most enormous upsets in NHL history - this was like watching Glass Joe win by decision over Mike Tyson. For the next several months, the easiest way to get yourself shot in Detroit was uttering the word "Irbe."

Previously: Flippin' Quarters No. 2: Leafs, Flyers and Old-Time Hockey (2003)

The other installments in the Flippin' Quarters countdown can be found here.