On this day in 1994, the San Jose Sharks earned the first playoff win in franchise history with a 5–4 victory over the Detroit Red Wings, a result that set the tone for one of the biggest upsets the NHL had seen at the time.

The win came in Game 1 of a first-round series that few expected to be competitive. Detroit entered the postseason as the top seed in the Western Conference after a dominant 46-28-10 season that saw them reach the 100-point mark. 

Powered by stars like Steve Yzerman, who led the team with 82 points, and Sergei Fedorov, who added 56 points while continuing to emerge as a two-way force, the Red Wings were viewed as legitimate Stanley Cup contenders.

San Jose, meanwhile, had finished with just 82 points and entered the playoffs as the eighth seed, making their postseason appearance already a major step forward for the young franchise. But behind standout goaltending from Arturs Irbe and a resilient, opportunistic lineup, the Sharks refused to back down.

After that Game 1 statement win, the Sharks proved it was no fluke as the series went the distance, with San Jose ultimately stunning Detroit in seven games. The deciding Game 7, played back at Joe Louis Arena, saw the Sharks pull off a 3–2 victory to eliminate the conference’s top team.

For the Red Wings, the loss marked a disappointing end to an otherwise strong season and added to a growing narrative at the time about the team’s struggles to translate regular-season success into playoff results.