The surprising young Coyotes, backstopped beautifully by born-again goalie Sean Burke (who has rejuvenated his career since arriving in the desert in Nov. '99), have absolutely nothing to lose as they enter their first-round Western Conference playoff series against the Sharks. After retooling their roster, the Coyotes looked like a team destined for a season at the bottom of the conference. Instead, the Coyotes have become a legit force, especially on home ice, where they're 12-0-0-1 in their last 13.

On the other hand, San Jose, which will be a significant favorite in this series, carried much loftier expectations into the season. The Sharks met their regular-season goal of winning their first Pacific Division title. But, after several seasons of playoff disappointment, Owen Nolan & Co. are seeking a trip to the conference final and beyond.

Right now, though, these desert pups stand in their way.

If Burke does his job, the Coyotes have the sheer talent to compete with the Sharks. However, outside of Burke, defenseman Teppo Numminen and playoff legend right wing Claude Lemieux, the Coyotes don't have much postseason experience. And, that could be their undoing against the playoff-tough Sharks.

San Jose loves to play a nasty game. Forwards like Nolan, Mike Ricci, Scott Thornton and Todd Harvey, as well as defender Bryan Marchment, seem to find new ways to get under the collective skin of a team. In the past, less-talented (and less-balanced) Sharks teams were able to get veteran playoff clubs like the Blues and Stars to lose their focus.

The Coyotes can't let a cheap shot from Marchment or a stick foul from Harvey or Ricci take them away from the task at hand. If they do, they'll find themselves running out of position to get even. That will play right into the teeth of the Sharks, who'll gladly take advantage of Coyote mistakes.

These young Coyotes would be wise to follow the lead of Lemieux, the game's all-time best playoff pest. During his second stint in New Jersey, Lemieux helped rookie Scott Gomez find his way through some tough moments. That Devils team went on to win the Cup.

Talented, but inexperienced, Coyotes forwards like crafty Slava Nagy and undersized sniper Daniel Briere should lean on Lemieux in the locker room and on the bench during key moments. Both players, along with Daymond Langkow and Shane Doan, have been key offensive contributors for Phoenix.

If the Coyotes don't get rattled by the Sharks' nasty playoff bite, they could make this a very long and interesting series. Who knows, maybe these overachieving, baby-faced Coyotes have what it takes to win the franchise's first playoff series since 1987.

E.J. Hradek writes hockey for ESPN The Magazine. E-mail him at ej.hradek@espnmag.com.