The Stanley Cup playoffs start tonight and once again the San Jose Sharks are in the hunt for a championship. This year’s team features plenty of familiar faces, but the new names bolstering the roster are what have the perennial contenders — who have never won a Cup — believing that this could finally be their year.

Team photographer Brandon Magnus has been documenting the ups and downs of the Sharks’ impressive run through the regular season. From team flights, to family time, to the second seed in the West, everything has led up to this — a first-round matchup against the Las Vegas Golden Knights that begins tonight at the SAP Center at San Jose, better known as the Shark Tank.

Photographs by Brandon Magnus/San Jose Sharks

“Gonna be fun to see the Tank, and the fans on their feet during playoffs.”

—Erik Karlsson

“Look good, feel good, play good. That’s it.”

—Evander Kane

“All the preparation is done so we can keep it light in the locker room.”

—Joe Pavelski

“Right before I head out onto the ice I’m trying to go through some stuff in my mind, thinking about how the game is going to play out and what I need to do.”

—Martin Jones

“You play all year for this opportunity. There’s 16 teams left that have a chance to win the Stanley Cup, and we’re one of them. So, we want to play as long as we can.”

—Logan Couture