Monday’s elimination from the Stanley Cup Playoffs at the hands of their rivals to the south (yes, I think they’re rivals now), cannot sit well with the San Jose Sharks or their fans.

This was a team that not only won the President’s Trophy and had home ice as long as it remained in the postseason, but one that intentionally brought in a mixture of Cup-winning veterans for a presumed deep playoff run.

None of that matters today after the Sharks were ushered out of the playoffs by the Anaheim Ducks in six games. If it’s possible for a six-game series to not be as close as it appeared, this one wasn’t. After Anaheim won the first two games, the Sharks came back to take Game 3 in what was the series’ most exciting game, 4-3. After a Ducks demolition of the Sharks in Game 4, the Sharks saved face on home ice with an overtime win in Game 5, but not before allowing the Ducks out of a 2-0 hole in the third period. Even though the Ducks lost Game 5, their ability to score twice in minutes in the Shark Tank probably confirmed to them that they were the better team.

So what do the Sharks do now? Here are four possible answers.

1. Fire the coach. Highly unlikely and not advisable. Todd McLellan and his staff appeared to do a fine job all season, and everything I’ve heard from Sharks insiders is overwhelminingly positive. He was outcoached this series by Anaheim’s Randy Carlyle, but that is part of the learning curve for the first-team NHL bench boss.

2. Fire the GM. I guess it’s possible, but it wouldn’t make any sense to me. Doug Wilson is not only the face of the Sharks franchise, but you will not find a classier man anywhere – NHL, board rooms, the beach, you name it. He was proactive this past offseason, and my guess is he will be again.

3. Shake up the roster, again. Reports from San Jose were this was not a super tight group, and really, how could it be?  The team mixed in a lot of new parts and had to overcome a lot of injuries in the second half of the season. Still, that the team didn’t play with more heart could be construed as a reflection on the leadership in the room, or lack thereof. So before the inevitable trade Patrick Marleau or Joe Thornton rumors kick up, consider this. Maybe the Sharks need a new captain. Or a new set of them. No one questions the team’s talent level – it’s as high as any team’s, but maybe the mix isn’t right. When Brian Burke took over as GM in Anaheim and brought D Scott Niedermayer in, there was no question he was going to be the captain. As serviceable and popular as Steve Rucchin was, Burke knew he could keep him around and demote him as captain. When the Sharks obtained Thornton in 2005, he seemed to be a logical choice to wear the C, in my opinion, but he hasn’t. If the Sharks trade anyone – and I believe they will – I think Marleau will be the one to go. … Another thing to consider is goaltending. Is Evgeni Nabokov the guy to carry San Jose to the Finals? As good as he’s been the past four, five seasons, he has not stood on his head regularly in the postseason. He also would have a lot of trade value at this point. However, the Sharks do not have the depth at the position they’ve enjoyed in the past. Moves are likely, but what they will be is anyone’s guess at this point. If I carried a vote, I would encourage the Sharks to obtain a new goaltender first, then re-arrange the furniture among the skaters.

4. Do nothing. As crazy as it sounds, this might be the best thing. Perhaps the Sharks will learn from this experience and return determined not to let it happen again. A stable room could do wonder for team cohesiveness. A determined Sharks team would be a difficult Sharks team to beat in 2009-10.