SAN JOSE
– The San Jose Sharks’ season continues, the result of a
stirring 3-2 overtime rally past the Dallas Stars Friday at
sold-out HP Pavilion.
SAN JOSE – The San Jose Sharks’ season continues, the result of a stirring 3-2 overtime rally past the Dallas Stars Friday at sold-out HP Pavilion.
Joe Pavelski skimmed a shot over the left shoulder of Dallas goalie Marty Turco from 15 feet out 65 seconds into overtime to complete the comeback and send both clubs to Dallas for the sixth game of the series Sunday night. A seventh game, if needed, would be Tuesday in San Jose.
The Sharks opened the series with three consecutive losses before regrouping with a 2-1 win Wednesday and Friday’s shocker.
“We’re confident,” said San Jose coach Ron Wilson. “We’ve found our game.”
San Jose erased a 2-0 deficit after two periods by calling on Milan Michalek and Brian Campbell for third-period goals.
The Sharks put the game away on the second shift of the overtime. Christian Ehrhoff was able to keep the San Jose play alive by pinching inside the Dallas zone, sliding the puck off to a nearby Pavelski. The 23-year-old center glided across the slot with little pressure, then turned toward the net at the inside edge of the right circle before whipping the shot past Turco. Center Patrick Marleau skated in front of the crease as Pavelski fired, setting up a valuable screen.
“That play would never have happened if Chistian Ehrhooff didn’t pinch,” said Wilson. “He was really aggressive, kept the puck alive. That’s the guy you want to have the puck on his stick, because Pavs showed a lot of poise and made a great shot.”
The Stars jumped out to a 2-0 lead heading into the second intermission, the top players for Dallas doing the bulk of the damage in the second period.
Dallas took a 1-0 lead with a crisp power play goal at the 6:14 mark.
Ehrhoff, tied with Craig Rivet for the most penalty minutes in the post-season among the Sharks, was whistled for delay of game at 5:38 for hitting the puck over the glass. The top power play unit went right to work, culminating in Jere Lehtinen’s goal from the slot off a pass from Sergei Zubov.
The Stars had a bad break go against them 15:51 into the second period when an apparent goal from Brendan Morrow was disallowed after several minutes of review by off-ice officials. Mike Ribeiro’s centering pass from the right boards was ruled to have been directed by a distinct kicking motion by Morrow, wiping out the score.
The Stars were able to regroup and add a second goal with only 55.3 seconds left in the period. Brad Richards earned his ninth assist of the post-season when his hard cross-ice pass to Morrow in the left corner of the San Jose zone turned into a 2-0 Dallas advantage. Morrow wristed the puck from 30 feet out, the shot dropping past goalie Evgeni Nabokov as Antii Miettinen acted as a screen.
“It’s amazing that we survived, giving up a goal late after a favorable review,” said Wilson.
The Sharks began the comeback with Michalek’s goal from point-blank range 6:20 into the third period.
Joe Thornton collected the puck behind the Dallas zone, then exchanged short passes with Jonathan Cheechoo before turning around the right post and delivering a short pass to a streaking Michalek at the left post for the stuff shot.
San Jose tied it at 2-2 at the 11:07 mark. Jeremy Roenick circled near the San Jose blueline before sending a pass between two defenders to a streaking Campbell at the Dallas blueline. Campbell jumped past the defense and whipped a shot over Turco and into the top right corner of the net for the equalizer.
“It was a bang-bang play,” said Campbell. “I don’t think Marty (Turco) had time to get set.”
Roenick, playing in his 147th career playoff game, added that “we were going to let it all out” in the third period. “I said that let’s go out, throw everything we have and empty the tank. We also had a couple of good breaks on the no-goal calls.”
“We can push the pace,” Wilson said of the upcoming game in Dallas. “We have to be aggressive, pursue the puck, be in the faces of their skilled players.”
