Patrick Marleau scored his second game-winning goal of the NHL playoffs 6:02 into overtime as the top-seeded San Jose Sharks avoided first-round elimination with a 3-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks in game five on Saturday.
Evgeni Nabokov made 23 saves for the Sharks, who blew a two-goal lead early in the third period at the Shark Tank. San Jose stayed alive with a goal from its reconstituted top line when Joe Thornton circled the net and slipped the puck in front, where Devin Setoguchi and Marleau both hacked at it.
The puck landed behind Anaheim goalie Jonas Hiller, who accidentally nudged it over the goal line. Video review confirmed the officials’ call while the Sharks already were in their dressing room, preparing to move on to game six tonight.
PHOTO: AP
After San Jose’s stars floundered in the first four games, they excelled in the first elimination game. Thornton and Setoguchi scored their first goals of the series while San Jose largely dominated the first two periods, but Ryan Carter and Corey Perry scored in the first 4:42 of the third to even it for Anaheim.
Hiller made 45 saves for the Ducks.
PENGUINS 5, FLYERS 3
At Philadelphia, the Pittsburgh Penguins rallied from 3-0 down to eliminate the home team with a remarkable victory.
The Penguins, who beat the Flyers in the Eastern Conference finals last year, won the first-round series 4-2 and have to wait to find out who they’ll play next.
Backed by a raucous crowd, Mike Knuble and Joffrey Lupul scored 51 seconds apart late in the first period and Daniel Briere had a power-play goal to put the host Flyers up 3-0.
But Ruslan Fedotenko, Mark Eaton and Penguins captain Sidney Crosby leveled the score before the end of the second period.
Sergei Gonchar ripped a slap shot past Martin Biron for his first goal of the series 2:19 into the third to put the Penguins ahead.
BLACKHAWKS 5, FLAMES 1
At Chicago, Patrick Sharp and Kris Versteeg scored 19 seconds apart in a three-goal first period as Chicago beat Calgary for a 3-2 series lead.
Game six is today in Calgary, where the Flames won games three and four to even the first-round Western Conference series.
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