Thursday night’s first game of the Stanley Cup Playoff series
between Colorado and San Jose was one minute away from overtime
when a ‘bad break’ happened and the Sharks found themselves on the
wrong end of a 2-1 decision at sold-out HP Pavilion.
SAN JOSE
Thursday night’s first game of the Stanley Cup Playoff series between Colorado and San Jose was one minute away from overtime when a ‘bad break’ happened and the Sharks found themselves on the wrong end of a 2-1 decision at sold-out HP Pavilion.
San Jose had rallied in the third period to tie the game at 1-1, getting the equalizer on Ryane Clowe’s hard shot from the right boards that sailed inside the right post at 7:59. The Avalanche then scored the winner with 49.3 seconds left in regulation.
Right winger Chris Stewart, playing in his first NHL playoff game, pulled the puck away from pressure in the right corner of the offensive zone, then drilled a pass toward the front of the crease where teammate TJ Galiardi waited. The puck never reached its intended destination, however. Instead, the puck bounded off the skate of San Jose’s Rob Blake and into the net to earn Colorado the 1-0 series lead going into Friday night’s contest in San Jose.
“It was a bad break that went their way,” San Jose coach Todd McLellan said.
“We knew it wouldn’t be an easy series. Their work ethic is very strong. Look at the one they got and the one we got. The difference was the one power play.”
The Sharks went 31:46 into play before giving the Avalanche the opportunity to go on a power play. Colorado made the hosts pay when John-Michael Liles scored from the high slot 12:38 into the second period for the first goal of the series.
San Jose was able to clear the zone twice on the Colorado power play. Once the Avalanche was able to set up a third time, two crisp passes along the right boards set up defenseman Liles for a skate across the top of the slot and a blast that skimmed past several players serving as screens at the edge of the crease. Goaltender Evgeni Nabokov was unable to react to the shot before the puck found the inside of the left post for the 1-0 Colorado advantage.
“I was looking for the puck,” Nabokov said of Liles’ shot behind the wall of screeners. “Unfortunately, I couldn’t find it.”
Colorado had another power play in the second period when Devin Setoguchi was caught hooking Brandon Yip. The Avalanche came up with three shots but finished the period with only the one-goal edge.
Colorado posted a 12-3 edge in shots on net in the second period.
“It was more our inability to execute very well,” McLellan said of the unproductive second period. “Our passing was a little bit off. They did a really good job of clogging up the neutral zone.”
San Jose finished the scoreless first period with a 12-11 edge in shots on net, although the Sharks hustled to a 6-0 edge in shots after 2:10 of play. Stewart was whistled for hooking San Jose’s Douglas Murray 28 seconds into play. The Sharks were unable to solve Colorado goalie Craig Anderson while skating with the advantage.
Colorado’s best chance at a goal in the opening period came at 13:30 when Paul Stastny and Darcy Tucker broke free for a 2-on-1 rush against Murray. Stastny’s attempted pass around Murray to Tucker went wide, eliminating Tucker’s chance to put a shot on net.
Clowe netted his 11th career playoff goal off a pass from Setoguchi in the neutral zone. Clowe and Joe Pavelski sped into the Colorado zone on a 2-on-3 rush. As Pavelski worked to the front of the crease, Clowe kept control of the puck along the right boards. After two fakes to shed the defender, Clowe turned to his right and quickly sent a shot toward the net. Pavelski and defenseman Ryan Wilson were in front of Anderson as the puck found an opening inside the right post.
“It’s a big win and we are excited,” Colorado coach Joe Sacco said.
“Even after they tied the game, I liked our composure. For such a young team, I thought we did a really good job on staying composed and we stuck with our game plan.”
In the other Western Conference opener, Phoenix scored in the third period to top Detroit 3-2.
