[8:16 p.m.] The Sharks spent their third power play of the first period getting closer and closer to notching a goal but don’t chip it in until the penalty is 6 seconds from over. Manny Malhotra fights for goal, his first of the playoffs, which ties it up with 41 seconds left in the period.
[8:20] Several times tonight, the video screen above the ice featured a blue-screen effect. The Sharks logo and an actual shark have been shown on the screen, with the former placed on workers jackets and the latter upon the ice while the players were skating around.
[8:21] Best line from the stands so far: “I drove all the way from Reno for this!”
[8:37] Goal by the Avs Chris Stewart, assisted by Craig Anderson, with 20 seconds passed in the second stanza. Crowd silent.
[8:41] The Sharks horn goes off again with an open-ice push shot by Rob Blake, off a pass from Joe Thornton. Patrick Marlowe also assisted on the goal.
[8:42] Avs answer back with a shot in the net by Milan Hejduk.
[8:47] Devin Setoguchi slams his fist into the air after stickplay gives him a goal on the Avs. His first goal of the playoffs was assisted by Ryane Clowe and Joe Pavelski.
[8:52] A slip or two by Torrey Mitchell prevents the Sharks from capitalizing on a breakaway.
[8:53] The Avs Darcy Tucker shoves a Shark on San Jose ice, to no penalty. Crowd boos.
[8:59] Timeout break question time: Including tonight, how many playoff games has Patrick Marleau played? Fan’s answer: 17. Real answer: 93. Little kid behind me: “What, did you think he was a ROOKIE?!”
(9:00] Same kid, on penalty called against San Jose’s Rob Blake: “He’s a FLOPPER! Did he win the OSCAR YET?!”
[9:07] Two consecutive near-fights on Avalanche ice.
[9:08] Colorado’s Brandon Yip sneaks one by Nabokov’s right foot. Avs 4, Sharks, 3. HP Pavilion somber-sounding.
[9:12] A quick shot from the middle of the ice by Jed Ortmeyer bounces off Scott Nichol’s stick for a goal. His reaction? Arms up, then knee down with fist pumping. Goal with 15 seconds left.
[9:13] Nichol and Avs’ Adam Foote end 2nd period with dual roughing penalties.
[9:17] San Jose 4, Colorado 4 at the end of the second. Former USA soccer player and San Jose native Brandi Chastain rides the Zamboni during the break.
[9:32] I just spoke with Austin Murphy of Sports Illustrated, who noted a good job by McLellan to play San Jose’s fourth line of Nichol and Malhotra. He said he is interested in how “the gold-medla-line” of Marleau, Heatley and Thornton have been “invisible” statistically.
[9:39] Chris Stewart zips an open-ice shot in from Nabokov’s left, past the goalie’s right shoulder. It is second goal of the game, third of the playoffs.
[9:49] Immediately after the refs stop play to investigate a possible Sharks goal and decide it is not a goal, a goaltending interference call (on Devin Setoguchi) offsets another Sharks goal.
[9:52] Sharks enter 5-on-3 after Rob Blake called for an interference penalty. 38 seconds to kill on the two-men-down.
[9:54] Penalty killed.
[10:04] An otherwise quiet Dan Boyle looks like he wants to start a fight with a Colorado Avalanche defender. Sharks looking anxious to score while still down one with less than five minutes to go.
[10:05] Brandon Yip’s slashing penalty puts San Jose into it’s sixth power play opportunity – Sharks are currently 1-for-5 on such chances.
[10:12] After Sharks can’t capitalize on penalty, still down one with 1:23 left to go in the game. Timeout San Jose – its time for a magical pep-talk, McLellan.
[10:15] Sharks rally a score with 31.3 left to tie it at 5. Pavelski with the goal, his first of the playoffs. Heatley and Thornton assist (Thornton’s second) – making Heatley statistically “visible” for the first time in the game.
[10:31] Overtime begins. Next goal wins.
[10:38] Sharks scramble, a slap shot from goalie’s left flies wide right.
[10:39] Adam Foote’s third penalty (this time for interference) gives San Jose an overtime power play. And they score, goal by Setoguchi. Game over, Sharks avoid embarrassing 0-2 home deficit in series.
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