No matter what the outcome of overtime, Craig Anderson was going to be the game’s No. 1 star. The only remaining question was whether his Avalanche teammates could match his heroics just one time in Sunday’s Game 3 of the Western Conference quarterfinals with the San Jose Sharks.
It turned out that San Jose’s Dan Boyle was the hero, and not in a good way for his team. In an unbelievable finish to an unbelievable game, Boyle scored on his own goalie with a backhand “pass” toward the goal that somehow wound up past Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabokov to give the Avs a 1-0 OT win in a game they were outshot 51-16.
Ryan O’Reilly was credited with the goal, and the Avs take a 2-1 series lead on the Sharks with Game 4 set for Tuesday night.
“The guys battled hard and batted through some adversity,” Anderson said. “We still have a long way to go. We need to re-focus tomorrow and just enjoy this tomorrow, but get back to work tomorrow.”
Anderson withstood a final 40 regulation minutes of relentless, withering pressure from the Sharks, stopping 42 shots from the Avsl
The Avalanche played a very physical first period, something that wasn’t much on its agenda seemingly the first two games. Matt Hendricks was particularly active with the hits, including one big one on former Av Rob Blake that drew a thunderous cheer.
The Avs outshot the Sharks 9-8 in the first period, but the second was a much different story. San Jose outshot Colorado a whopping 21-3.
Partially, that was helped along by three Sharks power plays, while the Avs got none from referees Wes McCauley and Stephen Walkom. Anderson was tremendous, stopping everything, including a great pad save on Patrick Marleau from the doorstep on one power play.
Strange as it sounds, the Avs had maybe the two best scoring chances in the period. One was a loose puck in the crease that Hendricks nearly stuffed home, and the other was a TJ Galiardi breakaway. Galiardi never really got a shot off, however, after trying one too many fakes on Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabokov.
By the third period, all the time spent in their own zone seemed to have the Avs dog tired. With 9:30 left, San Jose’s overall shot edge had reached a whopping 39-13 and it was practically a moral victory if the Avs just got the puck in the San Jose end.
Anderson, though, just kept making save after save, a franchise-record 50 in all through regulation. There were so many superlative ones, it would take the rest of this story to document them all properly. Maybe his best stop, though, came with about two minutes left, a sliding stop on Manny Malhotra after a rebound in front on the power play.
Adrian Dater: 303-954-1360 or adater@denverpost.com and
Live updates
The Denver Post has live updates from Game 3 throughout the night:
It’s over
An own-goal by San Jose’s Dan Boyle gives the Avs the 1-0 win and a 2-1 lead in the series. The Sharks defenseman was trying to clear with a backhand, but the puck shot towaard the net and squeezed past the right side of Evgeni Nabokov.
Ryan O’Reilly gets credit for the game-winner. O’Reilly was in the corner when Boyle tried to backhand it.
Anderson finished with 51 saves and got an incredible ovation from the home fans in the postgame.
Anderson sets records
Craig Anderson’s 50 saves in regulation set a franchise record tonight, beating the 44 that Patrick Roy stopped against Detroit in Game 3 of the 1999 conference semifinals.
Also, Anderson’s 21 saves in the each of the second and third periods tonight ties the record for stops in a period, which was first set by Roy who stopped 21 in the third period against Edmonton in 1997 semifinals.
The record for most saves in a playoff game: Roy of course. He stopped 63 in three-overtime Game 4 of the 1996 Stanley Cup Finals.
Anderson at 50 saves
After another series of amazing saves late in the third period, Craig Anderson hit the half-century mark with repeated stops and the Avs have killed seven power plays.
It isn’t going to help unless the Avs’ offense finds itslef in the overtime. The Avs had just three shots in the third period, 15 for the game.
The home crowd continues to keep the energy up with chats of “Andy, Andy” for Anderson.
Killer Avs
The Avs killed yet another power play as Craig Anderson increased his save total to 47 with 3:21 left in regulation. But as soon as it was over, the Avs were hit with another penalty, boarding on TJ Galiardi.
Kyle Quincey was called for crossing checking at 14:13 after the Avs were unable to clear. San Jose’s onslaught continued until Quincey was finally whistled for the hit on Manny Malhotra in the crease.
Still no shot
At the midway point of the third period, the Avs have yet to put a shot on goal. Their last shot was TJ Galiardi’s break away with 5:45 left in the second period. The Sharks are up to 11 shots.
Peppering continues
The San Jose offense continues to swarm in the third period. In the first six minutes, Craig Anderson has turned away eight shots. The last was a 3-on-2 Sharks rush, which Anderson kicked away.
Meanwhile, the Avs have yet to put a puck on Nabokov.
Anderson on game
Avs goalie Craig Anderson was plenty busy in the second period, turning away 21 shots including six on power plays. Meanwhile, the Avs put just three shots on Evgeni Nabokov in the period.
San Jose picked up a power play late in the second when Adam Foote was called for tripping at 16:18 mark. But for the fifth time in the game, the Avs killed it off.
It’s going to set up a pretty intense third period, no doubt.
Nothing there
The game’s best scoring chance of the game was TJ Galiardi’s break away with 5:45 left in the period. But he got in too tight and he was stopped by Evgeni Nabokov. It was just the Avs’ third shot on goal in the second period. Anderson has turned away 14 shots in the second.
Second period update
San Jose has dominated the second period offensively, and Avs goalie Craig Anderson has turned them away repeatedly.
The Sharks had one offensive series when you would have thought they were on a power play. Despite being full strength, the Avs failed at least five times to clear the puck out of the zone.
In another, San Jose three three consecutive shots at Anderson, and between him and the defensemen crashing the net, the Sharks were blanked.
Lots of chip, no goals
The first period was full of post-whistle shoving and scrums. Unlike Game 2’s six-goal outburst in the second period, the opener in Game 3 was filled missed chances and big saves.
Craig Anderson stopped nine shot, while the Sharks Evgeni Nabokov turned away eight shots. The Sharks have the edge in faceoffs, 11-10.
Hejduk out for game
Colorado right wing Milan Hejduk is likely out for the rest of the game, it was just announced. He collided with teammate Paul Stastny near the blue line and fell to the ice. Hejduk’s injury is listed as “upper body,” but he looked to really hit his head and jar his neck.
It is chippy from the start, and Sharks defenseman Jason Demers drew the first penalty less than two minutes in when he was whistled for unsportsmanlike conduct at the 1:43 mark.
There have been three power-plays in the first six minutes.
Game on
Puck is on the ice and Game 3 is on. Definitely not the same atmosphere as last night when the Nuggets filled the arena for Game 1 of the NBA playoffs.
While it was a packed out Saturday night, the crowd tonight fills about 90 percent of the Pepsi Center.
Definitely more cow bells here tonight than in the NBA crowd.
As always, Jake Schroeder of Opie Gone Bad fame got the crowd jazzed with his soulful version of the national anthem.
Scratches for the Avs tonight: defensemen Brett Clark and Ruslan Salei and forwards David Koci, Kevin Porter, Marek Svatos, Chris Durno and Peter Mueller.
The Sharks’ scratches: defensemen Niclas Wallin and Jay Leach and forwards Dany Heatley and Brad Staubitz and goalie Henrik Karlsson.
Skates are on the ice
Avs and Sharks have stepped onto the ice for the pregame skate. With just 30 minutes before the puck drops, there are a few fans in the arena ready for the game.
Always interesting to watch the goalies get in their pregame routine at the red line before popping into the net. Some of the drills and stretches they come up with are amusing.
That “Stanley Cup Playoffs” logo dropped into the ice at the blue lines sure is a welcome sight for Avs fans.
Shark ball
In the hallway outside the San Jose locker room about an hour before faceoff, a group of players were in a circle kicking around soccer ball. They were playing some wicked bounces off the walls.
Welcome back
The calm before the craziness at the Pepsi Center just 90 minutes from faceoff. Avs fans are trickling in for the first home playoff game in nearly two years.
Game 3 faceoff is set for 7:30 tonight, and the game is on Altitude and Versus. Reminder, Game 4 on Tuesday is at 8 p.m., and the series goes back to San Jose on Thursday night (8:30 mountain time).
The Avs’ last home playoff game was the Game 4 loss to Detroit in the 2008 conference semifinals. The Red Wings swept the series with the 8-2 win at Pepsi Center on May 1, 2008.
