DENVER—Dan Boyle was itching to get back on the ice, insisting it was the best way to forget about the fluke overtime goal he played a hand in two long days ago.
Indeed, that turned out to be the most effective remedy for the San Jose Sharks defenseman.
Boyle scored the game’s first goal and Joe Pavelski knocked in the game-winner 10:24 into overtime, lifting top-seeded San Jose to a 2-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night and tying the Western Conference series at two games apiece.
For Boyle, it’s been an excruciating break since his error Sunday, a play that has been shown quite often on the Internet. Boyle’s attempt to clear the puck wound up in San Jose’s net on an apparent deflection, the only goal scored in the Sharks’ Game 3 loss.
He can’t forget the episode, just try to move past it.
“Until we win the series, it’s never going to be completely over,” Boyle said. “The only thing that matters to me is winning this series and then I can officially turn the page on that.”
For a series the Sharks were expected to dominate, all four games have been decided by a goal—the last three going to overtime.
Game 5 is Thursday in San Jose.
This time, it’s Colorado’s turn to regroup after a crushing loss.
“It’s disappointing,” T.J. Galiardi said. “It only takes one shot, and they got it.”
Pavelski scored the winning goal by gathering up a pass deep in Colorado’s zone, using the Avalanche defense as a screen and beating Craig Anderson with a shot into the right corner.
There was no doubt the puck was going in once it left his stick.
“I was able to get it by him,” Pavelski said. “Anderson was great all night again.”
Both goalies have been, turning in one sensational save after another. Evgeni Nabokov turned back 33 shots, including six in overtime.
“That’s a tough team to play,” Nabokov said. “They are moving constantly.”
Anderson faced another flurry of San Jose shots, finishing with 43 saves. He has now faced 148 shots over a span of three games.
“We would have liked to have had a better result, but at the end of the day we can look ourselves in the mirror and know we gave it our all,” Anderson said. “We didn’t get the bounce tonight.”
The Sharks know a thing or two about bad bounces.
San Jose was feeling quite unlucky entering the game, waiting for a couple of caroms to go its way. The team lost Game 1 at home when the puck deflected off the skate of Sharks defenseman Rob Blake and into the net in the final minute. Then, in Game 3, Boyle had his moment.
The Sharks took Monday off to rest and recharge after the disheartening loss.
They definitely had the fresher legs early in the game, something the youthful Avalanche have prided themselves on all series.
Paul Stastny drew a penalty on the opening faceoff for high-sticking. The Sharks took advantage as Boyle’s slap shot got through the traffic in front of the net and by Anderson just 72 seconds into the game.
That pretty much answered where Boyle’s head would be after his costly error.
His teammates didn’t need to give him a pre-game pep talk, though. Boyle has a Stanley Cup title and Olympic gold medal on his resume.
“No one’s worried about Dan Boyle,” Devin Setoguchi said.
Especially now.
“That put Game 3 to rest in his mind and probably a lot of other people’s minds,” Sharks coach Todd McLellan said.
For the Avalanche, it’s all about keeping their focus.
“We’ve got to let it go,” defenseman Adam Foote said. “We have to keep positive.”
