NHL ROUNDUP : Sharks Back at It Again, Beat Flames for 2-0 Lead

Ulf Dahlen scored a power-play goal 12:21 into overtime for the San Jose Sharks, who finished a two-game sweep of the Flames in Calgary on Tuesday and headed home ahead, 2-0, in their Western Conference series against the Pacific Division champions.

The Sharks upset favored Detroit in the first round of last season’s playoffs.

Dahlen scored only seven seconds after the Flames’ Theoren Fleury was whistled for elbowing.

“The puck came off the boards. I had an open net,” Dahlen said. “It was easy to put in.”

Calgary, which last won a playoff series in 1989 when it was the Stanley Cup champion, tied the score, 4-4, with 47 seconds to play in regulation when Robert Reichel backhanded a shot between Arturs Irbe’s pads.

Detroit 4, Dallas 1--The Red Wings cashed in on Dallas mistakes and got spectacular play from goaltender Mike Vernon at Detroit to take a 2-0 lead in their Western Conference quarterfinal series.

“Look at all the past champions,” said Paul Coffey, whose unassisted goal got Detroit started. “If you don’t have a great goalie, you’re going nowhere fast.”

Two years ago, the Red Wings pinned their hopes on Tim Cheveldae. Last season it was Bob Essensa. Detroit was eliminated in the first round both times. So the Red Wings traded Steve Chiasson to Calgary for Vernon and compiled the best record in the NHL.

“The goalies are the backbone of this club,” Detroit forward Darren McCarty said. “Mike lifted us up tonight. He was great.”

Nicklas Lidstrom scored two goals and Vernon made 20 saves in Detroit’s victory. The Red Wings outshot Dallas, 29-21.

Tradition was served with 13 octopuses thrown onto the ice, three during the national anthem.

Toronto 3, Chicago 0--The Blackhawks can’t beat goalie Felix Potvin from the slot, the wing, the point. They tried them all, even adding Patrick Poulin’s penalty shot with 1:49 to play, and Potvin rejected all 42 of their shots in a victory at Chicago.

It was his fourth playoff shutout of Chicago in two years and gave Toronto, which was outshot, 42-17, a 2-0 lead in the series.

Vancouver 5, St. Louis 3--Russ Courtnall had a goal and three assists, including the game-winner midway through the third period, as the Canucks won at St. Louis to tie their Western Conference series at a game apiece.

The Canucks took their first lead of the series, after 108 minutes 11 seconds, when Courtnall scored on a high shot from a tight angle on a 2-on-1 rush at 9:11 to make it 4-3.