Sharks Enjoy an Avalanche of Goals

The formidable two-game deficit is gone. The rejuvenated San Jose Sharks can afford to get a little greedy.

Vincent Damphousse scored two short-handed goals in the final period as the Sharks guaranteed themselves another home playoff game with a 7-3 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Friday night at Denver.

The best-of-seven Western Conference series is tied at 2-2. The visiting team has won all four games.

“We feel really good about our situation now,” Damphousse said. “It’s a lot better than coming in here two down. We know we’re going back to San Jose, and we want to be in a good position going there. Our key now is to win the game [today] and have a chance to win [the series] it at home.”

San Jose scored all its goals over a 23-minute span covering the second and third periods.

Colorado goalie Patrick Roy was pulled for backup Craig Billington after Mike Ricci scored to give San Jose a 6-3 lead.

“We got embarrassed,” Colorado captain Joe Sakic said. “We can’t worry about what’s happened in the past. We have the best of three [now] and two games at home. We have to make sure we take advantage of that.”

Alex Korolyuk had a goal and two assists for the Sharks, who trailed, 2-0, midway through the second period but scored the game’s final four goals.

In tying the series, San Jose handed Colorado its fourth consecutive home playoff loss dating to a first-round collapse against the Edmonton Oiler last year. Up 3-1 in that series, the Avalanche lost two at home and one on the road.

Boston 4, Carolina 3--Anson Carter scored on a backhander with 5:15 left in the second overtime at Greensboro, N.C., as the Bruins took a 3-2 lead in their Eastern Conference series.

The Bruins came into the second overtime holding a 47-31 lead in shots on goal, and Carter’s breakaway goal against Arturs Irbe was Boston’s 52nd shot.

Joe Thornton and Ray Bourque assisted on Carter’s winner in the longest game in Carolina franchise history.

Boston had seized the momentum with three goals in a span of 1:52 early in the third period, erasing a 2-0 deficit and quieting the boisterous pompom-waving sellout crowd at the Greensboro Coliseum.

But Sami Kapanen, back in the lineup after sitting out one game because of a bruised knee, scored with 1:45 to play in regulation.

New Jersey 4, Pittsburgh 3--The absence of Jaromir Jagr is starting to take its toll on the Penguins.

Petr Sykora scored on a rebound early in the third period at East Rutherford, N.J., and the Devils overcame a 13-second lapse to move within a game of winning the first-round Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.

The Devils also got two goals from Randy McKay.

Jagr is questionable for Sunday’s Game 6. The NHL’s leading scorer sat out his fourth consecutive game because of a groin injury and didn’t sound optimistic about playing Sunday.

St. Louis 2, Phoenix 1--Al MacInnis tied the score with a goal in the third period, and Scott Young scored 5:43 into overtime at Phoenix to prevent the Coyotes from wrapping up the Western Conference quarterfinal series.

Phoenix leads the series, 3-2.

Toronto 3, Philadelphia 2--Yanic Perreault’s backhander eluded goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck 11:51 into overtime at Toronto to give the Maple Leafs a 3-2 series lead in their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.

The Flyers have lost seven consecutive overtime playoff games since 1995.

Around the NHL

King goalie Stephane Fiset, who dealt with injuries much of the season, will undergo surgery on Monday for a hernia. He had a similar operation two years ago. Fiset suffered what was called a groin strain Oct. 18 in a game against Colorado, sat out four games, came back and aggravated the injury and then sat out 13 games in a row. He later had a 10-game hiatus after aggravating the injury. He played 42 games and had a 2.60 goals-against average, his best as a pro. Fiset, a restricted free agent, had an 18-21-1 record. He is the fourth King to undergo surgery since the end of the season. Russ Courtnall and Josh Green had shoulder surgery and Philippe Boucher foot surgery. . . .

Partners in Mario Lemieux’s bid to buy the Pittsburgh Penguins include a fireworks maker, a car dealer, two realty companies and a former owner of the team. Lemieux revealed the names of his 10 partners as he tries to get creditors in U.S. Bankruptcy Court to approve his $50-million bid. The team is operating with court protection from creditors including Lemieux, the former star center who is owed $32 million. . . .

Butch Goring, who won four Stanley Cups while playing with the New York Islanders, returned to the team as coach, the Islanders’ seventh since 1994. Goring coached the Boston Bruins in 1985-86 and led the Denver and Utah Grizzlies to consecutive International Hockey League championships in 1995 and 1996.