Sharks Topple Avalanche

Patrick Marleau saves his best for the playoffs.

Marleau scored the tiebreaking goal in the third period at San Jose, his NHL-leading sixth goal of the postseason, and the Sharks beat the Colorado Avalanche, 6-4, Monday night.

Marleau beat Colorado goalie Patrick Roy from the left circle with 6:34 left to break a 4-4 tie and give the Sharks 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series.

With six goals and four assists, Marleau has at least a point in each of the Sharks’ eight playoff games.

Rob Blake scored two goals for the Avalanche, which had won five straight in San Jose, dating back to Jan. 25, 2000. Roy turned away 34 San Jose shots.

Owen Nolan scored two goals for the Sharks, including an empty-netter with 15.5 seconds left, and Evgeni Nabokov, who was pulled Saturday in San Jose’s 8-2 Game 2 loss, stopped 29 shots.

Teemu Selanne tied it for the Sharks with a power-play goal 3:31 into the third period.

The Sharks had a five-on-three advantage early in the period when Blake and Stephane Yelle were tagged with penalties. Just as Yelle’s holding penalty ended, Selanne hit a perfectly angled shot from the right side that slid under Roy.

Blake set the tone with a goal just 59 seconds into the game, rebounding a shot that had Nabokov on the other side of the net.

Blake hadn’t practiced Sunday and played only 14 minutes in the second game--he scored two goals--because of a sore leg. He missed Game 1.

Shark captain Nolan finally got his first goal of the playoffs 3:20 into the second period. Roy came way out of the net to send the puck back down the ice, but made a bad clear. Nolan took advantage with a 45-foot shot that went between Roy’s legs.

Ottawa 3, Toronto 2--Patrick Lalime fell three minutes short of an NHL record, but it didn’t matter because Magnus Arvedson scored twice to seal the Senators’ victory at Ottawa. The pair sparked the Senators to a 2-1 lead over the Maple Leafs in the best-of-seven series, which resumes at Ottawa Wednesday.

Daniel Alfredsson had the game-winner for the Senators, who nervously held off a late surge by the Leafs.

Gary Roberts scored with 3:16 remaining, ending Lalime’s bid for what would have been a record fifth playoff shutout.

Travis Green was credited with Toronto’s other goal, banking in a shot from behind the net off Ottawa’s Radek Bonk with 34.5 seconds remaining to make it 3-2.

Lalime came up with two big saves to preserve the victory, stopping Tomas Kaberle’s point shot and then diving across the crease to foil Alexander Mogilny’s attempt with 12.2 seconds left.