Sharks Stick to Plan

Despite trailing the best closing team in the NHL, the San Jose Sharks didn’t change a thing in the third period.

Mike Ricci and Teemu Selanne scored within a three-minute span of the third period and San Jose rallied to beat Colorado, 5-3, on Saturday to take a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference semifinal series.

San Jose is seeking its first appearance in a conference final.

“We didn’t abandon our game plan in the third period,” Selanne said. “We have been awesome in the third period the whole season. We knew we had a chance.”

Colorado was 34-0-1 during the regular season when leading after two periods, but twice has lost leads against the Sharks. San Jose also scored three goals in the third period to beat the defending Stanley Cup champions, 6-4, in Game 3.

“I think we sat on the lead in the third period,” Colorado’s Joe Sakic said. “We cannot be giving up a lead like that in the third period.”

San Jose had lost six consecutive Game 5s before winning two this season. The Sharks closed out their first-round series against Phoenix with a 4-1 victory in Game 5.

Since 1995, the team that wins Game 5 has gone on to win the series 17 of 21 times. Game 6 of the best-of-seven series is Monday night at San Jose.

“We’ve got to play with a lot of will and desire in the next game,” Colorado’s Adam Foote said. “We’ve made it tough on ourselves. We have our backs against the wall.”

Colorado led, 3-2, after the two teams combined for five goals in a 5:58 span of the second period, but Ricci tied it 5:59 into the third with his fourth goal of the playoffs. Colorado goalie Patrick Roy stopped a redirected shot by Scott Thornton, but the puck bounced to Ricci, who punched in the rebound from just outside the crease.

Selanne made it 4-3 at 9:04, beating Roy stickside from the top of the right circle. It was Selanne’s fifth goal of the series after he went five games without one against Phoenix.

Owen Nolan added an empty-net goal with 2.5 seconds to play.

“We have been through a lot,” Ricci said. “Third periods don’t bug us.”

San Jose’s Marco Sturm started the second-period scoring binge with 7:53 left on a one-timer from the left post. Peter Forsberg tied it 1:33 later, whirling around in the slot to beat Evgeni Nabokov between the pads.