Sharks dream dies in 4th OT

By David Pollak
Mercury News

Article Launched: 05/04/2008 11:37:17 PM PDT


DALLAS - It took 5 hours and 14 minutes, but the Sharks playoff dreams came to an end Sunday night.

In the longest game in Sharks franchise history, a power-play goal by Dallas captain Brenden Morrow at 9:03 of the fourth overtime ended the Sharks' postseason as the Stars beat San Jose 2-1 to capture the Western Conference semifinal series in six games. It was the eighth-longest playoff game in NHL history.

The goal came with Sharks defenseman Brian Campbell sitting in the penalty box after he was called for tripping left wing Loui Eriksson. Morrow's goal was a deflection of a shot by Dallas defenseman Stephane Robidas.

The Sharks already had survived two elimination games to force a Game 6 after Dallas won the first three games of the series. The Sharks were trying to become only the third team in NHL history to overcome a three-game deficit to capture a series.

"That's a tough way to lose," Campbell said. "You have your chances, I guess, but it just doesn't go your way."

The Sharks outshot the Stars 62-55 and controlled much of the Campbell said he and his teammates were confident throughout the series and the game.

"You still think it's possible," he said.

Sharks Coach Ron Wilson praised his players in defeat.

"We asked everybody to play hard on our team and I think they did," he said. "Turco had our number on a boatload of chances."

The Sharks began the season with high playoff expectations and soon had others looking at them as serious Stanley Cup contenders as well. They answered questions about heart and character by battling back against Dallas, but theiir loss in Game 6 of the second round means they exit the postseason at precisely the same point they did against Edmonton in 2006 and Detroit in 2007.

Sharks captain Patrick Marleau said he believed that the Sharks answered those who criticized the team for any lack of grit.

"We showed it in the first series" against Calgary, he said, "and we battled back and played two games tonight."

The Stars took a 1-0 lead in the second period on a goal by Antti Miettinen. Sharks left wing Ryane Clowe's first goal of this series tied things up at 1:39 of the third period.

The game was scoreless after the first 20 minutes, but both teams had their chances.

Dallas linemates Mike Ribeiro and Jere Lehtinen were on a two-on-one rush with an open net staring at Ribeiro, but Rivet caught up with the play and got a high stick on Ribeiro, earning a penalty but saving a goal.

At the other end of the ice, Dallas goalie Marty Turco used his glove to snare a 42-foot wrist shot by Campbell in his glove with only 1.1 seconds left.

Early in the second period, Dallas took the lead.

Nabokov made a kick save on a shot from the right point by Stars defenseman Sergei Zubov. But the Sharks goalie kicked the rebound right to Miettinen, who slid it under Nabokov at 4:49 as he scrambled to get back in front of the net.

By the third period, the Sharks were dominating the game - scoring early and keeping up the pressure for the full 20 minutes.


San Jose tied the score at 1-1 at 1:39 when a shot from the left faceoff circle by Torrey Mitchell rebounded off Turco to the opposite side of the ice. There, Rivet directed the puck to Clowe, who spun around and fired a 39-foot wrist shot that beat Turco on the glove side.

Both goalies made spectacular plays in overtime.

The Stars came close to scoring 91 seconds after the first extra period started when center Brad Richards was parked just outside the crease - near to Nabokov - when he took a cross-ice pass and got off a quick slap shot that the Sharks goalie somehow managed to glove.

The play even went to review because it appeared the puck might have crossed the plane of the goal line before Nabokov got it, but the save was upheld.

Later, Patrick Marleau lined up a shot in the slot that Turco managed to keep out of the net as he fell back to the ice and got a leg pad on it.

At 9:51 of the third overtime, the Sharks raised their sticks, thinking that Mitchell had scored. But officials thought otherwise and a review showed that Turco fell on the puck before it could cross the goal line.

Until Sunday night - actually Monday morning in Dallas as the third overtime began - the longest game in Sharks history was Game 3 in the 2006 playoff series with Edmonton, which the Oilers won 3-2 at 2:34 of the third overtime.



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Read David Pollak's Working the Corners blog at blogs.mercurynews.com/ sharks. Contact him at dpollak@mercurynews.com.