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Pavelski caps comeback as Sharks edge Stars

May 3, 2008 - 6:47 AM SAN JOSE, California (Ticker) -- Joe Pavelski carried the San Jose Sharks' third-period momentum right into overtime.

Pavelski scored 65 seconds into the extra session as the Sharks scored three unanswered goals to stave off elimination and post a 3-2 triumph over the Dallas Stars in Game Five of their Western Conference semifinal series on Friday.

Milan Michalek and All-Star defenseman Brian Campbell netted third-period goals and Vezina Trophy finalist Evgeni Nabokov finished with 24 saves for the second-seeded Sharks, who trail in the best-of-seven series, three games to two.

Only two teams have overcome a three-games-to-none deficit in the Stanley Cup playoffs - the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, who accomplished the feat against the Detroit Red Wings in the Finals, and the 1975 New York Islanders, who defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins in the quarterfinals.

"We know it is playoff hockey, being down 3-0 is not easy," Pavelski said. "They are feeding off trying to close us out and we are fighting for our lives. This team wants to play another game.

"We have two wins there and two more to go. But we can only look at the next game. They will be skating and playing hard. It is playoff hockey, so it will likely be another one-goal game."

Jere Lehtinen and captain Brenden Morrow scored and Marty Turco made 19 saves for the fifth-seeded Stars, who host Game Six on Sunday.

"Every game we lose, we give them more life," Morrow said. "But I like our position a lot more than theirs. They still need to win two, we need to win one. They're going to try and say the pressure's on us, but I like our position a little bit better."

"We know (winning) four is tough, and it always is," Dallas' Mike Modano said. "A closing game is hard, but we headed in the right direction tonight with an all-around effort and everything that we did. (We hope to) continue that and get ready for Sunday night. It's going to be a big game for us."

Just over a minute into overtime, Pavelski skated across the slot from the left side before wristing a shot over Turco's glove and just inside the right goalpost for his fifth goal of the postseason.

"I tried to pump fake and tried to get (Turco) to drop a bit - and kept pushing it and pushing it," Pavelski said. "It is really the only shot I have as a shooter, coming around like that. If he moves at all, it is gonna open up."

"I'm not positive how (Pavelski) got it in there," Turco said. "It was a quick turnaround and he wanted to come to the net, and our D man forced him to go that way, and it's just a whiparound and shoot it like he did. He's a really talented player, that goes without saying, and it was one heck of a shot."

With the Stars clinging to a 2-0 advantage, Michalek halved the deficit just 6:20 into the third period.

Jonathan Cheechoo was able to absorb a hit behind the net and dished to All-Star Joe Thornton, who blindly tapped a centering pass to Michalek. The Czech, who netted the game-winner in Wednesday's Game Four victory, buried the puck past Turco for his fourth of the playoffs.

The Sharks leveled the contest nearly five minutes later after an alert play by veteran Jeremy Roenick.

The 38-year-old spotted a streaking Campbell and fired a lead pass from his own end of the ice that caught the defenseman in stride just as he entered the offensive zone. Campbell skated in and wristed a shot past Turco's outstretched glove and just inside the right post for his first tally this postseason.

"You have to take some chances," Campbell said of his decision to skate up the ice. "There is a 2-on-1 there and Nabby made a big save. You have to take some chances. I probably would not have done what I did if it was tied at (2-2) or if we were up by a goal, I am not going to go up the ice like that. But when you are down by one or two, you have to mix it up a bit."

"'Soupy' (Campbell) made a great shot, JR (Roenick) made a great play to 'Soupy,' and we got the momentum from that," Thornton said. "The crowd really kept us in the game. It was just a great finish."

After defenseman Christian Ehrhoff's delay-of-game penalty put Dallas on the power play, crisp passing put the Stars on the scoreboard at 6:14 of the second period.

From just inside the blue line, Modano fired a cross-ice pass to the left faceoff circle to defenseman Sergei Zubov, who alertly fed Lehtinen on the doorstep. The Finn slipped the puck between Nabokov's pads for his fourth playoff goal and a 1-0 edge.

The Stars thought they doubled the lead with 4:29 remaining in the session.

Skating down the right wing, Mike Ribeiro backhanded the puck toward the net. Checked closely by defenseman Matt Carle, Dallas captain Brenden Morrow deflected it past Nabokov with his right skate for an apparent 2-0 advantage.

But after a lengthy review, replay officials ruled Morrow used a distinct kicking motion on the play and the goal was nullified - much to the pleasure of the San Jose faithful.

With 56 seconds remaining, Morrow registered a goal that actually counted.

After Brad Richards was denied on a stuff attempt, the rebound careened out to the left circle. Morrow gathered the puck and wristed a shot from a sharp angle that beat Nabokov between the pads for his sixth of the postseason.

Morrow nearly gave his team a three-goal bulge 4 1/2 minutes into the third period, but again it was waved off after officials ruled he hit the puck into the net with his glove.

"I love the way our team battles through adversity, but those were two critical, critical points in the game where I still haven't seen 'a distinct kicking motion,'" Dallas coach Dave Tippett said. "But I guess someone else did."

"The other one, I agree with ... I agree with no goal on the play, but if Morrow isn't cross-checked in the back, he would have put the puck down and in the back of the net."