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Flames push Sharks to decisive Game Seven

Apr 22, 2008 - 12:33 PM Calgary at San Jose 10:00 pm EDT Western Conference quarterfinals Series tied, 3-3

SAN JOSE, California (Ticker) - Mike Keenan has been in this situation before. It's just been a while.

For an NHL-record 10th time, Keenan will coach a Game Seven when his Calgary Flames visit the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday in the deciding contest of their Western Conference quarterfinal series.

"Winner moves on, loser goes home," Sharks captain Patrick Marleau said. "We have to come out with more desperation and intensity and be ready to play. ... It's got to be there. Win or you're done. That's desperation right there."

The 58-year-old Keenan, however, has not been involved in a Game Seven in nearly a dozen years when, as coach of the St. Louis Blues, his team suffered a 1-0 double-overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings in the decisive game of their conference semifinal series on May 16, 1996.

Keenan is 5-4 lifetime in Game Sevens with his most memorable win coming in the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals as the coach of the New York Rangers.

Keenan will not be the only Flame setting a record Tuesday as center Stephane Yelle will participate in his league-record 11th Game Seven during his career. In his 10 previous deciding playoff games, Yelle recorded no goals and three assists as his team has won five of those contests.

Miikka Kiprusoff stopped all 21 shots he faced to record his sixth career postseason shutout Sunday as the seventh-seeded Flames evened the best-of-seven series at three wins apiece with a 2-0 triumph over the second-seeded Sharks in Game Six.

Owen Nolan and Daymond Langkow both scored a goal for Calgary, which is 5-6 all-time in Game Sevens.

"We're confident," said Nolan, a former Sharks' captain. "We really felt if we played the way we needed to play, we could win (Sunday's) game. We feel the same way about Game Seven. We have to be ready to work hard."

All-Star Evgeni Nabokov made 23 saves Sunday for San Jose, which will host a Game Seven for the first time in its history. Nominated for the Vezina Trophy on Monday, Nabokov went 46-21-8 with a 2.14 goals-against average and six shutouts this season.