The Sharks and the Colorado Avalanche are headed to a Game 7, thanks to Gabriel Landeskog.
The Avalanche forward scored 2:32 into overtime of Game 6 on Monday night, ensuring the Stanley Cup playoff second-round series will shift back to San Jose on Wednesday for a do-or-die Game 7 at SAP Center.
Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar kept the puck in the offensive zone after the Sharks' clearing attempt and then fired it toward San Jose goaltender Martin Jones. Landeskog gathered the loose puck and extended the Avalanche's season with his goal that delivered a 4-3 win.
Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic first sent the game to overtime, scoring his second goal of the night with 2:28 remaining in regulation. Vlasic, who scored just three goals during the regular season, capped a dominant Sharks shift in the Avalanche end. Timo Meier brought the puck into the offensive zone on a mini-breakaway and dished to linemate Gustav Nyquist on a pass. Nyquist's shot went wide, but San Jose maintained possession in the offensive zone for about a minute afterward.
The Sharks capitalized on Landeskog's broken stick to apply pressure, and Logan Couture ultimately set up Vlasic to tie the score.
Sports
San Jose overcame three separate one-goal deficits to send the game to overtime. Vlasic tied it at 1 with 5:24 remaining in the second period, burying a rebound after Meier overpowered Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar to create a prime scoring chance.
Meier's strength on the puck set up the Sharks' second goal, too. The 22-year-old forward carried the puck into the neutral zone, as four Avalanche skaters descended upon him. The puck found its way on defenseman Erik Karlsson's stick, and he passed to a darting Brent Burns to even the score at 2.
Now, the Sharks will return home for their second consecutive Game 7 to end a series. In Game 7 of the first-round set with the Vegas Golden Knights, San Jose overcame a three-goal third-period deficit by scoring four goals on a five-minute major power play. Vegas sent the game to overtime, but Sharks forward Barclay Goodrow sent San Jose into the second round with the overtime winner.
Are the Sharks in for a repeat?