NHL

• Sharks edge Flames to take 3-2 series lead

  
  

  San Jose, CA (Sports Network) - Jonathan Cheechoo scored twice, and the San Jose Sharks took the lead in their Western Conference quarterfinal with Calgary with a 4-3 win over the Flames.

  Joe Pavelski and Patrick Marleau each had a goal and assist for San Jose, which leads the best-of-seven series 3-2, and can win it in Game 6, set for Sunday in Calgary. Evgeni Nabokov turned aside 33-of-36 shots in the win.

  "The next one will be the toughest. We have to rest up here and get ready for that one," Marleau said. "It's going to be desperate hockey, on both parts, I think. You will see them come out strong like they have the last couple of games."

  Jarome Iginla finished with a goal and an assist for Calgary, while Daymond Langkow and David Moss also tallied. Dion Phaneuf added two helpers, while Miikka Kiprusoff gave up all four goals on 26 shots.

  "Unfortunately we didn't get it done tonight, but we're going to do more of the same and go regroup and just get ready for game six," Iginla said. "It's do or die, but we really believe we can get game six and we come back here for game seven."

  San Jose already had a one-goal edge going into the third period, but Cheechoo recorded his two markers in the first nine minutes of the frame to stake the Sharks to a commanding lead.

  With the Sharks swarming around the net, a backhander bounced off the left post, leaving the puck in the middle of the crease. At the same time, Kiprusoff lost his balance and fell onto his backside, with the puck near the crease and several diving bodies around him.

  As all of that was going on, Cheechoo raced in from near the right circle and shoveled the loss puck into the net at 4:52, for a 3-1 San Jose lead.

  Just 3:30 later, he scored again after going on a 2-on-1 rush with Marleau, who sent a pass from the left circle to the right. Cheechoo then ripped a slap shot over Kiprusoff to extend his team's lead to three goals.

  "It was nice to get a couple of big goals from Cheech," Marleau said. "We had to use all of them, unfortunately, but we'll take it."

  But just as quickly as the Sharks took the commanding lead, the Flames started their comeback. Merely 34 seconds after Cheechoo's second goal, teammate Craig Rivet took a penalty for holding the stick.

  Then, 10 seconds into the power play, Calgary scored. Langkow was standing directly in front of the crease as Alex Tanguay sent a feed from the right side of the ice, and flipped it into the net as Nabokov tried to slide into position.

  The Flames cut their deficit to one with just 1:16 on the clock. Iginla backhanded a blind pass from behind the left side of the net, and Moss was the closest Calgary player to it. Moss, with two San Jose players providing resistance, got enough of his blade on the disc to shove it at the net. The puck found its way in, squeezed between the left post and Nabokov's right pad.

  But Calgary couldn't get another quality chance, as San Jose held on for the win.

  The Flames broke a scoreless tie a little more than four minutes into the second period, on the 5-on-3 power play, on an Iginla one-timer.

  But Pavelski provided the equalizer on a San Jose power play at 11:32, and Marleau tallied at 18:07, boosting the Sharks to a 2-1 lead headed into the second intermission. Game Notes

  Calgary was 2-for-5 on power plays, while San Jose was 1-for-3...Neither team had more than nine shots in the third period...Iginla has eight points (3 goals, five assists) this postseason.

  04/18 02:00:01 ET