Marleau's OT Goal Keeps Sharks Alive

Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau kept the Sharks alive at least one more game even after Anaheim fought back from a two-goal deficit to send the game into overtime.

Just over six minutes into overtime, Thornton whisked a pass from behind the net to Marleau in a crowd out front.

Marleau jammed the puck three times, finally pushing it past Jonas Hiller. As it trickled in, the Sharks massed on the ice in celebration -- with the 3-2 victory over the Ducks, they avoided making the fastest exit ever by a President's Cup-winning club, with the series heading to Game 6 in Anaheim on Monday.

Sharks 3, Duck 2 OT: Recap | Box Score | Saturday's Scores

"Obviously, it was a great pass and I kept jabbing at it and it went in," Marleau told reporters after the game."This might be the type of goal we need to score more of."

Said Thornton, "It was just a matter of time before we got our feet under us and won at home."

Thornton appeared loose and as he was enjoying himself on Saturday. He was a focal point early on, making a show of chirping at Ryan Getzlaf, and the Ducks were lured into several early penalties. Getzlaf was called for hooking Thornton 6:51 into the game. On the power play, Thornton won a faceoff, sped toward the crease and picked up a loose puck, putting it in on the right side.

With 2:44 left in the second period, Devin Setoguchi brought the puck around the back of the net himself and put it in on the short side.

For the first time in the series, the Sharks had a two-goal lead, but it wouldn't survive the third period. Less than a minute in, San Jose's Mike Grier tripped over the linesman along the boards and Andrew Ebbett swooped it up and sped down the left side, spun and got it to Ryan Carter. Carter slipped it past Evgeni Nabokov from the left circle.

Less than three minutes later, the Ducks rushed into the Sharks' zone, and Scott Niedermayer, double-teamed, slipped a pass to Corey Perry on his right and Perry evened the score.

Hiller stopped three of 48 shots as the Sharks again dominated the shot totals. Nabokov stopped 2 of 25.
Marleau has 10 game-winning playoff goals since 2002, the most in the NHL.

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SAN JOSE, CA - APRIL 25: Patrick Marleau #12 of the San Jose Sharks looks for the rebound just before scoring the game winning goal against goaltender Jonas Hiller #1 and Chris Pronger #25 of the Anaheim Ducks during Game Five of the Western Conference Quarterfinal Round of the 2009 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at HP Pavilion on April 25, 2009 in San Jose, California. The Sharks won 3-2 in overtime. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Patrick Marleau;Jonas Hiller;Chris Pronger

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SAN JOSE, CA - APRIL 25: Goaltender Evgeni Nabokov #20 of the San Jose Sharks pokes the puck away from Bobby Ryan #9 of the Anaheim Ducks as Shark Dan Boyle #22 follows the play during Game Five of the Western Conference Quarterfinal Round of the 2009 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at HP Pavilion on April 25, 2009 in San Jose, California. The Sharks won 3-2 in overtime. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Evgeni Nabokov;Bobby Ryan;Dan Boyle

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Anaheim Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller, of Switzerland, lies in the net after San Jose Sharks center Patrick Marleau, left rear, scored the winning goal in overtime of a first-round NHL hockey playoff game Saturday, April 25, 2009, in San Jose, Calif. At left is center Joe Thornton. The Sharks defeated the Ducks 3-2. Anaheim leads the series 3 games to 2. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

SAN JOSE, CA - APRIL 25: The San Jose Sharks celebrate an overtime win during Game Five of the Western Conference Quarterfinal Round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs vs the Anaheim Ducks on April 25, 2009 at HP Pavilion at San Jose in San Jose, California. (Photo by Don Smith/NHLI via Getty Images)

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Anaheim Ducks' Scott Niedermayer (L) and San Jose Sharks' Torrey Mitchell fight for possession of the puck during the third period of Game 5 of their NHL Western Conference quarterfinal hockey playoff game in San Jose, California April 25, 2009. REUTERS/Robert Galbraith (UNITED STATES SPORT ICE HOCKEY)

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San Jose Sharks Patrick Marleau (2nd L) is mobbed by teammates Joe Thornton (L), Christian Ehrhoff (2nd R), and Douglas Murray after Marleau scored the game-winning goal against the Anaheim Ducks during the overtime period of Game 5 of their NHL Western Conference quarterfinal hockey playoffs in San Jose, California, April 25, 2009. REUTERS/Robert Galbraith (UNITED STATES SPORT ICE HOCKEY)

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Anaheim Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller (foreground) skates off the ice past the celebrating San Jose Sharks, who won Game 5 in the overtime period of their NHL Western Conference quarterfinal hockey playoffs in San Jose, California April 25, 2009. REUTERS/Robert Galbraith (UNITED STATES SPORT ICE HOCKEY)

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San Jose Sharks Patrick Marleau (C) scores the game-winning goal against Anaheim Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller during the overtime period of Game 5 of their NHL Western Conference quarterfinal hockey playoff game in San Jose California April 25, 2009. REUTERS/Robert Galbraith (UNITED STATES SPORT ICE HOCKEY)

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The San Jose Sharks celebrate a goal by center Patrick Marleau in the overtime period of a first-round NHL hockey playoff game Saturday, April 25, 2009, in San Jose, Calif. The Sharks won, 3-2, in overtime. Anaheim leads the series 3 games to 2. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

San Jose Sharks players surround center Patrick Marleau after scoring the winning goal against the Anaheim Ducks in overtime of a first-round NHL hockey playoff game Saturday, April 25, 2009, in San Jose, Calif. The Sharks defeated the Ducks 3-2. Anaheim leads the series 3 games to 2. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)