Quest For the Cup: Quarter-Final Game Seven, Sharks/Flames Live-Blog

So much for a pre-game. That Flyers/Capitals Game 7 overtime match cut it too close. We have, nonetheless, dropped the puck here at the HP Pavillion Shark Tank. Brad Watson and Dan O'Halloran are wearing the stripes.

I said it here that this series would be the grudge match of the first round. And Owen Nolan and the Calgary Flames intend to take no chum from the San Jose Sharks. One thing that surprised me about this series is that I imagined the Sharks would come out and feast on the Flames, leaving Calgary to work from behind. Not at all the case as Calgary went up 1-0 in the series in dominating fashion. San Jose, though they had the home-ice advantage, had to head to Canada to get back into the tilt. They had no such luck in game three, but managed to again tie the series in game four. The first back-to-back victories of the series came in game five as San Jose got the edge, only to drop game six 2-0 for the second time in the series. Tonight's tilt determines who will advance to the Semi-Finals.

Get all the action after the jump.


Period One

Couple of icings and some good hits to kick things off, then the Sharks' Jonathan Cheechoo has a semi-breakaway. Excellent save by Calgary's Miikka Kiprusoff. Cheechoo and Calgary defenseman Dion Phaenuf exchange pleasantries in the corner after the whistle.

Cheechoo, wrangling in a broken play from old timers Joe Thornton and Jeremy Roenick, gets another shot off! Save Kiprusoff.

Ho! Flames' forward Eric Nystrom just got dumped along the half-wall! The Sharks, up 5-2 in the shot margin, are dominating every aspect of this game thus far.

Sharks win the draw after the first commercial break. We get a whistle as Kiprusoff covers the puck. Flames finally win a draw. They struggle to get it out, but do. Sharks take over. Wow. Near-empty net opportunity for San Jose. Their sticks get tangled up, and we have a whistle. Sharks power play.

Good scoring chance for the Sharks. Knocked away by Kiprusoff. Roenick, again in his own end, gets tripped up, gets back in position in front of Kiprusoff and tries to tip a shot in. Another save, and Roenick looks gimpy.

Joe Thornton gets a feed from Cheechoo on the left wing, Kiprusoff totally committed, Thornton scores! One-nothing San Jose.

Time of goal: 10:57 of the first. Sharks get control of another neutral-zone puck. The veteran Mike Grier has it on the left side, he brings it in, gets off a shot -- save Kiprusoff! And Grier has a faceful of boards behind the net. The Flames finally show some guff.

Sharks, after the second commercial break, on the attack again. Calgary takes over. Another penalty called, holding on San Jose. Milan Michalek in the sin bin.

Calgary goal! Fifteen seconds into the power play, Flames' Captain Jarome Iginla gets the re-direct off of Adrian Aucoin's shot from the point. And another penalty. Coincidental minors this time. Nolan heads to the bin for Calgary, and Ryane Clowe from the Sharks does as well.

Sharks bring it in, four-on-four hockey, have a shot from the slot -- save Kiprusoff! Flames corral the puck. Craig Conroy brings it through the zone. Calgary gets off a shot -- saved by Evgeni Nabokov!

Matching minors are over, and we're back to five-on-five. Aucoin gets a pass at the point, delivers a slapper, and it's out of play.

Jonathan Cheechoo is everywhere. He's working the corners and getting off shots as well. Phaenuf's heading to the box. Sharks have the man advantage again. San Jose has it set up; they're spreading it around nicely. They've worked the zone for half of this power play, Conroy clears. Sharks bring it in again, but can't maintain. Thornton brings it in again, and another puck goes out of play.

Power play's over, Sharks continue to dominate. Melee in front of the net, it was wide open for a few seconds, but no one could get a handle on it. First period comes to a close at a 1-1 tie.

Period Two

(first intermission highlights: My wife, on her way home from the bar -- she brought me chicken nachos -- stopped to get me beer and nearly encountered a liquor store robbery in the parking lot. Three cheers for the wife not getting robbed, and making it home with nachos and beer so I could live-blog hockey! Here, here!)

We're underway in the second, and the Sharks, who dominated the draws in the first, lose this one. They eventually get control, but lose it in a scrum in the slot. Calgary retaliates and puts together a shot. Save Nabokov. Our second draw of the period, Calgary controls, into the zone, shot by Iginla, and another save by Nabokov. Calgary wins another face-off, they get off a shot, deflected by Nabokov. Sharks bring it out, lose it in the neutral zone, and must re-group. Icing on Calgary.

Sharks win a draw and fire one on Kiprusoff from the circle. It's deflected and sent down the ice. San Jose, after two attempts to set up in the zone, lose the puck to Calgary. They set up, San Jose takes over, and Roenick brings it down. Weak shot, easy save Kiprusoff. In the San Jose zone again, Patrick Marleau gets off a shot, save Kiprusoff.

Nolan comes up with a loose puck, dekes Nabokov, scores on a re-direct off of Nabokov's leg! Two-one Calgary. The announcers indicate that the refs are going upstairs to review this one. They feel confident it was not kicked in by Nolan.

Goal stands.

San Jose allows Calgary to set up in their zone. Not a good idea after giving up the lead. They finally clear. Cheechoo gets a rifling wrist shot off. Dangerous play by Nabokov at the other end as he sends it out through his own slot; his sideways options not good ones. Another dangerous turnover by the Sharks in their own end. Patrick Rissmiller with a couple chances, Kiprusoff turns those aside. Neither team can gain control for a moment. Check that...

Devin Setoguchi from the slot...shoots, he scores!

It's a 2-2 tie, here from the Pavillion. The crowd doesn't seem that stoked. Perhaps they're accustomed to post-season exits by their club. Sharks with another chance, Cheechoo's shot is turned away, but another penalty coming up.

Alright. Now the crowd is fired up. Sharks are circling. The puck squirts out of the zone and Calgary's Stephane Yelle annihilates a San Jose defenseman just beyond the blue line. Sharks regroup, power play still underway, and Marleau sends one, via a deflection, out of play. They're cycling in the zone, J.R. works the point, here's a shot, he gets his own rebound, and lifts it over Kiprusoff's glove arm into the open net! Sharks go up 3-2.

Now the crowd is on its feet. And loud. Well, for a California crowd. Also, it should be noted that they're waving Old No. 7's all-time favorite white towel, a la the Pittsburgh Steelers. Calgary, in the San Jose zone, trying to get something going. Nothing doing as it is cleared. James Vandermeer clobbers Grier along the San Jose bench. (Editor's Note: I was moments away from unleashing on Roenick for being old and contributing zero to this team before he shelfed that last tally.)

We're back from commercial, and we'd like to take note of Versus' amazing coverage this post-season. ESPN -- feel free to drop a bus on yourselves. Sharks continue to dominate. Cheechoo with another shot -- save Kiprusoff!

San Jose's Marleau wins another draw, but the Sharks don't maintain. Calgary makes an effort to organize, but loses it. San Jose with a shot, and another Kiprusoff save. Now here's Calgary in the Sharks' zone, somewhat of a wrap-around attempt, and Nabokov not having it. Grier gets tripped up by Robin Regehr, and it's another Sharks power play.

Sharks have it set up, J.R. gets off a weak shot, puck squirts out of the zone. Sharks set up again, but Calgary clears. Here's a short-handed effort by the Flames, and they almost score! Great save Nabokov! San Jose regroups, power play's almost over, they can't seem to get anything going this go-around. Cheechoo, again in the corner, wrists one wide of Kiprusoff, Regehr steps out of the box, as the Sharks are fumbling it around, they score!

Oh, and the Flames have pulled Kiprusoff in favor of Curtis Joseph, who had a great replacement match earlier in the series for Calgary. It was much-needed as they came back from a 3-0 deficit early in the first to win it in overtime. This tilt, however, has not been because of the play of Kiprusoff.

And just like that, they score! It's 5-2 San Jose. I feel for CuJo, in this situation. He comes in for some relief and gets scored on in less than a minute. Poor coaching decision in my estimation.

We're back from commercial, and if Calgary can recover from this turn of events, color me Mexican. The refs are assessing something, what I can't tell. The action is underway again, and the Flames appear to be attempting to cycle, but San Jose is far too physical to allow it. Here's a sloppy lob of sorts on Nabokov, he nabs it with his glove. Sharks win the draw, bring it down, there's a scrum behind the net, and Calgary takes over. Now a scrum behind the Sharks' net and San Jose has it. They dump, a dangerous exchange between Joseph and his defense. Good shot by the Flames, Nabokov handles it, and the Sharks bring it down for another attempt. Marleau tries to stuff one in on Joseph, but to no avail. Marleau looks like his face has been beaten six ways from Sunday.

Rissmiller knocks down a rebound shot with his glove and puts it right back in CuJo's face, but he saves it. Sharks regroup, and attempt to dump. Iginla's got it, but Thornton picks off the puck and dumps it. Another bizarre deflection in front of Joseph. He covers, and there's some display of affection between the two teams out in the slot. Sharks win the draw, try to cycle, nothing doing. Calgary with the puck, they too lose it. Calgary has it again, but tight play at center ice breaks up any outlet chance. Another effort by Calgary, they dump and look to change lines. Cheechoo tips an errant pass, and tries to get off a shot, but that's the end of the period.

Period Three

(second intermission highlights: a) Hear it here first: If Calgary brings this match within one goal, and no more, expect Calgary Head Coach Mike Keenan to be lynched upon his return to Canada; b) my nachos are cold/soggy, and the wife has put me in charge of tending to her unmentionables once they finish in the wash. That is, I must hang them on the drying line instead of cramming them into the dryer. Thanks, honey. Way to ruin a good thing. c) The old King commercials were much better. I'm not down with this King 3000 bullshit. Bring back the old King that used to score on the hook and ladder. That guy rocked.)

We're back. Couple of exchanges possession-wise, Sharks look to have a good chance setting up, but the play's busted. Cheechoo brings it in for a possible two-on-two chance, but has to dump it. Behind the Sharks' net, Calgary's Alex Tanguay puts one off the side of the cage! Flames regroup in their own end, but dump and San Jose takes over. Now Calgary with the puck, now San Jose, and a weak wrist shot from the point, Joseph gloves it. Crowd doesn't like the fact that he didn't play it. Off the draw, a Calgary shot, a Nabokov save, and another whistle. San Jose, now in the Calgary end, cycles, back and forth behind the net. Here's a shot. Joseph covers and skates out to damn near the blue line with it before bounce-passing it. Very odd. Someone on the Sharks is pissed about some no-call.

And the puck goes out of play.

Sharks win the draw, can't set it up. Calgary takes it. They do the same, lose it at center ice. Calgary again, this time with a dump-in, nothing accomplished. Now J.R. brings it in, dumps it and loses possession. Calgary takes over, brings it in, gets off a shot -- save Nabokov! And he's almost dumped by the post-shot scrum. The announcers just said that San Jose's outshooting the Flames 37-17, and that they'll play conservative. Oh, but spoken like a jinx, Calgary scores!

Wayne Primeau, one of 26ish really old guys playing in this contest, gets credit for the goal that makes it 5-3 San Jose. And the refs are gonna have a peek at it.

That was quick. Goal counts. Don't even know what they were looking at. Calgary apparently has the shot ratio thus far in the period, though, five to two. Here's San Jose, Grier with a rifle! No chance on the rebound, and it's cleared. Here's Calgary now, trying to set it up, but Grier clears it. Sharks change, Flames look like they need to, Sharks pick it off, now Calgary has it, and nothing doing.

As the puck goes out of play, and we go to commercial, Calgary's sputtering to get anything going. San Jose seems to have a bit of jump left in them, but they could very well give up that fourth-and-very-dangerous goal.

We're back. Calgary with a sequence of good shots on Nabokov, but the netminder turns each of them away with ease. After a few saves, he leaps and nabs one in his glove. We go to commercial.

Back again. Just saw a stat on the screen that said J.R. has two goals and two assists on the evening. I did not realize that. Good show, old man. Way to prove me wrong. Now San Jose has been called for high-sticking. Very dangerous. They clear on the first opportunity though, and even get off a short-handed attempt on Joseph. Flames can't seem to take the zone. They dump, and it's an offsides call. Announcers are saying the high-stick call was actually a Calgary player accidentally sticking a teammate. Oops. One would hope the Flames don't capitalize on this advantage.

They don't. Sharks clear, Flames look like they need a change. And here's a whistle for...I don't know. Puck outta play? Flames with a chance, shot blocked. And the Sharks ice it.

We're down to 5:40 left in the third after that commercial break, and it's time for another beer. Flames seem to be fading. Keenan has adjusted the lines to have all of his stars skating together, but it isn't helping. Sharks almost have the coffin nail with a short breakaway opportunity. They're trying to get CuJo to the bench, but Roenick comes up with the puck, races into the zone and puts a laser into Joseph's mid-section.

Sharks are up 41-20 on shots. Empty net, now. Will J.R. get the hat trick? Calgary with a couple of good chances in front. Rissmiller with an empty-net opportunity, he missed it! Calgary now, they can't keep it in, but the Sharks ice it and Calgary will have a face-off down in the San Jose zone with an extra attacker. Ron Wilson and the Sharks call time-out.

Flames win the draw after Thornton's kicked out of the face-off, but the Sharks clear. Calgary must regroup. Tanguay prevents an empty-net shot by knocking the puck out of the air. One minute left. A centering attempt. Nabokov gloves it. Forty-five seconds left, and it sounds like the crowd is chanting "M-V-P" for their goalie. Now Mike Keenan takes his time-out.

Final draw perhaps? Back-to-back empty-net efforts denied! Crowd goes wild! The Sharks will advance to the Semis!

Check in tomorrow for Semi-Final predictions. Good. Night.