It didn’t take San Jose long to settle into a bit of postseason drama. However, the seventh-seeded Sharks picked as good a time as any to defeat the St. Louis Blues for the first time this season, using a Martin Havlat goal in double overtime to gain a 3-2 victory in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Western Conference playoffs Thursday night in St. Louis.
Havlat’s goal, his second of the game, came 3 minutes, 34 seconds into the second sudden death session. Ryane Clowe and Logan Couture were credited with the assists on the game winner.
Down 2-1 late in the third period, Andrew Desjardins essentially lifted the Sharks into the extra period with his goal with less than six minutes to play in regulation.
Neither team mustered the deciding goal in the first 20-minute overtime period.
Goalie Antti Niemi stopped 40 of the 42 shots he faced.
The Sharks drew first blood, capitalizing on the first power play chance of the postseason to grab a 1-0 lead.
Dan Boyle’s shot from the point was directed into the net by Havlat at the 6:02 mark of the second period.
Less than one minute into the third period Patrik Berglund evened the score, 1-1. Later in a physical and often chippy third, Berglund broke the tie with a power-play tally at 7:28.
Game 2 is slated for 4:30 p.m. Saturday in St. Louis.
