Sharks rally in third, take 3-2 lead over Avalanche

DENVER -- Mike Ricci and Teemu Selanne scored in a 3:05 span of the third period as San Jose rallied to beat Colorado 5-3 to take a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference semifinal series.

San Jose had lost six straight Game 5s before winning two this year. The Sharks closed out their first-round series against Phoenix with a 4-1 victory in Game 5.

Since 1995, the team that wins Game 5 has gone on to win the series 17 of 21 times. Game 6 of the best-of-7 series is Monday night in San Jose.

Colorado led 3-2 after the two teams combined for five goals in a 5:58 span of the second period, but Ricci tied it 5:59 into the third with his fourth goal of the playoffs.

Colorado goalie Patrick Roy stopped a redirected shot by Scott Thornton, but the puck bounced right to Ricci, who punched in the rebound from just outside the crease.

Selanne made it 4-3 at 9:04, beating Roy to the stick side from the top of the right circle. It was Selanne's fifth goal of the series.

SENATORS-LEAFS: With his left arm in a sling and a broken bone in his shoulder, Darcy Tucker's role for Toronto has changed. No longer able to serve as the team's on-ice pest and gritty checker, Tucker believes his season-ending injury can be a rallying point.

The banged-up Maple Leafs will need all the inspiration they can get, down 3-2 in their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Senators. Game 6 is today.

"The thing that is going to come out of this is that we've got a rallying point now," Tucker said. "We'll have one person to thank for that."

Tucker was referring to Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson. Chasing Tucker for the puck in the Toronto zone, Alfredsson hit Tucker from behind, sending him crashing heavily into the boards with a little more than two minutes left Saturday. Seconds later, with Tucker writhing in pain on the ice, Alfredsson scored the game-winning goal.

-- From wire reports