NHL PLAYOFFS : Sharks Start Off With Upset Victory Again

The San Jose Sharks opened the NHL playoffs the same way they did last year--with an upset victory, shocking the division-winning Calgary Flames, 5-4, Sunday night at Calgary.

Jamie Baker scored two goals, and ex-Flame Sergei Makarov, Mike Rathje and Ulf Dahlen each added one for the Sharks, who took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinal series. Game 2 is Tuesday night.

Last year, the Sharks finished last in the Western Conference but upset the first-place Detroit Red Wings in the opening round of the playoffs, then lost their conference semifinal series to Toronto in seven games.

San Jose spotted the Flames an early 1-0 lead before scoring four consecutive goals. An Olympic Saddledome crowd of 15,624, which was 4,600 short of a sellout, vented its frustration with boos and catcalls.

“We just stood around and watched them play in the first period,” said Theoren Fluery, who scored a Calgary goal. “We didn’t show enough respect for them. They are a good club.”

Toronto 5, Chicago 3--Mats Sundin scored twice as the Maple Leafs renewed their postseason mastery of the mistake-prone Blackhawks with a victory at Chicago.

The Blackhawks, who lost to Toronto in six games last season, have dropped 13 of their last 15 playoff games and are trying to avoid falling in the opening round for the third consecutive year.

Detroit 4, Dallas 3--The Red Wings’ quest for their first Stanley Cup championship in 40 years started with a victory at home, but not one they were celebrating excessively.

“It’s only one game,” Red Wing Shawn Burr said. “They know they can still sneak out of here with a big one if they win the next game (Tuesday night). We’re happy. But we’re not lighting candles or anything.”

Vyacheslav Kozlov snapped a 3-3 tie at 10:15 of the third period.

The Red Wings have finished with the best record in the conference, yet lost in the first round of the playoffs the last two seasons. The Red Wings lost to San Jose in seven games last year and to Toronto in seven two years ago.

The Red Wings, who scored on 53 of 215 power-play opportunities during the abbreviated season, second-best in the NHL, scored their first three goals against the Stars on power plays.

St. Louis 2, Vancouver 1--The Blues seemed more relieved than exhilarated after taking the first step toward consecutive Stanley Cups for Coach Mike Keenan, who won the trophy last season with the New York Rangers.

“We won, that’s all that matters,” Brett Hull said after the Blues’ victory at St. Louis.

The Blues blanked Vancouver on five power plays, extending a Canuck drought to one for 22, including a holding-the-stick penalty on Brendan Shanahan.

St. Louis goalie Curtis Joseph made one of his best saves late in the game, sliding to stop Jeff Brown’s shot from the left side with 4:38 left. Canuck goalie Kirk McLean--named the game’s No. 1 star--had an even stronger game, robbing Hull alone three times.

New Jersey 5, Boston 0--Claude Lemieux, a defense-minded forward whose assignment was to shadow Cam Neely at Boston, did even more damage offensively, scoring two goals for the Devils.

“My job is to keep him from getting chances,” said Lemieux, who had only six goals--and 84 penalty minutes--during the regular season. “If I score, it’s a bonus.”

Martin Brodeur stopped all 23 Bruin shots for his second career playoff shutout. Only one of the shots was from Neely.

Philadelphia 4, Buffalo 3--Defenseman Karl Dykhuis’ knuckling shot from the point gave the Flyers an overtime victory over the Sabres at Philadelphia.

The puck bounced past Buffalo goalie Dominik Hasek at 10:06 of overtime as the Flyers won without the injured Eric Lindros, who has a bruised left eye.

Dykhuis, a career minor leaguer who came to the Flyers in a February trade with the Chicago Blackhawks, said: “It was a real lucky shot. I saw it the whole way. It hit the ice and made a little bounce way up over the goalie. I can’t believe it went in.”