10:00 P.M.: Sharks Look To Rebound From Overtime Gaffe In Game Four

For more, visit our Sharks blog, Fear The Fin, and our Avalanche blog, Mile High Hockey.

Denver (Sports Network) - The top-seeded San Jose Sharks are down 2-1 in their best- of-seven Western Conference quarterfinals against Colorado after losing their second game of the series on a fluke goal.

The Sharks will try to even the series at two games apiece tonight when they visit the eighth-seeded Avalanche for Game 4 at the Pepsi Center.

The last two games of the series have ended in overtime, with the Sharks winning Game 2 on an OT goal by Devin Setoguchi. San Jose lost the opener of this series in the final minute of regulation when Colorado's Chris Stewart was credited with the game-winner when his centering pass caromed off San Jose defenseman Rob Blake's skate and into the goal.

Sunday's Game 3 victory was even more heartbreaking for the Sharks. After heading into OT with the scored tied at 0-0, Sharks defenseman Dan Boyle made a monumental mistake that cost his team the game just 51 seconds into the extra session. Avs rookie Ryan O'Reilly was credited with the game's lone tally when Boyle inadvertently backhanded the puck past his own goaltender, a bewildered Evgeni Nabokov.

In his own zone, Boyle took a pass from Douglas Murray in the left corner and tried to send the puck around the boards as O'Reilly pursued on the forecheck. The puck may have deflected off the stick of O'Reilly before beating Nabokov on the short-side.

The miscue overshadowed a brilliant game by Colorado goaltender Craig Anderson, who stopped all 51 shots sent his way in the 1-0 win. Anderson has faced an astounding 129 shots in this series and has stopped 122 of them for a superb save percentage of .946.

The Sharks are trying to avoid losing to an eighth-seed in the opening round for the second straight year. Last year, the San Jose entered the playoffs fresh off a 117-point season that netted them the Presidents' Trophy and high expectations, but the Sharks dropped the first two games against the Anaheim Ducks and wound up losing the series in six.

San Jose may receive a boost in its comeback attempt if star winger Dany Heatley is able to return tonight. Heatley was a late scratch in Game 3 due to an undisclosed injury, but could be back in the lineup for tonight's test.

Colorado is back in the playoffs just one season after finishing last in the Western Conference with 69 points. The Avs could easily be up 3-0 in this series, but Joe Pavelski sent Game 2 to OT by scoring with just 31.3 seconds left in regulation. Setoguchi then gave San Jose the 6-5 win with his power- play tally in the extra session.

While the Sharks could be without Heatley again tonight, Colorado is also dealing with its share of injuries. Peter Mueller, who had 20 points in 15 games for Colorado after coming over in a trade with Phoenix, has been out since suffering a concussion in a regular-season game against the Sharks on April 4. Mueller, who sustained the concussion on a hit by San Jose's Blake, is sidelined indefinitely.

In addition to Mueller, Colorado forwards Milan Hejduk, Kevin Porter and Ryan Stoa are all dealing with upper-body injuries. Hejduk and Porter are questionable for tonight, while Stoa is doubtful.

The Avalanche are trying to become the third eight seed in five seasons to knock off a top-seeded club. These two clubs are meeting in the postseason for the fourth time, with the last matchup coming in 2004. The Sharks won that series, 4-2, in the semifinals before losing in six games to the Flames in the conference finals.