Craig Anderson Keeping Colorado Avalanche in Askew Series

One hundred twenty-nine is the number of shots the San Jose Sharks have through three games. The Avalanche have 69.

Somehow, they lead the series two games to one.

On a night where the Avalanche lost forwards Milan Hejduk and Ryan Stoa to injury, Craig Anderson put on one of the best goaltender performances in modern NHL history. In the 61 minutes Anderson guarded Colorado's net, he was pelted with 51 shots while the team in front of him could only manufacture 17 on Nabokov.

Eventually, the Sharks would score, but to the dismay of San Jose faithful would be into their own goal courtesy of Dan Boyle.

Tonight, Craig Anderson's career accumulated in one moment. Four years ago a lowly back-up who was claimed on waivers three times in a single month; tonight an elite NHL goaltender, stealing a game his broken down team had no business being in.

"Andy, Andy" the crowd cheered as the Avalanche MVP did celebration laps to salute the Pepsi Center crowd.

For Dan Boyle and the Sharks, the crowd may as well have been chanting "choke, choke" as for the second straight year, the Sharks top guns have been neutralized by stellar play by the opposing team's goaltending.

Thornton, Marleau, and (the now injured) Heatley—the consensus best line in the NHL—have combined for zero goals, four assists, and a minus-seven rating.

A maximum four games remain in the best of seven series. Only time will tell if they will be the final four games of Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, and GM Doug Wilson's tenure with the San Jose Sharks.