Avs-Sharks, Round 2 in this year’s playoffs, Round 5 in all-time series. A look back at first four

So, OK then. Just when everybody was pricing weekend flights to Las Vegas, the Golden Knights blow a three-goal lead with half a period to play, then tie it in the final minute, then lose in OT to the San Jose Sharks.

That might have been the most amazing comeback I’ve ever seen. Or, the biggest choke I’ve ever seen.

Either way, the Avs will now play the Sharks in Round 2, with Game 1 happening Friday night at SAP Center. It is a house of horrors for the Avs, a place they almost never win. But hey, they hadn’t won much in Calgary over the years and look what happened.

This, believe it or not, is the fifth meeting between the teams in the postseason in the last 20 years. Each team has won twice. The Sharks have won the last two meetings, however, in 2004 and 2010.

Let’s take a quick look back at all four series:

1999 Western Quarterfinals

This was a very memorable series, for several reasons. For one, the series was moved to San Jose for the first two games, despite the Avs having earned home-ice advantage from the regular season. On the day before Game 1 was supposed to happen at McNichols Sports Arena, the tragedy at Columbine High School happened. The series didn’t start until four days after the shootings, April 24 in San Jose.

The Avs won the first two games there, and would get the next three games at home. The Sharks, though, won two of those three. They won Games 3 and 4 at Big Mac, then Sharks coach Darryl Sutter mysteriously decided to start Steve Shields for the rubber Game 5, instead of hot starter Mike Vernon. The Avs won Game 5 easily, then beat San Jose in Game 6 in overtime, 3-2, on a Milan Hejduk goal. Also in that Game 6, an earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter Scale shook the building in San Jose.

2002 Western semifinals

The Avalanche were defending Stanley Cup champions, but were pushed to the brink by the Sharks. The Avs were down 3-2 in the series, with Game 6 at a roaring Shark Tank. But the Avs pulled out a 2-1 overtime win on a Peter Forsberg goal.

Game 7 would be won by the Avs 1-0, with Patrick Roy getting the shutout and Forsberg scoring the only goal. Sharks star Teemu Selanne missed an open net on a wraparound that would give the Sharks an early lead. Here it is. I still can’t believe this didn’t go in:

2004 Western semifinals

This was the season the Avs had Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne, along with stars such as Forsberg and Joe Sakic and Alex Tanguay and Milan Hejduk and Rob Blake and Adam Foote. But it was also the first season the Avs had played without Patrick Roy, who retired the year before.

The Avs pulled out a first-round victory over Dallas, but Kariya was hurt (he would only play one playoff game, Game 6 against the Sharks) and the Avs just couldn’t score in this series. The Avs trailed 3-0 in the series before winning the next two, including a Game 5 in San Jose in which Sakic scored in OT to win it. But the Avs just didn’t have enough left in the tank for Game 6 and lost 3-1 at the Pepsi Center.

2010 Western quarterfinals

The Avs went into the series as heavy underdogs, but they pulled out Game 1 in San Jose, winning 2-1. They had a lead late in Game 2, but Craig Anderson gave up a goal and the game went to overtime before the Sharks won 6-5.

The Avs won Game 4 on a fluky goal credited to Ryan O’Reilly that was actually shot into his own net by Dan Boyle. That tied the series at two games apiece, but the Sharks outscored the Avs 10-2 in the two games from there to lose in six.