Sharks eliminate Kings

LOS ANGELES — Brent Burns said he rarely dwells on 2014. That was when the San Jose Sharks collapsed in the Western Conference quarterfinals against the Los Angeles Kings. "The only time I really think about it is when I'm asked a question (about it)," Burns said. "It's been a totally different year. It's been a great group." Joonas Donskoi scored twice, including the go-ahead goal in the third period, and the Sharks eliminated the Kings from the Stanley Cup playoffs with a 6-3 victory Friday at Staples Center. Donskoi slammed home the winner at 3:58 of the third as the Sharks won the Western Conference quarterfinal series 4-1 and exacted revenge from Los Angeles after the Kings erased a 3-0 deficit by winning the final four games of their first-round series in 2014. This wasn't much easier, the Sharks said, but the result was entirely different. "If you look throughout the series, we had to work to get any kind of balance against this team," said Pavelski, who tied his career high of five goals in a series. "There were I don't know how many open nets we had where their defense were making saves right from Game 1. They were making some good plays. There were some good saves on both sides, but definitely it was a great team breakthrough tonight and we stayed with it." Wild stay alive The Minnesota Wild wanted a chance to send their first-round series with the Dallas Stars back to the Twin Cities for Game 6 Sunday. And thanks to captain Mikko Koivu scoring the game-tying goal late in regulation and then delivering the game-winner early in overtime, the Wild, who now trail the best-of-7 series, 3-2, remain alive thanks to a 5-4 overtime victory at American Airlines Center. "Of course, it's always nice to score. It's more important in the bigger picture how you play individually and as a team," Koivu said. "We've been playing better as the series goes on here, and that's a good sign." Koivu scored the game-winner, his third of the series, by redirecting a wrist shot by Ryan Suter from the left point. Koivu knocked Suter's attempt out of the air, deflecting the puck enough to send it through the five-hole of Stars goaltender Antti Niemi, who stopped 19 of 24 shots. Flyers down Caps The Philadelphia Flyers were outshot by a 4-to-1 margin, suffered through a 17-minute shot drought, continued to be inept on the power play and had to rely on the errant skate blade of a Washington Capitals defenseman to find the back of the net. But none of that matters, because the Flyers are still alive in the playoffs. And their confidence is growing with each unlikely victory. Michal Neuvirth made a playoff career-high 44 saves and Ryan White scored a second-period goal that deflected off the skate of a defenseman as the Flyers avoided elimination in their first-round series against the Capitals with a 2-0 victory. "Neuvy stole us a game," Flyers center Ryan Gagner said. Despite being outshot 44-11, the Flyers closed the margin in the best-of-7 series to 3-2 with Game 6 Sunday in Philadelphia. It was the Flyers second straight win after falling behind in the series 3-0. Isles beat Panthers Two weeks ago, Alan Quine was in the minor leagues. Now he is a New York Islanders hero. Quine scored a game-winning power-play goal with 4:00 left in double overtime as the New York Islanders defeated the Florida Panthers 2-1 at the BB&T Center, taking a 3-2 lead in their best-of-seven first-round playoff series. The power play was set up when Panthers center Derek MacKenzie was called for slashing, and that's when the 23-year-old Quine came through, putting an end to an exhausting game. The close game was indicative of the entire series. Aside from one empty-netter, each of the first five games in this series has been decided by one goal. The winner of this series will play the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round.