SAN JOSE, Calif. – Jonathan Cheechoo’s goal was a thing of beauty. The rest of San Jose’s latest playoff triumph was the result of old-fashioned hard work.

Patrick Marleau scored his NHL-leading seventh goal of the postseason, and Cheechoo ensured the victory with a breathtaking between-the-legs goal in the Sharks’ 4-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday in Game 2 of their second-round playoff series.

Marleau, Cheechoo and Vincent Damphousse each had a goal and an assist, and Evgeni Nabokov recovered after getting flattened by Peter Forsberg to make 20 saves as the Sharks took a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Wayne Primeau added an empty-net goal for the Sharks, who are two victories away from the franchise’s first trip to the Western Conference finals. Except for Cheechoo’s highlight-reel goal, not much was flashy about the Sharks – but they headed to Game 3 in Denver on Monday with all the momentum.

Niko Dimitrakos had two assists, including an exceptional pass to Marleau to set up the captain’s goal in the final minute of the second period. Dimitrakos has five assists in the Sharks’ two second-round games, both models of San Jose’s relentless discipline, puck possession and strong defense.

Milan Hejduk scored for the Avalanche, who lost the first two games of a playoff series for the first time since the 1999 conference semifinals. David Aebischer improved on his subpar opening-game performance with 20 saves, but he had practically no chance to stop any of the Sharks’ goals.

Red Wings 5, Flames 2

DETROIT – Steve Yzerman needed very little help to get the Detroit Red Wings even with the Calgary Flames in the Western Conference semifinals.

Yzerman scored twice 2:13 apart in the second period to give Detroit a three-goal lead, and the Red Wings defeated Calgary 5-2 Saturday in Game 2 of the best-of-seven series.

Detroit’s captain had two goals in a playoff game for the first time since 1999. Yzerman has a franchise-record 70 goals and 181 points in his 20 seasons with the Red Wings.

Curtis Joseph made 14 saves in the victory, and Calgary’s Miikka Kiprusoff stopped 27 shots. Game 3 is Tuesday night in Calgary.

Tomas Holmstrom gave the Red Wings a 1-0 lead early in the second period, and after Yzerman’s goals, Shean Donovan made it 3-1 at 13:05 of the second. Detroit had a two-man advantage late in the third period and scored both times, the first on Brett Hull’s one-timer and the second on Nicklas Lidstrom’s slap shot. Calgary’s Martin Gelinas scored with 1:10 left. The Flames managed to win the series opener without any points from NHL MVP contender Jarome Iginla, but couldn’t do it for a second straight game. Iginla had eight points in the first-round victory over Vancouver.

after scoring a league-high 41 goals in the regular season.

But the sixth-seeded Flames can’t be disappointed going home with the series tied against the Red Wings, who had an NHL-high 109 points this season. Calgary is in the second round of the playoffs for the first time since winning the Stanley Cup in 1989.

With 23.5 seconds left, Iginla and Derian Hatcher squared off in one of many fights, which left sticks and gloves scattered on the ice.

Holmstrom started Detroit’s flurry of goals.

At 3:02 of the second, Holmstrom redirected Lidstrom’s shot. Yzerman’s scored two even-strength goals midway through the period.

Mathieu Dandenault’s end-to-end rush set up Yzerman’s one-timer from inside the right circle. From almost the same spot, Yzerman lifted a shot over Kiprusoff off of a centering pass from Kirk Maltby.

The Flames pulled within two goals when Marcus Nilson flipped a shot toward the net and Donovan’s stick lifted the puck over Joseph.

In the first period, Calgary defenseman Rhett Warrener left the ice with blurry vision after being struck in the right eye. He was taken to a hospital for further evaluation. The defenseman was engaged with Hatcher along the boards near Calgary’s net when Yzerman appeared to unintentionally hit Warrener in the right eye with his stick while Stephane Yelle checked Yzerman.

Notes: Hull scored his 103rd playoff goal and is three away from tying Jari Kurri for third on the NHL career list. … In Calgary’s five playoff wins, Kiprusoff has given up five goals. In its four losses, he has allowed 17. … One of the loudest cheers occurred when it was announced that the Detroit Tigers beat Cleveland 5-2.

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kic also set up Cheechoo’s goal with a boarding penalty in the third.

With the return of All-Star Alex Tanguay, who missed the last two games with a knee injury, Colorado scratched nine-time All-Star Teemu Selanne, who had just 16 goals in the regular season.

Notes: Barnaby, Colorado’s top agitator, goaded Mark Smith into dropping the gloves in the opening minutes. Barnaby then shied from the fight, and Smith got four minutes for roughing. … Early in the second period, Forsberg swatted the puck into the Sharks’ net with his glove. Officials immediately waved off the goal. … Primeau’s goal was his first point of the postseason.

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