SAN JOSE, Calif. _ The San Jose Sharks faced questions about how much energy and emotion they would have left over after their grueling seven-game series against the Vegas Golden Knights came to an end.
No one had to worry about Kevin Labanc's confidence level, though.
Three days after he had four points in an epic third period comeback against the Golden Knights, Labanc scored a goal for the ages Friday night, part of a second period onslaught that gave the Sharks a 5-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche in Game 1 of their second round series at SAP Center.
With the game tied 2-2, Labanc carried the puck into the Avalanche end, slid it through Mikko Rantanen's skates near the blue line and fired a shot that went off Philipp Grubauer's shoulder and in at the 16:02 mark.
Brent Burns added a goal and three assists, and Joe Thornton and Marcus Sorensen each added two points as the Sharks shook off any emotional hangover they may have had after their series win over the Golden Knights to take an early series lead over the Avalanche.
Thornton and Burns also had goals in the second period, as the Sharks scored three times in a 8 minute, 55 second span.
Continuing his solid play from the end of the first round, when the Sharks won three straight games over Vegas to advance, goalie Martin Jones finished with 26 saves.
The Sharks fell behind by a goal just 2:10 into the first period, Gabriel Bourque pounced on a rebound off a shot from Cale Makar and beat Jones. It was the fifth time in eight postseason games the Sharks had given up the first goal.
Gus Nyquist got that goal back at the 14:44 mark of the first, collecting a rebound after a shot on goal by Burns and outlasting Grubauer to score his first of the playoffs.
Colin Wilson gave the Avalanche the lead with a power play goal 3:56 into the second period, but the Sharks began to seize momentum after that. They killed a four-minute power play after Brenden Dillon was given a double-minor for high sticking J.T. Compher 4:56 into the second.
After the kill, Thornton scored on a 2-on-1, taking a pass from Sorensen and beating Grubauer five-hole at the 10:05 mark.
After Labanc's goal, the Sharks added some insurance with a minute left in the second period as after taking a pass from Sorensen, Brent Burns snapped a shot toward the net that wound up past Grubauer for a 4-2 Sharks lead.
