SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -Coach Todd McLellan preached the importance of being able to overcome obstacles before the San Jose Sharks opened the postseason.

The top-seeded Sharks proved they could do just that in a tougher-than-expected first-round series against the Colorado Avalanche. They overcame deficits in games and the series, fluky bounces and bad breaks before finally knocking out the eighth-seeded Avalanche with a 5-2 victory in Game 6 in Denver on Saturday night.