Music: {allcanada} Sharks beat Canucks in OT, lead series 2-0

VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Canucks were less than a minute and a couple of inches away from evening their series with the San Jose Sharks. Instead they head to San Jose needing a victory to extend their season.

Patrick Marleau tied the game with 55.1 seconds left in regulation and ex-Canuck Raffi Torres scored 5:31 into overtime as San Jose stunned the Canucks with a 3-2 victory Friday night to take a 2-0 lead in their best-of-7 Western Conference Quarterfinal series.

Just as they were last year, the Canucks are facing a two-game deficit in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs after losing the first two contests at home. To send the series back to Vancouver, they have to find a way to win a game in San Jose, where the Sharks have been dominant -- they lost only twice in regulation in 24 games during the regular season.

Alexander Edler, who hit the crossbar 1:14 into overtime, had his point shot blocked by Burns, who raced the other way on a 2-on-1 break. Burns held the puck until he was below the right circle before passing across to Torres, who had a wide-open net to shoot at.

Ryan Kesler scored twice in the first seven minutes of the third period to give the Canucks the lead, but Marleau it with goaltender Antti Niemi pulled for the extra attacker to send the game into overtime.

Joe Thornton also scored and Niemi finished with 29 saves for the Sharks, who host Game 3 Sunday night (10 p.m. ET; NBCSN, RDS, TSN)

The third period belonged to Kesler until the final minute.

Slowed by the flu in Game 1, Kesler started with a huge hit on Justin Braun late in the second period, tied it on a power play one-timer 59 seconds into the third, then put the Canucks ahead after a bad turnover at 7:06

With Andrew Desjardins in the penalty box for tripping and Kesler at the point, a switch made earlier in the game, Henrik Sedin fed back to Kesler for a one-timer that Niemi never saw, waving blindly as it went by his glove.

Vancouver took the lead six minutes later after Dan Boyle's pass from behind his net deflected off Joe Pavelski cutting through the middle and came right to Kesler in the high slot. He wired a rising slap shot past Niemi's blocker, setting off a raucous celebration from the sellout crowd of 18,910 at Rogers Arena.

But the crowd was stunned late when Marleau spoiled the party.

After Jannik Hansen shot just wide of the empty net from center ice, Henrik Sedin threw the puck up the middle in his own end, setting off a sequence that ended with Luongo stopping Marleau on a one-timer from the slot -- only to have the puck trickle out behind him and Marleau race in to poke it over the goal line.

Luongo was great early for a second straight game in place of injured Cory Schneider, finishing with 27 saves and getting a couple of breaks.

Much as in Game 1, Luongo was brilliant early.

The Sharks only had five shots in the first half of the first period, but Luongo made brilliant saves on four of them, stopping TJ Galiardi on a breakaway in tight and Marleau on a one-timer from the slot – both on passes from Logan Couture – during a power play. He robbed Galiardi again on a rebound, but the Sharks finally put one behind him on a scramble three minutes later.

Thornton was waved out of the faceoff and Kesler won the draw in his absence. But Thornton beat Kevin Bieksa to the puck in the corner and fed back for a point shot by Brad Stuart that was tipped by Burns, setting off a wild scramble as the puck bounced around atop the crease. Thornton used his long reach to swipe it over a prone Luongo while being taken to the ice.

Vancouver came out flying early, establishing a forecheck, cycling the puck and directing 15 pucks at the net. But only four made it through to Niemi, and San Jose took over halfway through, outshooting the Canucks 10-4 in the period.

The second period was all about both goalies being great – and lucky.

Thornton hit the outside of the post with an empty net on an early power play, and Pavelski appeared to make it 2-0 when he lifted in his own rebound past Luongo on a 2-on-1 six minutes into the period. But referee Tom Kowal waved off the goal immediately because Tommy Wingels, who may have been pushed, ran into Luongo, pushing the goalie off balance as Pavelski lifted the puck over him.

At the other end, Niemi wasn't showing any rust after a sleepy first period.

He gloved Alexandre Burrows' slap shot from the faceoff circle on a 2-on-1, then robbed Daniel Sedin alone in front on a scramble before Sedin collected the loose puck and, staring at an empty net, had it bounce off the skate of San Jose defenseman Justin Braun and deflect back to a sprawled Niemi.

Niemi got another break when Burrows shot wide of an empty net on a rebound before staring down Andrew Ebbett on a 2-on-1 and making a five-hole save.

Not to be outdone, Luongo dove headfirst across the crease to get a glove on another empty net attempt by former teammate Torres at the side of the net.