AVALANCHE WINS IN THIRD OT.

Byline: Associated Press 

Joe Sakic scored 4:33 into the third overtime Wednesday night, lifting Colorado to a 3-2 victory over the Blackhawks in Chicago, ending the longest game in Avalanche history and tying the Western Conference semifinals at two games apiece.

It was the second consecutive overtime game between the teams, the third of the series and Chicago's fourth in its past five games. The Blackhawks, who finished their first-round sweep of Calgary with a triple-overtime victory, had won their first three OT games.

Game 5 is Saturday in Denver before the best-of-seven series returns to Chicago for Game 6 on Monday.

Ed Belfour made 54 saves for the Blackhawks but still lost for the first time in more than a month. He had been 6-0 this postseason.

On the winning goal, Alexei Gusarov threaded a pass to Sakic at the left side of the net. Sakic, who also scored Colorado's first goal and leads all NHL playoff goal-scorers with 12, waited briefly with the puck before scoring low to Belfour's stick side.

St. Louis 5, Detroit 4: Forget the millionaires' club. A couple of unsung players helped the Blues knock off the Detroit in overtime in St. Louis.

Instead of Wayne Gretzky or Brett Hull, it was enforcer Tony Twist and defenseman Igor Kravchuk who made the difference in a the victory that cut Detroit's series lead to two games to one.

``If we're going to win some hockey games, those are the kind of players that are going to be needed to put the puck in the net,'' Blues goalie Jon Casey said. ``You can't count on the big-name guys all the time.

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PHOTO Chicago center Gary Suter (20) gets one past Colorado goalie Patrick Roy Wednesday. The Avalanche won 3-2 in triple overtime.

Associated Press