Ducks prevail in double overtime, eliminate Canucks

Scott Niedermayer scored 4:30 into the second overtime last night, lifting the Anaheim Ducks into the Western Conference finals with a 2-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks.

Niedermayer's quick wrist shot from the left point came after his brother Rob leveled Vancouver's Jannik Hansen along the left boards. The puck squirted to Scott Niedermayer and he beat goalie Roberto Luongo low to the glove side on the Ducks' 63rd shot of the game.

Luongo had kept the Canucks in it as they tried to stay alive in Game 5, and he finished with 56 saves. Dany Sabourin made five saves for Vancouver in a brief appearance when Luongo left the game for an apparent equipment problem.

Jean-Sebastien Giguere had 26 saves for Anaheim.

The Ducks, who lost to Edmonton in the conference finals last year, may have to wait for almost a week to find out their next opponent. Detroit and San Jose are tied, 2-2, in the other Western Conference semifinal. If that series goes the distance, the seventh game would be played Wednesday.

Alexandre Burrows scored on a rebound past Giguere to draw the Canucks even, 1-1, with 8:57 left in regulation.

Samuel Pahlsson scored his first goal of this postseason 14 seconds into the second period when he jumped on a loose puck and poked it past Luongo, who was on his knees inside the net after being pushed back by a stick.

* Forward Bill Guerin is unlikely to play in the San Jose Sharks' next playoff game against Detroit after a teammate's deflected shot seriously cut his face in Game 4.

Guerin was injured in overtime during the Sharks' 3-2 loss to the Red Wings on Wednesday night. Defenseman Christian Ehrhoff's shot was deflected straight at Guerin, who dropped to the ice and left a pool of blood before skating to the dressing room.

Game 5 is tomorrow afternoon in Detroit. The series is tied.

* New York Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro had hip surgery this week and is expected to be fully recovered in time for training camp.

* The Columbus Blue Jackets signed goaltender Steve Mason to a 3-year entry-level contract.

* Boston Bruins teammates Brandon Bochenski and Phil Kessel each had a goal and an assist to lift the United States over Slovakia, 4-2, in Group F at the hockey world championships in Mytischi, Russia.

Also in Group F, Michael Wolf and Michael Hackert scored in Germany's 2-0 upset of the Czech Republic, the Germans' first victory over the Czechs in the world championships since 1986.

In Group E, Johan Davidsson scored the winning goal midway through the second period to lift defending champion Sweden to a 5-2 win over Denmark, and Chicago Blackhawks center Tuomo Ruutu scored the winner in the third period and Finland beat Switzerland, 2-0. *