The NFL has Jim Marshall and his wrong way run in 1964. Major League Baseball has Bill Buckner booting a slow dribbler by Mookie Wilson leading to a Mets World Series championship. Now the NHL has Dan Boyle.

After three periods of scoreless hockey, the San Jose Sharks and the Colorado Avalanche required extra time to decide the winner. Getting to overtime required an epic effort by Avalanche goalie Craig Anderson who had to stop 51 shots on goal. The Sharks’ goalie, Evgeni Nabokov only had to stop a paltry 17 shots on goal.

Nothing truly tested Nabokov until his own teammate threw the puck toward the goal.

Fifty-one seconds into the first overtime period Sharks Defenseman Dan Boyle attempted to backhand the puck around the net. Instead, the biscuit went to the basket, hit Nabokov’s stick and slipped into the goal. The Avs got the win and lead series two games to one. Check it out yourself, check-it-outers:

It was an incredible game, which I listened to via streaming audio from 98.5 KFOX. Jamie Baker, KFOX’s hockey color commentator, went on and on during the game about how the Sharks “deserved to win” because they had so many shots on goal. Note to Mr. Baker: No one deserves to win. Boyle’s scoring for the Avs might just be the hockey gods way of telling you that.

Time will tell if the Sharks will overcome, or if Avs can capitalize on the fluke goal and win the series. For now, Dan Boyle stands in the wings waiting to join Jim Marshall and Bill Buckner for great sports failure.