That thought probably flashed through Nolan's head briefly when the San Jose Sharks winger went down to block a shot in Tuesday night's crucial Game 7 in St. Louis. Not just any shot. He was on the receiving end of a slapshot by Al MacInnis, the NHL's most feared shooter.

There's two stages to throwing yourself in front MacInnis' 100-mph shot -- summoning the guts to do it and then ignoring unavoidable pain that comes with it. The MacInnis hat trick has been defined as a goal, an assist and a broken foot. But Nolan did block the shot during a crucial third-period two-man advantage by the Blues, putting life and limb in front of the blast.

"It's not a craving I had," Nolan said after also scoring the game-winning goal in San Jose's stunning upset of the St. Louis Blues. "He's been breaking goalie's hands with shots. But it's something you have to do to win."

The at-all-costs method seems to work this time of year. Nolan and his mates laid out their bodies and were rewarded with one of the biggest Stanley Cup upsets in years. Their next task is a second-round series with Dallas beginning Friday.

The light bulb went on for Nolan sometime during the two weeks it took the Sharks to eliminate the top-seeded Blues. In 10 NHL seasons, he had never won a playoff series. There were heartbreaks and near misses. The seventh-seeded New York Rangers upset his second-seeded Quebec Nordiques in 1993.

Nolan, 28, just missed a Stanley Cup ring when Colorado traded him to San Jose early in the Avalanche's 1995-96 championship season.

The guy could always score. He was second to Pavel Bure this season with 44 goals. But the playoffs require a different kind of player, a complete player willing to do more. At various times in his career, Nolan has been known as a floater whose mind wasn't always on the game.

In the past two weeks, Nolan did what a captain is supposed to do. Lead, hit, score. That was the Nolan hat trick in the St. Louis series. He was arguably the series' best player with six goals, two of them game-winners.

"Owen not only was a great player but he's at that stage in his career ... he wanted success in the playoffs," Sharks assistant coach Bob Berry said.

So much so that he became a well-rounded player, not just a one-sided scorer. Most of the Sharks joined him. When enforcer Bryan Marchment is taking good, effective shifts, anything is possible.

Roman Turek (left) and Owen Nolan saw a lot of each other in the Sharks-Blues series -- much to Turek's dismay.(AP)

"It's a sacrifice by the guys going out there," Nolan said. "They were willing to slide in front of anything to stop that puck. I'm so proud of these guys. We might not have the most talented team, but the heart and character on this team, you can't replace that. That's what you need in playoff hockey."

The playoffs change everything. Nolan was asked if he would have been so desperate to block MacInnis' shot five years as a forward for the Quebec Nordiques.

"Probably not," Nolan said.

Then he was asked if he would have dropped to the ice even in November during the NHL's meaningless regular season.

"I'd have to think about that one," he said.

Put the season on the line, though, and Nolan changed. The game-winner in Game 3 came after he rushed the net and pounced on Mike Rathje's rebound. Tuesday's series winner will go down as one for the ages. Nolan fired an 80-foot slapshot that eluded goalie Roman Turek with 10 seconds left in the first period.

It wasn't a fluke that put San Jose up 2-0. It was hard work. Nolan came to camp in the best shape of his life. He had worn down in previous years. When the time came to go to the bench at the end of his shift Tuesday, someone yelled, "Shoot it." In previous years, Nolan might have been gassed and just dumped it in.

This time he wound up, unleashing a rising laser that surprised Turek.

"If I was a betting man, I wouldn't bet that would go in," Nolan said. "It doesn't hurt to try something."

"What the heck" turned into "what a shot." Afterward, with the Blues considering their summer options, Nolan considered his right foot. That's where MacInnis' menacing shot struck. Nolan was afraid to look, concerned that the appendage would balloon to twice its size like some cartoon injury.

"I've got bruises everywhere," Nolan said. "I don't want to look down and see another."

There is time for that after the season. Whenever that is.