CHICAGO — Dustin Byfuglien skated hard into the high slot and Dave Bolland delivered the puck to him just at the right moment. Byfuglien drove it into the net and suddenly the Chicago Blackhawks were one win from the Stanley Cup finals.

The 257-pound Byfuglien scored his seventh goal of this postseason 12:24 into overtime last night and the Blackhawks beat the San Jose Sharks, 3-2, to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.

"It's great, something I'll definitely remember," Byfuglien said. "Bolland made a good play and just laid it out in the slot, and all I had to do was finish."

And that's what the Blackhawks hope to do tomorrow at the United Center — finish off the Sharks, the regular-season champions of the Western Conference and get to the Stanley Cup finals for the first time since 1992.

Antti Niemi had 44 saves for the Blackhawks, stopping five shots in overtime.

SAN JOSE 0 1 1 0 —2

CHICAGO 0 1 1 1— 3

First Period—None. Second Period—1, San Jose, Marleau 6 (Pavelski, D.Boyle), 3:58 (pp). 2, Chicago, Sharp 7 (Toews, Kane), 6:59 (pp). Third Period—3, Chicago, Bolland 4 (Toews), 13:05. 4, San Jose, Marleau 7 (Heatley, D.Boyle), 15:37. First Overtime—5, Chicago, Byfuglien 7 (Bolland, Campbell), 12:24. Shots on Goal—San Jose 10-13-18-5—46. Chicago 12-9-6-11—38. Power-play opportunities—San Jose 1 of 6; Chicago 1 of 2. Goalies—San Jose, Nabokov 8-6-0 (38 shots-35 saves). Chicago, Niemi 11-4-0 (46-44). A—22,311 (19,717). T—3:00.

CONFERENCE FINALS

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Philadelphia 2, Montreal 1

Today: Philadelphia at Montreal, 9 a.m.

Monday: Montreal at Philadelphia, 1 p.m.

x-Wednesday: Philadelphia at Montreal, 7 p.m.

x-Friday: Montreal at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Chicago 3, San Jose 0

Yesterday: Chicago 3, San Jose 2, OT

Tomorrow: San Jose at Chicago, 9 a.m.

x-Tuesday: Chicago at San Jose, 3 p.m.

x-Thursday: San Jose at Chicago, 2 p.m.

x-Saturday: Chicago at San Jose, 2 p.m.

x-if necessary