The flu sidelined Nabokov for Game 4 of the Sharks' 2001 Stanley Cup playoff series against the St. Louis Blues. Making just his second career start, Kiprusoff made 39 saves in a 3–2 victory. In doing so, he became the first Finnish born goaltender to win an NHL playoff game. Kiprusoff struggled to start the 2001–02 season, however, and was sent to the Cleveland Barons on a conditioning assignment after playing in only four of the Sharks' first 21 games. He was named the AHL Player of the Week during the assignment after winning all four games he played in Cleveland. He finished the season with a 7–6–1 record for the Sharks, and recorded his first NHL shutout in a 6–0 win over the Florida Panthers on January 5, 2002.