Sharks down Blues to take 3-2 series lead
Sharks down Blues to take 3-2 series lead
ST. LOUIS — Showing resilience and determination, the Sharks are on the brink of their first Stanley Cup Finals.
Captain Joe Pavelski’s tie-breaking goal 16 seconds into the third period and two empty-netters late enabled the Sharks to escape Game 5 with a 6-3 victory and a 3-2 series lead over the St. Louis Blues.
With 11 wins in the postseason for the first time, San Jose stands one victory from clinching the best-of-seven Western Conference finals, and a trip to next week’s NHL showcase series against either Tampa Bay or Pittsburgh.
“It’s been there this year, and throughout the year,” defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic said of the Sharks’ pluck.
After scoring the first goal, the Sharks watched the Blues rally for two one-goal leads as goalie Martin Jones was shaky early until coming up big late.
After slipping behind the St. Louis defense, he redirected his NHL playoff-leading 12th goal past goalie Jake Allen.
San Jose clung to the narrowest of margins for the remainder of the third period until Chris Tierney and Joel Ward scored empty-net goals with 53.9 and 32.5 seconds remaining.
“If you put work in, results happen like that all the time,” Thornton said of Pavelski’s penchant for tipping in goals.
“Best in the world at tipping pucks,” Sharks forward Logan Couture added.
Pavelski scored what opposing head coach Ken Hitchcock thought was an even bigger goal at 18:33 of the second period.
Pavelski one-timed a Thornton feed over Allen’s glove to tie it 3-3 on the power play.
“The guys felt good about themselves coming into the locker room,” Thornton said.
San Jose scored first when Vlasic’s slap shot from the left point got past an unscreened Allen at 3:51.
The lead lasted less than four minutes because Jaden Schwartz answered at 7:04, his first goal in the past 14 games.
Jones allowed another rebound, and St. Louis forward Troy Brouwer whacked a puck out of midair for his eighth of the playoffs at 15:08 to close the opening-period scoring 2-1 in favor of the Blues.
Ward scored the first of his two on the night at 4:37 of the second to tie it again, but rookie Robby Fabbri gave the Blues a 3-2 lead with his fourth of the postseason on the power play at 11:58 of the period.
Tierney and Ward iced it late with empty-net goals inside the final minute of play.