- Blues take lead in the series
- Sharks suffer injuries in Game 5
- Stanley Cup Final could possibly be a game away for St Louis
The Western Conference Final in the NHL has been an intense battle between the San Jose Sharks and St Louis Blues. The Sunday game finally gave an edge to the Blues who routed the Sharks in a 5-0 game. St Louis is now hosting the Sharks at home.
Game 5 Reveals the Blues True Top-Form
The Blues and the Sharks have been trading tits for tats but on Sunday, May 19, St Louis secured a convincing overall victory with 5-0 going in their favor. Playing on home ice, the Sharks didn’t find the courage to stand up to the Blues.
Trouble followed them closely as four players had to leave the game before it was over and the Sharks were left facing a far superior opponent. Jaden Schwartz played a strong game for the Blues and St Louis’ defenses were further fortified by Jordan Binnington who didn’t let a single shot enter his team’s net.
In honesty, Binnington didn’t have so much to worry about. Overall, only 21 shots were directed at him and he manged to stop every last single one of them. This wasn’t the case for the Sharks’ goal tender, Martin Jones who had to go through over 40 pucks flying his way, five of which hit the net.
The Blues showed quick and coordinated game, which caught the Sharks completely unawares. The Sharks’ loss at home now puts them in a difficult position. Heading for St. Louis, San Jose will have to pull themselves together to even entertain the idea of carrying on in the competition.
It’s do or die. Obviously, we’ve been in this situation before. We’ve just got to go win a game.- Evander Kane.
Jones did play an outstanding game and despite the pressure he was under, he saved 35 pucks. Meanwhile, a lack of initiative in Game 5 is not the end, and the Sharks are determined to come back in Game 6, Evander Kane has confirmed.
Where to Watch Sharks vs Blues?
- Time: Wednesday, May 22, 9 PM ET
- Place: SAP Center
- Broadcast: NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports
A Chance in Game 6 for the Sharks?
The Blues had their feet on the gas pedal on Sunday with Oscar Sundqvist opening the score early, only 5 minutes after the game had started. Off to a good start, the team quickly started to build momentum. At one point, the Blues were leading 36-10 in terms of total shots.
San Jose did rally though and they managed to press their opponents not allowing more errant shots going their goal for a while. Still, that came at a cost with four players dropping out by the end of the game, because of injuries.
The Blues showed no mercy and Tomas Hertl, Joe Pavelski, Joonas Donskoi and Erik Karlsson all had to go because of injuries. When the stakes are this high, it’s understandable why teams are inclined to play more aggressively.
Only one team can make it to the Stanley Cup Finals, and the Sharks are one game behind.