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SAN JOSE — The Sharks have been in this spot before, of course, and there was plenty of talk after a 5-0 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Sunday about using those experiences to their benefit as they face elimination one more time.
The Western Conference Final feels different from the first two rounds, though.
After Game 5, it feels like the Blues have assumed complete control.
Now down three-games-to-two, the Sharks have one goal in six periods and face health issues with some of their top players. Their problems with the Blues’ punishing forecheck cropped up once again, and only a handful of quality saves from goalie Martin Jones prevented the score from being even worse.
So while the Sharks showed their mettle by coming back from a three-games-to-one deficit against the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round, and gutted out a Game 7 win over the Colorado Avalanche in the second, the headwinds they’re facing right now are unlike any they’ve had to deal with so far in the playoffs.
They feel much, much stronger.
“For sure we’ve been here before and had to go and win on the road in Vegas in order to get to a Game 7,” Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said. “You’re never comfortable when your backs against the wall like that, but we have been here before and found a way. I’m confident we can do that again.”
Count Erik Karlsson, Tomas Hertl and Joe Pavelski as being among the walking wounded for the Sharks. Their availability for Tuesday’s Game 6 has to be considered in question.
While Karlsson’s injury issues are nothing new, Hertl was injured in the first period after a high hit by Ivan Barbashev. He played only about five minutes after that. Pavelski caught an elbow to the head from Alex Pietrangelo early in the third period, and did not return.
“We’re still alive,” Sharks center Logan Couture said. “We’ve been in this spot before, going to Vegas down 3-2 in a very difficult building. St. Louis is similar, it’s a tough building against a good team. A structured team. We scored one goal in the last two games, that’s not going to cut it. We’re not doing enough around their net or creating enough opportunities on second chances.”
Some takeaways from Game 5.
1. Erik Karlsson’s injury Sunday a reminder of what happened in the regular season: Karlsson showed a lot of heart by saying he was ready to play Game 5 on Sunday, two days after he was obvious pain in the late stages of Game 4 in St. Louis. It was reminiscent of the Sharks’ game in Boston on Feb. 26, when Karlsson felt he was ready to play again three days after he re-aggravated a groin injury in a game against Columbus.
Karlsson was injured in that game against the Bruins, and didn’t play again until April 6 in the regular season finale.
If Karlsson is done for the rest of this series, however long it may last, it wouldn’t come as a huge surprise.
Karlsson played just 10 minutes and 32 seconds Sunday, taking just four shifts in the second period and missing the entire third.
“Hindsight’s 20-20, you know? We make those decisions based on reports we get form the player and medical, and the report was he felt he could play and get through the game,” DeBoer said of playing Karlsson. “So, you know, it’s easy to sit here and say now, ‘Yeah, sure you have regrets.’”
Karlsson’s taken a ton of punishment in this series, as every hit the Blues have laid on him over the course of five games has been like an investment. It’s paying off. Karlsson’s turnover led to the Blues’ opening goal by Oskar Sundqvist at the 5:50 mark of the first period.
2. The Blues’ forecheck remains relentless, and their fourth line continues to make a big impact: The Sharks were outshot 15-1 at one point in the second period as the Blues extended their lead to 3-0. St. Louis’ forecheck directly led to their first goal in Game 4, and wreaked havoc again Sunday.
The Blues’ fourth line of Barbashev, Alexander Steen and Sundqvist combined for nine hits and eight shots Sunday. According to Natural Stat Trick, St. Louis had nine high danger scoring chances in the second period, and the Sharks had one.
“We turned too many pucks over, we played in our end too much,” Couture said. “We had opportunities at the blue line when they were pinching and we didn’t get it out. They’re extending shifts, our guys are tired, and they get a few bounces. Too many long shifts in our own end.”
At the other end, the Sharks managed just 21 shots on Blues goalie Jordan Binnington. They felt good about their first period when they had 11 shots on goal, not including the post that Evander Kane hit 10 seconds after the game began.
Kane drew iron again in the second period as a shot from Marc-Edouard Vlasic that he redirected hit both posts behind Binnington and bounced out. Shortly after, Jaden Schwartz scored for the Blues to make it 2-0.
Since the end of the first period of Game 3, the Sharks have been outscored by the Blues 11-4, and Kane has been stuck on two goals since Game 2 of the second round.
“Obviously not the break we (wanted) on the first shift, and then we come out in the second period and get a point shot through, hits me, both posts and out, and then they score on their next shot,” Kane said. “Lots of different twists and turns in that game and that type of stuff. It happens. All about how we respond.”