The Western Conference Final shifts back to San Jose on Sunday tied 2-2.
Behind rookie goaltender Jordan Binnington’s 29-save performance, the Blues evened the series with a 2-1 win in Game 3 on Friday. He’s only the 10th rookie netminder in NHL history to have double-digit victories in a single playoff campaign.
The series has so far seen each team trade wins, which the Sharks are familiar with having done so in the second round against the Avalanche. San Jose took Game 5 in that series 2-1 with Tomas Hertl scoring both goals and Martin Jones making 21 stops. Hertl scored his first goal in the series against the Blues in Game 4 after racking up nine goals and 14 points earlier in the playoffs.
When the conference finals are tied 2-2, the Game 5 winner is 19-8 in the series. The Sharks hold one of those series victories over the Blues from 2016 when the claimed three straight victories to reach the Stanley Cup Final.
Sunday’s schedule
Game 5: Blues at Sharks, 2 p.m. (NBC), Tied 2-2