(Credit: AP / Jeff Roberson)

~ By Pearl Allison Lo

~ In another 6-3 game, San Jose came out on top over the Saint Louis Blues in Game 5 Monday, with one win separating the Sharks from the Stanley Cup Finals.

Captain Joe Pavelski nabbed the game winner with another early third period goal. 16 seconds into the third, he helped San Jose scored consecutive goals for the first time in the game as Pavelski gave the Sharks back their first lead since the first. Pavelski won the faceoff and the puck went to Joe Thornton. Thornton then passed to Brent Burns who shot. Hertl chased the rebound and returned the puck along the boards. Burns’ shot again and Pavelski deflected the 4-3 puck past goalie Jake Allen.

The last time Pavelski scored two goals, he also had the game winning goal. Thornton, with a season-high three assists, had his first three point night since February 29.

The game featured the first three goal period of the series and it happened two more times.

In the first, San Jose scored the first goal but the Blues scored two to take the lead.

Marc-Edouard Vlasic scored his first goal of the playoffs, aided by Pavelski and Thornton at 3:51.

Saint Louis got their first goal to tie the game at 7:04. After a battle along the boards, Patrik Berglund eventually got the puck. He shot at net and David Backes’ shot after was blocked by Roman Polak. Jaden Schwartz then took the rebound to score.

Troy Brouwer made it 2-1 at 15:08, batting in Paul Stastny’s shot and helped by Alexander Steen.

Burns and Logan Couture were the only ones with multiple shots in the first period.

The second period featured three power play goals, two of them from fights. Each team’s rougher ended up conceding a goal during the ensuing power play.

At 4:37, the Sharks capitalized on the first man advantage. Paul Martin passed to Vlasic who hit the post with a shot from the left. The puck then bounced to the right where Joel Ward put the puck in the net to re-tie the game.  It was San Jose’s first power play since Burns’ second in Game 2.

Two slot goals followed.

The Blues got their second lead at 11:58. Rookie Robby Fabbri’s shot, primarily assisted by rookie Colton Parayko, slid underneath goalie Martin Jones. Alex Pietrangelo also aided.

Pavelski then tied the game at 3-3 with his first goal of the night. He initially had a shot blocked by Pietrangelo. Leading up to Pavelski’s second attempt, Couture fished the puck from the boards and passed it to Thornton who fed Pavelski at 18:33.

The Sharks’ fifth and sixth goals came via empty net.

After Chris Tierney worked Pietrangelo and stole the puck from him, Tierney took a hit from Backes. The loose puck went to Thornton who lured Saint Louis away from the net. He then passed back to Tierney behind the net and Tierney stuck the puck into the net just in time. The goal at 19:06 was his second goal in as many games.

Ward got his second of the night unassisted at 19:27.

Game notes: Game 6 is Wednesday at 5pm at SAP Center.