Sharks take control of Western Conference Final with a pair of power-play goals in Game 5

Sharks captain Joe Pavelski scored twice, including the game winner seconds into the third period, as San Jose now holds a 3-2 series lead over the Blues in the Western Conference Final.

The Sharks controlled the opening moments of Game 5, resulting in an early goal that had the visitors up 1-0. A key face off win got the puck moving in the offensive zone for the Sharks, who got the puck to Marc-Edouard Vlasic at the point. Vlasic's shot was screened in front of Jake Allen, who could not track the puck until it was too late to make a save.

St. Louis countered with two strikes, the first coming at 7:04 of the period just minutes after Vlasic's opener. The Blues won a battle along the boards, and Patrik Berglund's ensuing shot went off David Backes in front then to Jaden Schwartz at the side of the cage. Martin Jones left the left post open for Schwartz to fire the equalizer home.

Troy Brouwer got the Blues up 2-1 with 4:52 remaining in the first. A rebound off the blocker of Jones fell right to the stick of Brouwer as the Blues forward hit the home run shot out of mid-air.

Joel Ward got a baseball goal of his own to even the score at 2-2 in the early stages of the second. Vlasic hit the post late in a Sharks power play, and Ward was there to clean up the rebound that went off the back of Allen and right to the waiting forward in the crease.

Twelve minutes into the second, Robby Fabbri put the Blues ahead 3-2. On a power play after Roman Polak sat for punching Dmitrij Jaskin in the head, Fabbri put one under the pad of Jones after Colton Parayko set the rookie up for the one-timer.

A late power play helped the Sharks even the game at 3-3 with 1:27 to play in the second. Joe Thornton was able to corral a rolling puck behind the net and threw a pass out to Pavelski out in front for the easy one-timer from the slot past the glove of Allen.