To take with the sharks: What we learned during the 5-2 win against Vegas in the fifth match

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THE SCORE OF THE BOX

SAN JOSE – It was for the Sharks on Thursday night, with the fate of their Stanley Cup playoffs in the balance. San Jose was shown at the height of the finals in the fifth game of the first round, beating the Vegas Golden Knights 5 to 2 to extend the best-of-seven series.

Here are three takeaways from Game 5.

Preventing this early goal has made a huge difference

To give up a goal in the first five minutes of games 2 to 4 was not the only reason the Sharks lost all three games. But it's amazing how different their game was when they folded and did not allow Vegas to get up early on Thursday. Even though Vegas had the advantage on the shot clock during the first 20 minutes, San Jose was visibly doing a better job of breaking the Golden Knights offensive.

Goalkeeper Martin Jones was able to rebound after conceding two goals on seven shots on his previous start. He made some big stops early in the second period when the team in front of him did not have good chances to score. But perhaps his best rescue was beaten by Reilly Smith in the third period, as the Knights were trying to get a tying goal.

The blue line is doing its best since the first match.

It's amazing how San Jose's defense was even stronger with Marc-Edouard in the lineup. After leaving the second match, the blue line really struggled in his absence. On his return Thursday, the San Jose defense did a much better job in removing the ice cream from Vegas.

The fact that Vlasic is back in the lineup also helped. Brent Burns was better with Vlasic as a defense partner. Erik Karlsson – who looked much faster and healthier than at Games 3 and 4 – could play for about 22 minutes again, but Vlasic (23:43) was there to put the remaining defenders in their place. come back. Brenden Dillon, Karlsson's partner, receives an honorable mention for carrying some monster successes in Vegas.

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On what to work for the game 6

With some momentum in their favor, the Sharks can extend their season in the sixth game. They will have the best chance of doing so if they keep their defense tight – and tighten on their special teams.

Although Tomas Hertl scored the power play goal at the end of the third period, San Jose still has to capitalize on his chances. The Sharks will also be careful not to go to the penalty bench in the sixth game, as the two goals for Vegas in the fifth game have been scored on the power play. With Match 6 back in front of a Vegas crowd, the Golden Knights will be working hard to spark the Sharks' emotional response, as they did late in the game.

If the Sharks can repair these areas, they could return to the Tank for a 7th match.

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