Vegas Golden Knights vs San Jose Sharks Match Player Stats On Apr 18, 2019

Tomas Hertl scored two goals, and Martin Jones made 30 saves as the San Jose Sharks avoided elimination with a 5-2 victory over the visiting Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night in Game 5 of their Western Conference quarterfinal series.

The Golden Knights, up 3-2 in the best-of-seven series, will try again to clinch in Game 6 on Sunday in Las Vegas.

Joe Pavelski had a goal and an assist, as Logan Couture and Barclay Goodrow also scored goals for San Jose, which won for the first time in team playoff history when trailing 3-1 in a series. The Sharks improved to 1-6 in that situation.

Jones was back in goal despite being pulled for the second time in three games Tuesday night during a 5-0 loss in Las Vegas. It was his 43rd straight playoff start for the Sharks. Erik Karlsson added two assists.

Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith scored goals, and William Karlsson and Colin Miller each had two assists for Vegas. Marc-Andre Fleury finished with 24 saves.

San Jose, focused on a fast start after falling behind in the first two minutes of the past three games, jumped out to a 1-0 lead 76 seconds into the game. Hertl fired a wrist shot from the dot in the left circle over Fleury's left shoulder for his third goal of the playoffs.

Couture made it 2-0 midway through the period, jamming in a rebound of a Timo Meier shot under Fleury's right pad for his third goal of the postseason.

Vegas cut it to 2-1 with 30 seconds left in the period with a power-play goal and a little luck. Smith passed the puck from behind the net, and it hit Erik Karlsson's stick and then caromed in off Jones.

Goodrow put the Sharks back up by two goals midway through the second period when he deflected Justin Braun's shot from the right point off the right post and into the net for his first goal of the playoffs.

Vegas closed to 3-2 at 11:36 of the third period on a power-play goal by Marchessault, who fired a wrist shot from the top of the slot past a screen by Smith. Smith then had a chance to tie it a minute later, but Jones made a pad save on his point-blank try at the end of an odd-man rush with William Karlsson.

Hertl then put the Sharks back up by two goals two minutes later with a power-play goal, drilling in a rebound of a Pavelski shot from the slot.

The Golden Knights pulled Fleury with 2:43 remaining, and Pavelski then sealed the win on an empty-net goal with 1:46 to go.

--Field Level Media