Game 5 returned to San Jose with the home team facing elimination. Vegas split Games 1 & 2 in Silicon Valley but took both at home to lead the series 3-1. For the second straight postseason the Golden Knights had a chance to clinch a series on the Sharks home ice.

Sharks veteran Joe Thornton returned to the lineup after his one-game suspension for his illegal hit to the head of Tomas Nosek. For most of the series the Golden Knights jumped on San Jose quickly, but in Game 5 the tables were turned. Tomas Hertl scored his third of the series 1:19 into the game giving his team the early 1-0 lead. The Sharks would double their lead 10 minutes later on Logan Couture’s third goal of the series. With :30 seconds left in the period Vegas would get a lucky deflection off of San Jose’s Erik Karlsson’s sticks that slipped past goaltender Martin Jones. The Golden Knights trailed 2-1 after twenty minutes of play.

The tempo slowed down for most of the second period. Each team traded chances but neither could connect. After a miscue behind the Golden Knights net San Jose’s Barclay Goodrow scored to put his team up 3-1. Vegas had some high quality chances late in the period but came up short.

Trailing 3-1 after forty minutes the Golden Knights needed to score and play good team defense to have a chance to win. Fleury did a great job of shutting down San Jose’s offense while his team tried to make a comeback. After a tripping penalty by Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault snapped in the Golden Knights second power play goal of the game. Marchessault however would be called for a costly high-sticking penalty and San Jose jumped on the man-advantage. Hertl scored his second of the game giving the Sharks an important two goal lead late in the game. Joe Pavelski would score an empty-net goal putting San Jose up 5-2.

San Jose gets closer with their win and now trail Vegas 3-2 in the best of seven series. The series shifts to Las Vegas for Game 6 on Sunday night. (Recap by Jason)

Upcoming stories from the Vegas Golden Knights vs. San Jose Sharks in Game 5 of Round 1 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs

  • Marchessault on after-game shenanigans

Ken’s Three VGK Stars

*** Shea Theodore
** William Carrier
* Brayden McNabb