SAN JOSE, California (AP) San Jose advanced to the NHL Western Conference finals by cruising past Nashville 5-0 in Thursday’s Game 7 of their second-round series, with Sharks captain Joe Pavelski getting the team off to a fast start with his franchise record-tying ninth goal of the playoffs.
Joel Ward, Logan Couture, Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau also scored as San Jose bounced back from a lackluster loss in Game 6 to thoroughly dominate the Predators to reach the conference final for the fourth time in franchise history.
Martin Jones made 20 saves for San Jose’s first playoff shutout in six years. The home team won all seven games in this series.
After blowing a 3-0 series lead to Los Angeles in 2014 in their most noteworthy in a long list of playoff collapses and missing the postseason entirely last year, the Sharks are now one round away from advancing to a first-ever appearance in the Stanley Cup finals.
San Jose will open the conference final at St. Louis on Sunday.
The Predators’ most successful season ended in bitter disappointment, unable to reach the West finals for the first time.
Defensive miscues by Nashville’s two top defensemen, captain Shea Weber and Roman Josi, led to early San Jose goals as goaltender Pekka Rinne got little help from his teammates.
The Predators had just eight shots on goal in the first two periods and Rinne left after allowing goals to Thornton and Marleau early in the third period. The frustration boiled over as he slammed his stick against the post and tossed it aside after Marleau’s goal made it 5-0.
The Sharks came out fast from the drop and completely dominated the opening period, outshooting Nashville 17-3 to take a 2-0 lead.
San Jose didn’t even allow Nashville to get a single shot on goal for the first eight minutes. The Sharks got their first chance on the power play when Game 6 overtime hero Viktor Arvidsson was called for delay of game.
San Jose’s potent top power-play unit made Nashville pay when Marleau set up Pavelski with a pass from behind the net for a one-timer to open the scoring. It was Pavelski’s ninth goal this postseason, tying the franchise record he and Marleau already held.
The Predators came close to scoring on one flurry in front of Jones’ net but the Sharks ended up adding to the lead when Josi misplayed a puck at the blue line, sending Ward in on a breakaway that made it 2-0.
The break between periods did little to slow the Sharks as they scored in the opening minute of the second period when Weber turned a puck over right to Couture in the defensive zone. Couture skated in and beat Rinne to make it 3-0 and the rout was on.
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