As the Western Conference Final shifts to the SAP Center in San Jose, it's a pivotal swing game between the Blues and Sharks on Thursday as part of the 2015-16 Stanley Cup playoffs.
With the series locked in a 1-1 tie, St. Louis looks to take a huge road game to steal back momentum, while San Jose hopes to take a 2-1 lead at the Shark Tank after doing its job and forging a split on the road to open up the set.
The Blues took Game 1, 2-1, in a tightly-contested game on Sunday, while the Sharks roared back with a 4-0 shutout victory over their opponents in Game 2 on Tuesday.
Brent Burns scored two goals -- his fifth and sixth of the playoffs -- on the power play to lead San Jose in Game 2. Tommy Wingels (2) and Dainius Zubrus (1, empty-netter) each found the twine for the Sharks in the win as well.
Logan Couture had two assists in the game giving him a team-best 12 helpers to bring his playoff-leading points total to 19. Joe Pavelski hasn't scored yet this round, but is tied for the NHL lead with nine goals.
The Shark Tank was a house of horrors to San Jose in the regular season as it went 18-20-3, but the SAP Center has felt more like home in the playoffs, where the Sharks are 5-1 -- including a Game 7 win against the Predators last round.
"We've been very good at home through the playoffs," Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said via NHL.com. "I think we're comfortable here at home."
St. Louis was victimized when it comes to puck luck in Game 2, hitting the post on multiple occasions. The Blues power play also went dormant, finishing 0-for-6 in the contest.
David Backes, who scored in Game 1, is tied with Vladimir Tarasenko for the club lead in playoff goals thus far with seven. Tarasenko also has a team-leading 13 points, while rookie Robby Fabbri paces the club with 10 assists.
The struggles to score in Games 1 and 2 -- the Blues have two goals on 49 shots this series -- may lead to some tinkering by coach Ken Hitchcock.
"I think changing your lineup has a real impact," Hitchcock said per NHL.com. "There can't be any emotion in the coaches' decisions at this time. You have to do what's best for your team."
The Blues couldn't beat Sharks goaltender Martin Jones, who picked up his second shutout of the postseason by stopping all 26 shots he faced in Game 2. Jones is 9-5 this postseason with a 2.02 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage.
Jones' counterpart, St. Louis netminder Brian Elliott, yielded three goals while finishing with 20 saves in Game 2. Elliott is 9-7 with a 2.26 GAA and .929 save percentage in these playoffs.
Game Details & Live Stream
Matchup: Blues at Sharks Western Conference Final Game 3
Time: 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT)
Venue: SAP Center, San Jose, Calif.
Radio: St. Louis (KMOX 1120); San Jose (KFOX 98.5)
Series: Tied 1-1.
Predictions: Our predictions for this series can be viewed here.
Betting Odds: The latest betting odds for this series can be found here.
Watch Online: This game can be live streamed for free here.
