San Jose Sharks: The Only Way the Sharks Can Win Game 5 in St. Louis

For the first time in the postseason, the San Jose Sharks are facing a must-win situation. Down three games to one against the St. Louis Blues, the Sharks are now in desperation mode and must win three straight games to advance to the second round.

But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. San Jose has to focus on one game at a time and take baby steps towards the ultimate goal.

That all starts with a Game 5 win at St. Louis on Saturday night.

So, how do they beat the Blues? To be honest, I have no idea—and neither do the Sharks. I could sit here all day and dissect every single minute detail that San Jose must do to win. 

But this is not one of those articles. Because despite their efforts, the Sharks simply cannot beat the Blues. They were 0-4 against them during the regular season. They are 1-3 against them in the playoffs.

The Sharks' surprising Game 1 win at St. Louis might have awakened the beast, because the Blues played some of the best hockey I have ever seen during the past three games. No matter how the Sharks' change their game plan, they still lose.

And trust me, they've tried pretty much everything. Changing their penalty kill, improving the power play, changing up the lines, improving goaltending—you name it. It's hard to figure out because the Blues are just that good.

So, back to my original point. There is just one way that the Sharks can beat the Blues in Game 5: play like they did in Game 1. Sounds stupid, right? 

Let me explain. Nobody expected the San Jose Sharks to win Game 1. In St. Louis, being the underdog, there's just no way they could win, right? The Sharks went out and surprised everybody. They scored the first goal and went on to win in double-overtime.

They just have to play the same way on Saturday night. Score first, and try to mimic what they did in Game 1. Because nobody thought they would win then, and nobody thinks they will win now. 

Hey, it's not much of a game plan, but it is the only way San Jose can scratch out a win and make this a series again.