Sharks

Once the Phoenix Coyotes defeated the Minnesota Wild on Saturday night to keep the San Jose Sharks from claiming a fifth consecutive Pacific Division title, the result gave San Jose, which clinched a playoff spot two nights earlier, the seventh seed in the Western Conference quarterfinals beginning Thursday in St. Louis against the second-seeded Blues.

Seeding for the Western Conference came down to the final day of the regular season, and that one Blues win turned the Sharks, who needed a late-season rally to earn the franchise’s 15 postseason berth, into visitors to open the initial best 4-of-7 series this spring. Even a series win against St. Louis will not be enough to earn home ice for the second series.

Coach Todd McLellan’s Sharks have more to worry about than home ice advantage when looking toward the series with St. Louis. The Blues, despite losing seven of their final 11 games, fell only one victory short of taking home the Presidents’ Trophy, which is awarded to the team with the best record out of all 30 NHL clubs. Vancouver, the No. 1 seed, took home that accolade.

San Jose, playing the Blues for the fourth time in the postseason, closed strongly to earn a ticket to the playoffs. Seven wins in the last nine games, including consecutive two-game sweeps of the Dallas Stars and Los Angeles Kings, gave San Jose enough points to outlast both Dallas and Colorado for the final playoff berths.

The Blues gave up a league-low 1.89 goals per game by using goalies Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott.

While Halak played in more games, Elliott had nine shutouts as the Blues produced a modern NHL-record with 15.

“They are both elite goaltenders,” San Jose captain Joe Thornton said of the Blues’ netminders. “Some 2-1, 1-0 games, that’s what we’re going to be expecting.

“It’s going to be a great match-up. Staying out of the penalty box, that’s number one. We weren’t very disciplined in their building.”

McLellan turned to the need for resilience for his club to shake off the 4-0 season series drubbing the Blues handed out to San Jose.

“It’s not going to go our way all of the time,” said McLellan.

“The long trip (nine games) took a lot out of us.”

Referring to the strong final weeks of the season, McLellan added that although “we didn’t play perfect, we played well enough against some very good hockey teams in pressure situations that prepared us.”

The Blues have been to the postseason only twice in the previous seven seasons, while the Sharks are into the playoffs for the eighth straight season.

“At some point, I do believe that (playoff) experience comes into play,” said McLellan. “I believe we’ll need that.”

Only Detroit, with five series, has been a more frequent playoff adversary than St. Louis for the Sharks.

San Jose has a 2-1 record in past showdowns, winning in seven games in 2000 and in five games in 2004.

The one Blues series win was in six games in 2001.

“Everybody plays their system,” Patrick Marleau said of the Blues’ strong suit. “They don’t make too many mistakes.”

“We’ll have to match their grit, their speed,” added Thornton.

St. Louis allowed only three goals in four outings against the Sharks this season.

“We were at a different level than we were in the past,” Ryane Clowe added about the difference in the teams for the playoffs compared to the four prior games this year.

“We didn’t really play well, to be honest. (By the end of the season) we played with a lot of emotion. (In past years) we’d be waiting to see who we play, rather than if you are going to make it (this year).”

Thornton tossed out the underdog notion.

“It doesn’t matter if a team’s number one or number eight,” Thornton cautioned.

“Our goal’s to win the Stanley Cup and St. Louis is in our way right now.”

Game 1: Thurs. at St. Louis, 4:30 p.m.; Game 2: Sat. at St. Louis, 4:30 p.m.; Game 3: Apr. 16 at San Jose, 7 p.m.; Game 4: Apr. 19 at San Jose, 7:30 p.m.; Game 5: Apr 21 at St. Louis, 4:30 p.m.; *Game 6: April 23 at San Jose, TBD; *Game 7: April 25 at St. Louis, TBD; *If necessary

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