Sharks on verge of first trip to final

Blues’ Elliott back in goal with season on line in Game 6.

Patrick Marleau has played more than 1,500 games with the San Jose Sharks since joining them in 1997 as an 18-year-old draft pick, but never one quite like the next one.

All those playoff disappointments that have seemed to define the career of players like Marleau and Joe Thornton could be put to the side temporarily with one more San Jose win.

For the first time in 25 seasons as an NHL franchise, the Sharks are just one win away from making the Stanley Cup final.

They take a 3-2 lead over the St. Louis Blues into Game 6 of the Western Conference final tonight in San Jose.

“It’s nice,” Marleau said Tuesday. “It’s not our final goal but it’s as far as we’ve been, so it’s good that way. There’s still a lot to go.”

After losing 6-3 in Game 5 Monday night in St. Louis, the Blues are putting Brian Elliott back in net tonight after going with Jake Allen the past two games.

Allen won Game 4 but gave up four goals on 25 shots Monday. That led coach Ken Hitchcock to revert to Elliott, who stopped 62 of 65 shots in St. Louis’ Game 7 wins over Chicago and Dallas earlier in the playoffs.

“We needed a jolt to get back in the series and we got it,” Hitchcock said Tuesday. “Unfortunately we didn’t get the win yesterday, but this has been Brian’s playoffs and we’d like him to finish the job.”

The Blues also want to get top goal scorer Vladimir Tarasenko back on his game. He has no points in the series after scoring 40 goals in the regular season and seven more in the first two rounds.

“What happens with goal-scorers when they get frustrated is they look to hit home runs,” Hitchcock said. “We need him just to act like a worker. I know that’s a funny thing to say, but he’s looking for the home run.”

Marleau said the Sharks also don’t want to think too much.

“You just try to stay in the moment,” he said. “Just control what you can control. That’s the biggest thing, and knowing that you’re in it with 20 other guys trying to do the same thing. That gives you a little extra boost.”

Sharks captain Joe Pavelski, who has a playoff-high 12 goals, scored the tying and go-ahead goals Monday night, and the Sharks added a pair of empty-net goals.