Schwartz hat trick powers Blues win

From last in the league in early January all the way to the brink of their first Stanley Cup Final in nearly a half-century, it has been quite a ride for the Blues.

A remarkable turnaround continued Sunday with perhaps their most convincing win of a charmed playoff run.

Jaden Schwartz started a dominant second period with the first of his three goals, Vladimir Tarasenko scored on a penalty shot and the Blues moved within one win of the Cup final with a 5-0 road win over the Sharks in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals.

“It’s probably tough to put into words,” Schwartz said. “It’s something that everyone’s worked for and dreamed about. You don’t want to look too far ahead. We all know how important and how hard that last win’s going to be.

“It would be a dream come true.”

The Blues used a relentless forecheck to take control of the game and series in the second period, scoring twice and outshooting the beleaguered Sharks 20-6 during the frame. They also got 21 saves from Jordan Binnington in his first playoff shutout and a first-period goal from Oskar Sundqvist.

Schwartz added two goals in the third for his second hat trick this postseason, becoming the first player with two in one playoff run since Johan Franzen for the Red Wings in 2008.

The victory gave the Blues a 3-2 series lead. They can earn their first trip back to the final since 1970 with a win at home in Game 6 on Tuesday night.

Chara skates: Three days after he had to miss Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals because of an undisclosed injury, Bruins captain Zdeno Chara skated before practice Sunday.

The Bruins swept the Hurricanes to advance to the Cup final, which won’t start until May 27.

About 30 minutes before the Bruins held their first practice since winning the Eastern Conference title, Chara skated with fellow injured defenseman Steven Kampfer and Bruins skills coach Kim Brandvold. Chara didn’t participate in the full practice.