Sharks set sights on closing out Avalanche in Game 6.

SAN JOSE >> The Sharks experienced enough drama in the seventh game of their first-round playoff series against the Vegas Golden Knights to last them for quite a while. There’s really no desire to have to be in that position again.

“As much as I enjoyed my first Game 7, I’d like to forego it maybe this series,” forward Evander Kane said Sunday of the Sharks’ 5-4 overtime win in Game 7 over the Golden Knights, their third straight victory that gave them a 4-3 series win. “Anytime you get an opportunity to close out a team, you want to do it.

“But you have to cognizant those are the hardest games to win, because the other team knows they’re facing elimination.”

Leading the best-ofseven second-round series three games to two, the Sharks are certainly expecting the Colorado Avalanche to be at their best for Game 6 tonight in Denver. From the Sharks’ perspective, though, if they can replicate their performance from Game 5 at home on Saturday, they like their chances.

Tomas Hertl scored twice, including the gamewinner at the 6:26 mark of the third period, and Martin Jones made 21 saves as the Sharks earned a 2-1 victory to move to within one win of advancing to the Western Conference final.

Just as important was the defensive job the Sharks did on the Avalanche’s top players, as Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen were shut out and held to a combined five shots on goal.

“We don’t want to extend this if we don’t have to, but, there’s another team that’s going to play with a whole lot of desperation because their season’s on the line,” Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said. “We know that. Tough building to win in and we’ve got to go in and try and do that job.”

In Sharks playoff history when a series of theirs had been tied 2-2 and they’ve won Game 5, they’ve been able to advance four straight times — 2008 vs. Calgary, 2010 vs. Colorado and 2016 vs. Nashville and St. Louis.

Before beating the Golden Knights in seven games last month, the Sharks in the first round of the 2018 playoffs won the first three games against the Anaheim Ducks. Faced with having to get on a plane and play a Game 5 in Orange County, the Sharks instead finished off the sweep with a 2-1 win in Game 4 at home.

“For us, we’ve done a good job in the past of being able to do that,” Kane said.