Sharks Advance to First Stanley Cup Final

SAN JOSE — The San Jose Sharks will play in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time after a 5-2 win against the St. Louis Blues in Game 6 of the Western Conference Final at SAP Center on Wednesday.

The Sharks, who started play in 1991-92, won the best-of-7 series 4-2 and will face the winner of the Eastern Conference Final between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Tampa Bay Lightning, which will be decided in Game 7 on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports).

“It’s great,” Sharks defenseman Brent Burns said. “You dream of getting the chance to play for this. It’s a great feeling. We know we’ve got one more step to take to really let loose. It’s incredible.”

Joel Ward scored two goals, and Martin Jones made 23 saves for the Sharks. Captain Joe Pavelski, rookie Joonas Donskoi and Logan Couture scored.

Jones is the only Sharks player who has won the Cup; he did that as the backup goalie for the Los Angeles Kings in 2014. Dainius Zubrus is the only other Sharks player who has played in the Stanley Cup Final; he lost in 1997 with the Philadelphia Flyers (to the Detroit Red Wings) and in 2012 with the New Jersey Devils (to the Kings).

The Stanley Cup Final begins Monday.

“Just trying to seize the moment,” said forward Patrick Marleau, who has played 1,411 regular-season games for San Jose.

Marleau and Joe Thornton (1,347) have combined to play 2,478 NHL regular-season games, the most by two teammates each making the Cup Final for the first time, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

“It’s a great night for those guys,” Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said. “I also told the group that I’ve been this far once before (as coach of the Devils in 2012). As great a night as this is, if you don’t win the next round, it’s still not a great summer. I think we’ll enjoy this tonight and our focus will turn to the big prize on Friday.”

Vladimir Tarasenko scored his first two goals of the series, each …

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