It's run on 150 minutes, or seven-plus periods in the West Final, since the St. Louis Blues scored. So naturally, their big-ticket scorer, Vladimir Tarasenko, has been fitted in position under the playoff microscope.

And for good reason. Because while he maintains a share of the team lead in points and is tied for third in postseason goals, Tarasenko's lone goal-scoring contribution over the last six games - the weightiest stretch of his pro career - has been a puck deposited into an empty net in Game 7 versus the Dallas Stars.

The 40-goal scorer was reduced to two shots in his 20 minutes in Thursday's Game 3 loss, extending a drought coach Ken Hitchcock attributed, in part, to a lack of experience.

"He's learning hard lessons, like any other player. Robby (Fabbri) is learning it, (Colton) Parayko is learning it. Vladi is learning some really hard lessons," Hitchcock said.

"The playoffs are for veteran players. The veteran players on both teams have this thing dialed up."

Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski, Brent Burns, and Logan Couture - San Jose's leading per-game scorers in the regular year - have combined for 12 points on the eight goals scored in the series.

The rub: These Sharks, the one's who share the same function as Tarasenko, have dealt with - and previously succumbed to - the plight facing St. Louis' sniper. And finally appear prepared to overcome it.

"Some guys never learn it. Some guys can't do it. Some guys learn that lesson and they really become accomplished players, especially scoring players. But (Tarasenko's) going to have to fight through everything if he expects to score a goal and contribute offensively," Hitchcock added.

"Unfortunately for all of us, you got to go through it."

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Calm, cool, collected, and confident.

That encapsulates Joe Thornton these days, as evidenced not only by his play on the ice but also his demeanor in the San Jose Sharks locker room.

Related: Thornton threads pass behind net to set up Hertl goal

Following a Game 3 win over the St. Louis Blues in which he recorded two assists and has brought the Sharks to within two wins of their first Stanley Cup Final appearance, the 36-year-old was asked if he's surprised he's playing so well at this stage in his career.

His response?

"No. I know I'm a great player."

Even Brent Burns had to get in on the conversation.

The numbers, of course, back him up.

Dating back to the beginning of the regular season, Thornton has recorded 93 points in 97 games, ranking him fifth among all NHL players. While his numbers are reflective of the talent assembled around him in San Jose, they also speak to his ability to carry the game on his stick.

Already a lock for the Hall of Fame, the Stanley Cup is the one big piece missing from his resume. If he keeps playing like he is, that could soon change.

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It wasn't very exciting, but he'll take it.

San Jose Sharks goaltender Martin Jones steered away 20 St. Louis Blues shots Thursday to pick up his second consecutive shutout, becoming the first netminder in franchise history to achieve the feat.

Jones also matched Evgeni Nabokov's output from the 2004 playoffs, recording his third shutout of the postseason and his 10th win - both franchise bests.

The 22-year-old has now gone 150:45 without conceding a goal, and his club holds a 2-1 series lead.

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SAN JOSE, Calif. - Martin Jones made 22 saves in his second straight shutout and Tomas Hertl scored twice to give the San Jose Sharks a series lead for the first time in four trips to the Western Conference final with a 3-0 victory over the St. Louis Blues in Game 3 on Thursday night.

Joonas Donskoi also scored to give the Sharks a 2-1 series advantage and move them as close as they have ever been to reaching their first Stanley Cup final. San Jose had won just three games in its first three trips to the conference final, part of a long history of playoff disappointment that is showing signs of coming to an end.

St. Louis has gone 150:45 without scoring since Jori Lehtera's second-period goal in Game 1 led to a 2-1 victory.

Game 4 is Saturday in San Jose, where the Sharks have won six straight playoff games.

Brian Elliott allowed three goals on 14 shots before being pulled midway through the third.

The Blues now find themselves trailing a series for just the second time this postseason. Overcoming this deficit may be tougher than coming back last round after losing the opener to Dallas.

While the Stars were leaky on defense and rotated between two mostly ineffective goalies, the Sharks have done a stellar job defending in front of Jones, who has been sharp in his first postseason as a starter.

After allowing the soft goal to Lehtera that led to the Game 1 loss, Jones has been perfect the past two games. He has stopped 58 straight shots and has posted the first back-to-back playoff shutouts in Sharks history.

That kind of goaltending and another dominant performance from Joe Thornton's line was more than enough for San Jose. That line scored twice, with the first coming off a St. Louis turnover late in the first.

Colton Parayko's breakout pass to Lehtera was broken up in the neutral zone by Brent Burns. Thornton quickly sent the loose puck ahead to Joe Pavelski, who found Hertl for a big slap shot that beat Elliott high to the glove side to make it 1-0 late in the period.

Hertl scored again early in the third off a perfect pass from Thornton, ending Elliott's night.

St. Louis coach Ken Hitchcock juggled his lineup after watching his team get outplayed the first two games. Centers Alexander Steen and Lehtera switched lines and Magnus Paajarvi and Dmitrij Jaskin suited up on the fourth line in place of Steve Ott and Scottie Upshall. On defense, Robert Bortuzzo got the nod in place of Joel Edmundson and Parayko moved up to the second pair with Kevin Shattenkirk.

The Blues looked faster early and had the better of the play at the start, holding the Sharks without a shot on goal for more than eight minutes. But St. Louis seemed to lose some steam after Hertl's first goal.

Matters only got worse in the second period. Donskoi broke up a pass from Robby Fabbri midway through the second to start an odd-man rush. Logan Couture skated into the offensive zone on a 3-on-2 chance and fed the trailing Donskoi for the wrist shot from the slot that made it 2-0.

NOTES: Jones has three shutouts in the past four games, also doing it in Game 7 in the second round against Nashville. That ties Evgeni Nabokov (2004) for the most shutouts in a single postseason for the Sharks. ... Paajarvi made his playoff debut after 276 regular-season games. ... Sharks D Paul Martin played his 100th career playoff game.

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The San Jose Sharks are getting inside the heads of the St. Louis Blues.

Forward Troy Brouwer proved as much as he was seen breaking a stick on the Blues' bench in the third period, clearly frustrated by the state of the game.

The Sharks were up 3-0 at the time and hung on for the win. They now lead the series 2-1.

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That Joe Thornton can still make these kinds of passes at his age and with his size is nothing short of remarkable.

Related: Elliott yanked after Blues allow 7th consecutive goal of series

The benefactor in this case was Tomas Hertl, who scored his second goal of the night and chased St. Louis Blues goalie Brian Elliott from the net as a result.

The helper was Thornton's second of the night and 10th in 15 playoff games.

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