Instant analysis: Sharks at Blues, Game 2

ST. LOUIS -- The San Jose Sharks defeated the St. Louis Blues 4-0 in Game 2 of the Western Conference Final at Scottrade Center on Tuesday. The best-of-7 series is tied 1-1.
Defenseman Brent Burns scored two power-play goals on one-timers. He has six goals and 18 points in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, ranking second in the NHL in scoring, one point behind teammate Logan Couture. Forward Tommy Wingels and Dainius Zubrus (empty net) also scored.

Sharks goaltender Martin Jones made 26 saves for the shutout, five during a four-minute penalty kill early in the third period.
What we learned: The Sharks have been the better team at even strength through two games, and they were better on special teams in Game 2, going 2-for-5 on the power play and 6-for-6 on the penalty kill. The San Jose line of Tomas Hertl, Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton has been the best in the series, mostly matched up against Patrik Berglund, Alexander Steen and David Backes, what should be a good defensive group. St. Louis coach Ken Hitchcock responded by shuffling his lines in the third period Tuesday. The Blues have been spending too much time in their own zone and need to find a way to tilt the ice the other way. They must stay out of the penalty box.

What this means for the Sharks:They have home-ice advantage headed back to San Jose, where they are 5-1 in the playoffs. Now, coach Peter DeBoer will have the last line change. He might want to keep the matchups as they have been if he can.
What this means for the Blues: For the third straight series, they find themselves in a 1-1 tie after two games. In the first round against the Chicago Blackhawks, they won Games 3 and 4 on the road and went on to win the series in seven. In the second round against the Dallas Stars, they split Games 3 and 4 at home and went on to win the series in seven.

Key moment: Couture took a holding penalty 4:45 into the second period, giving St. Louis a chance to tie it 1-1 on the power play. But the Blues failed to cash in, and one second after the power play ended, they gave the Sharks a power play when Troy Brouwer went off for slashing. San Jose showed why they were so feared with the man-advantage, passing the puck around the St. Louis zone. The final sequence: Couture to Pavelski to Burns, who ripped a one-timer past goaltender Brian Elliott to make it 2-0.
Unsung player of the game: San Jose defenseman Justin Braun played 5:46 of his 18:30 on the penalty kill. He had an assist, three shots on goal, a blocked shot and a takeaway.
What's next: Game 3 is at SAP Center in San Jose on Thursday (9 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports).