5 Keys: Sharks at Golden Knights, Game 5

SHARKS at GOLDEN KNIGHTS
10 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, TVAS
Best-of-7 series tied 2-2
LAS VEGAS --The Vegas Golden Knights and San Jose Sharks will play for the lead in the Western Conference Second Round in Game 5 at T-Mobile Arena on Friday.

The Game 5 winner in a best-of-7 Stanley Cup Playoff series that's tied 2-2 goes on to win the series 78.9 percent of the time (202-54), according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
RELATED: [Complete Golden Knights vs. Sharks series coverage]
The Sharks won 4-0 in Game 4 at SAP Center on Wednesday. It was the first time the Golden Knights were shut out and lost in regulation in the playoffs.
Here are 5 keys to Game 5:

1. Control hangs in balance

With the Sharks and Golden Knights alternating wins and losses through the first four games, the importance of Game 5 is enhanced.
A Vegas win will guarantee at least one more game at T-Mobile Arena, should the series go the distance. A victory for San Jose gives the Sharks a chance to close the series at home Sunday.
"[Wednesday] was the most important game of the series, now [Friday] is the most important game of the series again," Golden Knights forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare said. "It's the playoffs. It's fun. That's why we're all here talking about it."

2. Redemption for Fleury

Vegas goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury has not been his dominant self in the past three games, allowing 11 goals after giving up three through the Golden Knights' first five playoff games.
San Jose has done a better job attacking the net and screening Fleury for better scoring opportunities.
"They're a team that likes to shoot pucks from a little bit of everywhere," Fleury said. "They have a lot of forwards who can put in tips and rebounds, as well as screen. They've been doing that all year long."

3. Vegas line-shuffling

Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant changed his third line again prior to Game 3, inserting forward Tomas Tatar in place of Ryan Carpenter, but the move did not generate any additional offense.
David Perron is the only Vegas third-liner to score a point in Games 3 and 4; Cody Eakin and Tatar did not.
It appears the line-shuffling will continue. Gallant said there will "quite possibly" be lineup changes Friday, though he wouldn't confirm any.
Tatar was one of the last players on the ice after Vegas practice, as was fourth-line forward Tomas Nosek.
Carpenter could return to his usual role on the third line Friday, and center Oscar Lindberg may make his Golden Knights playoff debut.

4. Sharks striking quickly

San Jose has scored first in the past two games. Vegas responded with three unanswered goals in Game 3 but had no response after falling behind 2-0 in the first period of Game 4.
With home-ice advantage again in the Golden Knights' favor, getting off to a quick start could determine the outcome.
"I think we are starting to figure it out a little bit and finding a way to play against this team," Sharks forward Joonas Donskoi said.

5. Containing Couture

Sharks center Logan Couture has nine points (four goals, five assists) in the past seven games and is a big reason they've been able to win two games against the Golden Knights.
San Jose is 2-0 when Couture has had a point in this series. His two goals in Game 2, including the game-winner in the second overtime, boosted them to a 4-3 victory, and he had two assists in Game 4.

Sharks projected lineup

Evander Kane -- Joe Pavelski -- Joonas Donskoi
Tomas Hertl -- Logan Couture -- Mikkel Boedker
Timo Meier -- Chris Tierney -- Kevin Labanc
Marcus Sorensen -- Eric Fehr -- Melker Karlsson
Joakim Ryan -- Brent Burns
Marc-Edouard Vlasic -- Justin Braun
Brenden Dillon -- Dylan DeMelo
Martin Jones
Aaron Dell
Scratched: Paul Martin, Barclay Goodrow, Joel Ward, Jannik Hansen, Dylan Gambrell
Injured: Joe Thornton (knee)

Golden Knights projected lineup

Jonathan Marchessault -- William Karlsson -- Reilly Smith
Alex Tuch -- Erik Haula -- James Neal
David Perron -- Cody Eakin -- Ryan Carpenter
William Carrier -- Pierre-Edouard Bellemare -- Oscar Lindberg
Brayden McNabb -- Nate Schmidt
Shea Theodore -- Deryk Engelland
Luca Sbisa -- Colin Miller
Marc-Andre Fleury
Malcolm Subban
Scratched:Tomas Tatar,Brad Hunt, Jon Merrill, Ryan Reaves, Tomas Nosek
Injured:* None*

Status report

Sbisa is expected to play his first game since sustaining an upper-body injury Feb. 27.