Plover native and former Stevens Point Area Senior
High School (SPASH) standout Joe Pavelski helped the San Jose Sharks advance to
the National Hockey League Stanley Cup Finals for the first time with a 4-2
series win over the St. Louis Blues in the Western Conference Finals.

Pavelski had an assist in San Jose’s Game 1 loss to
St. Louis May 15, and added an assist in the Sharks’ 4-0 win in Game 2 May 17
to even the series at 1-1.

He recorded two assists in San Jose’s 3-0 win in Game
3 May 19, and scored a goal in the team’s 6-3 loss in Game 4 May 21 that evened
the series at 2-2.

In Game 5 at St. Louis Monday, May 23, Pavelski
assisted on the opening goal of the game to give the Sharks a 1-0 lead 3:51
into the first period, and after St. Louis came back to take a 3-2 lead,
Pavelski scored a power-play goal with 1:27 left in the second period to tie
the game at 3-3.

Pavelski then scored the eventual game-winning goal 16
seconds into the third period, as San Jose went on to a 6-3 win to take a 3-2
series lead.

In Game 6 Wednesday, May 25, Pavelski scored 3:57 into
the first period to give San Jose a 1-0 lead, as the Sharks built a 4-0 lead in
the third period on their way to a 5-2 victory to win the series 4-2 and
advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.

San Jose will face the winner of the Pittsburgh
Penguins and Tampa Bay Lightning, who were set to play in Game 7 of the Eastern
Conference Finals Thursday, May 26.

This postseason, Pavelski leads the NHL in goals with
12, game-winning goals with four and is tied with teammate Logan Couture for
the most points with 21.