Blues’ Brian Elliott stymies Sharks in Game 1

ST. LOUIS — The San Jose Sharks’ road to the Western Conference finals saw them take down two of the league’s best goalies in Jonathan Quick and Pekka Rinne.

Elliott stopped 32 shots as the St. Louis Blues opened the Western Conference finals with a 2-1 victory over the visiting Sharks in Game 1 at Scottrade Center.

The Blues, who needed seven games each to beat the Chicago Blackhawks and Dallas Stars to advance to the conference finals for the first time since 2001, entered Sunday’s game 3-4 at home and 5-2 on the road this postseason.

The Sharks, back in the conference finals for the first since going back to back in 2010 and 2011, averaged 3.42 goals per game while winning eight of their first 12 playoff contests.

The Blues appeared to score with 8:25 left in the first period, on a goal from Patrik Berglund after Berglund, Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic and goalie Martin Jones got tangled up in the crease.

The goal was waved off and ruled no goal upon review because Berglund made incidental contact with Jones before the puck crossed the goal line.

St. Louis took a 1-0 lead on a David Backes tip-in, his seventh of the season, of a blast from Kevin Shattenkirk on the power play with 4:56 remaining in the first period.

The goal was originally credited to Pavelski, who instead picked up the first assist on the score.

Jori Lehtera put the Blues up 2-1 with 10:45 remaining in the second period after picking off a pass from Burns in the neutral zone and beating Jones with a slap shot from the left circle.

The Blues goalie came up with a skate save on Pavelski’s one-timer from the slot with 9:13 remaining in the second, then benefitted from a quick whistle when he failed to secure a loose puck with 1:14 left.

The Sharks entered Game 1 with the top power-play unit among the four teams remaining but couldn’t cash in on three chances with the advantage — twice in the first period and then another midway through the third.