from Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet,

If the Vancouver Canucks go on to win this mesmerizing series and eventually become as good as their young stars promise to be, at least we will know when the new team arrived.

It was Wednesday in the second period of Game 5 against the Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues, who appeared to have seized both the game and the playoff series only to have the precocious Canucks take it back from them.

Getting badly outplayed and outshot and trailing 3-1 — and not more only because Vancouver goalie Jacob Markstrom was sensational — the Canucks surged and scored three times in 6 ½ minutes, and then defended their lead over the final period to win 4-3.

They have a 3-2 series lead during their first playoff adventure since 2015 and on Friday can eliminate the best team in the National Hockey League last season.

But they may have to do so without paramount defenceman Alex Edler, who did not finish Wednesday’s game after suffering a frightening skate cut to the right side of his face late in the second period, one shift after speedy checker Tyler Motte scored the go-ahead goal on the night of his life.

Without Edler and top-four defenceman Tyler Myers, injured in Game 2, the Canucks held the Blues to nine third-period shots and Markstrom saved them all.

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Game highlights are below.