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Blues Lose Game Four In OT |
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If the Blues learn anything from tonight, it should be that you do not give Patrick Kane time and space. They did that tonight, and it burned them, badly.
The St. Louis Blues and the Chicago Blackhawks went at it again tonight, and man was it entertaining.
The first period was controlled by the Blackhawks, as they out-shot the Blues 13-8 in the opening stanza. Ryan Miller was stellar for the Blues in the first, making many saves to keep the game scoreless. His best save was against the Hawks sniper, Patrick Sharp.
The Hawks would again control the second period, and would jump out to a 2-0 lead, thanks to goals from Andrew Shaw and Patrick Kane.
But the Blues never say die, and would make the game interesting before the second period would end. A power play goal from Vladimir Tarasenko cut the Hawks lead in half. The Blues power play was, for the most part, lifeless. They continue to shoot from the point, only to have their shots blocked, or miss the net entirely. Yet Tarasenko would find a hole, and beat Corey Crawford blocker side.
When it looked like the second would end with the Blues trailing by a goal, Max Lapierre changed things a bit. After a diving pass by Steve Ott, Lapierre fired a shot toward the goal. The puck hit the post and then hit the back of Crawford, before going in the net. The goal came with just three second left in the period.
As the third began, the Blues dominated the play, and it looked as if they would get a goal no matter what the cost. They did just that.
Alex Pietrangelo found a open lane, and dished a puck up the ice to a streaking Tarasenko. Then Tarasenko did what he does best, and that is putting the puck in the perfect spot to beat a goalie. He fired a wrist shot past the glove of Crawford, giving the Blues a 3-2 lead.
Then the Blues do exactly what they shouldn't be doing, and that was going into a defensive shell, instead of keeping their fore-check going. Once they do that, Chicago gets an opportunity to tie it.
The Hawks would do just that, as Brian Bickell tipped in a Michal Rozsival point shot past Miller with just over five minutes to play. Alex Pietrangelo had boxed out Bickell from getting to the crease, but he didn't tie up the stick of the Hawks forward, which would allow Bickell to get his stick on the puck.
In overtime, the Blues had chances to win it, but instead of firing the puck on goal, they tried making the fancy plays, and turned it over. It was exactly the case on the game winning goal.
Patrik Berglund had time to fire a puck on goal in the offensive zone, but instead tried to make the fancy play with a little stick handle. The Hawks would steal it, and fly up the ice. It was then Patrick Kane, who had all the time in the world to make a decision with the puck, who fired it high blocker side on Miller to win the game.
This is one stings, as the Blues had a chance to get a shot on goal, and they backed off defensively as Kane moved in. Kevin Shattenkirk had the chance to step up on Kane, but instead chose to back off of the Hawks star, giving him nothing but time and space to make a play, and he made one.
The series is reverts back to St. Louis for game five, and now it's just a best of three series. The Blues have the home ice advantage, and will look for the return of their captain, David Backes.
It was thought that Backes could potentially play in game four, but obviously, he wasn't quite ready. His return should give a boost to the moral of the Blues, as should the crowed at the Scottrade Center.