Follow @stlgoalie Tonight when the Blues host the San Jose Sharks for Game 2 at 7pm tonight at the Scottrade Center, the team will be looking to win its second game of the Western Conference Finals, something they haven’t done for 30 years. In 1986, the closest the Blues have come to a Stanley Cup Finals since 1970, the Blues lost to the Calgary Flames in 7 games, losing 2-1 in Game 7. The 1986 campaign was a magical run that included the Monday Night Miracle. If you don’t know what that is, it’s worth looking up.
The Blues started the Western Conference Finals with a 2-1 victory over the Sharks on Sunday night thanks in large part to the goaltending of Brian Elliott. A video recap of the game can be seen here.
The Blues thought they had taken the lead with about eight and half minutes left in the first period but the goal was disallowed when it was ruled that Patrick Berglund made incidental contact with goalie Martin Jones. The Blues have not lost a potential goal in all three playoff series.
With about 6 minutes left in the 1st period, Logan Couture took a tripping penalty on Robby Fabbri on a play that looked like a dangerous kneeing incident at first glance but replays show was mostly just a trip. On the ensuing power play, David Backes deflected a Kevin Shattenkrik point shot past Jones. The Sharks answered less than 35 seconds after a very poor play by Fabbri along the wall. Brent Burns shot was deflected by Joe Pavelski and then bounced in off Thomas Hertl. Elliott had little chance on the double deflection.
Jones seemed to be fighting the puck in the first period, giving up poor rebounds and appearing to have some difficulty catching pucks but the Blues were not able to take advantage of it. Overall, the first period seemed fairly even in play.
The Sharks dominated the second period, outshooting the Blues 16-5 but the Blues won the scoreboard 1-0 as Jori Lehtera beat Jones with a slapshot from the top of left circle on a play where Jones would likely want a mulligan. The Sharks again tried to answer back quickly with Joe Thornton making a wonderful pass to Pavelski in the slot less than 2 minutes later but Elliott was up to the challenge with a big save.
With about 1:15 left in the period, Elliott and the Blues were the beneficiary of a quick whistle. Sharks fans definitely believe that would have translated into a goal but the closest Blues defenseman can be seen letting up as soon as he hears the whistle. I’m guessing the odds on a goal there would have been high but the whistle was understandable given the referee’s position and the way the play developed.
The Blues played a stronger first 15 minutes of the third period. Troy Brouwer and Paul Stastny both had very good chances to extend the lead to two goals but Jones was there to deny them.
The Sharks came oh so close to tying the game with 2:30 left as Marc Andre Vlasic either hit the post or the knob of Elliott’s goalie stick and then his right shoulder. Somehow the puck stayed out of the net. With about 1:45 left, Elliott made another big save on Pavelski from the slot. Thornton then hit iron with a shot from the point with only 30 seconds left in the game.
Elliott was able to keep the rest out of the net, stopping 32 of 33 shots and earning the victory. The Sharks played a solid road game but were unable to get the victory.
Let’s look at how the game in relation to Jammer’s Keys
Goaltending I think it is pretty safe to say that Elliott outplayed Jones significantly. Elliott definitely had a little puck and whistle luck but overall, he made more quality stops. In addition to the do-over he likely wants on Lehtera’s goal, I thought Jones looked shaky in the first period, almost fighting the puck. His rebound control and save selection seemed questionable, leaving more risky than necessary rebounds and seeming to forego catching the puck on a number of occasions. Of course, the Blues were largely unable to take advantage of this.
Contain the Sharks Big 4 The Blues were able to limit Couture, Pavelski, Thornton and Burns to a combined 2 assists. It wasn’t that they four didn’t have chances, Pavelski had 7 shots by himself but Elliott stood tall against them. If the Blues can continue to keep those four scoreless, they have to like their chances.
Special Teams The Blues again won the special teams battle, killing all three of the Sharks power plays while scoring a power play goal on only two chances.
The Defensive Battle The Sharks may have had a slight edge in the play of their defensemen. The Sharks’ group combined for 9 shots on goal and 8 blocked shots. The Blues only had 6 shots on goal though they did block 9 shots. Both teams got an assist from their defensemen.
Rookies I’m beginning to sound like a broken record but Colton Parayko continues to show he is one of the best young defensemen in the game playing over 19 minutes of ice time and even logging some short-handed time. Fabbri displayed offensive flash but struggled with decisions and defensive play, contributing directly to the Sharks only goal. He was relegated to the bench with about 5:15 left in the game after making a poor puck management decision in the offensive zone, creating an odd man rush for the Sharks. I can’t wait to see what Fabbri becomes as he adds more strength and experience to his game. I thought Joel Edmundson had an average game. Even though he didn’t see a shift in the last 15 minutes of the game, he still logged just over 13 minutes of ice time and had 2 shots. Many of you may not realize this but the NHL has a visual shift chart of which Game 1’s is here.
NHL Champions for Charity In what I hope becomes a Hockeybuzz tradition, Hockeybuzz Sharks blogger Steve Palumbo and I placed a wager on the series. If the Blues win, Steve has agreed to make a donation to Covenant House Missouri (@covenanthousemo on twitter) whose mission is to empower youth who are disconnected to design their own path from homelessness to opportunity. Thanks to my twitter typo, if the Blues win, I'll be donating to Safe Connections (@SafeConnections on twitter). If the Sharks win, I will donate to the Hydrocephalus Association (@HydroAssoc on twitter) whose mission is to connect individuals to larger communities that can provide support and understanding, to educate national and state policymakers, the medical community, and the general population, and to advance treatment and eventually find a cure for Hydrocephalus.
I hope that our wagers will inspire players and fans to pledge donations for each win their team makes in the NHL playoffs. For the players, it would be great if they would agree to donate a small percentage of their playoff bonuses to charity while fans could donate an amount per win, perhaps both upping it if their team won the Stanley Cup. As a simple example, a player could pledge 0.25% per win with a bonus 1% if they win the Cup, bringing their total to 5%.
So far this playoff season, the Blues victory over the Stars has meant that Bill Meltzer is donating to Safe Connections (@SafeConnections on twitter).
It’s a great day for hockey.