Needing a win to avoid playoff elimination and force a seventh game in Dallas to decide the Western Conference semifinals, Lindy Ruff's Dallas Stars take on Ken Hitchcock's St. Louis Blues in Game Six on Monday night. Game time at the Scottrade Center is 7:00 p.m. CDT. The game will be televised on NBC Sports Network.
In Game Five on Saturday, the Stars never held a lead. The game was tied at 1-1 after the first period on offsetting goals by Robby Fabbri and Alex Goligoski. The Blues went ahead to stay on a goal by Dmitrij Jaskin at 10:31 of the second period. Troy Brouwer extended the lead to 3-1 late in the second period. Peter Stastny added a late-game empty net goal.
The first St. Louis goal was an unlucky bounce of the skate of Brett Ritchie. The second period goals were scored off the types of breakdowns -- failed clears, loose coverage around the net -- that too often plague the Stars.
Dallas is 1-for-16 on the power play in the series. The Blues are 5-for-18.
Brian Elliott and Kari Lehtonen will oppose one another in goal again in Game Six. In Game Five, Elllott stopped 27-of-28 shots, while Lehtonen saved 18-of-21.
Patrick Eaves (leg injury) made the trip to St. Louis, while top line center Tyler Seguin (Achilles tendon injury) did not travel with the team. The Blues have their full roster available.
If Game Seven is necessary, it will be played at the American Airlines Center on Wednesday.