The St. Louis Blues took on the Boston Bruins last night at the Scottrade Center and were heavily out-shot, 38-27. Despite the shot total, Jaroslav Halak put up a strong performance, stopping 36-of-38 shots against.
The Blues were shorthanded early, as Kevin Shattenkirk took a holding penalty just 13 seconds into the game. Boston was putting pressure on Halak as soon as the puck dropped. He faced 11 shots in the first, stopping everything that was on goal.
Alexander Steen gave the Blues the lead, late in the first. Jaden Schwartz fed a pass to Steen, who was streaking down the near boards. A heavy slap-shot beat Tuukka Rask clean on the blocker side and the Blues were ahead 1-0. Jay Bouwmeester picked up the secondary assists on the play.
The second period was much like the first. Halak turned aside 13 shots from the Bruins offense and kept them off the board.
It was Jaden Schwartz who put the Blues ahead by two goals early in the second, scoring just over three minutes into the period. He showed great patience moving the offensive zone and the release a quick wrist shot on goal which beat Rask over his shoulder, glove side.
By the end of the second period, the Bruins had out-shot the Blues 24-18. Halak had stopped everything and the defense had done a decent job of keeping the puck to the outside of the slot.
The third period started and the Bruins continued pressing. Despite being without their captain, their defense looked strong and was producing offensive opportunities.
For the third game in a row, the Blues have found a way to have a defensive lapse which allowed the opposition to get back into the game with high quality scoring chances. The Bruins, like the Predators and the Senators, found ways to capitalize on their chances.
David Krejci put the Bruins after the board after Jarome Iginla left a drop pass right on his stick. Milan Lucic was screening Halak in front of the net, and then David Backes and Alex Pietrangelo collided which cause a screen at the top of the slot. A quick wrist shot that Halak couldn't see, and it was 2-1.
2:08 late, Johnny Boychuk put a shot off the boards and the puck bounced right onto Brad Marchand's stick. He put the puck off Alex Pietrangelo's stick blade and into the top corner of the net, tying the game.
The third would end with the same score and we would head to overtime.
The overtime period was spent with both teams chasing the puck. That's exactly what T.J. Oshie was doing when he intercepted a pass from former Blues prospect, Carl Soderberg. The pass was heading to, former Blues prospect, David Warsofsky.
Oshie intercepted the puck behind the net, made a quick wraparound move on Rask and slid the puck behind him to win it for the Blues with about a minute and a half left in overtime.
THE GOOD, BAD, AND UGLY
Some good things happened in the game for the Blues, including capitalizing on scoring chances. With Steen, Schwartz, and Oshie scoring, it was the key, top-6 players making a difference.
Jaroslav Halak. Halak was again, very good in net for the Blues. The first goal he was blind on, with the frame of a very large, Lucic in his view. The second goal is questionable, because of the deflection off of Pietrangelo's stick. If it didn't deflect off Pietrangelo's stick, it easily could have went right into Halak's pads. It was a weird bounce and it went in. When it's all said and done, Halak kept the Blues in the game and allowed them to win the game. Lastly would be the play of Dmitrij Jaskin, who played in place of a sick Vladimir Tarasenko. He registered his first career NHL assist and played well in all three zones. Very noticeable all game and all for good reasons.
There was some bad, like the two minute defensive lapse that allowed the Bruins prime scoring chances that they capitalized on. The third game in a row, the Blues defense broke down and gave up a two goal lead in the third period. That is an issue that needs to be fixed.
The ugly has to be the play of Barret Jackman. Turnover after turnover last night resulted in a lot of high quality scoring chances. He looked like he reverted back to his play from 2007 in which he was isolated and he looked out of place. That was his game tonight. Abysmal hockey. Slow to pucks, losing battles, and a horrible amount of giveaways made Jackman, easily, the worst player on the ice for the St. Louis Blues.