ST. LOUIS, MO – Within seconds after the ending of Game 3, all of St. Louis was in an uproar over the missed call which led to a San Jose victory, this after the Blues allowed to Sharks to tie the game late in regulation before dropping the decision after the controversial ending. Charity efforts to raise money for entities benefiting the blind were launched and church signs changed to reflect the sinful nature of the referee’s actions sprung up. It reminded St. Louisans of a similar fate leading to a game six World Series loss in 1985.
While consternation stirred in the gateway city, their lovable hockey team was all business in game four, focused in putting the previous loss behind them and getting back into the series. It took them just 35 seconds to do just that as St. Louis led the entire game, a 2-1 victory which was not the only loss dealt the Sharks.
Just after the opening draw, St. Louis executed a punishing fore check in the San Jose zone. Sharks defenseman Brent Burns possessed the puck behind the net before St. Louis’ Alex Steen delivered a jolting hit as he was clearing the puck. Blues grinder Ivan Barbashev intercepted the clear, firing a puck toward Sharks’ goaltender Martin Jones. The drive deflected off the stick of San Jose’s Gustav Nyquist, catching Jones by surprise as the puck deflected past him on the shirt side. It was Barbashev’s first of the postseason and the building erupted as the home team gave their fans exactly what they wanted.
Late in the opening frame, San Jose pressed and benefitted from several defensive breakdowns. The best opportunity for San Jose came with just more than three minutes to play in the 1st period. That’s when Melker Karlsson was robbed at point blank range while in all alone on Blues netminder Jordan Binnington. The rookie gloved the shot setting up a face-off and a slowing of the game’s pace, which San Jose began to dictate, until a few minutes later.
With San Jose’s Timo Meier off for hooking St. Louis’ Ryan O’Reilly, the St. Louis power play would try to get back on track. St. Louis sniper Vladimir Tarasenko sent a drive from the left point on net which Jones saved. As the puck continued to bounce low in traffic, St. Louis’ Pat Maroon swatted at it and Jones made another stop. The San Jose goalie swatted it with his stick, but toward the front of the net, sending it onto St. Louis’ Tyler Bozak’s stick who backhanded the loose puck between Jones’ pads and into the net for a 2-0 lead and the period ended soon after. It was Bozak’s second of the series and fourth in the postseason.
Right out of the gate, San Jose pressed to get back into the contest. With just less than three minutes into the second period, Timo Meier, looking to make up for his penalty which led to the Blues second goal, found himself in front of Binnington with a golden opportunity. As the Blues goalie committed by dropping to his knees, Meier had the puck hop off his stick as he tried to pot it into the open side of the cage.
San Jose’s next best chance came with just more than three minutes to play in the second period. That’s when Burns sent a drive from the right circle which beat Binnington glove side, but not the crossbar. The period ended that same way the first did, a 2-0 St. Louis lead.
Goalie Jordan Binnington (#50) of the St Louis Blues
The Sharks started out strong knowing they needed to get an early goal. That particularly effort by San Jose defenseman Erik Karlsson seemingly led to what appeared to be a groin injury as the All-Star was seen having difficulty with pushing off and skating full stride. This was most apparent when he struggled to get into position to prevent a partial breakaway in the middle of the final period. After having logged more than nine minutes in the first two periods, Karlsson was hardly seen in the third period until the very end.
And with this, the Sharks new they would need to press and take more chances or take advantages of Blues miscues. They benefitted from the latter when Alex Pietrangelo was called for interference on San Jose’s Evander Kane. The Sharks man advantage went to work and found success with just less than seven minutes remaining. Erik Karlsson manned the right point and corralled the puck at the line before sending it over the Burns at the left side. His drive toward Binnington was slowed, but ended up squeezing through the goalie’s pads, lying in the blue paint and trickling toward the goal line. Tomas Hertl tapped it his tenth of the postseason, but first in the series, to cut the home team’s lead in half.
Right Wing Timo Meier (#28) of the San Jose Sharks.
The Sharks pushed for the equalizer and had an injured Karlsson on the ice at the left point with just under two minutes to play. With their net empty, Karlsson sent a pass to Logan Courture on the right side, sending a blast toward the Blues goal. Binnington made the initial save, but the Sharks could not get the tying goal and allowing St. Louis to tie the series.
San Jose outshot St. Louis 30-22 and 10-4 in the third, but St. Louis had the edge on blocks, 21-8. The Blues also had the edge in hits, 29-15 and seemed to regain the momentum they allowed slip away at the end of game three.
The series is now a best-of-three and shifts to San Jose for a 3 PM ET afternoon start from the SAP Center before returning to St. Louis Tuesday night for Game Six. If necessary, Game Seven is Thursday night back in San Jose. It is making for a great series.
Dennis Morrell has a lengthy background in the great game as a hockey writer, photographer, goalie coach, player and currently active USA Hockey-certified referee with over 1,000 games under his striped jersey. His passion for the game began in the early 70s with his first glance at hockey players in Clayton’s Shaw Park outdoor hockey rink. He can be reached at dennis.morrell@prohockeynews.com and you can follow him on Twitter at DMMORRELL.
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