The St Louis Blues began the second half of their NHL season with game two of a five-game stretch over a three-week period. With improved scoring in recent weeks and a schedule of opponents which would seem to allow for gathering wins in the standings, the Blues sought to beat up on some of the league’s less-potent teams. They did just that.
The Blues came away with a 5-4 shootout victory against the rebuilding Carolina Hurricanes, their fourth win in a row, despite looking like they might be on the bad end of a rare home loss most of the game. St. Louis never led the entire game, trailing 1-0, 3-1 and 4-3 before tying the game late and winning in the shootout. But it was Carolina setting the tone early and taking control of a game St. Louis nearly let slip away.
Carolina, hoping to catch the Blues off-guard, jumped out of the gate early. After stealing the puck inside the St. Louis zone, Victor Rask controlled the puck on the left side before sending a drive toward the net. The puck glanced off defenseman Chris Butler, eluding goaltender Brian Elliott under his right pad and into the net for the early Carolina lead.
But St. Louis bounced back on a nifty passing play which began deep in the St. Louis zone. Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo carried the puck up the right boards which began with a series of give-and-go passes with David Backes. As the St. Louis captain entered Carolina territory, he sent a drive on goaltender Cam Ward. The puck glanced off his glove and right in front to a streaking Alex Steen who hammered the puck passed Ward for his 12th goal of the season and a tie game.
Alexander Steen
It didn’t take long for the Hurricanes to take the lead back. More than just a minute after Steen’s tying goal, after a giveaway near the Blues bench at the blue line, Jeff Skinner came out of the scrum and drifted a harmless drive from high between the circles. He sent a drive toward Elliott’s glove side that seemed the seemed to fool the Blues goalie. It gave Carolina another lead and the visiting team wasn’t done.
Just more than five minutes after taking the lead, Carolina took advantage of a broken play deep in their own zone. The puck squirted to center ice, between two Blues defenseman, where a waiting Eric Staal broke in on Elliott. He deked left and shoved the puck right, netting his 13th of the season and extending the Carolina lead to 3-1.
It spelled the end for Elliott who wasn’t sharp. Jake Allen entered the game and held serve. Although St. Louis edged Carolina 13-10 in shots, the Hurricanes clearly had the edge in play.
The middle frame started in the right direction for St. Louis. Just more than four minutes in, Jaden Schwartz intercepted an ill-advised pass out of the Carolina zone. He went in all alone from between the circles, sent Ward down with a fake and deposited the puck into the net for his 14th of the year.
Just more than a minute later, Pietrangelo found David Backes high in the slot. As two Hurricanes’ players converged on Backes, he dished it off to an approaching Patrick Berglund. He sent a quick drive toward a screened Ward to tie to the game. It was Berglund’s 6th of the season. He has a goal in each of his last two games and four points in his last three games.
But before the period ended, Carolina regained their lead. After Allen made an initial glove save on Nathan Gerbe’s drive, the mishandled puck bounced in front where there was traffic in front of the St. Louis goal. Riley Nash found some room and sent a shot under Allen’s arm, past the screened netminder. Nash’s 7th gave Carolina their lead back.
St. Louis held the period lead in shots 10-9 and extended their two-period total to 23-19, but still, Carolina kept control of the game preventing the Blues from turning the tide.
Just six minutes into the third period, though, St. Louis began the march back to tying the Hurricanes. Kevin Shattenkirk sent a long pass out of his own zone and cross ice to a waiting Vladimir Tarasenko near the Carolina blue line.
Vladimir Tarasenko
Tarasenko, with his back to the Carolina net, maneuvered around defenseman Tim Gleason as though he was a parked car. From the right side, he broke in on Ward sending a solid drive which was stopped. The rebound came right back to the St. Louis sniper and he sent a shot past the Carolina goaltender to tie the score. It was Tarasenko’s 23rd of the season, third behind league-leader Tyler Seguin of Dallas with 26.
The tied game entered overtime where neither team registered a shot on goal. The shootout offered little more excitement. T.J. Oshie, he of high-regarded shootout theatrics, went first and after a slow approach to the net, allowed Ward to commit first and then roofed the puck glove side. It was the only goal of the shootout and gave St. Louis their fourth straight victory and second on the current six-game homestand.
T.J. Oshie
The Blues finished the game outshooting Carolina 35-30 and outhitting 20-12. Neither team scored on the power play, as Carolina was 0 for 3 and St. Louis was 0 for 1.
With a 26-13-3 record with 53 points, the Blues are 3rd in the division, one points behind 2nd place Chicago (27-13-2) and five points behind division and league-leading Nashville (28-9-4). The Blues are 8th ranked overall.
St. Louis will enjoy four more games on the current homestand, a stretch which will include the All-Star break in Columbus, Ohio.
In those four games, Edmonton, Detroit, Toronto and Colorado come to town. It is a string of games St. Louis might more easily add to their point total and gain momentum as the home stretch arrives. At least 6 of 8 possible points in these games will be needed to achieve success as the Blues continue to falter against the Conference’s heavyweights.
Among Chicago, Nashville, Anaheim, Los Angeles and San Jose, St. Louis is 6-5-2. Against the rest of the League, the Blues are 20-8-1. St. Louis will have to learn the beat the NHL’s top teams if they are to be a post-season contender.
ICE CHIPS
As the NHL announced the All-Star teams for the midseason classic, set for January 23rd through 25th, the Blues learned Vladimir Tarasenko and Kevin Shattenkirk will represent St. Louis. The selections are the first for both players. Erik Johnson, a former #1 overall pick by St. Louis, will represent Colorado.
Shattenirk (along with current Buffalo Sabres forward Chris Stewart and a conditional second round pick in the 2012 draft) and Johnson (along with Jay McClement and a conditional first round pick in the 2012 draft) were traded for one another February 19, 2011.
Players will determine which team they will represent as part of a selection process the Friday before the game.
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