In the season, the Blues are averaging 2.7 goals per game and ranking 6th in power play with 21.5 percent.
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Tarasenko took a shot from in front of the left circle that somehow got behind Lehtonen into the net with about 2 minutes left in the first period that appeared to make it 2-0.
It’s safe to say that the Lehtonen/Niemi experiment was a dud (as many people expected it to be). It worked out today. Blues G Brian Elliott, pulled late in the first period of Game 6 on Monday after allowing three goals on his first seven shots, started his 14th game of the playoffs.
“We still have to win two in a row, which we have not been able to do in this series”, Lehtonen said. “I just wanted to get out there (Tuesday in practice) and kind of reset the button”.
First Period-1, St. Louis, Fabbri 3 (Brouwer, Stastny), 5:23 (pp).
“It’s tough. He means a lot to us”, Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk said. “Now is the time to look at more of a bigger picture”.
After giving up three goals on seven shots in Monday’s Game 6, Jake Allen came in to relieve Elliott stopping the seven shots the Stars threw at him.
Teammates accepted responsibility for the deficit.
“I think that (it’s) a huge disappointment”, Ruff said. “We worked all year for home-ice advantage in this advantage in this situation, and we intend to take advantage of it”. “That’s what hockey is about and like I said we’re excited that it’s in our building”. “I’ll let you know on game day”. The big blueliner added to his Conn Smythe case with a remarkable defensive performance that included seven blocked shots, two takeaways and a total shutdown of Dallas forward Jamie Benn over the course of a game-high 26:12 TOI. “I thought we had a chance to win”. It’s likely Elliott, who has started every postseason game, will get the nod. That early show of strength muzzled another standing room crowd of 19,808 at the Scottrade Center with the first two goals coming in a span of 20 seconds.
Seemingly rattled by the task at hand, the Stars barely were a threat to the Blues on Wednesday.
St. Louis is 56-28-11 overall, 29-13-5 on the road and 42-37 with the under.
The Blues were at their strongest in the second round.
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The remainder of the period was a close fought affair with both sides creating chances, the best of which fell to Valeri Nichuskin who somehow managed to miss an open net from point blank, at the conclusion of a slick Stars passing play. But Ruff challenged the goal for offside and won – Tarasenko’s trailing skate was inches off the ice as Jaden Schwartz carried the puck over the line. Defensively, the Stars are yielding 2.8 goals per game and ranking 10th in penalty kill with 82.3 percent. Fiddler scored his first of the playoffs…. Eventually in the third period, Patrick Eaves scored to help avoid the shutout, but it was certainly not enough in a 6-1 loss that ended the season in Dallas. He doesn’t want his team playing conservative hockey just because it’s Game 7.
