SAN JOSE–St. Louis produced its second win in three days at HP Pavilion on Thursday to grab a 3-1 lead in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
The Blues’ B. J. Crombeen and Andy McDonald took care of the goal-scoring for the visitors, turning back the Sharks 2-1 for their third consecutive victory. Game Five, scheduled Saturday night in St. Louis, becomes a ‘must win’ for San Jose if the series is to come back to HP Pavilion on Monday.
Brian Elliott, the back-up goaltender to game one-starter Jaroslav Halak, earned the win with 24 saves in his second start this week. Antti Niemi, in a losing effort, was credited with 23 saves in the defense-dominated game.
San Jose, trailing 2-0, scored late in the game with the goaltender pulled for the second-straight game. Joe Thornton, with his first goal of the playoffs, gave the Sharks life with 18:53 gone in the third period. The Blues regrouped, though, and denied another serious challenge in the final minute.
Logan Couture challenged Elliott on a breakaway 4:25 into play in the first period. Elliott kicked aside Couture’s backhanded shot at the right post to keep the game scoreless.
The Blues came back with a goal at 7:12 of the first period. Crombeen, a winger who scored one goal in 40 games during the regular season, was in the high slot when Patrik Berglund, controlling the puck behind the Shark net, dished to Crombeen for the 30-footer past Niemi.
After a scoreless second period, the Blues connected on a power play goal 12 minutes into the third period. David Perron’s shot from the top of the left circle was redirected by Berglund before Niemi made the initial save. The puck dropped behind the goaltender in the crease and McDonald sped to the area to jam the puck into the net.
“An unfortunate bounce,”Thornton said of the McDonald goal.
San Jose threatened immediately after Niemi was pulled for the extra skater in the closing 90 seconds of the game. Brent Burns kept the Sharks scoring play alive in the corner of the Blues zone before Couture took control of the puck and found an unmarked Thornton at the top of the slot for the goal.
“We’ve put ourselves in a corner and we have to fight our way back,” Thornton said. “Both teams play disciplined defense. We didn’t get too many looks.”
Couture and Marty Halvat each finished with five shots on net. McDonald was credited with seven shots and Chris Stewart five.
“This was probably our best 60-minute effort in the series,” said San Jose coach Todd McLellan.
