The St. Louis Blues have been dangerous for many years, but
a series of failures in the playoffs has had them going home early. This time
around, that trend changed. St. Louis, after a disappointing loss in Game 6,
responded in a big way on Wednesday.
Clearly, they wanted this win more than
the Stars. After absolutely annihilated the Stars in Game 7, the Blues are
heading to the Western Conference Finals. After a grueling seven game series
with Chicago, St. Louis came into this series on shorter legs.
The series began
in Dallas at the American Airlines Center. Behind strong goaltending from Kari
Lehtonen, Dallas pulled away in Game 1, winning 2-1. St. Louis needed a
response, in order to avoid falling into a 0-2 hole. They responded to the pressure,
as they came back in Game 2, winning 4-3 in overtime.
The series shifted to the
Gateway to the West for Games 3 and 4. The Blues, like they had done in mostly
all of their wins, dominated the Stars. They won 6-1 on their home ice, and
they had the 2-1 series lead. Both teams seemed to have a response every game,
and it was Dallas’ turn to respond. They did just that, picking up a huge 3-2 overtime
win.
The series shifted back to Dallas for the decisive Game 5. This time
around, St. Louis had the answer. The Blues won 4-1 on Dallas’s home ice, and
they held the 3-2 lead heading back home. They had Game 6 at the Scottrade
Center, but the game didn’t go as planned.
The Blues fell into a 3-0 hole,
before Brian Elliott was pulled. The Blues made a comeback, but it was a little
too late. The Blues had outshot Dallas 37-14, but Dallas took care of its business.
The Stars had the home ice advantage in Game 7, but after the way this series
had gone, it really didn’t matter. As they had done in Game 3, the Blues
demolished the home team.
The Blues won 6-1, and they took the series 4-3.
Goaltending was a major part of this series. It was the good and bad for both
teams. In some games, Elliott played extraordinary, while Lehtonen also played
amazing in some games. However in other games, it was the opposite. Troy
Brouwer has been key over the playoffs for the Blues.
He was on the 2010
Chicago Blackhawks Stanley Cup team, and he also collected valuable experience with
the Washington Capitals. Now both number one seeds, the Stars and Capitals are
eliminated. St. Louis will await the winner of the San Jose/Nashville series in
the Western Conference Final.
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