St. Louis 4, San Jose 3
When: 10:00 PM ET, Monday, April 16, 2012
Where: HP Pavillion at San Jose, San Jose, California
Referees:
Dan O'Rourke, Paul Devorski
Linesmen:
Derek Nansen, Jean Morin
Attendance:
17562
By SportsDirect Inc.
BLUES 4, SHARKS 3: Andy McDonald recorded a goal and two assists as visiting St. Louis put on a display on the power play and took a 2-1 lead over San Jose in their Western Conference quarterfinal series.
Patrik Berglund, Jason Arnott and Alex Steen each had a goal and an assist, defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo set up three scores and Brian Elliott made 26 saves for the Blues, who went 3 for 4 with the man advantage.
Game 4 is Thursday in San Jose.
Berglund opened the scoring with 5 1/2 minutes remaining in the first period with his third goal of the series.
During a power play, Colaiacovo took a shot from the right point that hit the right post. The puck settled in the crease, allowing Berglund to slide it into an open net for a 1-0 lead.
San Jose answered 2:14 later with a man-advantage tally of its own. Brent Burns got ahead of a defender in the right faceoff circle and received a flip pass from captain Joe Thornton before cutting to the net unabated. The defenseman then lifted a backhander past Elliott for his first career postseason goal.
After McDonald gave the Blues a 2-1 edge just 61 seconds into the middle session, St. Louis cashed in on another power play to open a three-goal lead. Steen dished the puck from the right point to McDonald, who made a cross-slot pass from the bottom of the right circle. Arnott quickly deposited it past Antti Niemi, who finished with 23 saves for his 32nd career playoff tally.
The Blues struck again with the extra skater 59 seconds into the third, when Steen beat Niemi with a blast from the right point.
Defenseman Colin White tallied at 16:58 and Logan Couture scored with less than 20 seconds remaining, but it was too little, too late for the Sharks, who were 1 for 4 with the man advantage.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Arnott has scored a playoff goal for six different teams, beginning with Edmonton in 1997. ... Chris Stewart returned to the Blues' lineup after being a healthy scratch for Game 2. ... Thornton collected three assists, the first points of the series for the Sharks' top line. Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski have yet to get on the scoresheet. ... San Jose defenseman Dan Boyle led all players with 27 minutes, 36 seconds of ice time.
Top Game Performances
| St. Louis |
|
San Jose |
|
Andy McDonald 4 |
Points |
Joe Thornton 3 |
|
Andy McDonald 1 |
Goals |
Logan Couture 1 |
|
Andy McDonald 3 |
Assists |
Joe Thornton 3 |
|
Patrik Berglund 1 |
Power Play Goals |
Brent Burns 1 |
|
N/A |
Short Handed Goals |
N/A |
|
Brian Elliott .897 |
Save Percentage |
Antti Niemi .852 |
|
Brian Elliott 26 |
Saves |
Antti Niemi 23 |
Team Stats Summary
| Team |
Shots |
Goals |
Power Play |
Penalty Kill |
Penalty Mins |
Face Offs Won |
| St. Louis
|
27 |
4 |
3-4 |
3-4 |
10 |
33 |
| San Jose
|
29 |
3 |
1-4 |
1-4 |
10 |
39 |
Upcoming Games
-
San Jose will play their next game at home against St. Louis. The Sharks have a W/L % of .548 after a win and .500 after a loss.
-
St. Louis will play their next game on the road against San Jose. The Blues have a W/L % of .604 after a win and .588 after a loss.
For more information, contact us