Blues prove they’re not rattled by ‘rough times’
It’s no surprise St. Louis bounced back in Game 2 — they’ve been doing it all season
When you’ve spent four months crawling back into the sunlight after being left for dead in a basement, you kind of learn how to handle disappointment.
That’s why a 1-0 series deficit or two quick goals from Logan Couture in Game 2 weren’t going to bring the St. Louis Blues to their knees. Not by a long shot.
The Blues have been through enough this season, firing their coach in November and sitting dead last in the NHL in early January, that those were little more than minor inconveniences in the grand scheme of things.
They reset themselves, turned back the San Jose Sharks rally, won Game 2 by a 4-2 margin and now take home ice advantage back to St. Louis for Game 3 of the Western Conference final. Fighting back is what they do. “We’ve been in a lot of rough areas and been through some rough times this year,” said Blues forward Ryan O’Reilly. “I don’t think there was any doubt in our minds that we were going to respond the right way and find a way to win. That’s just the group we have. From guys who’ve been in situations like this before, and all of us coming together in tough times this year, it’s what we like to do.”
This is a team that in the opening round went 3-0 in Winnipeg’s MTS Centre, one of the most intimidating venues in the NHL, and hasn’t given up a third-period goal in its last six road wins, so it’s safe to say it isn’t spooked by adversity or pressure.
“What you go through during the season makes you stronger,” said rookie goalie Jordan Binnington. “It’s about staying composed. We’ve been a resilient team all year long.
“We have great leaders. We fought right to the end. We’re enjoying it and looking forward to Game 3. We’re liking what we’re doing right now. It’s been a lot of fun to be part of this team.”
Binnington is the microcosm of St. Louis’s remarkable ability to shake off the effects of a bad night and replace it with something good. He wasn’t great in the opening game, few Blues were, but he was back to being their MVP in Monday’s rematch.
When the Shark Tank was in full roar after Couture’s two quick goals, turning the volume up to a level that wilted the Vegas Golden Knights in Round 1, the Blues were enjoying the scene.
“You appreciate the thunder, right?” said Binnington, who is 9-2 after a loss this year. “This is the best part of sports, this time of year. It’s why you play. You want to be that difference-maker. Obviously, you don’t want to let a goal in, but you notice that. You just keep moving forward.”
Seriously, these guys don’t get rattled by anything.
“With the intensity of the crowd, it’s exciting, that’s what the game is about,” O’Reilly said. “Going out there and finding a way to quiet them down. The pressure is what we all grow up wanting.”
It took some hard lessons to get the Blues to where they are, but that pain is paying off. No matter how rough the water gets, they know they’ve already sailed through worse.
“There were some dark days at the beginning of the year,” said winger Patrick Maroon. “It’s unfortunate that we went through it, but it made us a better team. It just shows how much character we have in this room.
“We were used to losing at the beginning of the year. When we started being competitive and relentless, the winning became contagious. We got our confidence back and the swagger. Berube has done a really good job of putting that in our heads.”
Now it’s the Sharks’ time to lace up in enemy territory and prove their mettle. Actually, Monday was their time to do that, and take a commanding 2-0 series lead, but they let it go.
“I thought the story of the game was we didn’t have enough participants across the board,” said Sharks coach Pete DeBoer. “I thought Logan Couture was pretty good, a couple other guys, but it’s tough to win this time of year if you don’t have everybody going.
“You can’t hope to win a game. You have to make sure that you’re working hard enough that you’re going to dictate the outcome. We talked enough about it. I think our heads were in the right place. You have to give (the Blues) some credit. I thought they played a hell of a game. They made it tough on us.”
Expect more of the same. The Blues have been a tenacious and relentless force for four months, they sure aren’t going to ease up now that they’re three wins away from their first Stanley Cup Final in 49 years.
“We’re not going away,” said centre Brayden Schenn.
It’s about staying composed. We’ve been a resilient team all year long.