Champs show their mettle to even series
BLUES 3,
CANUCKS 1
EDMONTON Their power play has dried up, they have no answer for Ryan O’Reilly’s line and, suddenly, the giant within the St. Louis Blues has awoken.
If ever a team trailed a series 2-2, it’s the Canucks after absorbing back-to-back losses against the defending Stanley Cup champions.
Here’s what we learned from Monday night’s 3-1 victory for the Blues.
A DOMINANT EFFORT
The Canucks might have been in the game on the scoreboard but, in reality, this one was as close as the Earth is to Jupiter. The Blues dominated in every meaningful area, led by O’Reilly and his linemates Jaden Schwartz and David Perron. That line produced two goals by O’Reilly, 13 shots and ground the Canucks into a pulp with their relentless work in the offensive zone.
Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom managed to keep things close with another strong outing, stopping 34 of 37 shots.
The Canucks, meanwhile, directed just 23 shots at Blues goalie Jake Allen and went 0-for-7 on the power play. Three power play chances in the third period failed to produce a decent scoring chance, including a 6-on-4 session over the final minute. The Blues went 2-for-5 on their power play.
POWER OUTAGE AT CRUCIAL MOMENTS
The flow of the game was best reflected in a sequence early in the second period.
Forty seconds into the frame, J.T. Miller tipped Alex Edler’s point shot behind Allen to tie the game 1-1. Eleven seconds later, Colton Parayko took a delay-of-game penalty and the Canucks went on the power play for the fourth time in the game.
With momentum seemingly on their side, the power play fizzled and the Blues immediately tilted the ice. O’Reilly’s line spent a full 40 seconds in the Canucks’ end. After another dominating shift by the Blues, O’Reilly walked out from the boards and beat Markstrom with a high backhand for his second of the game.
Last year’s Conn Smythe winner and his linemates directed 14 shots at Markstrom through the first two periods while allowing four. Collectively, the Blues outshot the Canucks 17-5 in the period.
They also stretched the lead to 3-1 on a five-on-three power play late in the second. In an attempt to establish some physicality, Zack MacEwen took a minor for bumping Allen before Oscar Fantenberg was sent off for boarding Robert Thomas. Alex Pietrangelo made the Canucks pay with his first goal of the series. It goes without saying O’Reilly drew an assist.
HOPPING FROM THE FIRST
That man O’Reilly opened the scoring on the late power play created by the penalty to Brock Boeser when he collected a Pietrangelo rebound off the end boards and beat Markstrom up high. O’Reilly also hit the post earlier in the frame.
Prior to the O’Reilly goal, the Blues had played with the lead for all of 37 seconds in the series.
With just over two minutes left in the period, the Blues’ Sammy Blais engaged Antoine Roussel and took a quick right hand to the face for his troubles. Both players received double minors for roughing, which was a break for Roussel.
Blais missed the second period, but returned for the third wearing a face shield.