One of the few times I will excuse John Kelly’s “THANK YOU!” is for a truly insane, season altering goal. Carlo Colaiacovo’s game tying goal is one of those times.
I am going to try to keep it brief on a work night.
- Physical Presence
The Blues matched the level of physical play San Jose brought. They really remind me of the Caps. A big team with skill. The Blues were strong in their own crease, protecting Conklin and generally strong getting to Nabakov. They didn’t always succeed, but the effort was there. The effort to work the boards was ok, but the second man support was not present many times tonight.
I commend David Backes for taking the body to Dany Heatley in the third period, but why drop teh gloves? heatley is not going to man up and go tow to toe with Backes. For one he knows he would get destroyed. Second, it was the wrong time to even try from a Sharks point of view. The momentum could have easily shifted back to the Blues.
- Offensive Pressure
I thought the Blues had good offensive possession, but in general generated no second chances. Partly due to Nabakov’s play, partly due to the defensive positioning of the Sharks, and partly due to the Blues inability to take a quick shot. The Blues were prone to the old “just inside the blue line” turnovers, but for the most part it wasn’t as bad as previously this season.
The Backes and McDonald lines continue to do very well. For all their hard work, all they had to show was a Minus-1 rating with no points. However, the chances were there and pressure was greatest while those 6 were on the ice.
The rust continues to fall off Erik Johnson. He floats around the offensive zone more and more each game. He is really looking like a bigger version of Mike Green. He doesn’t move as well laterally as Green does, but the offensive zone pressure and creativity is there, especially at even strength. I was really impressed with his pinches deep in to the zone. He really wasn’t burnt tonight getting deep. The team is backing him up more and he is picking better times to do it. He had 4 shots, but he crated at least twice as many chances.
I was really disheartened by the volume of one and done chances on Nabakov. He was finding the lanes the Blues were shooting in, but in general the shots were easy to control based on his position. Give credit to the Sharks limiting of the Blues lateral movement. They need that to get Nabakov moving and the Sharks really didn’t allow it. The Blues also can’t get a “quick shot” off. It takes too long to get from pass reception to shot far too often.
Part of that one and done I think was a level of predictability with the Blues even strength offense. Once in the zone the Blues carry down to the red line, cut back up the wall and dis to the point or force to middle. Yes, I was very happy to see fewer in tight chances with little room. At the same time, they need some to keep the defense honest and not break up the lateral play to the middle out high. Which is how Heatley scored the first goal of the game. The Blues didn’t have an ability to break up that lateral pass. The Sharks did.
- The Tenacious Trio
The Blues did a good job of limiting their chances. You cannot prevent them all, so limit what you can and hope for the best. They did that with the McClement line and the Jackman/Polak pairing. Heatley did get the first of the game with an assist for Thornton, but for the rest of the game they were off the score sheet. I was not impressed with Patrick Marleau. The Blues were physical on them and made them pay the price every time to get to the net.
- Bad Penalties
I am calling out Mike Weaver, Brad Boyes, and Keith Tkachuk on this one. Weaver, Tkachuk, and the Blues bench combined to 6 penalty minutes between the 15 minute mark of the first and 11 minute mark of the second. Three straight penalties that really gave San Jose control of the flow of the game till about 5 minutes left in the second. Yes, San Jose’s home power play is bad, but you cannot give talent that many chances to take over a game. More times than not, they will. Under normal circumstances, 5 penalties to San Jose would mean at least on power play goal. The Blues played with fire and go lucky going 5 for 5 on the kill.
- Players
Jackman – Perhaps his best game of the season. He was working hard, getting a little dirty in front of the net and helped to shut down the top line in the NHL. IN a post game interview, Colaiacovo called Jackman the “heart and soul of this team”. Pretty hefty words passed along over Twitter by Blues Radio Play-by-play guy Chris Kerber.
Johnon – As mentioned before he was all over. Took a shot off his foot in OT and was really hobbling, didn’t miss a shift.
Colaiacovo – Mediocre game, but came through when needed. Though he looked sluggish at times, but made a couple good rushes. Cant complain with him notching the game tying goal with less than a minute left.
Oshie – Working hard and rewarded with the game winning shootout goal. The chemistry with Backes is certainly still there. Nice hesitation to draw out the poke check on Nabakov and slide it it under him for the Shootout winner.
Backes – Was all over the ice and had a very nice power move to the net (with speed) coming off his off hand wall.
Berglund – Was the same Berglund as before. Not working hard enough. It’s time for a drive up to Peoria.
Tkachuk – Starting to really show his age. You want him in, but a few nights of a lessened load might help. I know he time has been cut back from where it was in October, but maybe he needs a few lighter games and put the brunt of the load on the top 2 lines.
Boyes – As good as he had been playing, we was borderline invisible again to night. Losing battles for pucks and offensive zone turnovers. Amazing that his lazy hooking penalty nearly cost us the game, but “won” the game at the same time.
McDonald – Still creating chances, but nothing has been going in for his line. When Pang commented that he wondered if McDonald would go stick side where he has had success lately..I thought “I hope he goes fore hand > back hand and throws off Nabakov”. Sure enough he did and it worked.
Conklin – He deserves his own category for tonight, he was just that good. It is really refreshing to have a capable, experienced back up who can step in and steal a game on the road. He wasn’t given much chance on the Heatley goal and the Pavelski goal was a deflection because no one picked him up coming to the net. What Conklin saw, he stopped. That’s all you can ask on the road. He carried the Blues tonight stopping 32 of 34 shots and 2 of 3 in the shootout.
- Overtime and the Extra Point
Someone mentioned on a Blues forum how much they dislike the “loser point”. I have to say that I love it and am totally for keeping it. That “loser point” kept the Blues in the playoff hunt last year (as it did for several other teams). It also kept fans coming to many more games than they would have normally.
Tonight that “loser point” gave the Blues a reason to really push for the tie. They could have packed it in after the second and gotten ready for LA. They didn’t and they were rewarded with a crazy goal from Colaiacovo and an exciting OT. Tonight’s game is a prime example as to why you keep the “loser point”.
- The Boston Effect
Could this game have a similar effect to this team as the huge comeback win in Boston last season did? It was a come back win against a high powered, tops in conference team in the shootout. I think so. This team is healthy (save Brewer) and starting to gel, taking 11 of their last 16 possible points over their last 8 games. That confidence will be needed facing an improving LA Kings team that has had the Blues number since the lock out.
Next up for the Blues is the LA Kings on Saturday afternoon, its a 3pm Central start on FSMW (HD).
Player of the Game
Ty Conklin
Ty Conklin lead the Blues to a 3-2 SO Victory with several key saves, stopping 32 of 34 total shots by the San Jose Sharks.
It started with Jackman, a defenceman that wont find the scoresheet very often, but seems to have a steadying influence on the entire defence. His work on the PK can’t be understated. His return to the lineup should not be rushed however, as the dreaded high ankle sprain can reappear rather quickly, ala TJ Oshie last year.