Photo by: (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
For the first time this playoffs, the Blues offense erupted for six goals in a single game leading to a 6-1 victory over the Dallas Stars in game three.
The win gives the Blues a 2-1 series lead.
Alexander Steen, David Backes and Vladamir Tarasenko dominated and combined for five goals and two assists in the win.
Not to be overlooked in all the scoring, Brian Elliott stood tall stopping 26 of 27 shots faced.
Despite the convincing performance by St. Louis, it was Dallas that jumped out to an early lead.
In the attacking end, Jason Spezza backhanded a pass to Colton Sceviour who fired from the high slot on Elliott. Elliott made the first pad save, by Sceviour corralled the rebound and netted his second of the postseason past a diving Elliott. The goal gave the Stars the 1-0 lead just 4:44 into the contest.
The Blues answered right back just a minute later as Troy Brouwer helped force a turnover in his attacking zone. Steen intercepted a break out pass and fed Brouwer who quickly found Paul Stastny pivoting by the left hash mark. Stasnty one-touched the pass back to Steen who fired over the blocker of Antti Niemi tying the game at one.
Late in the first period, the Blues jumped out to their first lead of the game and didn’t look back.
On the power play, Tarasenko fed Kevin Shattenkirk at the point. Shattenkirk walked the line and took a slap shot high to the blocker side of Niemi. Backes deflected the shot into the back of the net giving St. Louis a 2-1 lead with 3:50 left in the first period.
In the second period, it was all Blues.
Jay Bouwmeester chipped the puck out of danger and out of the defensive end as Brouwer picked it up with speed. Brouwer went wide and deked past Kris Russel before roofing a shot to make it 3-1 just 2:34 into the period.
Dallas made a change in net as Kari Lehtonen entered the game, but not much changed.
Just over a minute later, Robby Fabbri kept the puck in the offensive zone by batting it out of the air leading to a three on two. Fabbri dished to Patrik Berglund quickly passed to Tarasenko. Tarasenko tried to pass back, but the puck deflected of Alex Goligoski’s stick into the net to make it 4-1.
Late in the period, Steen added another goal on the power play that just trickled past Lehtonen to make it 4-1. Then, Backes added his second in the third to help seal the win.
Game four from the Scottrade Center is set for Thursday, May 5 at 7 p.m.
