If there was one thing the St. Louis Blues have seen enough of during these playoffs, it's speed.
NHL playoff scores 2016: Blues and Sharks start the Western Conference finals with an ugly Game 1
Well, not ugly. But mucky. And grindy.
Jamie Squire/Getty Images
The Chicago Blackhawks blend quickness with an admirable commitment to defense. The Dallas Stars blaze through neutral ice like it doesn't even exist and pile up scoring chances. It took seven games for the Blues to send each of them packing.
And after one game it's apparent they're up against a totally different beast in San Jose.
The Sharks have speed and skill, but they're the first Blues playoff opponent this year capable of matching their heavy play along the boards. If you want to grind, they'll grind with you. And as expected, it resulted in a low-scoring Game 1 on Sunday.
The goals were ugly. David Backes scored by screening Sharks goalie Martin Jones. San Jose's only goal came off two deflections. The game-winner required a bad turnover and a knuckleball of a shot. St. Louis won, but it was far from their best performance and the Sharks looked like the better team as the game wore on.
It's a different beast, these Sharks. For the first time, the Blues are up against someone eager to jump in and frolic in the muck with them. In that sense, Game 1 set the entire Western Conference finals apart from their Eastern counterpart.
Scores
Blues 2, Sharks 1 (STL leads series, 1-0)
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3 things we learned
1. Joe Thornton needs a place to stay
please come home, dad pic.twitter.com/pb6CO8oi67
— pat iversen (@Pat_Iversen) May 16, 2016
2. Brent Burns was not the problem
It was the Sharks’ defenseman’s turnover in the neutral zone that directly led to Jori Lehtera’s game-winning goal in the second period. But Burns was the best player on the ice for most of the game. The Sharks had four times as many shot attempts for as they had against while Burns was on the ice, and his shot from the point ended up in the back of the net in the first period for San Jose’s only goal.
3. Brian Elliott isn't falling off anytime soon
Maybe you figured that'd be the case at some point. After all, Elliott never really "won" the starting job in the St. Louis net until late in the season when Jake Allen got injured. Surely his superb play in the playoffs is unsustainable, right? He just keeps quashing that idea every night. He stopped 30 shots and shut down numerous grade-A scoring chances by the Sharks late in the game to preserve another win for the Blues on Sunday. He might be a Conn Smythe frontrunner.
Impact Moments
The “hockey is tougher than any other sport” narrative died with a swift jaw punch and a hearty follicle tug on Sunday.
Tweets from Tony
Remember Tony, AKA @soloucity on Twitter, who fell in love with hockey during the Blues/Blackhawks Game 7? We're dedicating a section in our recaps to the gems of his Twitter account during the playoffs.
Tony is unfazed by the multitude of California hockey teams.
Nah cuz Jamaica has a bobsled team. https://t.co/1stYmRSeKW
— Tony X. (@soIoucity) May 16, 2016
Stat of the Night
David Backes (@StLouisBlues) has 7-6—13 this postseason (15 GP), tying his total from his first 29 career playoff games (5-8—13). #STLvsSJS
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) May 16, 2016
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