ST. LOUIS — It was a scene St. Louis Blues fans
hadn't experienced in quite some time.
Cheering sarcastically because the first period was almost over. Booing even
louder when the visiting Los Angeles Kings scored yet another goal just before
the end of the period.
But when it was all said and done and the painful remaining seconds had finally
run off the clock, the Blues found themselves in a position nobody had expected
48 hours earlier.
The Central Division champions, winners of a franchise-record 30 games at home,
skated off the ice at a silent and mostly empty Scottrade Center wondering if
they'd be back to play another game in front of their home fans.
The final damage was a 5-2 Los Angeles win, putting the Blues in an 0-2 hole in
the Western Conference semifinals as the series moves west for Games 3 and 4
later this week.
"This was a huge game for us," said rookie defenseman Ian Cole, who
saw his first action of the playoffs due to an injury to Alex Pietrangelo.
"We needed to win this, and with the effort we put forward, it was
definitely embarrassing.
"When it's the most important game of the season and we come out and they
score on the first shift and then they score again and again, we need to be
mature enough to bounce back and it's embarrassing that we didn't."
The Blues fell behind just 31 seconds into the game. And it didn't get any
better. It got worse. Way worse. The Kings added three more goals in the first
period, including two in the final 90 seconds, to take a commanding 4-0 lead
into the intermission.
When the Blues stormed out of the gates and scored just 18 seconds into the
second period, fans thought maybe, just maybe, the home team was about to have
a magical night.
But those thoughts and any momentum the Blues had gained were quickly erased
when the Kings added a fifth goal 68 seconds later to make it 5-1. The Blues
added a goal in the third period but the damage was too much to overcome.
It was a night nobody expected to see, a feeling nobody figured to have: the
second-seeded Blues on the ropes, heading to Los Angeles without a win in the
series and unknowing whether or not the series would even be back in St. Louis.
"Very surprising," said veteran Barret Jackman, the longest-tenured
Blue. "That's not the way that our team is built, that's not the way we've
competed all year. We'll rectify things and we'll be a lot better on Thursday.
"It's a best of seven and we still have an opportunity to win. You have
to win four games. We'll go in there and give them everything we have and prove
ourselves, that we're capable of playing in the series."
The last time the Blues allowed four goals in a period in the playoffs was May
5, 1996, when they allowed five goals in the first period to the Detroit Red
Wings.
The Blues allowed five goals just twice previously since coach Ken Hitchcock
took over on Nov. 6. Goalie Brian Elliott, who led the NHL in save percentage
and goals against average in the regular season, didn't allow five goals in a
game all season.
Ironically, one of the Blues worst losses of the season came in Los Angeles on
Oct. 18, when they suffered a 5-0 loss to the Kings under old coach Davis
Payne. The Blues hadn't allowed four goals in a period all year before
Monday.
Summing it up: Monday's first period was the worst they've had in some time.
And if they want their season to continue past Games 3 and 4 in Los Angeles,
things have to change. And quickly.
"We've got some looking in the mirror to do," Backes said.
"We're better. X's and O's and film, we've done that to death. It's about
intestinal fortitude and coming together as a group and going to the hard areas
and showing that you have some cojones. They showed it the first two games for
the fill 60 minutes and that's why we have an 0-2 hole to dig ourselves out of.
“We just need better play from better guys and more willingness to sacrifice
for the good of the team."
And history is not on their side. The Blues are 1-16 all-time in series which
they fall behind 0-2, including an 0-2 mark when losing the first two games of
the series at home.
But the Blues plan on trying to change that. They outshot the Kings 24-5 after
the first period and outscored them 2-1. While it didn't add up to a win, the
Blues hope to carry their momentum into Game 3, where they know a much better
effort will be needed from the opening faceoff.
Their season's not done yet. But it's nearing life support. And they hope to
have that urgency come Thursday night in Game 3.
"We owe more to our fans," said forward T.J. Oshie. "We
shouldn't have to get down four goals to get guys to get going. There's a
competitive level that you need for the playoffs and tonight we didn't have it.
"It was embarrassing, the work ethic we had as a team. We had a good
second half and built some momentum there in the third period but that's not
the start we need. We just have to carry that momentum over. It's a tough loss
but we'll regroup. It's a must win next game."
