Game 2 of the Blues' 1st round playoff series against the Sharks turned out to be their coming out party.
It's been 2 weeks since we've seen them play the complete game on offense, defense and goaltending that has gotten them so far this season. A 3-0 dominant performance at home against Nashville on March 27th to be exact.
But tonight, the Blues finally found their game, and dominated the Sharks in every facet of the game. It was a team win, especially with Brian Elliott completing a shutout started by Jaroslav Halak, who had to leave early in the second period.
But the Blues didn't just find their game, they went much more beyond that. They dug down deep and found some grit and tenacity, and went toe-to-toe fighting with the Sharks all game long, especially as time expired at the end of the game.
The Blues sent a firm message to San Jose that they won't back down, and they're ready to physical punish the Sharks all series long. Roman Polak, B.J. Crombeen, Alex Steen and even Kris Russell got into the fighting mix, and it kudos to Ken Hitchcock for dressing Crombeen.
I would actually like to see more toughness, bench D'Agostini and put Ryan Reaves back in the lineup. He was one of the best forwards in game 1, throwing his body around.
My article after game 1 called the Blues out for being inexperienced in the playoffs and San Jose clearly took advantage of that. But tonight, the Blues' veterans led the way, and their young guys followed. It's critical for the Blues to build off this momentum, especially after physically pounding the Sharks and getting under their skin at the end of the game.
Clearly the Blues disrupted the Sharks and got to them mentally and physically. They just need to come out strong the physical in game 3 and set the tone early. The Sharks will be looking to send a swift message to start that game.
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