ST. PAUL, Minn. • Blues coach Ken Hitchcock offered a succinct pregame take on this first-round playoff series with Minnesota Wild.
“We were great in Game 2,” he said. “They were even better in Game 3. It’s our turn now to elevate our game.”
And elevate they did.
The Blues stunned the Wild with a three-goal outburst in the first period, with Ryan Reaves, Vladimir Tarasenko and Backes scoring in rapid-fire fashion.
“That’s our game,” Backes said. “When we play the right way, it’s wave after wave.”
They skated on to a 6-1 victory that evened the best-of-seven series at two games apiece.