GDT: 4/12/12 > Game 1 > Blues vs Sharks > 6:30 PM

[Frusciante]

I am not comfortable with Halak in this game. He's done some shaky things including the bouncer and when he spun around for no reason, both situations i OT. I just feel like as anything could slip through him, which is frustrating since we are totally dominating.

[Portland Blues]

I am not comfortable with Halak in this game. He's done some shaky things including the bouncer and when he spun around for no reason, both situations i OT. I just feel like as anything could slip through him, which is frustrating since we are totally dominating.

[Frusciante]

I am not comfortable with Halak in this game. He's done some shaky things including the bouncer and when he spun around for no reason, both situations i OT. I just feel like as anything could slip through him, which is frustrating since we are totally dominating.

And there it is...

[Nyghtewynd]

Fluky game with two fluky goals against. Polak was crap, and I'd sit him for game 2.

Otherwise, we're the better team in every way. We're fine.

[sparty09]

Yeah, I don't think anyone is surprised that it ended that way. It MUST be Elliott in the next game.

[dmiles2186]

Fluky game with two fluky goals against. Polak was crap, and I'd sit him for game 2.

Otherwise, we're the better team in every way. We're fine.

I agree with most of this. When you lay it all out there, it was the Blues who outplayed the Sharks and failed to cash in on chances. The Sharks got lucky.

Blues need to come out strong to start game 2.

[ohio BLUES]

Do the Blues have what it takes to win in the playoffs? Signs point to no.

Although I guess that could change Saturday if they somehow conjure up an iota of offensive creativity.

As devastating as tonight was, a loss Saturday would demolish the bandwagon, but completely fit the way the Blues have played in the last 2-2.5 weeks.

(Frank) me.

[ohio BLUES]

Otherwise, we're the better team in every way. We're fine.

Better, at what exactly? Cycling the puck around the SJ net? That's all fine and dandy, but it doesn't help much when the puck ends up in your own net.

[drwoland]

We had a shitload of opportunities in the first and failed to capitalize, allowing the other team to build up confidence and momentum. It was a very typical Blues loss.

Hopefully they do better saturday.

[cprice12]

Just got back from the game.
I thought the Blues played quite well. Aside from a few flubs/turnovers in their own end, they had more pressure in the offensive zone, they really limited San Jose. Early on it seemed like the loose pucks were eluding their sticks, but as the game went on, the blues seemed to get stronger and stronger.
The Blues flat out controlled the game for large chunks, which was great to see...and they completely shut down Thornton.
With that said, when the Blues have lost this season, this has kind of been the way they have lost. They play well but can't finish on enough great chances.
We should have won it in the first overtime. Way too many decent chances and pressure in the offensive zone to not put one in.

Halak was very good at time and looked shaky at times. When he turned around to face the goal and the puck slid out into the slot and sat there for a second or two before we were able to clear it...that nearly gave me a heart attack. The game winner was soft...which was frustrating. We should have cleared the zone on that play, and then Shatty was picked (interfered with) but that won't be called in OT...and then Havlat scored on a rather weak shot.

This is one of those games where you say, ""If they play like this the entire series, we'll win the series." They just came up on the short end of the coin flip tonight.

This was not the same team that finished the season in a mini-slump. They were much better tonight and this was the best game they have played in a while...so that was good to see.

As much as I'd like to see him in net, I don't think Hitch goes with Elliott in game #2. I think Halak is back in net...he was more than good enough to win tonight. However, if Halak allows a few and we lose again, I think Elliott is in net for game #3 if only to change things up a bit...he has been better on the road this year anyway.

Sucks to lose the first at home...just need to win the next one and I think we'll be ok.

You don't want to go down 2-0 heading back to San Jose.

[Mahoney]

Fluky game with two fluky goals against. Polak was crap, and I'd sit him for game 2.

Otherwise, we're the better team in every way. We're fine.

I agree with most of this. When you lay it all out there, it was the Blues who outplayed the Sharks and failed to cash in on chances. The Sharks got lucky.

Blues need to come out strong to start game 2.

Two great statements, I couldn't agree more.

[sseagle]

well as much as I complain about stick ball,and this towns obsession with said 'game' today I saw an OG homeboy rolling down St Charles rock road on his huffy with a black variant of the clown jersey and was stopped at the qt by another crazy loud mofo telling me about how those boys played their mother fuckin asses off man!

This town smells the blues. Yesterday I was sitting on the side of the highway on ramp exchanging information with the other party and someone almost clips the cop in the street while screaming "let's go blues"

We gotta do this shit, for us, for our town, for the unwashed masses looking to avoid wasting time money and their lives watching boring ass baseball.

[cprice12]

The missed delay of game call in OT was huge.
Crowd was REALLY pissed...and rightfully so.
The replay clearly showed it wasn't tipped by a Blues stick...not even close.
Shameful that the 4 officials got together and apparently all 4 missed it.

[tjk002]

Too tired to post last night after getting home, but here's my observations.

Polak looked awful, not just on the goal that he was fleeced on, but on several other plays as well, contrary to what Kerber said, I though he lacked confidence out there. However saying that, I'm not sure how you sit him though, as I honestly believed Huskins might of played worse without making the glaring error like Polak did. I also thought Stewart was non existent again, although Kerber though otherwise.

Postives, I thought our 4th line was very good, Reaves and Nichol were everywhere, the Backes line will begin to score, as I thought they outplayed their counterparts. MacDonald's speed is a game changer, Steen can only hit so many posts before they start to go in, and yes, I'll even admit Berglund played very well!

[cprice12]

It was nice to see Berglund step it up with two nice goals. I think we have a playoff player on our hands.

Stewart was ok. He had the puck a lot, but didn't generate any great chances that I recall...but the effort seemed to be there on most shifts. He still needs to do more...a lot more.

Oshie and Steen were all over the place.

Perron, aside from the bad retaliation penalty, played well and seemed to always have the puck.

Like I said before...overall, the team played very well. Caught a couple bad breaks on the two no-call interference plays that led to two Shark goals...the no call on the delay of game (which is inexcusable)...Steen's crossbar & post combo shot...peppering Niemi in the first OT but not being able to slip one by...

If they score in the first OT, like they almost did a handful of times, I think everyone is saying how well they played.

They weren't going to win in 4...so, just gotta win the next one.

On 590 this morning they were saying the Blues as a franchise are 3-21 when losing the first game of a playoff series. But I fail to see how that record applies to this team. This is one of the best teams we have ever had...so the odds of coming back should be much better than the 3-21 record would trend.
We also won the first game vs. the Sharks in 2000, and ended up losing in 7. So whatever.

Good teams can lose a playoff game or three in a series and still win it. We'll see what this team is made of come Saturday.

[STLADOGG]

Oshie and Steen were all over the place.

It seemed like every time Steen shot the puck that it was going in, he was just a tiny bit off yesterday.

[cardsfan04]

I thought we were good, but not really good last night. Good enough to win. Better than the Sharks. But, not by enough that it's shocking we lost.

I don't want to take anything away from Beglund because he scored two goals. And, even without them, he wasn't bad. But, he wasn't great without them either IMO.

I thought Backes struggled to start the game, but picked it up a lot.

A loss can't be considered good obviously. But, I think there is a potentially huge silver lining to this. If this wakes the team up a little bit to play really really good instead of just a little better than the other team, it could be a good thing. We have the potential to dominate this series. And, while we were better last night, we didn't dominate. Maybe this will get them shifted into a higher gear.

[STLADOGG]

Hopefully this makes us the underdogs.

[thedoc]

1) Halak was solid. A couple of long rebounds but that is how he is and we knew that going in.

2) I think the loss can be attributed to coaching a small bit. I did not like the line ups. Polak played well despite previous posts but why is our only "defensive" defenseman on the third pairing?

3) Jackman looked awful (please Northwest Dave don't argue he sucked).

4) Perron needs to quit taking bad angle shots especially when we have sustained pressure.

5) I love Sabotka and how he tries to hit, he is just two small to do any damage. I think Porter needs to play next game and with how well Reeves played I can't justify saying sit him.

6) I don't know what game cardsfan watched last night but #21 was the best player on the ice for us all night.

7) I still think this is a 5 game series. Saturday will determine if it is us or the Sharks.

[drwoland]

++ on Jackman finding his "usual form" last night and looking completely overwhelmed. It's like he got called up from the minors just in time to have his first game ever in the NHL be a playoff one. Real timid and scared-looking.