GDT Game 4: 5/21/16 | 6:15PM CST | @ Sharks | NBC/Y98

[Robb_K]

Pietrangelo seals it with the empty-netter!! 6-2 Blues!!

[Portland Blues]

Sharks goon it up!

[Portland Blues]

Ok, we're down to a best of 3. Here's to hoping the Game 4 Blues show up on Monday!

[Robb_K]

Another great clutch win for The Blues, especially given that Backes played only 5 minutes, and Fabbri played 9. The Blues' forwards tired out in The 3rd, after dominating. I hope those 2 are okay, and will be healthy for Game 5.

[dmiles2186]

Account of the Blues demise were greatly exaggerated.

[JCShutout]

I am happily wrong about the Blues ability to score. New series. Best of 3. Most WCF wins since 86!

[dmiles2186]

https://twitter.com/shoetermcgavin/status/734208775142408192 https://twitter.com/JimmyHoffa40/status/734184867617902594

[gaijin]

So... what made the difference in this one? Desperation?

[cardsfan04]

I've said it before, but it's crazy how much things change on any given game in the playoffs. After game 3, we were done. After game 4, we're the favorites again. Now, win game 5. Otherwise, last night was all for naught.

[Toasted Oates]

After some of the Sharks' antics out there the snap judgment is probably to get Reaves in for revenge. That would play right into their hands, though. The Blues have exploited a matchup issue for the Sharks and I'd rather keep it that way. Upshall for 56, but that's it.

I hope Edmundson's own goal does not send him to the press box. The pairings are ideal when he plays, i.e. 22 stays on the right. By ideal, I mean they win when those pairings skate out there.

Be ok, 42 & 15. The hit on 15 was disgusting.

Does Hitchcock make the savvy move and go back to Elliott? Or the predictable move and stick with Allen? We'll see Jake Monday night.

[glen a richter]

The difference between this and games 2 and 3? The Blues treated it like a must win, and played accordingly. Had they treated 2 and 3 like must wins, maybe they'd have won those too. Again, it's the playoffs. If you don't treat every game like it was game 7 of the SCF, you won't win.

In any event, at least they're rested, since they've only actually played about one and a half games this series. Maintain home ice with a game 5 win and put the pressure on San Jose. Also, keep everything the same for 5--lines, d pairings and goalie... as best you can.

[fargoblues]

Sadly toasted oats is right. As much as I'd like to see reaves in there for a little justice it's going to have to be the others that take care of bidness albeit hopefully better than Gunnarsson did although I do applaud the effort.

[dmiles2186]

All around a really great effort for the Blues last night. The penalty kill was great, they finally woke up as a team, and they were clicking on their passes. They showed what they could do and that they belong in this Conference Final. Even better, they took back home ice advantage. The only problem with that is that they've been kind of pedestrian on home ice in the playoffs, so they're going to need to feed off the energy of the crowd in Game 5 and hopefully grab another win.

Hitch's move to start Allen paid off and in a big way. My thinking is he goes back to Ells in Game 5. Ells has had a game and a half's worth of rest and he's gotta be good and feisty after being benched for something that wasn't his fault. A motivated Ells is typically a good Ells. Plus, it's the 'go with what got you here' and he's the reason we're here.

The concerning trend is the Blues have lost several straight Game 5's on home ice. Time to change that around and steal back the series advantage.

EDIT: Minuets after I posted this, Hitch said he's starting Allen in Game 5.

[theohall]

So Allen's puck moving ability contributed nothing other than leading directly to the Sharks 2nd goal.

Blues won anyway.

[Toasted Oates]

This may have been mentioned elsewhere, but it just dawned on me: in the Kiel/Savvis/Scottrade Center's 23+ year history, no Blues playoff game has ever taken place there this late.

For reference, Game 4 in '01 was the final game of that series in STL--May 18th. With tomorrow being the 23rd, this Blues team has entered uncharted waters. Pretty incredible.