Let's Go Blues

Game 5: BLACKHAWKS at BLUES

Western Conference First Round

St. Louis leads best-of-7 series 3-1

TV: 9:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN, TVA Sports, SN, CSN-CH, FS-MW

The St. Louis Blues are in a good position to try to eliminate the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks heading into Game 5 at Scottrade Center on Thursday.

After splitting Games 1 and 2, the Blues won Games 3 and 4 at United Center, and can win a series in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since defeating the San Jose Sharks in five games in the first round in 2012.

"I think we've smartened up to falling into those traps in previous years of thinking we've accomplished something before we've accomplished anything," Blues captain David Backes said Wednesday. "In order to win a series, you've got to win four games, and we've only won three, so we've got a tall task still ahead of us. We're focused … and another meeting where we're trying to get better effort out there so that we can have more success. We feel like we're resting and recovering again today, and we're going to have full batteries for a great game tomorrow in front of our great fans."

St. Louis is 4-3 when leading a series 3-1 with a chance to close out an opponent, including two wins against the Blackhawks in 1988 in the division semifinals and 2002 in the conference quarterfinals.

"We've got an opportunity to win another game. I don't know if 'must win' is ever on the table unless it's an elimination game for our team," Backes said. "That being said, we're not looking to ease into winning a series or think that anything is going to get easier; it's only going to get harder.

"And we're prepared for that. They're going to come in, they're fighting for their lives now, we're fighting to end a series. The same intensity is probably going to get up a notch in the same sort of physical, tight-checking, one-goal game. It's been a blast to be a part of this so far, and guys are loving the battle."

Chicago is 43-15 in Games 4-7 since 2009 under coach Joel Quenneville.

"I don't know if there's extra pressure," Quenneville said. "I think when you're down 3-1, I think it shifts and everybody wants to win in the worst way. That's why we've got to come with that attitude and appetite tomorrow night. But I don't think it's any different than it's been in other years."

Blackhawks team scope: Chicago will have to play without Andrew Shaw after the right wing was suspended by the NHL for one game and fined $5,000 for making inappropriate comments near the end of Game 4 on Tuesday. Shaw, who has two goals and two assists in the series, apologized for his actions before the Blackhawks departed for St. Louis on Wednesday afternoon. Chicago will be playing an elimination game for the first time since the 2015 Western Conference Final against the Anaheim Ducks before winning Games 6 and 7. "Well, we've just got to look back to what's made us a successful team over the last number of years," captain Jonathan Toews said. "There's some details that are present, and there are some that haven't been in these games that we have lost. Part of that is things that happen after the whistle; stuff that we've always done a good job of just staying away from and keeping it between the whistle, and just focusing our energy and our emotion in to the play that we bring on the ice. That's what we're going to need tomorrow night." The last time the Blackhawks were down 3-1 in a series was against the Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference Second Round; they won the series in seven games.

Blues team scope: Defenseman Carl Gunnarsson is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. He did not play in the Game 4 victory, replaced by Robert Bortuzzo, who will stay in the lineup if Gunnarsson is unable to play. All four games have been decided my one goal. "Not much difference in this series, other than we've got a 3-1 lead," coach Ken Hitchcock said. "The scoring chances are the same, the quality chances are the same, the red zone chances are the same. Both teams' power play has a bead on the other team's penalty killing. Both goaltenders have been excellent. We've been able to score timely goals, which has really helped us. The biggest thing for us is we've had a collective response after some adversity in the last two or three games that has really given us a level of confidence that we're never out of it."

evil roy wrote:The Blues are still the Blues and the 'Hawks are still the reigning SC champs.

cardsfan04 wrote:Tonight feels like a night when Army's infamous "step on their throats"

Portland Blues wrote:Start the damn game already! This waiting is brutal.

glen a richter wrote:

Portland Blues wrote:Start the damn game already! This waiting is brutal.

++ I was about to post the same. These 9:30 (9:42, whatever) start times drive me nuts. I guess it could be worse, could be a west coast game, but really it's times like this I'd rather live in Cali than New York.

Portland Blues wrote:

glen a richter wrote:

Portland Blues wrote:Start the damn game already! This waiting is brutal.

++ I was about to post the same. These 9:30 (9:42, whatever) start times drive me nuts. I guess it could be worse, could be a west coast game, but really it's times like this I'd rather live in Cali than New York.

Yeah, it's nice that's it's only about 9:00 my time when they end.