Game 5: SHARKS at BLUES
Western Conference Final
Best-of-7 series is tied 2-2
TV: 8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports
The news on St. Louis Blues forwards David Backes and Robby Fabbri is that there is no news.
Blues coach Ken Hitchcock had nothing to add to the status of both players, who left the Blues' 6-3 victory against the San Jose Sharks in Game 4 on Saturday with undisclosed injuries.
Backes played 5:34, but left with 5:14 remaining in the first period and never returned after what looked like hitting a rut in the ice on a quick pivot trying to check San Jose's Joe Pavelski in the Sharks zone.
Fabbri played 9:21, including 52 seconds in the third period. He was hit hard near the Blues bench by Sharks forward Tommy Wingels in the first period, but Fabbri continued to play and had an assist in the game. He leads the Blues with 14 Stanley Cup Playoff points.
"I'll let you guys know on all our health tomorrow," Hitchcock said Sunday in a gathering with the media.
That includes forward Scottie Upshall, who has missed the past two games with an undisclosed upper-body injury.
In the meantime, the Blues got back to their identity in Game 4, regained home-ice advantage and feel they must take advantage of it when the series shifts back to Scottrade Center on Monday. It's a much better feeling with the series tied 2-2 instead of a 3-1 hole.
"Yeah, it would have been a tough flight home obviously," Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo said. "To be able to go steal one there in their building, it's obviously a good thing. I think the way we played is even more important, the fact that we tied the series up, we've got some momentum going into tomorrow night and we'll use home-ice to our advantage."
The Sharks expect to build off a three-goal third period that made the score in Game 4 somewhat respectable.
"There's not an excuse for not having an edge this time of year," Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said. "The finish line is too close. That's not the reason we lost [Game 4]. I think even if we didn't have the same edge as St. Louis, if we had executed and played more to our identity, we still would have had a chance to win, but we didn't do that."
Sharks team scope: The Sharks are 4-9 all-time in Game 5 when tied in a best-of-7 series 2-2, but have won two of the past three. "Yeah. At this time of the year, games, you don't get that many of them," captain Joe Pavelski said. "It doesn't matter if you win or lose, you have to be prepared for that next game. You try to learn from that last game and the next game is another opportunity. We got to come out with a little bit more energy and be a little bit better prepared." Forward Matt Nieto (undisclosed injury) remains out; he has not played since Game 6 of the second round against the Nashville Predators.
Blues team scope: This is the fourth straight year the Blues will host a Game 5 of a playoff series tied 2-2. St. Louis lost Game 5 in the first round to the Los Angeles Kings in 2013, Chicago Blackhawks in 2014 and Minnesota Wild in 2015; the Blues did win at the Dallas Stars 4-1 in Game 5 of the second round this season with the series tied 2-2. "We were in this situation, what, against Dallas," center Paul Stastny said. "It was 2-2 and then became a best-of-3. It would be nice if you'd start the series as a best-of-3 knowing it would be 2-2. We did some good things right. It's just rest up today, especially after the travel day, and we want to do everything we can to take care of that home ice. I think that's what we worked for all year and we just have to put in a good effort tomorrow knowing it's a big game plus afterwards it's long travel for a quick turnaround." The Blues are 4-5 at home in this year's playoffs.
Your pregame musicST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues are sticking with goalie Jake Allen in Game 5 of the Western Conference final against the San Jose Sharks.
It's not a huge surprise considering how well the Blues played after the goalie switch. They're coming off perhaps their best game of the postseason, a convincing 6-3 victory that knotted the series at two games heading into Monday night's game.
Coach Ken Hitchcock switched to Allen to give the team a "jolt" because it was becoming overly reliant on Brian Elliott. He didn't care if it was viewed as a goalie controversy.
"We needed to play harder for a goalie," Hitchcock said. "It didn't matter if it was Ells or Jake or whatever."
Hitchcock kept quiet about other potential roster issues, saying he'd have updates on captain David Backes and rookie Robby Fabbri on game day.
Both have been major reasons the Blues are in their first conference final since 2001, Fabbri with 14 points and Backes with seven goals and 13 points.
Sharks coach Peter DeBoer expects a bounce-back effort in Game 5 without making lineup changes.
"You know what, we've played some really good hockey in the last two or three weeks," DeBoer said. "I think we can fix it without having to take those type of measures."
But DeBoer added he'd "sleep on it."
Allen and Elliott basically split duties during the regular season, each playing long stretches because the other was injured. Allen was ready when the call came and made 31 saves in Game 4.
"I've been sort of letting him do his thing the first three series," Allen said. "Hitch told me to go get `em. It's my chance now."
Allen started all six games in the Blues' first-round loss to Minnesota last spring. He learned from that experience not to think he had to be extra special.
"I think I came in last year a little bit antsy," Allen said. "I think this year we just realize it's honestly another hockey game. Be yourself, play your game, what we've done all year will bring success."
The Blues ended a scoreless drought of 156:59 with two first-period goals and poured it on in Game 4, easing any pressure Allen might have been feeling. The scoring matched their high for the playoffs in a 6-1 Game 7 victory at Dallas.
"We knew we had so much more in us to give," Allen said. "If it was the other way around, and we were playing phenomenal and we still weren't finding ways to win, then maybe that's another story."
Backes didn't play the final two periods on Saturday night. Fabbri had just two shifts in the third period after getting shaken up on a hit by Tommy Wingels.
Forward Paul Stastny was entering the ice just after Fabbri was hit and didn't see it, but didn't think Blues players were too riled about it.
"I mean playoff time, you know you're always going to get hit when you have the puck or when you move the puck, a second or two after," Stastny said. "That's just how it is -- we do the same thing to them, they do the same thing to us."
Before they stumbled in an opportunity to seize control of the series, the Sharks had been dominant. DeBoer anticipates a highly motivated roster for Game 5.
"You know, missed opportunity," DeBoer said. "They want to make it right."
Martin Jones is the franchise's first goalie to post consecutive playoff shutouts. He struggled under the Blues' pressure and was lifted for the first time in the postseason after allowing four goals on 19 shots in Game 4.
"They scored a couple goals," Jones said. "You don't like it, but you move on. You get ready for the next one."
Forward Logan Couture said when the Sharks have had setbacks this season they've always found a way to "push back."
"We know in our room we didn't play well at all," Couture said. "We made a lot of mistakes that we haven't been making throughout these playoffs, but Game 5 is a new opportunity for us."
Your pregame motivational speech
