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Blues Defeat Lightning In Miller's Home Debut |
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A little bit of deja vu for the Blues and Ryan Miller in tonight's 4-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Much like Miller's first game against the Phoenix Coyotes, A flukey goal and a tap in goal give the opponent a 2-0 lead in the game. The Blues then turn around and score four straight goals to win the game.
It was Alex Killorn who scored first, off a turn over by the Blues defense and gave the Bolts a 1-0 lead. Martin St. Louis was set up on the side of the net and missed on a gaping net. This one would come back and bite the Bolts later in the game. Tyler Johnson scored a powerplay goal seven minutes later to put Tampa up 2-0. The first period ended with the Blues out-shooting Tampa 12-6.
That didn't effect the Blues going into the second period, as they continued to press hard and it was Patrik Berglund scoring under four minutes into the period to give the Blues life. It was Berglund's third goal in two games for the Blues.
The Blues were applying a ton of pressure on Ben Bishop and the Lightning, but it was Bishop coming up big. Late in the second, it was David Backes and Victor Hedman trading slashes and cross checks by the Blues bench. They went nose-to-nose, and Backes dropped the gloves, Hedman refuses, and then Backes is whistled for slashing. Hedman didn't receive a penalty, and Backes was furious.
The Blues penalty kill was jumping, coming to the aid of their captain, and it was T.J. Oshie, dangling around two Bolts, and scored a backhanded beauty over the blocker of Bishop. Physicality ramped up to end the period and the 18,000 in attendance at the Scottrade Center were on their feet. The energy was tangible.
The third period was dominance by the Blues, out-shooting Tampa 7-5 but physically dominating the smaller team.
Seven minutes into the third, it was Alexander Steen getting his first goal since the Olympic break, a backhanded beauty of his own, beating Bishop on the glove side. David Backes and T.J. Oshie registered assists on the Steen's 29th of the year.
Soon after, it was Steen taking a goaltender interference penalty on Bishop, though it was evident that Bishop should have been the one who received the minor. Bishop came out to play the puck, lost it in his skates, and while trying to get back to the net, Bishop dropped his shoulder into Steen.
The penalty kill would come up big again, blocking shot after shot. The chances that the Bolts did generate were all swallowed up by Miller.
As time ticked off the game clock, Jon Cooper would pull his goalie for the extra attacker, and here is what I want to focus on.
Everyone who labels Vladimir Tarasenko as a one-dimensional player, and yes, lots of people have insinuated it, well they are wrong. With a one goal lead, who did Ken Hitchcock have out, defending the lead? Alex Pietrangelo, Jay Bouwmeester, David Backes, Jaden Schwartz, and Vladimir Tarasenko.
When you see Tarasenko being used late in the game, defending a one goal lead, I think that shows you how much faith that Hitchcock has in his young Russian forward.
That faith paid off, as it was Tarasenko who iced the game with the empty net goal to give the Blues a 4-2 win in the debut of Steve Ott and Ryan Miller.
Speaking of Ott, he logged 13 minutes in tonight's game, registered two shots on goal, one hit, and almost two full minutes on the penalty kill.
The Blues will now head on a three game road trip, starting first in Nashville, to take on the Predators.
St Louis Blues Blogger • 
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