Dallas holds on in St. Louis, series will go seven

Monday night represented an opportunity for both series in the Western Conference to wrap up, but that would have been just too easy. So what do we get? How about a couple of Game 7s? That do anything for ya?

The St. Louis Blues could not seal the deal on home ice in Game 6 against the Dallas Stars, dropping a 3-2 decision after the Stars stunned them with early goals. The Blues dug a hole too deep to climb out of despite their best efforts.

Meanwhile, the San Jose Sharks were looking to advance to the conference finals for the first time since 2011, but the Nashville Predators had other ideas. The Preds have never been to the Western Conference Final, but are one step closer thanks to their forcing a Game 7 with a 4-3 overtime victory.

Here’s a look at some of the key takeaways from the Stars and Predators’ series-saving wins:

1. Blues never recovered from early mistakes: The St. Louis Blues dominated Game 6 in just about every way aside from the scoreboard. Allowing two goals in a span of 20 seconds within the first five minutes of the game, then giving up a third late in the first, was enough to sink them.

This is going to feel like a missed opportunity to clinch, but this was a game where they did so much well, but made key mistakes early and had to chase the game the rest of the way. St. Louis carried the play for the final two periods and ended up outshooting the Stars 37-14 and controlled the puck in the game with 62 shot attempts to Dallas’ 22 at even strength. That’s a Corsi for percentage of 73.8 percent, which of course is just a silly level of possession.

It all comes back to those early goals by the Stars. The first came off of a poor decision by rookie defenseman Colton Parayko to try to force a shot through. It got blocked and Mattias Janmark scored on the ensuing breakaway.

The second goal came after goalie Brian Elliott sent a clearing attempt up the boards that was picked off. That was followed by a great play between Colton Sceviour to Vernon Fiddler to connect for a deflection goal.

It’s always nice to score a goal on your birthday! #StanleyCup https://t.co/a59OabqQ5d

— NBCSN (@NBCSN) May 10, 2016

The third goal, however, was a complete breakdown in coverage, mainly because Jay Bouwmeester fell over, allowing one of the Stars’ most productive players to skate right down Broadway and shoot through a screen. That’s practically a gimme for Jason Spezza.

The Blues can look at their entire game and say they played well. They had early mistakes and lost in the first period. It’s one of those games where you kind of throw your hands up. Sometimes there’s not much more you can do. Now we’ve got a Game 7.

2. These Predators just won’t quit: If the Sharks want to put away this Nashville squad, it’s going to take something way better than what they showed in Game 6 to do it. The Predators went down 2-0 early and just started chipping away at the Sharks’ lead. After tying the game in the second period, their game started picking up more and more.

Over the third period, they flat out steamrolled the Sharks in terms of puck possession and shots on goal. San Jose still managed to pick up a power-play marker in the period to take a 3-2 lead, but the Predators answered right back with some incredible passing in the offensive zone among Mike Ribeiro, James Neal and eventual goal scorer Colin Wilson to tie it up:

The Preds had 30 shot attempts at 5-on-5 in the third period. The Sharks had six. With Nashville taking an absurd 83.3 percent of the shot attempts down the stretch, they probably ended up getting the result they deserved. It was a simply dominant performance that helped them keep the Sharks’ strong offensive attack completely in check.

Not only that, but for the second straight series, the Predators have stared elimination in the face and didn’t flinch. This is unlike any Nashville team that has come before them.

3. Stars bent, but didn’t break: This was not the style of game that is usually going to end with a Stars victory. They were opportunistic early and were in full on survival mode late. It’s not even that they sat back. The Blues just never really let them have the puck.

The one thing that they did do well, despite the number of shots they gave up, was not letting too many second-chance opportunities. They protected the net front fairly well, keeping the Blues shots to the outside. They also blocked quite a few shots in the game.

The Stars want to be an attacking team, but they had to settle for being a pick-your-spots team and a hold-on-tight team with how dominant the Blues became over the second and third periods. It barely worked, but it worked.

Kari Lehtonen stood tall as the Stars forced a Game 7. (USATSI)

4. Kari Lehtonen was the hero for the Stars: The Stars’ musical goaltenders might not be a game the team plays much more. Without Lehtonen, this series is over. The veteran netminder made 35 saves in the contest, including 26 over the final two periods. He’s the reason they didn’t break.

There were some huge saves, too. Like this one in the final 30 seconds of regulation on Jaden Schwartz, who had snuck into the middle unimpeded and with nothing but net in front of him.

Maybe Schwartz could have done better with the shot, but that’s a huge save in the most crucial moment of the game.

5. Viktor Arvidsson picked a perfect time for his first ever playoff goal: Watching Arvidsson play, you always seem to be left wanting more. He can skate like the wind, but lacks the ability to finish at a high level. Well, he finished this time.

The speed he picked up through the neutral zone left Marc-Edouard Vlasic – a Canadian Olympian and World Cup invite, no less – with no hope of slowing him down. Then he just did all he could by putting a backhand shot on net and it turned out to be an absolutely perfect shot to beat Martin Jones.

6. Brian Elliott got chased for the first time this postseason: Brian Elliott has been a rock between the pipes for the Blues this postseason, but with a trip to the Western Conference Final within their grasp, he allowed three goals on seven shots.

Two of those were not really his fault, but Ken Hitchcock had to do something to change the momentum in the game. His team responded, but the hole was too deep. For the first time all series, Jake Allen came in and only ended up facing seven shots himself the rest of the game. There should be no goaltending controversy. The way Elliott has played, that game should be viewed as an anomaly.

7. The Sharks’ top line had its worst game of the postseason: One of the things that has made San Jose so good this postseason is the play of their top line featuring Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski and Tomas Hertl. They have been driving just about everything this team does. But in Game 6, they got flat out smoked.

Often a beast line in possession, the trio was dominated in that regard. At even strength, Thornton posted a 22.8 Corsi for percentage, Pavelski was at 25.7 percent and Hertl was at 27.5 percent. Basically, whoever they were on the ice against, was typically controlling the shot attempts at a rate that would make it near impossible for that line to do anything.

Thornton still picked up an assist on Logan Couture‘s power-play goal, but without that line buzzing like they can, it’s going to be hard for the Sharks to win.

8. There’s that familiar sinking feeling for the Sharks and the Blues: Fans of these two teams have seen this before. They’ve seen these teams look like they were in complete control, only to let the series slip away.

St. Louis is trying to get back to their first conference final since 2000, while the Sharks were there in 2011. Meanwhile, both of these teams have the tag that they can’t get it done in the postseason. Now they’ll each have a second opportunity to clinch. The Sharks get to try on home ice, where they’ve not lost in this series, while the Blues go on the road, where they’ve won two of three.

The Blues have the benefit of having gone through this in their previous series, losing Game 6 to the Chicago Blackhawks before winning in Game 7. The Sharks should have the confidence of not having lost on home ice in the series. Both teams have the tools necessary to win their respective series, but history has shown that having the tools and being the better team on paper doesn’t always work out.

There will be some very, very nervous fan bases.

Game 7 between the Stars and Blues will be played in Dallas on Wednesday, while the Predators and Sharks get two days off before playing Game 7 on Thursday in San Jose.

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