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Wednesday 15 May 2019

Blues defense fuels offense in 4-2 Game 2 win over Sharks

By JOSH DUBOW St. Louis’ man advantage,
AP Sports Writer waking up the crowd.
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Af- The Blues then answered
ter the San Jose Sharks re- late in the period with
lied on a usual suspect to thanks to Bortuzzo. He
tie the game, the St. Louis passed the puck from the
Blues took back momen- point to Tyler Bozak and
tum with a tiebreaking goal skated in behind Joe Thorn-
from a most unlikely source. ton. He then took a pass
Defenseman Robert Bor- from Joel Edmundson and
tuzzo scored his first career beat Jones with a back-
postseason goal late in the hander into the top corner
second period that helped for his first goal in 31 playoff
the Blues overcome an- games. “That was unbeliev-
other big game from San able, that whole play, the
Jose’s Logan Couture with way it developed,” team-
a 4-2 victory over the Sharks mate Ryan O’Reilly said.
on Monday night that tied “Guys were moving, in mo-
the Western Conference tion, he gets it on his stick.
final at one game apiece. So calm and makes that
“It’s not really my game but shot, one of the hardest
it’s something that goes in backhands I’ve ever seen.
the back of your mind,” We were all very impressed.
said Bortuzzo, who had That was a huge goal.”
scored only 14 goals in 365 Bortuzzo added a big
regular season and play- blocked shot in the third
off games before breaking when Kevin Labanc got
through against the Sharks. a pass in the slot with time
“Jaden (Schwartz) will re- to shoot, negating one of
member, I told him if I do the few good chances San
score a playoff goal you’ll Jose had in the third. The
like the celebration. You Blues then killed off a power
never can plan what you’re play later in the period be-
going to do. It’s just a rush fore getting the insurance
of emotion. It’s an intense goal with 3:08 remaining
game out there. That’s all when Alexander Steen fed
it is, emotion coming to the Sundqvist on a rush for the
surface.” goal that made it 4-2.
After the surprising goal, “We just kind of let off the
Bortuzzo pumped his fist, let gas pedal I think,” Labanc
out a yell, and held his arms said. “Gave them a little too
out wide for the embrace much room to make plays.
from his appreciative team- St. Louis Blues’ Robert Bortuzzo (41) fights for the puck with San Jose Sharks’ Kevin Labanc, left, and . The focus for next game is
mates, who needed the Marcus Sorensen (20) during the first period in Game 2 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Western play a full 60 minutes and
momentum back in their Conference finals Monday, May 13, 2019, in San Jose, Calif. not give them anything for
favor after Couture scored Associated Press all three periods.”
twice in a span of less than That’s really important, this we didn’t have enough 2-0 in the second period on The Sharks were looking to
two minutes to erase a 2-0 time of year especially. We participants across the Dunn’s point shot that beat avoid their pattern from the
deficit for San Jose. enjoyed the moment and board,” coach Peter De- Jones through a screen. first two rounds when they
Schwartz, Vince Dunn competed hard until the Boer said. “I thought Logan The Blues were in position followed up convincing
and Oskar Sundqvist also end.” Couture was pretty good, to add onto that lead af- Game 1 wins with losses at
scored and Jordan Binning- Couture scored his goals a couple of other guys ... ter a questionable interfer- home in the next contest.
ton made 23 saves to send in a span of 1:59, giving It’s tough to win this time ence call against Marcus But the Blues were the more
the Blues home for Game 3 him an NHL-leading 13 this of year if you don’t have Sorensen when Couture desperate team from the
on Wednesday night tied in postseason but the Sharks everybody going, and I single-handedly turned start and got the early lead
the series. couldn’t get anything else thought they got contribu- things around. when Schwartz finished off
“Pretty solid game tonight,” and lost their third straight tions from everybody, like He took the puck from Alex a give-and-go with Vladi-
Binnington said. “We had Game 2 after winning the we did in the first night.” Pietrangelo at the blue line mir Tarasenko with a shot
a good start, we were dis- series opener. Martin Jones Couture tried to take over and skated in on Binning- into the corner of the net
ciplined. When they tied it made 21 saves. the game for the sluggish ton for the short-handed from the faceoff circle just
up, we stayed composed. “The story of the game was Sharks after they fell behind goal just 16 seconds into 2:34 into the game.q