Backes bags beauty in overtime to even series

By Jim den Hollander

Midwesthockey.info

David Backes slammed home the rebound of a point shot by Alex Steen for a powerplay goal with 9:02 to play in overtime Sunday to pull the St. Louis Blues even with the Dallas Stars in their Central Division championship series at Dallas American Airlines Arena triggering a cheer followed by a sigh of relief back in Missouri.

That goal may stand up as one of the biggest, if not the primary catalyst in a hard fought series between a pair of teams looking to play in a Conference final for the first time in several seasons.

As a result of Backes’ goal, the Blues return home having earned the split in Dallas and technically holding home ice advantage. If it had gone the other way in the extra period, they team would have likely been looking up at a steep climb to get back in it.

And the Blues have shown in the first game it is not satisfied with just knocking off the Stanley Cup champs this season. In fact, 11 more wins would be perfect.

Here’s a quick look at how the first two games unfolded

Game 1 — At American Airlines Arena — Friday, April 29

Blues 1 at Stars 2 

The play of Brian Elliott through the seven games in the first round played a big part in the Blues advancing and he turned in another amazing effort in the Division final opener Friday. But, it just wasn’t quite enough.

Despite a 40 save effort by the keeper, a late goal lifted the home side to a 2-1 win in the opener, dropping the Blues back to .500 (4-4) in the post season.

Elliot helped the Blues weather a first period storm, entering the second frame scoreless despite a 14-6 edge in shots for the home team. 

Antoine Roussel finally got the Stars on the board with his second of the post season as he hammered a rebound from a shot by Radek Faksa between a sprawled Elliot and defenseman Jay Bouwmeester to went to his knees in a blocking attempt as well. John Klingburg set up Faksa for the one-timer for which Elliott made a big stop but it ultimately took him out of the play for the rebound that landed right on the stick of Roussel.

That lead held up until the final period when the St. Louis blue-liners got into the act. Following a couple of chances down low, Patrik Berglund but the puck back to rookie Colton Parayko who slid it across from the right side to the top of the left side faceoff circle. Kevin Shattenkirk stepped up from his perch on the blue line and hammered a one-timer past Kari Lehtonen on the short side to even the score with just 8:28 to play.

Just when it seemed overtime would be needed, Faksa picked up his second point of the night, finishing off a play with another rebound goal for the Stars. Faksa started the play sliding a pass through the defense on a rush to Ales Hemsky on the right side just as he skated past the ‘D’ into open ice. Elliott made a nice stop on Hemsky’s deke attempt, but that left an open puck at the top of the crease allowing Faksa a chance to lift it over the goaltender for the game winner, just 4:44 to play.

The Blues held a 15-11 edge in shots through the final period but it was the Stars with a 42-32 margin overall in a back and forth opening contest.

Game 2 — At American Airlines Arena — Sunday, May 1

Blues 4 at Stars 3 (ot)

After surrendering an early goal, the Blues rallied back with three straight to grab control by the end of the first period. However, the home side found the mesh a couple of times in the final period setting the stage for Backes’ dramatic game winner on a controversial powerplay near the 11-minute mark of the overtime period.

Jamie Benn dug the puck off of the boards behind the net and put it in front to Alex Goligoski who snuck up from the blue line and hammered a slapshot in from close range just 3:36 into the game for the Stars, but the lead lasted just 35 seconds before Berglund finished off a perfect three-way play with Robby Fabbri and Backes to tie the game.

The three crossed the red line together, Backes sliding the puck to Berglund in the middle and the latter relaying it on to Fabbri on the left side just as they crossed blue line. Berglund then skipped across to the top of the faceoff circle where he hammered a return pass from Fabbri home. 

Just under three minutes later the Blues grabbed its first lead of the series as this time it was Joel Edmundson finishing off a tic-tac-toe play with Troy Brouwer and Scottie Upshall. Brouwer took a pass from Upshall down low, but fired a perfect pass in front which Edmundson redirected by Lehtonen for the goal.

Brouwer notched his second point of the night and second goal of the post season late in the frame to add insurance on a powerplay as he jumped on the rebound of a shot by Shattenkirk and fired it home. Fabbri also picked up an assist on the goal that gave the Blues a 3-1 lead despite being outshot 10-5 in the opening period. As a result of this start, the Stars looked to shake things up, replacing Lehtonen between the pipes with Antii Niemi to start the middle period.

Niemi delivered in the second period as the Blues owned a 10-6 shots margin but both teams failed to add to their respective scores. 

Mattias Janmark pulled the Stars within one early in the third with his first of the post season finishing off a bit of a weird play. Center Colton Sceviour started the play from behind the goal line in his own end. He fired a pass to Cody Eakin at the blue line who redirected it with his skate to Janmark right at the center ice dot. He took the pass on the fly and skipped through the Blues defensive pairing, going in alone and firing a shot through the lets of Elliott with Alex Pietrangelo giving chase.

Benn forced the extra period with his first of the series but fifth of the post season gathering in a loose puck at the top of the circle and firing it home after it was blocked in front of the next. Defenseman Kris Russell got the puck off of a faceoff as Eakin won a draw cleanly to the left of Elliott. Russell fired a wrist shot at the net but it hit Eakin who was battling in front with Colton Parayko.  Elliott went down on the play expecting the puck to reach the net and Benn pounced on the loose puck firing it in over the sprawled keeper.

That set up the overtime that saw the Stars called for penalties twice, the second a controversial interference call against Roussel. With the extra attacker, Backes jumped on the rebound of a point shot by Shattenkirk to the right of the goal and then turned and fired in one motion burying the game winner.

Alex Steen also picked up an assist on the play that technically saw the Stars down two skaters. Just before the goal, a wrist shot by Vladimir Tarasenko hit defenseman Goligoski on the side of the knee and put him on the ice briefly.

He was not unable to get back into the play before Backes buried his shot and was still looking a little wobbly afterward.

The series shifts back to the Scottrade Center in St. Louis Tuesday night starting at 8:30 p.m. CDT and then Thursday night at 7 p.m. CDT, both games televised on NBCSN.