The Blues can defend, we all know that, but the lingering question is can they score enough in the playoffs? Well it helps when they are getting help from the enemies.
St. Louis wasted little time beating Sharks goaltender Antti Niemi in Game 2, scoring the first goal not even two minutes in. Technically it was credited to Vladimir Sobotka but really, that one belongs to Marc-Edouard Vlasic.
That's not good, you see, because he plays for the Sharks.
In the immortal words of Homer Simpson: D'oh!
Obviously it was a mistake, an awfully costly one but a mistake nonetheless. However my initial reaction (besides D'oh!) is to wonder why Vlasic tried to clear that puck to his backhand side anyway? There was a Blue on that side, Niemi was over there as well, cutting down the space he had to clear. If he goes to his forehand and dumps out to the right, he takes the safer route, not to mention he'll presumably have better control.
Own goals and the Sharks have a little history together, particularly in the first round. Remember this one from Dan Boyle a few years ago? We'll see if Vlasic's ends up as costly as that one did.
H/t to Puck Daddy
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