The second period began with such promise. A quick, up-tempo first period led into another up-tempo one, with neither team showing a glimmer of the trap-style hockey that they both are accused of playing.
David Perron continues his hot streak with his third goal in two games. After some complicated dangling by David Backes, Perron got the puck far out and shot it past Johan Hedberg’s blocker to put the Blues up 2-1:
If that was a goal that Moose should have had, the next one 45 seconds later was one that Halak should have had — it was basically the same kind of shot that squeaked past Hedberg:
Rookie of the year candidate Adam Henrique blasted a shot past Halak that he had a perfect view of. The next goal wasn’t one that Halak could have stopped, but Ken Hitchcock pulled him anyway to shake up — and hopefully wake up — his team. You absolutely cannot leave Ilya Kovalchuk alone, and you have to remember that he’s as prone to make a perfect pass as he is to blast a shot past your goalie. The Blues got a reminder of this the hard way with this beautiful Patrik Elias goal:
Hopefully that goal woke the team up, and the Blues come out roaring in the third period. Lapses like the kind that they had in the second are the kind that can cost the team two valuable points.