As the top two teams in the Western Conference face off in Rd. 2, the St. Louis Blues have slowly pick up their game, adapting to the Dallas Stars. St. Louis came out pretty flat in Game 1, appearing to be one step behind Dallas for most of the game. Maybe it was the Game 7 hangover, or maybe their tactics just needed a revamp. Whatever the reason, change is good in the Gateway City and Game 3 was a prime example.

Leading by Example

There are few names on the Blues’ roster that have been on deep runs in the playoffs. Troy Brouwer is one of them as he has competed in seven straight Game 7s, and effectively put away his former Chicago Blackhawks team last week. Brouwer has tallied five points in his last six games, including a beauty in Game 3.

The “C” on David Backes indicates his leadership, but his play shows the fans just how important he is. Backes is another player who has tallied key goals recently, including the overtime winner in Game 2. He’s had the chance to play his game versus Dallas , throwing his body around with a game-high nine hits on Tuesday night.

Killing It

Captain Backes is also a huge part of an excellent St. Louis penalty kill. Anyone who has stepped on the ice with a man short has done their part. Alexander Steen, Alex Pietrangelo and, of course, Brian Elliott, have all been fantastic on the PK. The high-scoring Stars offense has been held to an o-fer in Rd. 2, going 0-for-10 so far.

The effective and timely kills not only keep the puck out of the net but have kept the opposition’s momentum at a minimum. The Blues have shut down the Stars in many situations but have countered with offense of their own. Game 1 was a low scoring affair but they’ve made adjustments, scoring nine goals in their last two games.

Don’t Let it Get to ‘Ya

For the second straight game, the Blues found themselves down early. While it may be something they won’t want to repeat, it appears as though the team rallies quite effectively. Steen answered the bell in Game 3, scoring just 56 seconds after the Stars opened the scoring.

As they did in Game 2, St. Louis rallied the troops and stormed back, this time with six unanswered goals. In those six, 12 different players registered a point. Backes netted the game-winner in Game 3, only the third Blue in the team’s history to score three winning goals in the postseason.

Why do all these Game 3 stats matter? It shows balance, team effort, great coaching and a maturity the Blues have been showing since the latter half of the regular season. The series lead is still slim at 2-1, but if St. Louis wants to stay on top, they need to continue to exploit the gaps in Dallas’ defense and goaltending, while maintaining composure and focus.

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