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Singing the Blues St. Louis hopes to rock Kiel Center, Sharks in Game 7
Posted: Monday April 24, 2000 06:33 PM
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- One more victory and the St. Louis Blues can salvage their reputation. Trailing 3-1 in their best-of-7 first-round Western Conference series against the San Jose Sharks, the NHL's regular season champions have won two consecutive to force Game 7 on Tuesday night. "The pressure was on them for Game 6 and now I think it probably shifts to us," said Blues' right wing Scott Young, coming off his first career playoff hat trick. "Of course, they're not supposed to give up a 3-1 lead, but now that we're home for Game 7, this is what we played for all year." St. Louis drew even against the No. 8 seed Sharks with a 6-2 victory Sunday. Now the Blues are once again a confident team, resembling their franchise-record 114-point regular-season form, heading into the finale. "We just feel like, hey, we did what we needed to do to battle back," center Craig Conroy said. "They had us in a pretty good spot." Only 15 teams in NHL history have come back from 3-1 deficit. That includes the Blues, wsho did it last year in the first round against Phoenix when they finished off the Coyotes on the road. They like their chances this season that much more at home. "That makes a big difference, once we get the Kiel (Center) rocking," Conroy said. "Just like in Game 5 it was a huge motivational factor. "You're not feeling that great about yourself, being down 3-1, but the fans are behind you. And Game 7 is going to be the same." The Sharks were as optimistic as possible after missing their first two chances to eliminate the Blues, who appear to have recovered from their first three-game losing streak of the season. Win or lose, they've taken the Blues to the limit after finishing 27 points behind them in the regular season. "It's a one-game series against the best team," Tony Granato said. "We get a one-game shot and we just have to throw everything at them." "Game 7," defenseman Jeff Norton added, "always brings out the best in everyone." The Blues hope to rattle Sharks goalie Steve Shields early, just as they did in Game 6 when they scored six goals on their first 13 shots. Shields also was shaky in Game 1, a 5-3 Blues victory, but has been solid in between those games. "I've already gotten this game out of my system," said Shields, who was pulled after two periods Sunday. "I'm going to have to play relaxed and enjoy the challenge, be ready." Blues rookie left wing Jochen Hecht had a goal and three assists in Game 6 and was tied with Pittsburgh's Jaromir Jagr for the playoff scoring lead at 10 points. Hecht, who has four goals and six assists, had 13 goals and 34 points in 63 regular-season games. "That's a big difference," Hecht said. "I hope it keeps going like that." Young and the Sharks' Owen Nolan each had five goals to tie for lead with Toronto's Steve Thomas, and the Blues' Pierre Turgeon was tied for the assists lead with seven. Five of Turgeon's assists have come in the last two games. He outfought Sharks defenseman Mike Rathje for the puck and then beat him down the ice to set up the Blues' first goal in Game 6. "If you want to win in the playoffs, your best players have to be your best players," Blues coach Joel Quenneville said. "You need everybody."
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