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EVENTS
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ST. LOUIS (Ticker) -- The St. Louis Blues overcame the worst 78-second stretch in their postseason history. Now, they'll have to overcome heartbreak. After relinquishing a three-goal cushion, the Colorado Avalanche took a commanding lead in the Western Conference finals with a 4-3 victory over the Blues on Stephane Yelle's goal 4:23 into overtime. Yelle gave Colorado a three games to one lead with his first goal of the playoffs, tipping Rob Blake's feed over goaltender Roman Turek from in front of the net. "He faked a shot, gave me a pass," said Yelle, who scored his fifth career playoff goal. "It was just a deflection. ... I can't remember the last time I had a game-winner." Turek had shooken off a disastrous first-period stretch. He surrendered three goals on as many shots in a 78-second span, allowing the Avalanche to build a 3-0 lead. The Blues battled back, scoring twice in the second and once in the first minute of the third before the Avalanche put them on the brink of elimination. "It's tough being down 3-0 in the first period," Blues left wing Keith Tkachuk said. "You have to play the game. You got to battle back. "We should have came out ahead, but that's the playoffs. We had big efforts, but at the end, it wasn't enough." Colorado can clinch their second trip to the Stanley Cup Finals in six years with a home win Monday night. "We're not putting any pressure on ourselves, going back home," Avalanche goaltender Patrick Roy said. "But we have to make sure we are ready. We know the Blues are going to give everything they have to try and win." St. Louis needs to win three straight games to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1970. "Our backs are against the wall," right wing Jamal Mayers said. "Last time I checked, it was the best four out of seven." The Avalanche looked to be in control late in the first period, when rookie Steven Reinprecht, Joe Sakic and Ray Bourque scored 78 seconds apart. The three-goal burst represents franchise playoff records for both teams. Colorado scored three goals 2:03 apart in 1996 and St. Louis allowed three in 1:40 during the 1982 playoffs. Turek, who had a shaky opening period in the Blues' 4-3, double-overtime win in Game Three, was beaten by Reinprecht's individual effort, a defensive turnover and a blinding screen. Bourque sent Turek to the bench when his slap shot from the left point went through a player's legs and found the net. Blues coach Joel Quenneville quickly pulled Turek in favor of rookie Brent Johnson. Turek sat for only 83 seconds and stopped all nine shots he faced in the second period, when his team clawed its way back into the game. Pierre Turgeon scored twice in the period, converting a feed from a driving Pascal Rheaume 4:40 into the period and banging in a rebound less than five minutes later. The Avalanche had a chance to make it 4-2 in the closing moments of the second, but Alex Tanguay failed to score when he was left alone in front of net. St. Louis capitalized 58 seconds into the third as Mayers took Jochen Hecht's backhanded pass from the right corner, corraled the puck in the low slot and banged it past Roy. "You got to give them credit," Blake said. "They're not stopping for anything. We got three quick goals on them and they turned it up a notch." Roy allowed only one goal on 15 shots in the third period. One of his best saves came with 35 seconds left in regulation, when he kicked away Tkachuk's quick snap shot from the right faceoff circle. The Avalanche had three of the four shots in overtime and won when Blake moved in from the right faceoff dot and slid a puck past a defender to the stick of Yelle. "It happened so quick," Blake said. "He had the stick, he had the body in front, stick on the ice. Fortunately, it hit the stick and went in." |
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