At minimum, the St. Louis Blues are glad for one, big night that they kept the David Backes when there were trade questions looming.
This bruising, brutal and tight game likely left the Blues’ captain feeling very much in his element, and his game-winning-goal was fittingly ugly.
Backes’ shot bounced off of Trevor van Riemsdyk and went by Corey Crawford, giving the Blues a 1-0 win in overtime.
TvR on Backes' winner going in off his skate: "Obviously, not what you want there. Tough break, but just gotta come back ready next game."
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) April 14, 2016
The Blackhawks carried chunks of the play, yet Brian Elliott was perfect and the Blues managed a bend-but-don’t-break win. They can also move past the refrain of “What if the Blues lose with Duncan Keith out of the lineup?”
Brian Elliott (@KidElls1) of the @StLouisBlues made 35 saves to register his first career playoff shutout. #STLvsCHI pic.twitter.com/Rgf8OgEWiW
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) April 14, 2016
Blues' David Backes: "I got the No. 1 Star somehow. I don't know who was picking, maybe my mom, but it should have been (Brian Elliott)."
— Chris Kuc (@ChrisKuc) April 14, 2016
St. Louis’ grizzled crew likely knows that the Blackhawks aren’t a team that really gets down whether they’ve lost one, two or three games in a series. But, hey, it’s better to start off up rather than down, even if bigger challenges likely lie ahead.
Hitchcock: "If this is what all the games are going to be like, these are going to be hard-fought games." #stlblues
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) April 14, 2016
The Blackhawks realize that it probably won’t be easy for either side.
Niklas Hjalmarsson: "It’s like a Stanley Cup Final right away. St. Louis is one of the best teams in the league. We’re up for a big task."
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) April 14, 2016