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Sunday, April 15, 2012

Sharks shut out as St. Louis Blues tie series - San Francisco Chronicle

ST. LOUIS - Brian Elliott and Jaroslav Halak formed the NHL's best goalie tandem during the regular season. The Blues needed them both to even their series with the Sharks.

Elliott and Halak combined for a shutout, the Sharks put themselves in an early hole when Marc-Edouard Vlasic tapped the puck into his own net, and the Blues tied the first-round series at a game apiece with a 3-0 victory Saturday night.

Elliott made the final 17 saves after Halak left with an undisclosed lower-body injury early in the second period.

"The adrenaline kind of takes over. You forget about your body and just go out there and play," Elliott said.

Vladimir Sobotka was credited with a goal on the first shot of the game after Vlasic's gaffe. David Backes and Andy McDonald also scored, and T.J. Oshie had two assists in the Blues' first playoff victory since April 12, 2004, against the Sharks.

Coach Ken Hitchcock was just as proud that his team held its own in a game that turned feisty at the finish. Blues defenseman Roman Polak and Sharks defenseman Justin Braun tangled, and the ice was littered with gloves and sticks.

"Teams like San Jose, Detroit, Chicago, they play right through you, and if you don't push back, you get pushed out the back door," Hitchcock said. "I was proud of our team that we fought back. If we didn't, this was going to be a short series."

Sharks coach Todd McLellan accused Sobotka of delivering a "sucker punch" to Dominic Moore after the final horn.

"If you're talking about the instigator, the sucker punch, the blow to the head, the broken nose, what do you think I thought about it?" McLellan said. "It's everything we want to get out of the game."

McDonald said T.J. Galiardi cracked his helmet with an elbow to the head in the third period. McDonald, who missed 51 games with a concussion sustained in October, said he was fine.

Halak's left leg was bent underneath his body early in the second period after Blues defenseman Barret Jackman slid into him. Halak finished with 12 saves.

The Blues announced midway through the second period that Halak was expected to return, but he never made it back to the bench. Elliott was hindered at the end of the regular season by an undisclosed upper-body injury but had been the backup for Game 1.

Hitchcock said Halak would be on the team flight to San Jose.

Halak and Elliott combined for 15 shutouts in the regular season, tying a modern NHL record, and won the Jennings Trophy for the fewest goals allowed. Elliott was quite the luxury as a backup after setting a modern NHL record with a 1.56 goals-against average and nine of the shutouts.

Antti Niemi made 29 saves for the seventh-seeded Sharks, who were shut out in both regular-season meetings in St. Louis, with Halak and Elliott getting one apiece.

The Blues had the lead on the game's first shot, thanks to Vlasic's mistake.

Sobotka's wrist shot from above the left circle handcuffed Niemi, trickling between the goalie's pads, and was sitting in the crease.

Vlasic attempted to swat it out on his backhand but instead tapped it into the net for Sobotka's third career playoff goal at 1:31.

Vlasic didn't have much to say about his crucial mistake, except to say the puck was spinning and "it just popped up."

"Well, I mean, the game's easy when you're sitting in the press box, but it is what it is," Vlasic said to a reporter. "Do it nine more times and it won't go in."

Sharks vs. Blues

Thursday: Sharks 3, Blues 2, 2OT

Saturday: Blues 3, Sharks 0

Monday: at HP Pavilion, 7 p.m.

April 19: at HP Pavilion, 7:30 p.m.

April 21: at St. Louis, 4:30 p.m.

April 23: at HP Pavilion, time TBD*

April 25: at St. Louis, time TBD*

Notes: * if necessary; all games on CSNCA, 98.5 and 102.1.

This article appeared on page B - 11 of the San Francisco Chronicle

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