Despite Effort by Bishop, Stars Are Knocked Out of the Postseason by Blues

Published on May 8, 2019

It all has come down to this. Game 7 between the Stars and the Blues is upon us.

The big question leading up to the NHL’s match up between the Dallas Stars and the St. Louis Blues is whether or not Ben Bishop is ready to play. He suffered a from a rough looking injury in the previous game that eventually led to his exiting of the game early. After consideration, the Vezina Trophy nominated goalie will be starting for Dallas in Game 7.

Dunn Brings the Crowd to Their Feet in the First

5 out of the 6 games played in this series have been won by the team who strikes first. Tonight, the Blues would be the first.

Robert Thomas makes a nifty puck play off the boards in the corner to keep the puck away from Esa Lindell. He is able to get the puck to Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo at the point, and he moves it across the point to Vince Dunn. Dunn gets off a quick shot, and Maroon is in prime position to screen Bishop. Due to this, the Blues take the lead 1-0 with 6:30 to go in the first period.

Zuccarello Receives an Assist From the Referee to Tie the Game at 1

Sometimes, it is the innocent play that turns deadliest. Mats Zuccarello of the Stars takes full advantage of the opportunity given to him by an innocent play.

John Klingberg took a shot on net that goes wide right of Jordan Bennington an goes into the corner. David Perron picks the puck up and tries to send it to a fellow player in blue on the other side of his defensive end. The puck bounces off of the skate of a referee, goes into the slot, and Zuccarello pounces. The Stars tie the game, and they are able to take the tie into the first intermission.

The Stars outshoot the Blues in the first period 13-10.

Blues Dominate the Second and Third, but Bishop Holds Ground

Bishop gave the Stars every chance he could give them to get control of the game.

Throughout the final 40 minutes of the game, Dallas simply could not string together any form of offense. The shot count during that span was a staggering 31-4 in favor of St. Louis. Play sustains in the Stars defensive end for quite long periods of time, causing Dallas players to get more and more tired as time marches on.

Time in the penalty box was overall scarce throughout this game. In fact, the Blues did not acquire a penalty for the entire game. Ritchie and Klingberg of the Stars each acquire penalties in the second period, allowing for more offensive opportunities for the Blues and less for the Stars. However, even strength play does not help the Stars get much of anything going either.

Game 7 would need extra time to decide a winner.

It Takes Double-Overtime, but Patrick Maroon Wins It For St. Louis

The Blues’ third line of Maroon, Bozak, and Thomas continues to be a thorn in the Stars side throughout the whole second round, and they choose no better moment to cash in again.

Tyler Bozak wins the faceoff, Maroon tips it back to Thomas who then turns and takes it to the net. Maroon does what Maroon does and also goes towards the net. Thomas’s shot hits the post, goes off of the back of Bishop, drops right behind him in the crease, and the first person there is Maroon to tap it past the goal line. A celebration by the men in blue sweaters shortly followed.

St. Louis native Bishop makes an astounding 52 saves in the Stars double-overtime defeat in his hometown.

Blues defeat the Stars 2-1 in Game 7 and move on to the Western Conference Finals to play either San Jose or Colorado. Looking for the latest NHL box scores? For the rest of Grit Daily’s NHL coverage, check out the recaps on this series.

 

Ian Shidlofsky is a Sports Columnist at Grit Daily. Based in Dallas, Texas and a hockey fanatic, Shidlofsky primarily covers the NHL. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Colorado State University.

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