Written by Craig Custance at ESPN.com
If the six goals and dominant play from start to finish wasn’t enough of an announcement that the St. Louis Blues have arrived, there was a bit of swagger at the end to close it out.
Moments after fighting Dallas Stars forward Curtis McKenzie late in the third period, Blues forward Ryan Reaves blew a kiss toward the Stars bench to seal the win.
“Just a little emotion, that’s all,” Reaves explained quietly after the game. “In the heat of the moment.”
But you can’t help blame the Blues if they were feeling good about themselves at the conclusion of their 6-1 thumping of the Stars.
This was the game Blues fans have been waiting for in this round. The moment they eliminated the Chicago Blackhawks, you knew this Blues team was capable of something special if it used that series as a launching point and not a final accomplishment.
It took a couple of games to get there, but in returning home for the first time since beating the Blackhawks in Game 7, St. Louis turned in its most complete game of the playoffs.
The Blues chased a Stars goalie for the second time in two games, this time knocking out Antti Niemi after three goals, and they might have chased Kari Lehtonen too if Lindy Ruff had a third option on the bench.
They smelled weakness. And instead of hoping the Stars would wither away, they finished them off. It was a marked difference from the third period in Game 2.
“When you smell blood, you have to go for it,” Reaves said. “When we’re lighting the lamp like that, it only helps our favor when you’re putting your foot on their throat and finishing the game the right way.”
Since blowing a two-goal lead in Game 2 and nearly letting that opportunity slip away, the message has been consistent from the Blues’ players and coaching staff. They need to play a full 60 minutes and play it the same way. No sitting back. No letting the Stars back into the game with overly cautious play.
It’s getting the puck in deep and unleashing a forecheck the Stars couldn’t handle in Game 3. The Blues talked about it before the game. They talked about it in between periods.
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