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(AP) Nashville: In a last minute gambit, an exhausted Jimmy Howard was the choice over a rested Jhonas Enroth.
That was the gamble played by the Blues in the decisive game 6, ending in a win to close out a series whose main story line was the relative health of the starting goaltenders.
The Predators were faced with a similar predicament, and opted for back-up Josh Harding in game 6.
The resulting 5-4 Blues win saw neither goalie look particularly sharp, but the veteran Howard did what he had to do to gut out the win. The Blues outshot the Preds 37-32 in the game.
The 4-2 series win adds yet another chapter to the burgeoning division rivalry, a series in which the Predators outscored and outshot the Blues.
“We feel fortunate to advance, obviously†said coach Alain Vigneault.
The turning point in the series came after game 2. The Predators had trounced the Blues with a decisive 6-1 win, in a game where they benefited from seven power plays to the Blues one, and potted two goals with the man advantage.
“We needed to change our strategy at that point, because clearly the referees were calling everything and we couldn’t play our usual physical game.†stated Vigneault. “Bruce (Boudreau) clued into this before we did, but we responded for game 3â€.
Further compounding things for the Blues woes was the health of Howard, who sat out game 3 in favour of Enroth. The Blues outshot the Preds 35-26 in that game in Nashville, but once again came out on the wrong end of things, as Nicklas Backstrom, suffering from his own bumps and bruises, stood strong in a 34 save performance to put the Predators ahead in the series 2-1.
Faced with the same situation in game 6 going back to Nashville, with an exhausted Howard claiming he was good to go, Vignault gambled the Blues could finish the series then and there while they had the momentum.
"It was the smart move, mostly because it worked" deadpanned Vigneault.
The Blues series win avenges a first round loss to the Predators in 2012 and further deepens the rivalry between the two central division teams.
The Blues await the result of game 7 of the Avalanche – Oilers series to determine whom they will face in the 2nd round. The Blues lost to the Avalanche in 7 games in the 2nd round last season and are hoping for the opportunity to avenge yet another loss from the franchise’s disappointing playoff history.
That was the gamble played by the Blues in the decisive game 6, ending in a win to close out a series whose main story line was the relative health of the starting goaltenders.
The Predators were faced with a similar predicament, and opted for back-up Josh Harding in game 6.
The resulting 5-4 Blues win saw neither goalie look particularly sharp, but the veteran Howard did what he had to do to gut out the win. The Blues outshot the Preds 37-32 in the game.
The 4-2 series win adds yet another chapter to the burgeoning division rivalry, a series in which the Predators outscored and outshot the Blues.
“We feel fortunate to advance, obviously†said coach Alain Vigneault.
The turning point in the series came after game 2. The Predators had trounced the Blues with a decisive 6-1 win, in a game where they benefited from seven power plays to the Blues one, and potted two goals with the man advantage.
“We needed to change our strategy at that point, because clearly the referees were calling everything and we couldn’t play our usual physical game.†stated Vigneault. “Bruce (Boudreau) clued into this before we did, but we responded for game 3â€.
Further compounding things for the Blues woes was the health of Howard, who sat out game 3 in favour of Enroth. The Blues outshot the Preds 35-26 in that game in Nashville, but once again came out on the wrong end of things, as Nicklas Backstrom, suffering from his own bumps and bruises, stood strong in a 34 save performance to put the Predators ahead in the series 2-1.
Faced with the same situation in game 6 going back to Nashville, with an exhausted Howard claiming he was good to go, Vignault gambled the Blues could finish the series then and there while they had the momentum.
"It was the smart move, mostly because it worked" deadpanned Vigneault.
The Blues series win avenges a first round loss to the Predators in 2012 and further deepens the rivalry between the two central division teams.
The Blues await the result of game 7 of the Avalanche – Oilers series to determine whom they will face in the 2nd round. The Blues lost to the Avalanche in 7 games in the 2nd round last season and are hoping for the opportunity to avenge yet another loss from the franchise’s disappointing playoff history.
