Final - OT
Steen, Blues edge Kings in OT
May 1, 2013 - 6:28 AM St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - Alexander Steen scored twice, including the game-winner with 6:34 left in overtime to lift the St. Louis Blues to a 2-1 victory over the defending champion Los Angeles Kings in Game 1 of their Western Conference quarterfinal series from Scottrade Center.Steen scored a power-play goal in the first, and then added a short-handed tally in the extra session after Los Angeles goaltender Jonathan Quick misplayed the puck behind his own net.
Quick was pressured by Steen behind his own net and tried to play the disc off the end boards, but it bounced to the low right side, where Steen recovered it before stuffing the puck into the empty net to help the Blues draw first blood in this best-of-seven series.
"I just got on. I figured once the puck went down, I had fresh legs," Steen said. "I figured I'd try [Quick]. I guess I just got fortunate behind the net there. It hit my stick, and it went in."
Brian Elliott stopped 28-of-29 shots for the Blues, who were swept by the Kings during the conference semifinals last season and dropped all three regular-season games against Los Angeles this year.
The reigning Conn Smythe winner Quick posted 40 saves and Justin Williams scored LA's lone goal with 31.6 ticks left in regulation to force overtime.
"It's exactly what it looked like," Quick said of Steen's goal. "I tried to make a pass. [Steen] blocked it and scored."
Steen's power-play marker just over nine minutes into the game stood as the difference for much of the contest, with Elliott turning away all comers over the first two-plus periods.
The Kings finally solved Elliott in the final minute after Quick, who made 12 saves in the third, headed to the bench for the extra attacker.
Williams then took a feed from Drew Doughty and made his way into the right circle before rifling a wrister that beat Elliott high to the short side to even the score.
LA carried the momentum from Williams' goal into overtime and had a great opportunity to put the game away after St. Louis defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk caught Dustin Penner with a high stick that drew blood, resulting in a double- minor at the 12:45 mark of the extra session.
But it was the Blues who broke through, as Steen's unexpected short-handed score 41 seconds later sent St. Louis to victory.
Game Notes
Game 2 is scheduled for Thursday in St. Louis ... The Blues improved to 9-4 all-time against the Kings in the playoffs ... Steen's two-goal performance was the fifth such effort in club history against LA in the postseason ... The Kings had won their last four overtime playoff games ... LA fell to 11-13 in OT games on the road in franchise postseason history ... Each of the playoff series between these teams have been sweeps (Blues won 4-0 in 1969 and 1998, Kings won 4-0 in 2012) ... The Kings have won just five of their 24 playoff series when losing Game 1.
- LOS ANGELES: 1
ST. LOUIS: 2
Final - OT
Apr 30 11:23 PM - St Louis Short-Handed Goal - Alexander Steen (2), at 13:26.
Kings 1, Blues 2 3rd - 6:34Apr 30 11:22 PM - LOS ANGELES: 1
ST. LOUIS: 1
End of Regulation
Apr 30 10:43 PM - LOS ANGELES: 0
ST. LOUIS: 1
End of 2nd
Apr 30 9:50 PM - LOS ANGELES: 0
ST. LOUIS: 1
End of 1st
Apr 30 8:54 PM - St Louis Goal - Alexander Steen, from Kevin Shattenkirk at 9:05.
Kings 0, Blues 1 1st - 10:55Apr 30 8:32 PM - LOS ANGELES: 0
ST. LOUIS: 0
1st Period - 20:00
Apr 30 8:15 PM
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