The San Jose Sharks have played some great hockey through two periods, leading the St. Louis Blues by a score of 1-0. After a scoreless first period of play, Martin Havlat lit the lamp on a power play with 6:02 remaining. The first period was pretty stagnant due to sloppy play and seemingly endless offsides calls, but the second period really took off. A raucous crowd is on hand in St. Louis, making it an incredible atmosphere at the Scottrade Center.
The Blues had plenty of scoring chances in the closing minutes of the second period, but incredible play from goalie Antti Niemi. The young goaltender blocked all 20 of the shots he faced, including numerous glove saves that looked like sure goals for the opposition.
One thing to keep an eye on for the third period:
Pavelski hurt blocking that shot, goes to room early. Something to pretend to watch in third period
— Ray Ratto (@RattoCSN) April 13, 2012
The third period should be a wild one. Taking the early 1-0 lead in the series is huge in the first round, and you can bet the Sharks would love to do nothing more than steal a game on the road.
The game is being aired live on CNBC this evening.
For more on the Sharks, head over to Fear The Fin.