For a little while there on Saturday, it looked like the San Jose Sharks might keep their postseason alive for at least one more game. Unfortunately, that's not the way things ended up working out. The St. Louis Blues were able to prove themselves the stronger team as they picked up the 3-1 win. The Blues took the opening-round series in the 2012 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs, four games to one, advancing to the second round and eliminating the Sharks while on home ice.
The Sharks looked sharper than they had in a couple games early on, holding the game scoreless through almost the entirety of the first two periods. Joe Thornton knocked in a thrilling goal at 19:19 of the second period to give the Sharks a 1-0 lead and give Bay Area fans a glimmer of hope.
Unfortunately, that feeling of hope was far too short-lived, as the Blues scored at 11:16 on a Jamie Langenbrunner goal to tie the game up.
The Sharks barely had time to catch their breath, as less than a minute later, David Perron netted this goal to put the Blues on top for good.
The Sharks had an opportunity in the final five minutes to get even, as they were able to grab a power play when Andy McDonald put the puck over the glass. Unfortunately, San Jose came up empty on the power play.
In the final two minutes, the Sharks attempted the empty net gambit, but it yielded nothing but the third and final Blues goal.
For all news and information regarding the San Jose Sharks, please visit Fear the Fin. For updates and perspective on the St. Louis Blues, head on over to St. Louis Game Time. For complete coverage of the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NHL hub.
