WESTERN QUARTER-FINALS
GAME DAY PREVIEWS
GAME 7:
#1 ST. LOUIS BLUES vs #8 SAN JOSE SHARKS
Series tied 3-3
Game time: Tuesday April 25th, 2000 9pm at St. Louis
A berth in the Western Conference semifinals is up for grabs Tuesday night when the St. Louis Blues host the San Jose Sharks in the decisive seventh game of the conference quarterfinals.
St. Louis evened the series Sunday as it scored a team-record five goals in the second period and cruised to a 6-2 victory. Scott Young recorded his first career playoff hat trick and rookie Jochen Hecht added a goal and three assists for the Blues.
Young extended his points streak in the series to five games with five goals and two assists. Hecht has a point in three straight games and is tied with Pittsburgh's Jaromir Jagr for the league lead with 10 points.
Owen Nolan and Bryan Marchment each scored for San Jose, which outshot St. Louis, 27-24. The Sharks gained a 13-9 advantage in the second period even though they were outscored, 5-1.
St. Louis can become the 16th team in NHL history to rally from a three games to one deficit and capture a best-of-seven series with a win tonight. The Blues also accomplished this in the first round last season against Phoenix when Pierre Turgeon scored in overtime of Game Seven.
This is the first time St. Louis is hosting a seventh game since losing to Vancouver in the West quarterfinals five seasons ago. The Blues' last home victory in a Game Seven took place in the 1991 Norris Division semifinals against Detroit.
Sharks goaltender Steve Shields, who has allowed 10 goals over the last two contests, is playing in his second career Game Seven. He made 25 saves for the Buffalo Sabres on April 29, 1997 when they defeated the Ottawa Senators, 3-2 in overtime, in the East quarterfinals.
For the third time this series, the Sharks are trying to eliminate the top seed in the West for the second time in franchise history. They defeated Detroit in Game Seven of the 1994 West quarterfinals after trailing three games to two.
San Jose is 4-4 in elimination games, but has dropped its last two. It has not won a playoff series since defeating Calgary five years ago in seven games.
St. Louis would battle Detroit in the conference semifinals should it win and a Sharks' victory earns them a clash against the Stanley Cup champion Dallas Stars.
#2 DALLAS STARS vs #7 EDMONTON OILERS
Dallas wins 4-1
Game time: Dallas advances to the second round.
#3 COLORADO AVALANCHE vs #6 PHOENIX COYOTES
Colorado wins 4-1
Game time: Colorado advances to the second round.
#4 DETROIT RED WINGS vs #5 LOS ANGELES
Detroit wins 4-0
Game time: Detroit advances to the second round.