St. Louis One Win Away from the Stanley Cup Finals after Game 5 Win

The St. Louis Blues are now one game away from moving onto the Stanley Cup Finals after winning Game 5 and solidifying themselves as potential champions after going San Jose and St. Louis have battled back and forth all series.

However, while the other games were closer, last night was a landslide victory for St. Louis who decimated San Jose 5-0 earning goalie Jordan Binnington his first post-season shutout.

Jaden Schwartz earned his second post-season hat trick scoring three of the five last night. Vladimir Tarasenko and Oskar Sundqvist also scored and assists went to Tarasenko with two, David Peron and Brayden Schenn with one apiece.

The St. Louis Blues are now one away from winning the Western Conference final and heading to the final to face the Boston Bruins. For sports punters, the timing could not be better and placing a bet on the outcome is one well-worth the efforts, especially when being offered generous signup packages such as those offered by BetOnline.ag, who will add up to $2500 in bonuses when registering and transacting a first time deposit.

Jaden Schwartz said being one away is tough to put into word adding,

“It’s something that everyone’s worked for and dreamed about. You don’t want to look too far ahead. We all know how important and how hard that last win’s going to be. It would be a dream come true.”

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St. Louis was effective in the forechecking to control the game as the second period began. They scored twice and outshot surprised San Jose 20-6. Binnington was spectacular in goal making 21 saves and watched as the period ending with the Blues having a commanding 3-0 lead.

The third period saw Schwartz add two more to make it 5-0 earning his second hat trick of the post-season and the first to do since 2008 when Johan Franzen has two hat tricks for Detroit. The win puts St. Louis up 3-2 and with it, the closest the franchise has ever been to going to the finals in the last three years. If they successes, it will be the first Stanley Cup appearance in almost 50 years, with their last coming in 1970. Commenting, Patrick Maroon, who plays forward for the Blues said,

“We’re close. We’re very close right now. I think the guys know that. It’s in the back of their heads, but we know that that’s a good hockey team over there too and they’re not going to give up.”

San Jose’s Martin Jones stopped 35 shots and let in five, but with the lack of help from the Sharks, it is surprising more didn’t get past. The San Jose Sharks are once again in an elimination position as they did in their series against the Vegas Knights and Colorado. Whether they will be able to pull off another save will be no easy accomplishment. Commenting on the challenge, head coach Peter DeBoer said,

“We’ve been here before. Had to go on the road and win in Vegas in order to get to a Game 7. You’re never comfortable when your backs against the wall like that, but we have been here before and found a way and I’m confident we can do that again.”

San Jose were dominant in the first period and manage to create a number of scoring opportunities with one seeing a shot by Evander Kane hitting the post is the opening seconds of the game. However, it was St. Louis who scored the opening goal when Sundqvist capitalised on an Erik Karlsson turnover. Commenting on Karlsson, coach Craig Berube said,

“It was an off-year obviously for him in the regular season, but the guy keeps working hard. He’s not going to change his attitude. He keeps with it, he keeps working and it’s paying off now.”

San Jose were in control of the first period and managed to create a number of scoring opportunities with one seeing a shot by Evander Kane hitting the post is the opening seconds of the game. However, it was St. Louis who scored the opening goal when Sundqvist capitalised on an Erik Karlsson turnover. Commenting on Karlsson, coach Craig Berube said,

“It was an off-year obviously for him in the regular season, but the guy keeps working hard. He’s not going to change his attitude. He keeps with it, he keeps working and it’s paying off now.”

St. Louis and San Jose will meet for Game 6 on Tuesday night and if needed, for Game 7 on Thursday night.