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Scott Young gives St. Louis its first win in West final vs. Avs, 4-3.
Compiled from Times wires
© St. Petersburg Times, published May 17, 2001
ST. LOUIS -- Once again, Scott Young breathed life into the Blues.
Young scored his third career sudden-death playoff goal 10:27 into the second overtime to give the Blues a 4-3 victory over the Colorado Avalanche in Game 3 of the Western Conference final Wednesday night.
Faced with the prospect of falling behind three games to none against his former team, Young took a no-look pass from Pierre Turgeon at the top of the slot. Using defenseman Rob Blake as a screen, he leaned into a wrist shot that found just enough room under goaltender Patrick Roy's right arm.
"We just have to believe it's eventually going to go in the net," Young said. "I just tried to get it off quick."
The goal was Young's sixth, and third winner, of the playoffs.
Game 4 is Friday in St. Louis.
Two years ago, Young's overtime goal in Game 5 of the conference quarterfinals avoided elimination against Phoenix. The Blues won the series in seven games.
Roy made 56 saves but fell to 35-14 in playoff overtime.
Roy, dominant throughout the post-season, gave up two tying goals in the third period, but the Avalanche wasn't blaming him for anything.
"I think his performances are speaking by themselves," coach Bob Hartley said. "Patrick is strong, and he's giving us a chance to win every game. Tonight, we almost took advantage of it again."
The Avalanche nearly won early in the first overtime. Blues goalie Roman Turek, who played a shaky opening period, got a piece of Chris Drury's blast with his glove but made an unsuccessful lunge for the rebound. Colorado's Stephane Yelle got the puck and was looking at an open net, but Turek just tipped the puck with the bottom of his stick, and the shot slid harmlessly off the left goalpost.
Entering the game, Roy had allowed six goals in six games. He was under intense pressure, facing 40 shots in regulation and 20 in the extra periods. One shot, a slap shot to the gut by Al MacInnis with 1:56 to go in regulation, took his breath away.
Jamal Mayers forced overtime for St. Louis by scoring his first post-season goal with 5:43 left in the third period, 97 seconds after Eric Messier's goal gave the Avalanche a 3-2 lead.
Scott Mellanby erased a 2-1 third-period deficit for St. Louis, and defenseman Alexander Khavanov also scored for the Blues, who had three goals in the first two games of the series.
Young's goal ended the longest overtime of this year's playoffs, topping the Blues' win in Game 3 of their second-round series against Dallas by 61 seconds.
Turek gave up three goals on 16 shots in regulation.
The Avalanche, outshot 8-0 at the start, scored the first time they tested him. Just 1:02 after Colorado fell behind 1-0, Ray Bourque scored on a power-play drive from the point between Turek's pads.
Dan Hinote had an empty net on the Avalanche's third shot, at 8:36 of the first, after Turek misplayed the puck on a dump-in by Dave Reid (it was officially credited as his first save). Turek came out of the net but couldn't decide whether to glove the puck, dive on it or swat it away. He did none of the above, and Hinote scored.
Part of the sellout crowd cheered sarcastically the next time Turek successfully handled the puck, on a Blues power play.
"I think he overcame a tough start," coach Joel Quenneville said. "He made that big save in overtime, and he had several saves after that. He got the win, and he's going to get better from that."
- SportsTicker contributed to this report.