Preview: Game 2 at Colorado

GAME 2 AT COLORADO

The St. Louis Blues fought to the end on Tuesday night but were unable to top the Colorado Avalanche in overtime.
Even though the thrilling series opener did not go their way, the Blues have a lot to feel confident about as they move on to Game 2 and aim for a road split.
Jordan Binnington continued his exceptional play during this playoff run. His 51 saves and 54 total shots faced were both career high marks, including regular season and postseason. Binnington kept the Blues in the game, paving the way for Jordan Kyrou to score a clutch goal late in the third period to force overtime.
The Blues held star defenseman Cale Makar scoreless, a testament to their defensive execution. Makar scored a blistering 10 points in Colorado's four-game sweep in the first round, and Tuesday was his first game without a point since April 26 - against none other than the Blues.
"It's all about work and competing - it really is," said Head Coach Craig Berube. "You gotta fight for space, you gotta fight for pucks, especially this time of year and especially against this team."
Ryan O'Reilly continues to lead the Blues, matching a franchise record by scoring a goal in his fifth consecutive postseason game to open things up Tuesday night. With the Pavel Buchnevich - Robert Thomas - Vladimir Tarasenko line still trying to find their groove, O'Reilly's contributions will be crucial as the series treks on.
Game 2 is Thursday night at 8:30 p.m. CT

NOTEWORTHY STATS

• Scoring on their only opportunity in Game 1 at Colorado, the Blues also scored a power-play goal in all six games in the first round vs. Minnesota - the first time they have recorded a power-play goal in every game of a series since the 2000 Conference Quarterfinals.
  - Craig Berube will coach his 47th playoff game behind the Blues bench in Game 2, tying Ken Hitchcock for third in franchise history.
  - Binnington's 51 saves in Game 1 tied Jake Allen for the fourth most in a single playoff game in franchise history, also moving him into second all-time on the franchise playoff saves list with 1,057 (1. Mike Liut, 1,086).

THEY SAID IT

"I expect there to be a lot of close games - it's going to be a tight series. (We have to) just look at the positives, drop the negatives and move on." -Colton Parayko after Game 1
"That's playoff hockey, momentum shifts. (The Blues are) a good team over there. They're gonna keep coming, and that's the way this series is gonna be - it's going to be tough" - Avalanche Captain Gabriel Landeskog after Game 1

BLUE NOTES

David Perron is set to play his 100th career postseason game in Game 2, becoming the 53rd active player to reach this milestone. Brandon Saad is set to reach the mark in Game 3... Perron is one point shy of matching Pierre Turgeon for 10th most postseason points in franchise history... O'Reilly, Perron and Tarasenko became the first trio of teammates in franchise history - and 11th in NHL history - to score five or more goals in a single playoff series in the first round vs. Minnesota.