Preview: Game 5 vs. Dallas

GAME 5 VS. DALLAS

Despite an uncharacteristic performance by the St. Louis Blues in Game 4, the club says they're feeling confident entering Game 5 on Friday night at Enterprise Center.
"We're disappointed in ourselves," Blues forward Ryan O'Reilly said after Wednesday's 4-2 loss to the Dallas Stars. "That wasn't the game we wanted, but it's a best out of three now and we're confident we'll turn it around."
The Blues scored first - a power-play tally from Vladimir Tarasenko - but would give up the next four goals in the game. Robert Thomas eventually cut the Stars' lead to 4-2 with his first career playoff goal in the third period.
It was the first loss on the road for the Blues in the playoffs this season (4-1).
"They came out with more urgency than we did," O'Reilly said. "They played better than us when you look at the whole game. We had some good things at times, but our consistency wasn't there."
"They had more energy, they wanted it more tonight in the first two periods," added Blues Head Coach Craig Berube. "They were desperate, and we didn't match that desperation in the first two periods. We did in the third and we played a good period."
Berube was asked after the game how the Blues would be able to match that desperation in Game 5, and he had a simple answer.
"They'll be ready to go."

TEMPERATURE RISING

Things got awfully heated in the second period of Game 4. Down 4-1 in the second period, David Perron gave Ben Bishop a slash behind the net as he went to get the puck.
"I was reaching trying to prevent him from playing (the puck), but I don't know," Perron said after the game. "He's 6-(foot)-6. He's a big guy."
Soon after that, as the period came to a close, Jordan Binnington gave Jamie Benn a shove and then skated to Bishop to give him a tap with his stick as he left the ice. Binnington received a penalty for roughing and for slashing, while Benn was hit with an unsportsmanlike penalty.
"I'm not sure how it all escalated. It's playoffs, both teams are heated," Berube said. "It's emotional, things happen."
As the series continues, expect the temperature to keep rising.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING

Jordan Binnington
On losing in Game 4
"It's playoff hockey. We'll change our game up a little bit and see what happens."
Jason Dickinson
Stars forward after Game 4
"This is exactly where we're supposed to be at this point, right? We're supposed to be 2-2. It's now a three-game series. We've got to go take care of business there."

BLUE NOTES

Tarasenko recorded his fourth power-play goal of the playoffs on Wednesday, which leads the NHL. He is tied with Frank St. Marseille for third in Blues history with 10 power-play goals in the postseason… O'Reilly had two assists in Game 4, giving him eight points in the postseason (two goals, six assists), which sets a new career high. O'Reilly has points in three straight games (four assists)… All six of the Blues' wins in the playoffs have come by one goal.