Blues’ Barrage Pays Off in Second Overtime, 4-3

Getting to Patrick Roy gave the St. Louis Blues new life in the Western Conference finals of the NHL playoffs.

Scott Young scored 10:27 into the second overtime for the desperate Blues, who pelted Roy with 60 shots and beat the Colorado Avalanche, 4-3, Wednesday night.

Young’s shot beat Roy just inside the left post as the Blues, 3-0 in overtime in this year’s playoffs, cut their deficit in the Western Conference finals to 2-1. Roy, dominant throughout the postseason, gave up two tying goals in the third period.

“We just have to believe it’s eventually going to go in the net,” Young said. “I just tried to get it off quick.”

No one blamed Roy.

“I think his performances are speaking by themselves,” Colorado 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.”

Scott Mellanby and Jamal Mayers erased deficits, and Alexander Khavanov also scored for the Blues, who had three goals in the first two games of the series at Denver. The Blues, who had trailed 2-1 and 3-2 in the third, can even the series in Game 4 Friday night in St. Louis.

Young, who had a career-best 40 goals in the regular season, scored his sixth of the playoffs on the game-winner. He took a pass from Pierre Turgeon near the blue line and skated alone into the slot, beating Roy with a wrist shot.

The 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. Entering this Game 3, Roy had allowed six goals in six games. He was under intense pressure Wednesday, facing 40 shots in regulation and 20 more in the extra periods. One of the shots, a slap shot to the midsection by Al MacInnis with 1:56 to go in regulation, took his breath away.

The Blues overcame a shaky outing from goalie Roman Turek, who gave up three goals on only 16 shots in regulation. Turek handed the Avalanche their second goal when he fumbled the puck to Dan Hinote. He then gave Colorado an empty net at 4:40 of the first overtime after bobbling a Chris Drury drive, but managed to get his stick on a Stephane Yelle backhander that hit the goal post.

“I think he overcame a tough start,” St. Louis 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.”

Ray Bourque and Eric Messier also scored for Colorado, which had 33 shots. Messier’s goal on a two-on-one break with Shjon Podein gave the Avalanche a 3-2 lead with 7:20 to play.

Mayers, a fourth-line forward who scored a career-best eight goals in the regular season, forced overtime when he deflected Chris Pronger’s shot past Roy with 5:43 left in regulation.

Mellanby tied it, 2-2, with the Blues’ first even-strength goal of the series. He carried the puck into the offensive zone off a feed from Mike Eastwood, faked a forehand and whipped a backhander around Roy at 10:13 of the third.

St. Louis outshot the Avalanche, 9-4, in the first period, yet trailed 2-1 because of Turek’s weak start.

Khavanov’s third goal of the playoffs, an easy tap-in after Roy stopped Pavol Demitra’s wrist shot, came on a power play and put St. Louis ahead for the first time in the series at 5:54.