Blues use early blitz for Game 7 win over Stars

The captain and the kid are going to the Western Conference finals with the St. Louis Blues.

St. Louis did more than survive Game 7 this time. The Blues routed the top-seeded Dallas Stars, 6-1, on Wednesday night to advance to their first Western Conference finals since 2001.

Robby Fabbri, their 20-year-old rookie center, became the youngest player in NHL history to score three points in a Game 7, with a goal and two assists, and captain David Backes added a goal and an assist.

“The way we feel here, we know we’ve got a good team and we know every time we’re challenged we’ve kind of risen up to it,” Paul Stastny said.

Blues linemates Fabbri, Stastny and Troy Brouwer each had a goal and two assists.

“Nice short plays, and we buried our opportunities,” Brouwer said. “We talked before the game that we wanted to be the difference in this game tonight, and I feel like we made a good impact.”

The Blues, in the playoffs for the 40th time and still in search of their first Stanley Cup, will have home-ice advantage in the Western Conference finals against Nashville or San Jose — and for the Stanley Cup as well if they advance. The Predators and Sharks play their deciding Game 7 on Thursday night.

Patrik Berglund and Vladimir Tarasenko also had goals to help the Blues win for the third time on the road in the. Tarasenko’ seventh goal of the playoffs was an empty-netter with 4:40 left.

Patrick Eaves had the lone goal for Dallas, which matched its most lopsided playoff loss. The Stars also lost 6-1 in Game 3 of the series.

“A huge disappointment. We had good energy, but it’s a tough way to end. It’s not our team,” coach Lindy Ruff said. “Even when we started pushing, we missed too many good opportunities to get back in it. But it’s not the ending you want, it’s a big disappointment.”

It was the fourth straight game in the series, and fifth overall, won by the visiting team, and a lopsided finish to a second-round series matching the Western Conference’s top two teams in the regular season.