Blues' Missed Opportunities Lead To Kings' Game 3 Win

The NHL playoff series between the St. Louis Blues and the Los Angeles Kings has been one of, if not the most interesting series in all of the playoffs. It has been a matchup in which both teams have matched up evenly, and though the Blues lead the series 2-1, it could just as easily be 3-0 Los Angeles. 

Game 3's affair was much like the first two in the series. There were many opportunities, excellent goaltending and little offensive production because of it. The Blues came out in game 3 having to weather the storm of being in the opposing team's home arena. The Staple Center crowd was ready for a bounc back game, and a chance for the Kings to get back in to the series. They did just that as Kings' defenseman Slava Voynov netted the only goal of the game on a scramble in front of the net in the second period. 

Just as it was in the first two games of the series, the true stars of the night were between the pipes. Both Brian Elliott (20 saves) and Jonathan Quick (30 saves) made save after save to maintain the low scoring affair to just 1-0 after 2 periods of play. 

Though the Blues still lead the series 2-1, their achilles heal is in the goal scoring department and their inability to hit the net. Alexander Steen had a practially open net on a shot inside the circle, that he shot high on. Blues' defensemen Jordan Leopold did the same when he got in alone on Quick, only to shoot high and over the net. The Blues' pressure has been strong the entire series, but they're making it hard on themselves to win by missing these key opportunities. 

The Blues also faulted on the powerplay, as they failed to cash in on a variety of Los Angeles penalties, including a too many men on the ice call. The Blues are 0 for 12 on the powerplay in the series, and when you combine that with missed shots, it could lead to the demise of their once commanding 2-0 lead in the series. 

The Blues will stay in Los Angeles Monday for game 4, as it is expected that Blues' rookie Vladimir Tarasenko may find some ice time after being a healthy scratch the first 3 games. The game can be seen locally on Fox Sports Midwest andand nationally on the NBC Sports Network. Game time is set for 9PM central time.

Do you think the Blues will finally solve Jonathan Quick and score more than a single goal and take the series, or will Los Angeles hang on to the momentum from the win and battle back? Let me know your series predictions in the comments below.