O'Reilly scores twice as Blues pull level with Canucks

[August 18, 2020]  Ryan O'Reilly scored twice and added an assist to lead the St. Louis Blues to a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Monday in Edmonton, evening their opening-round Western Conference playoff series at two games apiece.

The Blues, who won on consecutive nights after losing the first two games of the best-of-seven series, have all the momentum heading into Wednesday's critical Game 5.

St. Louis goalie Jake Allen made 22 saves in the victory, his second in as many nights after last year's hero Jordan Binnington struggled through the first portion of the series.

O'Reilly, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy (playoff MVP) last season while leading the Blues to their first championship, sent his team off and running with a power-play tally at 16:43 of the first period. O'Reilly won the faceoff in Vancouver territory, and after Alex Pietrangelo's point shot went wide, grabbed the puck and snapped a short-side offering into the cage.

It was the first time in the series that the Blues opening the scoring.

The Canucks receive a much-needed spark when J.T. Miller scored 40 seconds into the second period. Miller, who had a career-best regular season with 27 goals and 72 points -- which topped the Canucks -- set up in the high slot and deflected Alexander Edler's point shot to make it a 1-1 game.

But the Blues took over from that point. With an effort that looked much like last year's championship run, O'Reilly restored the St. Louis lead six minutes later when he received a pass from David Perron, skated to the front of the net and used his quick hands to give himself the right angle for a top-corner backhand.

With that goal, O'Reilly became the first Blues player to record multiple points in consecutive days during the playoffs since Al MacInnis in 1999.

Blues center Ryan O'Reilly (90) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the second period against the Vancouver Canucks in game four of the first round of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Gerry Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

Pietrangelo rounded out the scoring with another power-play tally late in the second period. The defenseman was attempting a cross-crease pass and saw it ricochet off Edler's stick and into the net.

Jacob Markstrom made 34 saves for the Canucks, who failed to score on seven power-play chances. Vancouver converted six of 11 man-advantage opportunities in the first three games of the series.

--Field Level Media

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