*St. Louis Blues Team Report*
-----------------------------
Last result: 1-0 loss (OT) at San Jose, April 8 
Series: Trail Western Conf. quarterfinals, 1-0 
Next game: April 10 at San Jose

Thursday's 1-0 overtime loss at San Jose marked the third time
in their last four playoff series that the Blues were shut out
in Game One.  Detroit's Dominik Hasek did the honors in the 2002
conference semifinals while Chicago's Jocelyn Thibault blanked
St. Louis in the conference quarterfinals earlier that spring.
... The Blues have dropped seven of their last eight series when
losing the opener.  "You definitely want the first game, and we
had our chances," LW Keith Tkachuk said.  "We couldn't find
that second or third effort to put it in.  That was the
difference." ... St. Louis had won its previous three playoff
overtimes. ... The Blues were outshot in the first period, 11-6,
then outshot the Sharks, 12-5 in the second.  "They are known
for their fast starts," coach Mike Kitchen said.  "We told our
team that and I think there was maybe a little nervous energy in
the room that got carried out onto the ice."

st 04-09-04 03:30 et