TYMNHS Game 4- 5/5/16

-Stars win on an overtime goal 3-2. Take back home ice advantage, tying series at 2-2. Some things you might have missed if you weren't in the building...

• Started hearing the Tara-senko-de-Mayo references on TV Thursday morning. Signs were all over the Scottrade Center having fun with the play on Vladimir Tarasenko's name. It looked like Vladdie was in the mood to celebrate the new Blues holiday when he scored on the breakaway early. But his next glorious opportunity rang off the outside of the post...and things started getting away from the Blues, and the fans, after that. 
• Following up on that, I wasn't the only one working the game who thought last night's
  
  gathering of just under 20-thousand was one of the worst crowds ever for an important playoff game. There seemed to be little energy or crowd noise generated by the gathering except when the Blues scored. I can't imagine why anyone would have been hesitant to make a racket at last night's game, but there was a noticeable reluctance to make playoff-type noise on their own. Thursday night? Expecting bad things to happen? Over-confident after Tuesday's blow-out win? Not as fired up about playing Dallas as Chicago? Not enough beer in their bellies? One thing is for sure, Entertainment Director Jason Pippi and the crew did everything possible to stir up the group, but there were long stretches of uneasy quiet during this one. The Blues are taking a run at the Stanley Cup people. Make some damn noise for crying out loud!
• If the Blues had won, Alex Pietrangelo was going to be announced as the first star of the game.
  
  Game winning goal-scorer would have been second star. Brian Elliott third. 
• Starting with Tuesday night's game, TV voice of the Blues John Kelly and analyst Darren Pang are doing an intermission report that appears only on the videoboard inside Scottrade. They analyze each period and show highlights provided by Video Production Manager Eric Siders, Director of Event Presentation Chris Frome and the outstanding audio/video crew at Scottrade. It's a welcome addition to the in-arena experience for the playoffs. Especially since the national TV contract
  
  with NBC takes JK and Panger out of their usual duties. 
• Winning The Hardware...the new in-game feature that points up the award-winning Blues stars of the past, highlighted amazing goaltender from the early days of the franchise...Glenn Hall. Mr. Goalie won the Vezina Trophy as the league's top netminder three times during his long career. His remarkable play for the Blues vs. the Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup playoffs of 1968 earned him the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the
  
  playoffs; an award that rarely goes to a player from the losing team. 
• I mentioned in the report after Tuesday's game that, from my seat in the penalty box, Stars captain Jamie Benn looked frustrated and possibly resigned to losing after the Blues got their big lead in Game 3. I also mentioned that I thought he and his teammates would come back strong for Game 4. It might have been different if the Blues could have converted some of their scoring chances in the first period, but give the Stars credit for not throwing in the towel early and coming back strong to win. 
• Cardinals players on hand for the game and shown on the video board-- Yadier Molina, Matt Holliday, Jhonny Peralta, Carlos Martinez. 
• In case you hadn't heard, Game 6 will be at Scottrade Monday night. And, thankfully, it will start at 7pm.