Blues At Sharks Recap: Blues Win Thanks To Vladimir Sobotka Hat Trick

LIttle Vladimir Sobotka, perennial third liner according to some, had himself a firecracker of a night. The Blues had 35 shots on goal this afternoon, and three of them went in off of his stick. A goal here and there from Sobe's expected; his first career hat trick was a pleasant surprise.

Goal one went in 4:51 into the first period to give the Blues and early lead and a little bit of an excuse to take their foot off the gas, but for a brief, glorious ten minutes, the Blues had the lead.

It didn't last through the first period, as Logan Couture tied the game up with five minutes left in the period. The second period wasn't much better, as Scott Gomez put the Sharks ahead 2-1. Yeah, that Scott Gomez. The period also ended poorly, as Matt Irwin scored to put the Sharks up 3-1. The second period was, of course the Blues' obligatory period off.

The third period was the Vladimir Sobotka show, with Sobe scoring 4:18 into the third period to put the Blues within one:

All right, so the Blues are down by one. Who's going to step up to tie the game and force overtime? Why, noted goal scorer Vladimir Sobotka! A minute and 20 seconds later, Sobotka scored on the power play to tie the game.

San Jose was shell-shocked, and it wouldn't be a stretch to say that most of the fans watching the game were too. Sobotka? Where's our new scoring line of David Perron, Patrik Berglund, and Chris Stewart?

Just scoring the overtime game winner, that's all:

Boom. Berglund.

This is the first time in nearly a month that the Blues have won back to games, and this was another one that they should have won, but then easily let slip away. They were awarded by their last minute heroics, and good for them -- but if it wasn't for the tenacity of Vladimir Sobotka, I don't know if the #peskyblues would have been as pesky.

Eh, two points is two points. Bring on the Ducks tomorrow night.