Robert Bortuzzo scored an unlikely goal and was burned by his team mates

Robert Bortuzzo does not score goals. He does not really try, and he's not good at that. There is no more delicate way of saying it.

Okay, there is a slightly more delicate way. Blues coach Craig Berube found one at his post-game press conference. "He obviously does not have the contact to produce all the time," said Bérubé.

"It's not really my game," admitted Bortuzzo. The 30-year-old defenseman scored 14 goals in 365 career games in the regular season and in the playoffs. Even less if you subtract moat deviations from the referee's dick and balls. So of courseof course-Bortuzzo scored the winning goal Monday night in San Jose. He scored with elegance and authority – doubling Martin Jones' setback to reverse the match's momentum and helping St. Louis host the Western Conference finals in each of their games.

Bortuzzo's goal was met about 10 minutes after Logan Couture scored twice to tie the game. Shark Tank was rocking and it was inevitable that the Blues come home 2-0. Instead, an extremely untapped hero saved the day. And all his teammates wanted to do was a sarcastic roast.

"We also chose the corner," said Brayden Schenn Center. He joked, "I'm sure Bortuzzo has a few like that. Check the highlight roll. "

Schwartz joked that Bortuzzo was marking this type of goal "all the time" in practice.

Binnington added, "It was really smooth. Beautiful piece by him. He has that in his arsenal. "

Then there was the president of the team, Tom Stillman, who knew it from the beginning. "I took out Bortuzzo from the back, from the top shelf, from the slot," said Stillman with a strangely upright face.

The Blues will understand how they can cope, even from a fearsome defender who is better with his fists than with a stick. Bortuzzo, who only appeared in eight of his 14 playoff games this year, was asked if he remembered his last playoff goal. He thinks for a long time before admitting "I do not do it". strategy, but every time you can win a final conference match without Vladimir Tarasenko, Brayden Schenn or Ryan O'Reilly appear on the scoresheet, this is more than just time spent on big names .