Young lifts the Blues

Chris Drury, of Colorado, passes the puck

St Louis 4-3 Colorado
(Colorado lead best-of-seven series 2-1)

Scott Young scored 10:27 into the second sudden death overtime period on Wednesday to lift the Blues to a 4-3 victory over the Colorado Avalanche.

Desperate to avoid falling behind 3-0 in the best-of-seven series, the Blues twice battled back from a goal down in the third period before ending the game midway through the fifth on their 60th shot on goal of the game.

Colorado goaltender Patrick Roy, under tremendous pressure all night, made 56 saves and got a piece of the last one, but not enough.

Al MacInnis stole the puck from Colorado's Steve Reinprecht at the St Louis blue line and passed ahead to Pierre Turgeon.

Turgeon skated into the Avalanche zone by the left boards and, just as he was cut off by Colorado defenseman Ray Bourque, he sent a perfect cross-ice pass to Young who was cutting up the middle.

Young pulled the trigger, firing a shot past defenseman Rob Blake that deflected off Roy's stick in continued into the upper part of the Colorado goal, setting off a wild St Louis celebration on the ice and in the stands.

It was Young's sixth goal of this year's play-offs and the third sudden-death play-off goal of his career.

Blues goaltender Roman Turek looked shaky in the early going, giving up a terrible goal in the first period that put Colorado in front, 2-1. But he settled down and got stronger as the game wore on, making several tremendous game-saving stops.

Patrick Roy defends the Colarado net

Turek finished with 30 saves, one on a desperation lunge in the first overtime that likely saved the St Louis season, and one that will haunt Stephane Yelle if Colorado does not win the series.

About four and a half minutes into the first overtime, Turek made a stop on a Chris Drury shot and dove in front of his net for the rebound, knocking the loose puck away with his outstretched stick.

Yelle picked it up and got behind the sprawled goaltender to the right of the gaping net. But he failed to lift the puck with his shot and Turek, swinging his stick behind him, got just enough of the puck to send it off the post and wide.

Jamal Mayers helped send the game into overtime when he scored his first career play-off goal with 5:43 left in regulation just 1:37 after Eric Messier had given Colorado a 3-2 lead.

Chris Pronger put a rising shot on net that Roy appeared to have all the way. But at the last second, Mayers knocked the puck down, bouncing it between Roy's pads for the equalizer.

The last five minutes of the third period were wild as St. Louis attacked in waves only to be thwarted each time by Roy.

After three periods, St. Louis had outshot Colorado 40-16 and the Avalanche had blocked another 26 shots.

Alex Khavanov and Scott Mellanby scored the other St Louis goals. Bourque and Dan Hinote scored in the first period for Colorado.

The Blues get a chance to level the series at home on Friday night.