Despite a broken bench, the St. Louis Blues are off to a strong start in Game 2 of their Western Conference Quarterfinals series against the San Jose Sharks. The Blues, down 1-0 in the series, are up 1-0 after the first period of Game 2.

Vladimir Sobotka got the Blues on the board early, scoring an unassisted goal just 1:31 into the first period. From then on, Jaroslav Halak did work between the pipes, making 10 saves in the first period to preserve St. Louis' lead.

Logan Couture, Joe Thornton, and Marc-Edouard Vlasic each took two of the shots that Halak turned away, and the Sharks haven't been terribly far off the Blues' pace. Both teams had four penalty minutes in the first period, and a giveaway apiece, and the Blues had advantages on faceoffs and in takeaways -- with one more of each than the Sharks.

For more on the Blues, visit St. Louis Game Time and SB Nation St. Louis. For more on the Sharks, head to Fear The Fin and SB Nation Bay Area.