Buckle up because we could be in for a wild series.
The Minnesota Wild’s 2015 surge earned them a date with the high-octane offense of the St. Louis Blues in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. But the Wild may be well equipped to give the Western Conference favorites a run for their money. Read on for everything you need to know on this heated Western clash.
Get your fix of exciting postseason hockey action. Check out our complete previews for the Penguins vs. Rangers and Blackhawks vs. Predators.
[sc:NHLArticles ]Minnesota Wild vs. St. Louis Blues Preview
Series Scores & Schedule
Game 1- April 16, 9:30 PM ET, Minnesota Wild (+135) at St. Louis Blues (-155); total 5.0 – view all NHL lines
Game 2 – April 18, 3:00 PM ET, Minnesota Wild at St. Louis Blues
Game 3 – April 20, 8:00 PM ET, St. Louis Blues at Minnesota Wild
Game 4 – April 22, 9:30 PM ET, St. Louis Blues at Minnesota Wild
Game 5 – April 24, TBD, Minnesota Wild at St. Louis Blues
Game 6 – April 26, TBD, St. Louis Blues at Minnesota Wild
Game 7 – April 29, TBD, Minnesota Wild at St. Louis Blues
Betting on the Minnesota Wild
Without netminder Devan Dubnyk, the Minnesota Wild may not even be in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Acquired from a midseason trade with the Arizona Coyotes, Dubnyk has mostly enjoyed his stay in Minnesota. The Wild have gone 28-9-3 since his arrival in mid-January, the top winning percentage over that period of time.
[sc:NHL240 ]Dubnyk has allowed two goals or fewer in 29 of the Wild’s last 39 games. He ranks first in the NHL in wins and second in shutouts as he started 38 straight games for Minnesota. And if there’s one thing that wins playoff games, its good goaltending. Dubnyk won his two regular season starts against St. Louis as a member of the Wild, limiting the Blues’ high-powered offense to a combined four goals over that span.
The only concern is how Dubnyk’s game looks like after such a tough schedule. While he has mostly been successful with the Wild, he lost three of his last four regular season games. Top defensemen Jonas Brodin and Ryan Suter need to be at the top of their games to aid their excellent goaltender. Brodin (128) and Suter (127) rank in the top 50 of blocked shots among the league’s defensemen.
But as the saying goes, the best defense is a good offense. The Wild have just that with Zack Parise manning the frontline. He leads the Wild in goals (33) and points (62). Parise also doesn’t go gun-shy in the postseason. He led the Wilds to their seven-game series upset of Colorado, totaling 10 points (three goals and seven assists) last season. Parise also gave the Blackhawks all they could handle with four points (one goal and three assists) in six games at last year’s conference semifinals.
The Wild had won 12 straight on the road before falling at St. Louis in their regular season finale.
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Betting on the St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues could be up for a deep playoff run. Superstar Vladimir Tarasenko is healthy entering the Stanley Cup Playoffs unlike last year when he dealt with various injuries. Tarasenko is the heart and soul of the Blues, leading the team in points (73) and goals (37). He’s also been a thorn on Minnesota’s side this season, totaling five points (three goals and two assists) in four regular season matchups.
Tarasenko should have an excellent cast supporting him. He’ll be lining up with left winger Alexander Steen, who finished the regular season with the most assists (64) among the Blues. Steen had four assists in the regular season series with the Wild. There’s also the talented defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk who can light it up on the power play. Shattenkirk leads St. Louis with 21 power play assists.
Speaking of the man advantage, it could be St. Louis’ key to take this series. The Blues have the fourth-best power play in the league this season, converting on 22.3 percent of their chances. Steen leads the Blues’ power play unit with a team-leading 24 points with the man advantage. But he may struggle when facing Minnesota’s league-best penalty kill (86.3 percent).
There are issues hounding St. Louis’ goaltending heading into the playoffs, though. Starter Brian Elliot has been less-than-stellar toward the end of the season. He’s saved just 84.5 percent of shots, allowing 3.4 goals per game in his last five games. Elliot is 1-2 with a 3.00 GAA in three starts against Minnesota in the regular season.
With Elliot struggling, the Blues may turn to youngster Jake Allen (22-7-4, 2.28 GAA). He went just 5-4 over his last nine starts, but has a 1.56 GAA and .938 save percentage over those games. The Blues split Allen’s two appearances against the Wild this season, allowing a total of four goals.
The Blues have won six of their last seven home games against Minnesota.
Writer’s Prediction
The upset bells are ringing. A spirited effort from Minnesota (+135) leads to a Game 1 upset of the Blues.
Series: Minnesota in seven games.
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