Preds are the road team this series, so the fact they were on the road then is irrelevent. And half the guys you listed were healthy scratches who may or may not be healthy scratches this series, not exactly difference makers. Meanwhile, Statsny is a PPG player in the playoffs this far, Sobotka over .5 PPG in the playoffs. More importantly, that game was a "must win" for both teams, which is why it's the closest to a playoff game between the two we've seen.
- Antilles
You didn't address the biggest reason why this comparison makes no sense. So, both the Blues and Preds were without some players who will be in the playoff lineups - that makes a difference sure.
But if it's a must win game, why would the Preds start their backup goalie? Oh, yeah, because it was the back end of a back-to-back, and the Blues had an extra day of rest. In the playoffs, both teams have the same amount of rest, and you don't play back to back games, so your starting goalie isn't out unless he's playing badly. Can't compare the two. It's not that complicated.
