Minnesota Wild (37-24-7) vs. St. Louis Blues (43-19-5) at 7 p.m. CST on FS-MW.
Season Series: This marks the second of four meetings in the regular season between the Wild and Blues. The Blues took the first matchup in Minnesota on November 29th by a score of 3-2 courtesy of a shootout. After tonight, these teams will meet a week from tonight in Minnesota and once more in St. Louis on the last day of the regular season.
The Blues will come into this one seeking their fourth straight win and look to wrap up a three game homestand with all six points. They will be on the road for six straight starting tomorrow late afternoon in Dallas. Thursday night against the Flyers, the Blues played one of their best games in the past few weeks. Allowing only six 5v5 scoring chances was very impressive with the defensive struggles the team has had of late. Brian Elliott was outstanding in a big bounce back game for him stopping all 28 Flyer shots. His rebound control, especially on the penalty kill was exceptional, causing many of the Flyers chances to be one and done. The Flyers maybe had one good scoring chance from inside the hashmarks at even strength all game. Chris Porter really brought some energy on the puck to the top line. Steve Ott has been playing to keep himself from being a healthy scratch. Without Steve Mason, and a couple goal posts, the Blues could have sailed to the finish in regulation. The powerplay failed to convert on the four chances the Blues got. The chances were there, but Mason answered the bell. The Blues were going for the win in the third period outshooting the Flyers 17-9 in the final frame. Good to see the team dictate the play and force the issue the whole period. It was the closest thing to a sixty minute effort in a while. The play is trending up.
With the win on Thursday coupled with the Sharks 2-0 home win over the Predators, the Blues have moved into a first place tie with Nashville at 91 points. The Blues own the tie breaker as of now with games in hand but Nashville owns the season series record and ROW as of now. Chicago won Thursday at Arizona and trail the Blues by 5 points. Chicago takes on the Sharks out west this afternoon and Nashville plays late tonight at Los Angeles. All three games, with the Blues/Wild game included, should be great hockey games. The Blues can take care of business and hopefully start putting space between them, the Preds and Hawks. It is going to be fun down the stretch. Ken Hitchcock also got his 700th NHL win and Brian Elliott tied Jaroslav Halak’s franchise shutout record with his 20th of his Blues career.
The Wild come to town one of the hottest teams in the NHL. They are playing a great team game and have gotten unbelievable goaltending from a rejuvenated Devan Dubnyk who made his 26th straight start last night at home against the Ducks. The Wild dropped last night’s game to Anaheim 2-1 and wrapped up their three game home stand 1-2 after winning five straight before going home. They sit at 81 points on the season and are slotted in that first wildcard spot. They will be desperate for a win on their second game of a back to back. It is unclear if Dubnyk will finally get a day off and if Darcy Kuemper or Niklas Backstrom will get the call if Dubnyk sits.
Keys to the Game: The Blues should be the rested team tonight as the Wild lost to the Ducks last night. It would benefit the Blues greatly to get the pucks in deep and play a physical game on the forecheck to force turnovers and wear down the Wild defense. A constant forecheck and cycle game in the offensive zone should bog down Minnesota defending and lead to more puck possession and scoring chances. The best defense is having the puck in the offensive zone. Make the Wild have to go for line changes every time they clear their zone. Avoiding the penalty box is going to be another key to this one. The Wild PP numbers on the seasons do not look great but with Zach Parise, Thomas Vanek, and Ryan Suter they have plenty of talent on their units. Brian Elliott with get the start again after a great performance on Thursday. Olli Jokinen will not play again and Patrick Berglund will be reinserted into the lineup. The Blues have not lost at home in regulation to the Wild since 2007 (9-0-3). Big two points on the line for both squads. Let’s finish off this home stand strong.
Players to Watch: Blues: Robert Bortuzzo—He’s impressed me more every game. Even when he loses position he still takes the opposition with him. Paul Stastny—his faceoffs will be key in this one. His play is really trending up. Jaden Schwartz—this kid is flying all over the ice right now. He’s in playoff mode. Wild: Chris Stewart—He will be involved trying to prove a point at Scottrade. Zach Parise—leads team with 27 goals and 53 points. Jordan Leopold—good for him to be on a better team and with his family.