WCQF: CEN(2) Minnesota Wild vs CEN(3) St. Louis Blues | STL wins 4-2

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

That is interesting. Wrong, but interesting.

Ooooooooo. Let's fight.

[Sylvanfan]

At one point in time this season I think the Blues were top 5 in every counting stat category like Goals for, Goals Against, Power play percentage, penalty killing.

Calling either of these teams under rated seems wrong to me. I don't think it's any secret that these are both top 8 teams. It's unusual to think of Minnesota as a team with higher end scorers that fills the net but might be vulnerable on the back end. The Blues might just have the most balanced top 9 forward group in the league all 9 of them with at least 20 goals and 49 points.

This series features two older guys who really broke out this year in Barbashev and Hartman. Both are 26-27 and doubled what their previous career high in points had been. Hartman going from 31 to 65 and Barbashev going from 26 to 60.

If not for Minnesota getting Fleury, I'd have St. Louis winning this in 5 against Talbot, I think they're that good. That said Minnesota is 19-2-3 in their last 24 games so few teams are as confident as they are heading into this. I'm going to say the Wild in 7 only because of MAF. Maybe Husso will be the guy for the Blues, but at this point he's an unknown. I expect this to be a really good series.

[midniteowl]

I like neither of these teams, I hope it goes to 6 or 7 and pound the living days light out of each other. Then face the Preds who upset the Avs and pound some more.

[Tsawwassen]

vs

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article...wild-vs-blues/
https://nhl.nbcsports.com/2022/04/30...-round-series/
https://thehockeywriters.com/blue-20...ayoff-preview/
https://primetimesportstalk.com/2022...innesota-wild/
__________________________________________________



All times Mountain

Monday, May 3 at Minnesota on SN360, ESPN, and TVA Sports 1930h/7:30 pm
Wednesday, May 5 at Minnesota on SN360, ESPN, and TVA Sports 1930h/7:30 pm

Friday, May 7 at St. Louis on SN360, TNT, and TVA Sports 1930h/7:30 pm
Sunday, May 9 at St. Louis on SN360, TBS, and TVA Sports 1430h/2:30 pm

*Tuesday, May 11 at Minnesota

*Thursday, May 13 at St. Louis

*Saturday, May 15 at Minnesota



Blues: 49-22-11, 109 points ​(3rd in the Central Division and fifth in the western conference)
Wild: 53-22-7, 113 points ​(2nd in the Central Division and third in the western conference)

Regular-season series: Blues won 3-0-0 (Wild 0-1-2)



This will be the third time the Blues and Wild meet in the playoffs, the Blues won 4-1 in 2017.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

Wild in 4. They're much better than people want to give them credit for, and have two very good goalies now. Kaprizov is an absolute game breaker. Blues are good, but I just haven't seen them as a really elite team since their cup run. Wild are turning into what the Blues were that year.

^Don't listen to this idiot.

[Strange Brew]

Some talk that Spurgeon could face discipline. Would be a big loss, one of the more overlooked players in the league.

[Erick Estrada]

Blues are now 4-0 vs the Wild this season as they swept the regular season series. They seem to be a bad matchup for the Wild.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

^Don't listen to this idiot.

No worries man. No one ever does

[CliffFletcher]

It was a mistake to start Fleury. Talbot is the guy who brought the Wild to the dance and he played better than Fleury down the stretch. He doesn’t have the career status that Fleury has, but he deserved to start game 1.

[MrMike]

I don’t think any of that game was Fleurys fault. I would have started him as well.

Either way, I don’t think Minnesota has a chance in hell against St Louis, and I think Colorado should be very afraid of the Blues as well.

[Coach]

I agree should have started Talbot. No blame on Fleury for the goals, but it’s a team chemistry thing. They’ve played the whole year with Talbot. Adding Fleury was a great move as insurance. He shouldn’t have been supplanting Talbot unless he was miles better.

[Erick Estrada]

I like to stick with the adage that you don't tinker with what's working. Talbot was lights out down the stretch and the team was winning nearly ever game he started. I believe he didn't have a regulation loss in his last 15 games and I just don't know how you go to another guy in this situation. Almost seems like politics in the building dictated Fleury starting as it just doesn't make sense for a head coach to make such a poor decision.

[SeanCharles]

All those fans who threw their hats on the ice for nothing lol

[SeanCharles]

…and then the ppl who didn’t actually want to throw their hats had to for the Kaprizov empty netter LOL

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I like to stick with the adage that you don't tinker with what's working. Talbot was lights out down the stretch and the team was winning nearly ever game he started. I believe he didn't have a regulation loss in his last 15 games and I just don't know how you go to another guy in this situation. Almost seems like politics in the building dictated Fleury starting as it just doesn't make sense for a head coach to make such a poor decision.

Yeah, really have to feel for Talbot. Seems to get disrespected everywhere he lands.

[Sylvanfan]

How things can change...after a shut out in game 1, the Blues are the team with the starting goalie not confirmed for game 4.

I expect the Blues to bounce back a bit today as I don't think they want to go back to St. Paul down 3-1.

[Philly06Cup]

The game 4 motivational bounce back is real this year. LA looked dead after losing 8-2 then completely dominate. Same with TB, Boston, STL. Now time for the flames to take care of business

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Philly06Cup

The game 4 motivational bounce back is real this year. LA looked dead after losing 8-2 then completely dominate. Same with TB, Boston, STL. Now time for the flames to take care of business

Every game is a new event in the playoffs. Get the first goal and last game becomes completely irrelevant.

[NegativeSpace]

According to Sportnet Talbot is starting tonight.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Philly06Cup]

STL turning out to be a terrible matchup for MIN. STL relies a lot on special teams -- #2 on the PP at 27%, #5 on the PK (84%). MIN has an average PP, bad PK (25th, 76%).

Round 1 has seen a ton of penalties. Huge edge to STL.

MIN has an elite shutdown line (Eriksson Ek's). STL has 3 very balanced scoring lines -- renders Eriksson Ek's talents less useful.

MIN has one stacked line (Kaprizov, Zuccarello). STL also has an elite shutdown combo of their own (O'Reilly / Saad / Perron) to combat that.

I know a lot of analytic sites I follow had MINN as a clear favorite, but the matchups and special teams have really turned the tides.