PREMIUM
Rogers' 10* Total DOMINATION (Friday) >>> 34-22-3 Past 10 Days!
(NHL) St. Louis vs. Minnesota,
Total: 5.00 | -105.00 Over
Result: Win
Total: 5.00 | -105.00 Over
Result: Win
The set-up: The Minnesota Wild fell into a funk for much of March but a 5-1 home win over Ottawa on March 30 did spark a finish in which the Wild won five of their final six games. Despite the Blues' 15-2-2 run to end the season, the Wild still finished seven points better than the Blues, which gave them the home ice edge in the teams' opening round series. However, even though the Wild outshot the Blues 52-26 in the opener, the Blues' Jake Allen made 51 saves (.981 SP) and when defenseman Joel Edmundson scored 17:48 into overtime, St. Louis had a 2-1 Game 1 victory. The Wild may have gone 27-12-2 at home during the regular season but they are now 13-17 all-time at Xcel Energy Center in the playoffs, including a 4-5 mark in overtime games. Game 2 looms large for Minnesota, tonight.
St. Louis: Jake Allen's Wednesday effort was superb but it was not unexpected. He has rebounded from a rough stretch in the middle of the season to limited opponents to two or fewer goals in 13 of his last 17 contests! Allen was especially strong in the second and third periods of Game 1, when he stopped all 34 shots he faced as his teammates managed to get just 12 on Minnesota counterpart Devan Dubnyk. St. Louis Blues head coach Mike Yeo joked that goalie Jake Allen might get the start for his team in Game 2 of Friday's first-round playoff series at the Minnesota Wild.
Minnesota: The Wild's Devan Dubnyk is coming off an excellent regular season, one in which he went 40-19-5 with a 2.25 GAA and .923 save percentage. He was solid in net in Game 1, stopping 24 of 26 shots (.923 SP), but his teammates just couldn't dent Allen. In fact, Minnesota's only goal of the game came with only 22.7 seconds left in regulation, when Zach Parise notched his 31st goal in 90 career playoff games.
The set-up: The Blues used their size to keep many close-in pucks away from Allen and swat rebounds away. These teams also met back on March 7 here in Minnesota and the Blues also won that game, 2-1, using pretty much the same tactics (Allen saved 32 of 33 shots in that one). Deja vu? The Under is a 10* play.
St. Louis: Jake Allen's Wednesday effort was superb but it was not unexpected. He has rebounded from a rough stretch in the middle of the season to limited opponents to two or fewer goals in 13 of his last 17 contests! Allen was especially strong in the second and third periods of Game 1, when he stopped all 34 shots he faced as his teammates managed to get just 12 on Minnesota counterpart Devan Dubnyk. St. Louis Blues head coach Mike Yeo joked that goalie Jake Allen might get the start for his team in Game 2 of Friday's first-round playoff series at the Minnesota Wild.
Minnesota: The Wild's Devan Dubnyk is coming off an excellent regular season, one in which he went 40-19-5 with a 2.25 GAA and .923 save percentage. He was solid in net in Game 1, stopping 24 of 26 shots (.923 SP), but his teammates just couldn't dent Allen. In fact, Minnesota's only goal of the game came with only 22.7 seconds left in regulation, when Zach Parise notched his 31st goal in 90 career playoff games.
The set-up: The Blues used their size to keep many close-in pucks away from Allen and swat rebounds away. These teams also met back on March 7 here in Minnesota and the Blues also won that game, 2-1, using pretty much the same tactics (Allen saved 32 of 33 shots in that one). Deja vu? The Under is a 10* play.
