pilldoc Posted April 10, 2017 Share Posted April 10, 2017 All discussion regarding this series here. Minnesota Wild vs. St. Louis Blues Date TIME (ET) #2 Minnesota vs. #3 St. Louis Networks Wednesday, April 12 9:30 p.m. St. Louis at Minnesota NBCSN, SN 360, TVA Sports Friday, April 14 8 p.m. St. Louis at Minnesota NBCSN, SN 360, TVA Sports Sunday, April 16 3 p.m. Minnesota at St. Louis NBC, Sportsnet, TVA Sports Wednesday, April 19 9:30 p.m. Minnesota at St. Louis NBCSN, SN 360, TVA Sports *Saturday, April 22 TBD St. Louis at Minnesota TBD *Monday, April 24 TBD Minnesota at St. Louis TBD *Wednesday, April 26 TBD St. Louis at Minnesota TBD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yave1964 Posted April 11, 2017 Share Posted April 11, 2017 Man I love this matchup, the Blues are classic underachievers against Boudreau and the Wild who both have postseason issues of their own. I went Wild in 7 because I believe this team is built for the Western Conference playoffs, rugged and big and deep down the middle. In years past center was the bane of the Wild but they have depth to burn there now and three scoring lines that wear you down and a very underrated defense as well as Dubnyk. I believe that St. Louis has the talent to keep the series close but that the Wild just have too much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pilldoc Posted April 11, 2017 Author Share Posted April 11, 2017 Went with the Blues in 7. Simply, Allen has played much better down the stretch and the Blues as whole team has played much better since they switched coaches. Agree with @yave1964 will be a classic matchup. Hard to argue with yave's reasoning. Like I said, going with Blues in 7. I think it comes down to Dubnyk vs. Allen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TropicalFruitGirl26 Posted April 11, 2017 Share Posted April 11, 2017 Minnesota's time is now. Just no way around that. Not saying they should win it all, but honestly, with the group they have now, anything less than a trip to the Western Finals (maybe, just maybe winning it) would be a disappointment. Blues have had chance after chance and now they are in a bit of transition, although they still sport some very good players that can give any team problems. The Wild do NOT want to become the new St. Louis Blues, aka, the team that always makes it, but makes a habit of early exits and false promises to the fanbase. Simply put...if the Wild goaltending is up to par (I.E. Devan Dubnyk plays like the Vezina candidate he was early and into the mid year....NOT like the heaping pile he played like at season's end) AND the Wild can successfully roll 4 lines in any game situation, then I very much like Minnesota's chances against the Blues. In fact, if Minnesota does everything right, they could even close out the Blues in about 5 games. That said, I will be giving the Blues their due because, like I said, talent they DO have, and at times, Jake Allen can look like the best goalie in the world. So not gonna say Wild in 5, but rather, gonna say this goes a full 7, with Minnesota taking advantage of home ice and taking the series winner at the Xcel Energy Center. Also, side note: Irony. Mike Yeo, the former coach of the Wild, who was deemed not worthy enough to continue to try and get the team to the Cup, will be opposing them as the St. Louis coach. Yep. A good ol fashioned "stick it to my former employer" from Yeo's point of view. And if you are the Minnesota front office, and Mike Yeo and his Blues BEAT you....well, umm, that would be a bit embarrassing to say the least... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo Rick Posted April 11, 2017 Share Posted April 11, 2017 58 minutes ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said: Minnesota's time is now. Just no way around that. Not saying they should win it all, but honestly, with the group they have now, anything less than a trip to the Western Finals (maybe, just maybe winning it) would be a disappointment. Blues have had chance after chance and now they are in a bit of transition, although they still sport some very good players that can give any team problems. The Wild do NOT want to become the new St. Louis Blues, aka, the team that always makes it, but makes a habit of early exits and false promises to the fanbase. Simply put...if the Wild goaltending is up to par (I.E. Devan Dubnyk plays like the Vezina candidate he was early and into the mid year....NOT like the heaping pile he played like at season's end) AND the Wild can successfully roll 4 lines in any game situation, then I very much like Minnesota's chances against the Blues. In face, if Minnesota does everything right, they could even close out the Blues in about 5 games. That said, I will be giving the Blues their due because, like I said, talent they DO have, and at times, Jake Allen can look like the best goalie in the world. So not gonna say Wild in 5, but rather, gonna say this goes a full 7, with Minnesota taking advantage of home ice and taking the series winner at the Xcel Energy Center. Also, side note: Irony. Mike Yeo, the former coach of the Wild, who was deemed not worthy enough to continue to try and get the team to the Cup, will be opposing them as the St. Louis coach. Yep. A good ol fashioned "stick it to my former employer" from Yeo's point of view. And if you are Minnesota, and Mike Yeo and his Blues BEAT you....well, umm, that would be a bit embarrassing to say the least... I do not understand why? Many people here do not understand just how deep St Louis's history goes. Back in the late 60s and 70s they went to many finals and just were not good enough to beat those old Montreal teams or Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito's Bruins. But they were darn good. They have a great history and no team has paid their dues more. The Capitals and Sabres I guess you can say things about as far as not finishing off the trophy? This St Louis team is ready. Look at how they have shut teams down. No team comes in playing better defense or has two goalies of quality like them. And they have Teresenko. The Ovy of the West in some ways. Not as opposing physically, but talented as they come. St Louis can win this thing. All of it. It appears they will have to beat Chicago again to do it. Its going to be tough. They beat Chicago last year and then were upset by the Sharks. I do not think the Sharks are much of a threat this time. I am picking Edmonton to beat them. This Blues team is playing great D and they say that is what wins titles in all sports Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruxpin Posted April 11, 2017 Share Posted April 11, 2017 Gotta agree with @Hockey Junkie here in the first round. Not on the 60s/70s being relevant part. But the Blues are different this year in that they're actually coming on as the season end rather than breaking apart. Previous years, the front office did something to really screw up a pretty good team at the deadline. Whether it's do something idiotic like bringing Miller in (that's not about Miller; it was about chemistry and situation) or the Ott trade, etc. They don't have Elliott this year. That helps. I just suspect that he and Allen didn't play nice together. But this year the front office axed an overrated coach whose team was coming apart and brought in someone else. The change has done wonders. The Wild, on the other hand, have sputtered down the stretch. I don't think the front office did anything wrong here, but otherwise the Wild come into the playoffs somewhat reminiscent of Blues teams the past few years -- their best hockey a month or so behind them. So, I voted Wild in 6 initially, but if I can change it (the poll disappeared on me when I clicked vote) I'm going to go to Blues in 6. The Blues won't lose until the second or, more likely, the third round. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo Rick Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 24 minutes ago, ruxpin said: Gotta agree with @Hockey Junkie here in the first round. Not on the 60s/70s being relevant part. But the Blues are different this year in that they're actually coming on as the season end rather than breaking apart. Previous years, the front office did something to really screw up a pretty good team at the deadline. Whether it's do something idiotic like bringing Miller in (that's not about Miller; it was about chemistry and situation) or the Ott trade, etc. They don't have Elliott this year. That helps. I just suspect that he and Allen didn't play nice together. But this year the front office axed an overrated coach whose team was coming apart and brought in someone else. The change has done wonders. The Wild, on the other hand, have sputtered down the stretch. I don't think the front office did anything wrong here, but otherwise the Wild come into the playoffs somewhat reminiscent of Blues teams the past few years -- their best hockey a month or so behind them. So, I voted Wild in 6 initially, but if I can change it (the poll disappeared on me when I clicked vote) I'm going to go to Blues in 6. The Blues won't lose until the second or, more likely, the third round. I do not think they will lose at all. I mean a series Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruxpin Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 1 minute ago, Hockey Junkie said: I do not think they will lose at all. I mean a series I tell you this every year, and I'll tell you again: This organization will find a way to shoot itself in the foot. It's in their DNA. Just like the Caps. I have nothing against the Blues or St. Louis (unlike the Caps and Washington). There are some players there that would be fun to watch lift a cup. God knows that fan base deserves it. But...the organization will shoot itself. I'm gleeful about the Caps' shooting themselves, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
intheslot Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 Coin flip .....Blues, Yeo proves emm wrong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TropicalFruitGirl26 Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 1 hour ago, ruxpin said: Gotta agree with @Hockey Junkie here in the first round. You be careful with that "agreeing with HJ" here...if enough of that goes around, the space-time continuum may be in danger.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hf101 Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 Again the 2 best team get's the worst matchup. This one will be fun to watch though with the Wild playing against their ex-coach. I think it is the Wild's turn to shine though as they win this in 7. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WordsOfWisdom Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 The Blues seemingly threw in the towel on the season when they dealt Shattenkirk, and then did better without him. I think this will be a coming out party for the Wild (who are long overdue for an extended playoff run). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo Rick Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 51 minutes ago, WordsOfWisdom said: The Blues seemingly threw in the towel on the season when they dealt Shattenkirk, and then did better without him. I think this will be a coming out party for the Wild (who are long overdue for an extended playoff run). This is not the matchup I wanted but I still believe the Blues win it. They are red hot, and they are not allowing goals against. The stingiest team in the NHL of late. Just what you need for a deep run. And they have Teresenko, Bergllund and Steen and Pietrangelo is good enough on the point. Shattenkirk will help Washington but his departure will not kill the Blues at all. This is truly a toss up if you look at it based on the entire season. But going in, the Blues are playing far better hockey than the Wild. Blues in 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pilldoc Posted April 15, 2017 Author Share Posted April 15, 2017 On 4/11/2017 at 6:19 PM, TropicalFruitGirl26 said: So not gonna say Wild in 5, but rather, gonna say this goes a full 7, with Minnesota taking advantage of home ice and taking the series winner at the Xcel Energy Center. The Blues take the first 2 games in Minny. Things could not have started out any more poorly for the Wild. Only 2 goals in 2 games as Allen shuts down and tames the Wild. Game #3 is now a must win for Minny IN St. Louis in order not to go down 3-0. If the Blues win then it is lights out for the Wild. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WordsOfWisdom Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 WTF is wrong with the Wild? The Blues had given up on this season by the halfway point, were sellers at the trade deadline, and now they up 2-0 against the Wild? The Minnesota Wild are one of my conference final picks! They need a foot in their a__! What is it about the Wild that they choke this badly in the playoffs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo Rick Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 52 minutes ago, WordsOfWisdom said: WTF is wrong with the Wild? The Blues had given up on this season by the halfway point, were sellers at the trade deadline, and now they up 2-0 against the Wild? The Minnesota Wild are one of my conference final picks! They need a foot in their a__! What is it about the Wild that they choke this badly in the playoffs? They have not choked. How about giving this St Louis team some overdue credit. Those games were wars. If you watched them you would see Minnesota did not choke, they simply could not beat Jake Allen and he is the hottest goalie alive right now. St Louis is smart on their defensive schemes and they have a ton of talent. How can you say they were out of it? Because they traded Shattenkirk? They dont need Shattenkirk. They are better without him. Pietrangelo is a monster of a player and on defense so is Bowmeester. Teresenko and Steen and Shwartz and Berglund are just a few of the guys that can burn you. This team is far better than people realize. And they are my pick to win it all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samifan Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 3 hours ago, WordsOfWisdom said: WTF is wrong with the Wild? The Blues had given up on this season by the halfway point, were sellers at the trade deadline, and now they up 2-0 against the Wild? The Minnesota Wild are one of my conference final picks! They need a foot in their a__! What is it about the Wild that they choke this badly in the playoffs? This year it will be the curse of Uncle Fester! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TropicalFruitGirl26 Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 Everyone needs to stay calm, put the butter knives down, and not accidentally drink the St. Louis Kool-Aid..... Sure, the Wild are in a hole with a very good possibility they lose this series as they NOW have to win 4 out of the next 5 to win the series. But still, its not like the Blues have been dominant. Jake Allen has been good....but hardly infallible. A few more bodies here and there in front of him, a few pucks that clanked iron going in the right direction and we are probably talking about a different situation here. A pair of 2-1 wins for the Blues...one of which required OT to achieve. I am giving the Blues credit for getting the wins because at the end of the day, that's all that matters..whether you got it done or not. But its not a foregone conclusion that St. Louis will be the ones moving on. Minnesota has outplayed St. Louis for LARGE stretches in both games and it will down to whether Wild players lose heart. If they don't, then all they have to do is keep doing what they are doing and eventually, the law of averages say pucks should start going in......there is only so much good fortune the Blues can get away with (and yes, mixed in with some good play) before things turn to the team that is working their tails off generating chance after chance. If St. Louis can pull off two surprising wins on the road, then so can the Wild...and that is pretty much what they will have to do. Especially since they have shown that they are faster and have gotten the better of most of the play during the course of games. If the Blues are destined to move on, then so be it....hats off to them. But as a fan, I am hardly going to hand anything to them or make them out to be anything more than what I think they are...and that is, they are a good team, with some good fortune so far, that has blended it well with some opportunistic execution by their players. Nothing more. And if I am not giving them anything, you can bet Boudreau and his Wild aren't either. Let's see how ol St. Louie does at home with the pressure now on them with the home fans and being up in the series..do they play with the same focus? Maybe the Wild play even better away from home without the hubbub of the rabid home fanbase. Its what Wild fans will hang their hats on anyways. Blues have been pretty good and pretty fortunate so far. But to say they have been anything more than that is an exaggeration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pilldoc Posted April 16, 2017 Author Share Posted April 16, 2017 Wild are finished for this year.... Allen and the Blues pretty much put the Wild in an impossible position. You can't win games if you can't score. Only 3 goals in 3 games will not win you hockey games. Blues have been one of the hottest teams coming down the stretch. If the Predators somehow finish the job and get by the Hawks.... it is not hard to see the Blues in the Western Conference Championship. But first they must not let up on the Wild and finish them off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radoran Posted April 17, 2017 Share Posted April 17, 2017 5 hours ago, pilldoc said: You can't win games if you can't score. Only 3 goals in 3 games will not win you hockey games. I blame Dubnyk #flyersfan But, seriously, I really must apologize to the Wild for picking Dubnyk, Granlund and Dumba. OK, so I didn't really pick Dumba (I blame @hf101) but, still, I digest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OccamsRazor Posted April 17, 2017 Share Posted April 17, 2017 8 hours ago, radoran said: I blame Dubnyk #flyersfan Exactly when you allows twice as many goals you're not going to win. You finally coming around. #simplemath Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WordsOfWisdom Posted April 17, 2017 Share Posted April 17, 2017 Somebody call a doctor! Those players in green are choking to death! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TropicalFruitGirl26 Posted April 17, 2017 Share Posted April 17, 2017 22 hours ago, pilldoc said: Wild are finished for this year.... Allen and the Blues pretty much put the Wild in an impossible position. You can't win games if you can't score. Only 3 goals in 3 games will not win you hockey games. Blues have been one of the hottest teams coming down the stretch. If the Predators somehow finish the job and get by the Hawks.... it is not hard to see the Blues in the Western Conference Championship. But first they must not let up on the Wild and finish them off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mojo1917 Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 All of the games in this series have been close, and if not for Allen playing way, way over his head the series could be over with Minnesota winning it. If there is to be another "miracle comeback from 0-3 down yada yada" this series could be your huckleberry. This series has been fun to watch, and it feels a little like the Boston/Philadelphia series from 2010 to me. I wouldn't be surprised to see this go the full 7 games, and IMO that would be good for the league because this series and the Caps v Leafs have been great showcases for our sport. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TropicalFruitGirl26 Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 Zach Parise was interviewed on the local air waves here in the Twin Cities prior to Game 4. He said there is a sense of frustration amongst his teammates, mainly stemming from the fact that they all feel they have played well enough to win, but only had one goal per game to show for it to that point. The Minnesota winger said that though the team is frustrated they have NOT given up and every man on the team and every coach behind that bench will be playing to the last second until the Blues make it official if it comes down to that. He also acknowledged that being in an 0-3 hole, the team has their work cut out for them and all they can do is focus on the next game. He did give praise to how well Allen and the St. Louis defense has played, but at the same time, said he felt like Minnesota deserved better to this point. Some people were down on Dubnyk after Minny fell to 0-3, including myself. But in looking at the numbers, the Wild goalie has actually played very well.....of course, the fly in that ointment was that Jake Allen's numbers were even better. Dubnyk: 1.86 GAA, .925 Sv% prior to Game 4....however, Allen: 0.96 GAA, .978 Sv%, also prior to Game 4. Yea, that pretty much tells it. Now, Duby's numbers got even better with the shut out and Allen giving up the two goals after Game 4, but of course, where it really counts is the match scoreboard, and that still reads Blues 3, Wild 1. Parise's approach, as one might expect, is simply to focus on the game at hand and not change too much, save for getting more traffic in front of Allen. It worked for Game 4. They will attempt to make it work again on Saturday for Game 5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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