GDT #56: Blues vs. Wild | 7:00 pm CT | BSMW, 101 ESPN, NHL.TV Free
Posted: Thu May 13, 2021 1:50 pm
Final regular season game. Let's go.
Despite all the hurdles - injuries, rescheduled games and playing in a pandemic - the St. Louis Blues will reach the final game of the regular season on Thursday night when they host the Minnesota Wild at Enterprise Center.
The Blues beat the Wild 4-0 on Wednesday night, which prevented Minnesota from being able to claim home-ice advantage in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Blues are locked into fourth place and will know their first-round opponent late Thursday. If the Colorado Avalanche beat the Los Angeles Kings, the Blues will meet the Avalanche. If Colorado loses in any fashion, the Blues will meet the Vegas Golden Knights.
Game 1 will be Monday night at 9 p.m. CT.
"Whichever team we play, it's going to be a good test," Blues defenseman Torey Krug said. "Both teams, I don't know if they want to play us, to be honest with you. We're going to be a tough out, and I think everybody is excited about it and champing at the bit. One more game and we'll figure it out."
As for Thursday's regular-season finale with the Wild, Blues Head Coach Craig Berube said several of his players were "banged up," so the lineup for the game won't be likely to be available until closer to warm-ups.
THE SERIES SO FAR
March 25: Wild 2, Blues 0
The Blues fired 37 shots on goal and limited the Wild to only 11 shots, but still fell 2-0 at Xcel Energy Center. Cam Talbot recorded a 37-save shutout to extend Minnesota's home winning streak to 11 games.
April 9: Blues 9, Wild 1
Ryan O'Reilly scored his second career hat trick en route to a statement 9-1 Blues' win at Enterprise Center. Justin Faulk and Sammy Blais each had a goal and two assists and Jaden Schwartz scored two goals to give the Wild their most lopsided loss in franchise history - never before had the Wild given up nine goals in a single game. The nine goals for the the Blues was the highest for St. Louis since a 10-3 win against the Detroit Red Wings on March 30, 2011.
April 10: Blues 3, Wild 2 (OT)
With the St. Louis Blues trailing 2-1 in the final minute, Mike Hoffman delivered a game-tying goal with Ville Husso pulled and 42 seconds left in regulation. It was Hoffman's second goal of the game after being a healthy scratch in the previous two games. Then, with two seconds left in overtime, Ryan O'Reilly roofed a backhand shot over goalie Cam Talbot's shoulder to cap off a dramatic win at Enterprise Center - the Blues' third straight.
April 28: Blues 4, Wild 3
Minnesota led 3-1 after 40 minutes but the Blues would not be denied, rallying back to earn a regulation win at Xcel Energy Center in dramatic fashion. Mike Hoffman had two power-play goals in the game, and Jordan Kyrou tied it at 3-3 in the third period. Then, with 23 seconds left in regulation, Robert Thomas beat goalie Cam Talbot to seal a win for the Blues.
April 29: Blues 5, Wild 4 (OT)
Ryan O'Reilly scored two goals - including the overtime game-winner with 1:17 left on the clock - to secure a big two points for his team in the race for the final playoff spot in the West Division. Sammy Blais, Tyler Bozak and Marco Scandella added goals for the Blues, who won their fourth straight overall and gained a five-point edge on the Arizona Coyotes for the final playoff position.
May 1: Wild 4, Blues 3 (OT)
A 3-1 lead for the Blues disappeared in the third period against the Minnesota Wild on May 1 at Xcel Energy Center. Nico Sturm scored at 14:09 of the third and Jonas Brodin tied the game with one minute remaining in regulation for the Wild. In overtime, Kevin Fiala scored to keep the Wild from being swept in their three-game set with the Blues.
May 12: Blues 4, Wild 0
Ville Husso made 31 saves to record his first career NHL shutout in a 4-0 win against the Minnesota wild at Enterprise Center. David Perron had a goal and two assists while Torey Krug, Jaden Schwartz and Ivan Barbashev also contributed goals for the Blues.
BLUE NOTES
If he plays Thursday, David Perron (55 points) could become the first Blue to post a point-per-game average since Pavol Demitra during the 2002-03 season… Torey Krug's next assist will be the 300th of his career… The Blues are 3-0 against the Minnesota Wild at Enterprise Center this season and have outscored Minnesota 16-3 at home… Jordan Binnington is 5-1-1 with a 1.72 goals-against average and a .941 save-percentage in his career against the Wild.
