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ST LOUIS
MINNESOTA |
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Final
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| Western Conference Quarterfinals - Best of 7 - Game 4 - MIN Leads 2-1 | |
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| 69 | ST LOUIS | +115 | Ov 5,+100 | +120 | Ov 5,-105 | | 70 | MINNESOTA | -135 | Un 5,-120 | -140 | Un 5,-115 |
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| All Games | 52-33-0 | +7.6 | 52-33 | +7.6 | 37-31 | 3.0 | 30.6 | 2.5 | 27.2 | | Team Stats (Road Games) | 24-18-0 | +4.6 | 24-18 | +4.6 | 17-17 | 2.9 | 31.8 | 2.6 | 29.3 | | Last 5 Games | 3-2-0 | +0.6 | 3-2 | +0.6 | 2-2 | 2.4 | 22.6 | 2.2 | 25.0 | | Playoff Games | 1-2-0 | -1.4 | 1-2 | -1.4 | 1-1 | 2.0 | 21.7 | 2.7 | 26.0 | | vs. Division | 18-14-0 | -0.3 | 18-14 | -0.3 | 12-14 | 2.6 | 28.8 | 2.7 | 28.3 |
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| Team Stats (All Games) | 85 | 254 | 58 | 96 | 86 | 14 | 20 | 2600 | 9.8% | 256 | 57 | 22.3% | 430 | | Team Stats (Road Games) | 42 | 122 | 26 | 50 | 38 | 8 | 11 | 1334 | 9.1% | 122 | 31 | 25.4% | 202 | | Team Stats (Last 5 Games) | 5 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 113 | 10.6% | 12 | 3 | 25.0% | 20 | | Team Stats (Playoffs) | 3 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 65 | 9.2% | 5 | 1 | 20.0% | 10 | | Team Stats (vs. Division) | 32 | 84 | 15 | 39 | 24 | 6 | 8 | 923 | 9.1% | 97 | 15 | 15.5% | 135 | | Stats Against (All Games) | | 209 | 55 | 77 | 70 | 7 | 12 | 2311 | 9.0% | 265 | 44 | 16.6% | 353 | | Stats Against (Road Games) | | 109 | 31 | 42 | 31 | 5 | 5 | 1232 | 8.8% | 137 | 23 | 16.8% | 182 | | Stats Against (Last 5 Games) | | 11 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 125 | 8.8% | 14 | 3 | 21.4% | 19 | | Stats Against (Playoffs) | | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 78 | 10.3% | 8 | 2 | 25.0% | 13 | | Stats Against (vs. Division) | | 85 | 25 | 32 | 27 | 1 | 5 | 907 | 9.4% | 108 | 19 | 17.6% | 143 |
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| JAKE ALLEN (All Games) | 40 | 35 | 984 | 900 | 91.5% | 2 | 23-12 | +8.6 | 23-12-0 | +10 | 14-13 | | JAKE ALLEN (Road Games) | 20 | 18 | 528 | 484 | 91.7% | 1 | 11-7 | +3.9 | 11-7-0 | +4 | 4-8 | | JAKE ALLEN (vs. Division) | 16 | 14 | 429 | 396 | 92.3% | 1 | 8-6 | +0.6 | 8-6-0 | +1 | 4-7 | | JAKE ALLEN (Last 4 Games) | 4 | 4 | 97 | 91 | 93.8% | 1 | 2-2 | -0.4 | 2-2-0 | 0 | 1-2 | | JAKE ALLEN (Playoff Games) | 3 | 3 | 75 | 70 | 93.3% | 1 | 1-2 | -1.4 | 1-2-0 | -1 | 1-1 | | MARTIN BRODEUR (All Games) | 7 | 5 | 169 | 152 | 89.9% | 1 | 2-3 | -1 | 2-3-0 | -1 | 4-1 | | MARTIN BRODEUR (Road Games) | 5 | 3 | 119 | 104 | 87.4% | 0 | 0-3 | -3 | 0-3-0 | -3 | 3-0 | | MARTIN BRODEUR (vs. Division) | 3 | 2 | 50 | 46 | 92.0% | 1 | 1-1 | 0 | 1-1-0 | 0 | 1-1 | | MARTIN BRODEUR (Last 4 Games) | 4 | 3 | 96 | 86 | 89.6% | 1 | 1-2 | -1 | 1-2-0 | -1 | 2-1 | | MARTIN BRODEUR (Playoff Games) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 | 0-0 | | BRIAN ELLIOTT (All Games) | 46 | 45 | 1150 | 1054 | 91.7% | 5 | 27-18 | +0 | 27-18-0 | 0 | 19-17 | | BRIAN ELLIOTT (Road Games) | 22 | 21 | 583 | 538 | 92.3% | 3 | 13-8 | +3.7 | 13-8-0 | +4 | 10-9 | | BRIAN ELLIOTT (vs. Division) | 16 | 16 | 424 | 381 | 89.9% | 0 | 9-7 | -1 | 9-7-0 | 0 | 7-6 | | BRIAN ELLIOTT (Last 4 Games) | 4 | 4 | 94 | 81 | 86.2% | 0 | 2-2 | -2 | 2-2-0 | -2 | 3-0 | | BRIAN ELLIOTT (Playoff Games) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 | 0-0 |
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| All Games | 48-37-0 | +2.7 | 48-37 | +2.7 | 31-39 | 2.8 | 30.6 | 2.4 | 27.4 | | Team Stats (Home Games) | 23-19-0 | -6.4 | 23-19 | -6.4 | 17-17 | 3.1 | 31.6 | 2.5 | 25.0 | | Last 5 Games | 3-2-0 | +1.7 | 3-2 | +1.7 | 3-1 | 2.8 | 26.0 | 2.4 | 24.4 | | Playoff Games | 2-1-0 | +1.2 | 2-1 | +1.2 | 1-1 | 2.7 | 26.0 | 2.0 | 21.7 | | vs. Division | 19-13-0 | +5.4 | 19-13 | +5.4 | 13-14 | 2.9 | 30.6 | 2.4 | 28.4 |
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| Team Stats (All Games) | 85 | 239 | 66 | 74 | 91 | 8 | 16 | 2600 | 9.2% | 253 | 41 | 16.2% | 394 | | Team Stats (Home Games) | 42 | 130 | 41 | 43 | 43 | 3 | 7 | 1329 | 9.8% | 141 | 27 | 19.1% | 223 | | Team Stats (Last 5 Games) | 5 | 14 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 130 | 10.8% | 13 | 4 | 30.8% | 25 | | Team Stats (Playoffs) | 3 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 78 | 10.3% | 8 | 2 | 25.0% | 13 | | Team Stats (vs. Division) | 32 | 92 | 21 | 32 | 36 | 3 | 6 | 978 | 9.4% | 97 | 15 | 15.5% | 152 | | Stats Against (All Games) | | 207 | 53 | 76 | 70 | 8 | 10 | 2330 | 8.9% | 239 | 33 | 13.8% | 354 | | Stats Against (Home Games) | | 104 | 36 | 29 | 33 | 6 | 5 | 1052 | 9.9% | 123 | 15 | 12.2% | 175 | | Stats Against (Last 5 Games) | | 12 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 122 | 9.8% | 9 | 2 | 22.2% | 18 | | Stats Against (Playoffs) | | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 65 | 9.2% | 5 | 1 | 20.0% | 10 | | Stats Against (vs. Division) | | 78 | 16 | 32 | 26 | 4 | 4 | 910 | 8.6% | 98 | 13 | 13.3% | 125 |
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| NIKLAS BACKSTROM (All Games) | 19 | 14 | 452 | 401 | 88.7% | 1 | 5-9 | -4.5 | 5-9-0 | -4 | 7-5 | | NIKLAS BACKSTROM (Home Games) | 10 | 6 | 209 | 187 | 89.5% | 0 | 2-4 | -2.8 | 2-4-0 | -2 | 3-2 | | NIKLAS BACKSTROM (vs. Division) | 8 | 6 | 211 | 186 | 88.2% | 0 | 1-5 | -4.3 | 1-5-0 | -4 | 3-2 | | NIKLAS BACKSTROM (Last 4 Games) | 4 | 4 | 116 | 100 | 86.2% | 0 | 0-4 | -4 | 0-4-0 | -4 | 2-2 | | NIKLAS BACKSTROM (Playoff Games) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 | 0-0 | | JOHN CURRY (All Games) | 2 | 1 | 25 | 20 | 80.0% | 0 | 0-1 | -1.5 | 0-1-0 | -2 | 1-0 | | JOHN CURRY (Home Games) | 1 | 1 | 23 | 19 | 82.6% | 0 | 0-1 | -1.5 | 0-1-0 | -2 | 1-0 | | JOHN CURRY (vs. Division) | 1 | 1 | 23 | 19 | 82.6% | 0 | 0-1 | -1.5 | 0-1-0 | -2 | 1-0 | | JOHN CURRY (Last 4 Games) | 2 | 1 | 25 | 20 | 80.0% | 0 | 0-1 | -1.5 | 0-1-0 | -2 | 1-0 | | JOHN CURRY (Playoff Games) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 | 0-0 | | DEVAN DUBNYK (All Games) | 61 | 59 | 1689 | 1569 | 92.9% | 4 | 38-21 | +14.8 | 38-21-0 | +13 | 22-25 | | DEVAN DUBNYK (Home Games) | 30 | 29 | 793 | 733 | 92.4% | 3 | 17-12 | -0.9 | 17-12-0 | -1 | 9-13 | | DEVAN DUBNYK (vs. Division) | 28 | 27 | 797 | 747 | 93.7% | 3 | 18-9 | +10.8 | 18-9-0 | +9 | 9-13 | | DEVAN DUBNYK (Last 4 Games) | 4 | 4 | 78 | 70 | 89.7% | 1 | 2-2 | +0.1 | 2-2-0 | 0 | 2-1 | | DEVAN DUBNYK (Playoff Games) | 3 | 3 | 64 | 59 | 92.2% | 1 | 2-1 | +1.2 | 2-1-0 | +1 | 1-1 | | JOSH HARDING (All Games) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 | 0-0 | | JOSH HARDING (Home Games) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 | 0-0 | | JOSH HARDING (vs. Division) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 | 0-0 | | JOSH HARDING (Playoff Games) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 | 0-0 | | DARCY KUEMPER (All Games) | 31 | 28 | 718 | 650 | 90.5% | 2 | 14-14 | -2.4 | 14-14-0 | -1 | 11-14 | | DARCY KUEMPER (Home Games) | 15 | 14 | 286 | 253 | 88.5% | 2 | 8-6 | -0.8 | 8-6-0 | 0 | 7-6 | | DARCY KUEMPER (vs. Division) | 11 | 9 | 250 | 232 | 92.8% | 1 | 7-2 | +5.5 | 7-2-0 | +6 | 4-4 | | DARCY KUEMPER (Last 4 Games) | 4 | 2 | 83 | 76 | 91.6% | 0 | 1-1 | +0.2 | 1-1-0 | +1 | 2-0 | | DARCY KUEMPER (Playoff Games) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 | 0-0 |
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| | Average power rating of opponents played: ST LOUIS 3.18, MINNESOTA 3.14 |
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| 3/28/2015 | COLUMBUS | 2-4 | L | 0, -250 | L | 5.5 un | O | | 3/30/2015 | VANCOUVER | 1-4 | L | 0, -150 | L | 5 ov | P | | 4/2/2015 | CALGARY | 4-1 | W | 0, -145 | W | 5.5 un | U | | 4/3/2015 | at DALLAS | 7-5 | W | 0, -110 | W | 5.5 un | O | | 4/5/2015 | at CHICAGO | 2-1 | W | 0, +135 | W | 5 ov | U | | 4/7/2015 | WINNIPEG | 0-1 | L | 0, -140 | L | 5 ov | U | | 4/9/2015 | CHICAGO | 2-1 | W | 0, -125 | W | 5 ov | U | | 4/11/2015 | MINNESOTA | 4-2 | W | 0, -160 | W | 5 ov | O | | 4/16/2015 | MINNESOTA | 2-4 | L | 0, -135 | L | 5 un | O | | 4/18/2015 | MINNESOTA | 4-1 | W | 0, -130 | W | 5 un | P | | 4/20/2015 | at MINNESOTA | 0-3 | L | 0, +115 | L | 5 ev | U | | 4/22/2015 | at MINNESOTA | | | 4/24/2015 | MINNESOTA | |
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| 3/27/2015 | CALGARY | 4-2 | W | 0, -195 | W | 5 ov | O | | 3/28/2015 | LOS ANGELES | 4-1 | W | 0, +100 | W | 5 un | P | | 4/2/2015 | NY RANGERS | 2-3 | L | 0, -135 | L | 5 ev | P | | 4/4/2015 | DETROIT | 2-3 | L | 0, -155 | L | 5 ov | P | | 4/6/2015 | WINNIPEG | 0-2 | L | 0, -150 | L | 5 ov | U | | 4/7/2015 | at CHICAGO | 2-1 | W | 0, +130 | W | 5 ev | U | | 4/9/2015 | at NASHVILLE | 4-2 | W | 0, +155 | W | 5 ev | O | | 4/11/2015 | at ST LOUIS | 2-4 | L | 0, +140 | L | 5 ov | O | | 4/16/2015 | at ST LOUIS | 4-2 | W | 0, +115 | W | 5 un | O | | 4/18/2015 | at ST LOUIS | 1-4 | L | 0, +110 | L | 5 un | P | | 4/20/2015 | ST LOUIS | 3-0 | W | 0, -135 | W | 5 ev | U | | 4/22/2015 | ST LOUIS | | | 4/24/2015 | at ST LOUIS | |
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| |  | ST LOUIS: LAST SEASON: 52-23-7, 111 points. Tied for third overall in Western Conference, lost in first round to Chicago.
COACH: Ken Hitchcock, third full season with Blues. 124-55-20. 657-405-178 overall in 18 seasons, seventh on career win list.
ADDED: C Paul Stastny, C Jori Lehtera, D Carl Gunnarsson, C Colin Fraser, F Robby Fabbri.
LOST: G Ryan Miller, D Roman Polak, F Vladimir Sobotka, F Brenden Morrow.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Jaden Schwartz. Signing Stastny in free agency creates open ice for everyone else. Schwartz led team at plus-28 last season and scored 25 goals.
OUTLOOK: They've been among the NHL's best regular-season teams the last few seasons, and one of the stingiest, too. Last season they allowed the third-fewest goals, plus defensemen Alex Pietrangelo and Kevin Shattenkirk are highly productive joining the rush. They appear to have enough firepower to contend for an ever-elusive first Stanley Cup, although as usual there's plenty of competition at the top of the Western Conference. | | MINNESOTA: LAST SEASON: 43-27-12, 98 points. Lost to Chicago 4-2 in Western Conference semifinals after beating Colorado 4-3 in first round.
COACH: Mike Yeo, fourth season, 104-82-26.
ADDED: LW Thomas Vanek, LW Brett Sutter, D Justin Falk, D Stu Bickel.
LOST: RW Dany Heatley, LW Matt Moulson, D Clayton Stoner, C Cody McCormick, LW Mike Rupp.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Vanek signed a three-year, $19.5 million contract with the Wild after spending his first nine NHL seasons in the Eastern Conference, primarily with Buffalo. Vanek will be counted on for a scoring boost for a team that tied for 24th in the NHL in goals per game, but with Zach Parise and former Sabres teammate Jason Pominville among the top six forwards the onus is not all on him.
OUTLOOK: After advancing past the first round for only the second time in franchise history with a dramatic upset of the Central Division champion Avalanche, the Wild are on track for more with the addition of Vanek and the development of young forwards Mikael Granlund, Charlie Coyle, Erik Haula and Nino Niederreiter. The goalie situation is the biggest concern, with Niklas Backstrom and Darcy Kuemper returning as the top two after an injury-laden season at the position that forced the Wild to give four different players 19 starts or more in the net. |
| | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PA SPORTSTICKER NHL PLAYOFF PREVIEW (ST LOUIS-MINNESOTA) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(With AP Photos.)
*Blues-Wild Preview* ====================
By DAVE CAMPBELL AP Sports Writer
St Louis At Minnesota, Game Four, 9:30 p.m. EDT
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- The Minnesota Wild were built around speed.
Playing smart has been, and will continue to be, an equally important factor in their success in this playoff series against St. Louis.
The Blues are at their best with a grinding, combative style, and their attempts to goad the Wild into the rough stuff have so far fallen flat.
"We're always talking about it," Wild defenseman Ryan Suter said. "When something happens, you want to do something. We've made a thing in here, that you just smile and go have a good shift the next time out."
The Wild played a penalty-free Game 3 and beat the Blues 3-0 to take the lead in this Western Conference quarterfinal matchup.
Blues center Steve Ott has been at the forefront of the agitation, accumulating 22 penalty minutes, the second-most in the NHL playoffs. The Wild's disciplined response, though, has left their opponent as the one mired in frustration.
"Anger, disappointment, all the natural stuff," said Blues coach Ken Hitchcock, asked on Tuesday after practice about his team's emotions in defeat the night before.
"There's so much at stake in the playoffs. That's what makes it so much fun. But it's a pretty resilient group we've got here. We have to recognize not so much what they're doing to us, but what we're doing to ourselves. That's the adjustment that we have to make."
The Wild have the 2-1 edge largely because they've avoided adjusting. That's their Game 4 plan for Wednesday, too.
"We're not going to make a ton of changes here. It won't be anything that's going to take ourselves out of what we do and what we think we do best," coach Mike Yeo said.
"I think the biggest thing for us is just making sure we're focused on ourselves, focused on our start. Again, feed off the crowd."
The Wild's first line of wings Zach Parise and Jason Pominville and center Mikael Granlund were the stars on Monday, as Yeo used the home team's advantage on shift changes to avoid matchups with the best checkers from the Blues.
St. Louis' skill line of Alexander Steen, Jori Lehtera and Vladimir Tarasenko was on the ice for all three goals by Minnesota in Game 3.
"Well, I'm looking for it, but Mike won't give it to me," Hitchcock said, joking about the matchups. "We've got a little bit of an issue. I'll have to talk to him about that."
Said Blues captain David Backes: "They're dynamite on the rush. They've shown that all series."
The Wild have won three of the eight playoff series they've played in their history, but they've never held a 3-1 lead.
They've played well as the underdog in the past, but their ability to maintain momentum will be tested. So will their focus.
"I certainly would not expect them to carry anything of what happened last game into the next one," Yeo said of the Blues. "I think they did a good job of responding in Game 2 of the series, and I would expect them to collect themselves tomorrow as well."
Ott has become the public enemy of Wild fans for his antics, but both teams have largely dismissed his impact on the action. The crux of the story so far has been the Wild being too fast and too disciplined for the Blues.
"They've got a lot of team speed. They've got a lot of agility, so we have to play a game that's different than theirs," Hitchcock said.
"And when we get them in our game, it's extremely difficult for them. But when they get loose, they're awful good."
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| | Last Updated: 4/18/2024 6:10:20 AM EST. |
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