What Game 4 can tell us about Game 5 between the Wild and Blues
Back and forth go the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues. After getting blown out in Game 3, the Blues rallied to take Game 4. What turned the tide? Here are some observations after the Blues’ 5-2 victory Sunday. Can they provide clues on what to expect in Game 5?
St. Louis came out hot and deserved to win, but the Wild did not quit.
The first half of the game was controlled by the Blues. Yet the score was tied 1-1 at the end of the first period despite St. Louis out-shooting Minnesota 18-5. The Wild started to find their game in the middle frame, but still trailed 2-1 heading into the third.
It felt like the tide was turning: the Blues were hanging on. And the Wild were pushing hard enough that I tweeted this:
12:30 left. If St. Louis just tries to hang on, they're going to lose.
— Mike McKenna (@MikeMcKenna56) May 8, 2022Turns out I was wrong. St. Louis did manage to hang on, adding two goals in the closing minutes to make it a 5-2 final. But the Wild showed why they’ve been so competitive this season: they grind. And they’re comfortable playing close games. That speaks to the character within the Wild locker room – they’re a pretty resilient group.
The performance of Ryan O’Reilly and Joel Eriksson Ek continues to predict the game’s outcome.
I wrote about this after Game 2, when Eriksson Ek was plus-3 and O’Reilly was minus-3. It held true in Game 3. Minnesota won 5-1, and Eriksson Ek was plus-2. O’Reilly was minus-2.
Fast forward to Game 4, and O’Reilly was outstanding in all situations. The Blues center scored once, added two assists, and finished the game plus-3. Eriksson Ek struggled, only generating two shots on goal and posting a minus-2 rating.
Penalties crushed Minnesota – again.
By this point, Wild head coach Dean Evason must be pulling his hair out when it comes to discipline. His team didn’t start the game on time – the Blues dominated the early going – and then Kevin Fiala took a four-minute double-minor for high sticking.
St. Louis didn’t score on the ensuing power play, but Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury was peppered with shots. And St. Louis gained a ton of momentum.
Minnesota forward Kirill Kaprizov may have scored at the 14:06 minute mark to tie the game 1-1, but the Wild once again found themselves shorthanded just a few minutes later when Joel Eriksson Ek took a high-sticking minor.
If Minnesota wants to move on to the second round, it cannot continue to take undisciplined penalties.
The Wild need more out of their power play.
Through four games, Minnesota has been on the man advantage 17 times, yet they’ve only been able to convert twice. And both goals were scored during Game 2 when the Wild won 6-2 on home ice.
That’s not good enough. Especially considering that St. Louis has scored a power play goal in all four games.
The eye test is striking. The Blues are constantly in motion on the power play, weaving around the offensive zone and zipping pucks through lanes. They’re able to expose seams and play with pace.
The Wild: not so much. They’ve looked sluggish and indecisive with the puck. And the Blues have done a solid job of applying pressure to the Wild’s most skilled passer, Mats Zuccarello. When the Wild aren’t able to filter pucks to Kirill Kaprizov, they’re lost.
Filtering shots from the point hasn’t worked very well for Minnesota. The Blues have been strong in front of their net and shown a willingness to block shots.
Special teams can determine a playoff series. And right now, it’s advantage St. Louis.
St. Louis refused to elevate the puck.
I’m not sure if this is an anomaly, or something the Blues are doing on purpose. But during Sunday’s game, St. Louis repeatedly shot low on Fleury. Of the 34 shots they put on net, only two were in the top third of the net.
It was even more noticeable during the Blues’ power play, especially when Vladimir Tarasenko was teeing up one-timers from the flank. He pounded several pucks into Fleury’s pads. St. Louis didn’t record a single shot on the power play that was above Fleury’s waist.
Remember Game 1, when Blues winger David Perron scored three goals off rebounds. I have to wonder if it’s been a point of emphasis within the St. Louis locker room to purposefully shoot low on initial opportunities. Or maybe they’re just trying to keep the puck away from Fleury’s glove. Either way, it’s something to keep an eye on.
In his first start of the 2021-22 Stanley Cup playoffs, Jordan Binnington outduelled Marc-Andre Fleury.
After Ville Husso dropped two games in a row to the Wild – and allowed 11 goals in the process – Blues head coach Craig Berube decided it was time for a change in net. Husso was out. Jordan Binnington was in.
Berube was rewarded with a strong performance from Binnington, who stopped 28 of 30 shots. The Blues backstop made several critical saves during the second half of the game and was able to stymie a resurgent Wild offense late in the third period.
Fans in the Enterprise Center gave a massive cheer when Binnington was announced as the first star of the game. They haven’t forgotten his heroics during the 2019 run to the Stanley Cup, and I’m sure it was an emotional lift for the Blues goaltender.
It’s been a long season for Binnington. He started off hot but lost his way midway through the campaign. It wasn’t until the final month of the season that Binnington began to look like himself once again.
It was only one game, but I think it was huge for Binnington. The Blues need him.