Blues vs. Wild: Preview and Prediction for the 2015 NHL Playoffs Matchup

The St. Louis Blues are hoping to change their playoff script this time around.

The Blues have been one of the most successful regular-season teams in recent years, finishing with 109 points or more in the last three full seasons. However, the playoffs have been nothing but heartbreak. They have lost twice in the first round and once in the conference semifinal round.

Head coach Ken Hitchcock's team comes into the playoffs having won five of its last six games. The Minnesota Wild bounced back from a miserable start and were among the best teams in the league in the second half of the year (28-9-3 in their last 40 games).

Much of that is due to the outstanding play of goaltender Devan Dubnyk, who came aboard Jan. 15 and was spectacular for the Wild. If he can continue his stellar play in goal, the Wild could go a long way in the postseason.

Still, beating the Blues will not be easy. St. Louis, the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, won 53.4 percent of its faceoffs, and that's the best of all playoff teams. When players like Vladimir Tarasenko, Jaden Schwartz and T.J. Oshie have possession of the puck, the Blues often dominate for long stretches.

The Wild killed off 86.3 percent of opposing power plays and ranked first in the league in that category.

Those two aspects will be worth watching in this series, but several others deserve a look too. This slideshow will look at every aspect of this series and offer the complete TV schedule.

Regular-Season Recap

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St. Louis Blues

After getting off to an indifferent start that saw them lose four of their first six games, the Blues (51-24-7) got back on track and showed the league they would once again take on the role of strong Western Conference contenders when they won 10 of their next 11 games.

After that surge, the Blues played with confidence the rest of the season and showed the ability to come up with big performances when they needed them most. That was an important factor, because the team lost much of its belief when it lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in last year's first-round playoff series. The Blues' strong regular-season finish allowed them to win the Central Division, and they come into the postseason with a determination to make up for past failures.

Minnesota Wild

The Wild (46-28-8) were one of the most disappointing teams in the league through the middle of January. When a video of head coach Mike Yeo emerged berating his team at a practice, it did not appear that the Wild would have an opportunity to play in the postseason.

Poor goaltending was among their biggest problems, but they solved that issue when they brought Devan Dubnyk aboard. While he had lacked a strong pedigree—he had failed to establish himself with Edmonton, Nashville or Arizona—it all came together when he slipped on a Wild jersey. The team won 16 of its next 19, and Minnesota turned its fortunes around.

Schedule and TV Info

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Game 1
Thursday, April 16
9:30 p.m. ET
Minnesota at St. Louis
NBCSN, SN 360, TVA Sports

Game 2
Saturday, April 18
3 p.m. ET
Minnesota at St. Louis
NBC, Sportsnet, TVA Sports

Game 3
Monday, April 20 
8 p.m. ET
St. Louis at Minnesota
CNBC, SN1, TVA Sports

Game 4
Wednesday, April 22 
9:30 p.m. ET
St. Louis at Minnesota
NBCSN, SN 360, TVA Sports

Game 5*
Friday, April 24 
TBD 
Minnesota at St. Louis
TBD 

Game 6*
Sunday, April 26 
TBD 
St. Louis at Minnesota
TBD 

Game 7*
Wednesday, April 29
TBD 
Minnesota at St. Louis 
TBD 

*If necessary.

Key Storylines

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Can Dubnyk continue to work his magic?

The Minnesota Wild were in need of a legitimate goaltender, and Devan Dubnyk was in need of a legitimate opportunity with a solid team when the two came together in mid-January. He had done little to distinguish himself throughout his NHL career, and few thought he was the answer for the Wild when he took the ice Jan. 15 for his new team against the Buffalo Sabres. But he went on to record a 27-9-2 record with the Blues and provided them with just the shot in the arm that they needed.

Dubnyk, a 6'6" mountain of a man in the net, will try to continue his hot streak at the most important time of the season.

Will the Blues finally discover the formula for postseason magic?

The Blues have suffered consistent heartbreak in the postseason. While they have been recognized as one of the elite regular-season teams, they have won just one playoff series in the past three years. They defeated the San Jose Sharks in five games in 2011-12, but were swept in the following round by the Los Angeles Kings. They suffered a six-game defeat against the Kings the following year and were beaten in six games in the opening round by the Chicago Blackhawks in six games last year.

There's no doubt that the Blues are hungry to win, but can they overcome their playoff difficulties?

Can Tarasenko carry the Blues on his back?

Championship teams don't usually rely on one player to see them through four series. They need a team contribution if they are eventually going to lift the cup. However, those championship teams may have one sniper who scores a high number of huge goals, including spectacular winners in overtime.

Vladimir Tarasenko could assume that role for the Blues this year. He scored 37 goals this season, and he has a vicious wrist shot that can get the best of any goaltender. If he gets hot, the Blues will have a chance to fulfill their championship aspirations.

Players to Watch

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Zach Parise, Minnesota Wild

The Minnesota Wild signed Zach Parise as a free agent prior to the 2012-13 season because of his ability to play outstanding hockey in the playoffs. They need him to be a game-changer in this series with his work ethic, instincts and talent.

Parise scored 33 goals and 29 assists this season, and 11 of his goals came on the power play. He will try to meet or exceed his 2012 postseason performance when he scored eight goals and seven assists for the Stanley Cup runner-up New Jersey Devils.

Jaden Schwartz, St. Louis Blues

Jaden Schwartz has emerged as one of the NHL's coming stars, and the 22-year-old appears to have the form to play spectacularly for the Blues. Schwartz scored 25 goals and 31 assists in 2013-14, and he followed that up with 28 goals and 35 assists this year. He is a gifted athlete, and his instincts allow him to swoop into the offensive zone and quickly pounce on the puck and create scoring chances.

Ryan Suter, Minnesota Wild

Ryan Suter is one of the best defensemen in the league, and he has been at that level for several years. Suter is a tough, physical defenseman who can also get the job done on the offensive end with his solid shot and passing ability. However, it's his physical play that often makes the difference. The 6'1", 198-pounder will not hesitate to punish players his size or bigger, and he also excels at taking the puck away after making the big hit.

Goaltender Breakdown

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Devan Dubnyk, Minnesota Wild

If this is a dream, Dubnyk does not want to wake up anytime soon. He has taken advantage of his opportunity with the Wild and performed in spectacular and unexpected fashion. Dubnyk played 39 regular-season games for the Wild and had a shocking 1.78 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage. Dubnyk's previous work had been quite inconsistent, but he comes into the playoffs with overwhelming momentum.

Jake Allen and Brian Elliott, St. Louis Blues

The Blues come into the playoff with two capable goaltenders. Head coach Ken Hitchcock has to decide which of his goaltenders is going to get the bulk of the action. He is hoping that one of them will make the decision easy for him by getting hot. Allen had a 22-7-4 record along with a 2.28 GAA and .913 save percentage. Elliott was 26-14-3 this season with a 2.26 GAA and .917 save percentage.

Biggest Mismatch: Trailing After the First Period

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The Minnesota Wild proved to be a resilient team this year after overcoming an awful start that had them deep among the also-rans in the middle of January. But once they started to play well, the Wild did it by excelling for the first 40 minutes and then hanging on or playing a dominant game for all 60 minutes.

However, when the Wild fell behind after one period, they rarely displayed the tenacity to come back in games. The Wild had a winning percentage of .297 when they trailed after a period, which ranked just 21st in the league.

The Blues were fairly adept at coming back from early deficits. They had a winning percentage of .417 after trailing at the end of the first period, and that ranked ninth. 

Teams that find success in the Stanley Cup playoffs regularly overcome deficits, so that would seem to work in the Blues' favor if the current trends for both teams continue.

The Blues Will Win If Their Goaltending Comes Through

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In losing their last three playoff series, the Blues could not match the goaltending that the Kings (twice) and the Blackhawks received. 

That has to be Ken Hitchcock's biggest need as the playoffs get underway. No matter how strong his four lines are or how consistently his defensemen play, Hitchcock is going to need his goaltending to make consistent saves in the third period or overtime.

Is Jake Allen really capable of winning the biggest games under the brightest lights? While he has performed well this year, he has played in just one Stanley Cup playoff game in his career.

Brian Elliott has a career 2.55 GAA and .898 save percentage in the postseason. Is he suddenly going to find winning form, or will he play to that level again?

The Wild Will Win If They Can Find Consistent Offense

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Zach Parise and Ryan Suter will give the Wild leadership, but they are going to need plenty of help to get past a talented team like the Blues.

The Wild have a number of talented players who can carry the load, and Mike Yeo is going to need production from speedy Jason Zucker (21 goals), sharpshooting Thomas Vanek (21 goals) and opportunistic Jason Pominville (18 goals) if Minnesota is going to win here.

Zucker is a hardworking hustler who is not afraid to go to the most punishing areas of the ice to score goals. Vanek got hot at the end of the season, but he has not been the most consistent player throughout the majority of his career. Pominville also tends to be an up-and-down performer.

The Wild have to look at the Blues' goaltending as being somewhat vulnerable, so look for them to attack the net with ferocity.

Prediction: Wild in 7

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The seventh-seeded Wild have more than enough momentum to push the second-seeded Blues hard in this series. While the Blues are likely to come out firing in their first two games at home, the Wild should be good enough to answer in kind when the series moves to the Xcel Energy Center.

The longer the series goes, the more the pressure will mount on the Blues because of their past playoff failures. Expect the home team to win each of the first six games.

However, Minnesota will come into the seventh game as the underdog, and the Wild will play loose and effective hockey. Minnesota won a seventh game on the road last year against Colorado, and Mike Yeo's team will do the same thing here against the heartbroken Blues.