GET YOUR BEARDS READY!

For the five of you who read TOB’s most recent article (Editor's note:  it's at least 8), you saw where he called out the Puck Buddies for their lack of contribution. Well congrats…it worked.

Going into this postseason I was starting to think about how I felt about this year’s team compared to the one last season that made it to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2001. The team from last year had a distinct identity. They got a lead (most of the time), clamped down in the defensive zone, and hung on for dear life. This year’s team has been searching for an identity since day one. I understand they have been playing very well for the last two months or so but I they still have not been to establish a specific style of play. With this in mind I have actually been able to temper my expectations. In previous seasons the game ending was more relief than anything no matter what the result.

I actually made this comment to my brother in law last weekend and he laughed in my face. So maybe I will still be emotionally invested, but I vow to flip less than one couch this year…fuck you Corey Crawford.

Goaltending: It’s been a tale of two seasons for both Jake Allen and Devan Dubnyk. Allen was playing so poorly a couple months ago that the Blues actually left him at home for a road trip to let him sort things out. Since then he was been playing stellar, but it is still a bit unnerving to think that the Jake Allen from December and January is still in there somewhere waiting to rear his ugly head just in time for the playoffs. Dubnyk on the other hand has been on the opposite trajectory. He was a front runner for the Vezina until his recent struggles cost him a shot at the award and the Wild a chance at the #1 seed in the West. However, Dubnyk appears to be a more proven commodity at this point in his career and seems poised to right the ship. Nonetheless, both of them appear to be the most important factors in this series.

Advantage: Slight edge to Minnesota

Defense: The Kevin Shattenkirk trade seemed to correlate directly with the Blues drastically improved defense. People seem to want to think this is because Shattenkirk was a liability in the defensive zone (he is), or that Robert Bortuzzo was actually better than Shattenkirk (he’s not). The reason the Blues were able to shore things up in their own zone was the increased ice time for Alex Pietrangelo and Colton Parayko after the trade. Both the Blues and Wild have a solid if not excellent top 4. Pietrangelo and Ryan Suter are both legit #1 defenseman in this league. Jared Spurgeon compliments Suter very well and despite what Blues fans want you to think, Jay Bouwmeester is still a very effective shut down defenseman. Colton Paryako could be huge factor in this series if he is able to play up to 25 minutes a night (it will probably be close to 22). Combined with Pietrangelo’s 30 minutes every night, there is not a lot of time that needs to be given to the third pairing.  Oh right, Minnesota’s second pairing with Dumba and Scandella is also very solid.

Advantage: St. Louis

Forwards: The narrative you will probably hear all series long from the national media is “how big the Wild are down the middle”. While that may be true as Eric Staal, Mikko Koivu, and Martin Hanzal all stand taller than 6’ 3”. However, the Blues are not necessarily small as Berglund, Lehtera (if he’s playing C), and Brodziak all stand 6’ 2” or taller. The reason you will continue hear about the Wild’s centers as opposed to the Blues, is simple, they’re better. While the Blues have the only true superstar in this series, the Wild have much more balanced scoring as they can run three lines out that are dangerous (also keep an eye out for old fan favorite Chris Stewart). At this point we don’t even know what the Blues third line will be. There are a number of different combinations the Blues can run out in Game 1. I see this as more of a negative. They have managed to collect a litany of third line forwards that could at some point sneak into the lineup if the current line falters. Lehtera will be in the lineup whether Blues fans like it or not. He is a big body who is responsible in his own end and although it may be sacrilege to say so, he has shown some flashes of the player that Army signed to that ridiculous extension. This can change based if Paul Stastny ends up playing but he’s currently is on the dreaded “week-to-week” timetable (everyone knows it’s a broken foot but the NHL does not force team to disclose injuries).  However, the Wild have too many talented players that can move up and down the lineup and create problems for the Blues.  

Advantage: Minnesota

Coaching: While coaching will play a large role in making adjustments from game to game it is the players on the ice who will decide this series. Also, I am in no way qualified to make this analysis. All I know is you just want to make it to Game 7 against a team coached by Bruce Boudreau.

Advantage: Push (Editor's Note:  Way To Take a Stand)

Series prediction: I have always told myself that anyone who picks a series to go 7 games is basically saying they have no clue who is going to win the series. So having said that…Blues in 7

-Puck Buddy #1