– Photo by Scott Rovak/NHLI via Getty Images
After tying the series at two games a piece, the St. Louis Blues fell, 4-1, to the Minnesota Wild at the Scottrade Center.
The loss puts the series at three games to two in favor the lower-seed Wild. In order to advance, the Blues must now win both game six and seven to advance to play the winner for the Chicago/Nashville series.
Despite the loss, the Blues out-chanced and out-shot the Wild by a count of 37-19. However, Jake Allen allowed four goals and made just 15 saves on the night leading to the loss. 13 out of the 19 shots for the Wild came in the second where Minnesota scored two of its four goals.
Offensively it wasn’t much better for St. Louis. After Vladamir Tarasenko’s league-leading seventh point and sixth goal of the playoffs, the Blues failed to score in the 51:56 remaining in regulation.
Despite the loss, the Blues struck first in the first period thanks to Tarasenko’s goal. With the power play winding down, Jaden Schwartz passed down low to Alexander Steen who walked the goal line before finding Tarasenko back door to make it 1-0. The goal now gives Tarasenko ten goals in his 12 career playoff games.
The Blues notched the first eight shots of the game, and it took Minnesota 11:06 to get its first shot. But, it would be all Wild on the scoreboard from that point on despite the lack of chances.
On the Wild’s first shot of the game, Marco Scandella received the pass entering the zone and took a slap shot from a low-scoring area on the ice. Allen got a piece of the puck with his glove, but the puck trickled over the glove of Allen and into the back of the net to tie the game at one.
In the second period, former member of the Blues Chris Stewart battled with Zbynek Michalek for the pick. Stewart shielded off Michalek and moved toward the net before passing to Nino Niederreiter in the high slot. Niederreiter shot and scored off the cross-bar to give the Wild its first lead of the game with under six minutes remaining in the period.
Minnesota was not finished yet as they tallied another goal in the period, this time on the power play. Mikko Koivu and Zach Parise cycled the puck in the corner before Koivu passed across the net attempting to get the puck to Stewart. Allen had his stick out in front of him and deflected the puck back and into his own net to make it 3-1 Wild.
Charlie Coyle added another goal for the Wild in the third period to cap off four unanswered goals for Minnesota leading to the win.
Game six will be back in Minnesota as the Wild can eliminate St. Louis with a win. The game will be Sunday, Apr. 25 at 2 p.m.
