GDT: G2, R1| Blues @ Wild| 8:30pm| ESPN, BSMW|

[The Note]

When: Wednesday, May 4 at 8:30 p.m. CT
Where: Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN
Watch: Bally Sports Midwest, Bally Sports app, ESPN
Listen: 101 ESPN, Blues App

Blues lead 1-0


*Projected, I'll update if need be*

Saad-O'Reilly-Perron
Buchnevich-Thomas-Tarasenko
Barbashev-Schenn-Kyrou
Toropchenko-Bozak-Walker

Leddy-Parayko
Krug-Faulk
Mikkola-Bortuzzo

Husso

vs.



Kaprizov-Hartman-Zuccarello
Fiala-Gaudreau-Boldy
Greenway-Eriksson Ek-Foligno
Deslauriers-Jost-Duhaime

Middleton-The Trojan prince Paris
Brodin-Dumba
Merrill-Kulikov

Talbot/Fleury



Wild post game comments:



It seems the Blues may found Minnesota's Achilles Heel on special teams, so hopefully they continue to exploit that. Go Blues!

Click to read more...

 

[simon IC]

Live. (Why not, I'm up anyway)

 

[AjaxManifesto]

I'll be amazed if it's not a 1-1 series after tonight.

Blues need to be better and stay out of the box. Need more than DP doing damage to the Wild.

 

[Chet Manly]

I think the blues come out pissed tonight.

Wouldn't want to be in Spurgeon's shoes for the next week.

 

[AjaxManifesto]

5 on 5 play needs to be better

 

[Blanick]

Don't let the Spurgeon shenanigans get to you, keep your head and most importantly survive the initial push from Wild because I have a feeling they are going to come out flying.

I chose the Blues to win in 6 originally but if they can take a 2 game lead heading home I think it will end earlier than that. Wild are aware of the Blues domination of them the last few years and falling behind 2-0 with home ice could crush them mentally. That would be a long plane ride to St. Louis with the, "what do we have to do to beat these guys," thoughts festering.

 

[TheOrganist]

Not to simplify things, but this seems like one of those games that the team that scores first wins.

 

[GoBluz24]

Less "holding the stick" penalties (penalties in general) and better 5 vs 5 play. Continue to take advantage of special teams and more offensive zone time.

I believe this will be a 1 goal game tonight, maybe a two goal game with an empty netter with a tossup on who wins. I agree with #TheOrganist in that the first team to score probably wins the game but we'll see tonight.

LGB!!!

 

[Stealth JD]

Long-live the playoff whistles. May we flip the script and ride superb special-teams to another Championship.
5-on-5 play is over-rated anyway...just play for a tie at evens, and dominate at unevens.

Let's go Blues!

 

[Davimir Tarablad]

I hope the Blues make Spurgeon feel like Karlsson did by the end of the 2019 SJ series

 

[BlueDream]

PHYSICAL HOCKEY. Make them bleed and cry.

 

[The Note]

Fleury starting again

 

[Vektor]

Fleury starting again

I think Wild fans are unfairly blaming him but I still expected Talbot for game 2.

 

[The Note]

I think Wild fans are unfairly blaming him but I still expected Talbot for game 2.

I can't say I'm surprised. They went out and traded for MAF for this time of year, I didn't think they would make a swap already. To your point, I think there were/are bigger problems than just MAF. I do think the leash might be getting shorter though, even if it is a change more to get the team going than based on individual play.

 

[Joshuar56]

LOTS of pressure on the wild, hopefully they come out nervous and making mistakes.

 

[BluesBrother]

Quite a lot of wild fans left the building early in game 1 + some booing against their team. All the pressure is on wild. If Blues stay focused and keep grinding, I like our chances a lot. It will be a tough one, as it should be.

 

[Ginger Papa]

Hoping for another strong, physical start

Resulting in turnovers

To facilitate some sniping

Defensive play keeping up

And Husso to continue his solid play

Do all that, and I see

The Wild falling short

No matter how much the Home crowd tries to influence the officials

The Boys feeling good about themselves

Coming home up 2-0 in the Series

 

[BlueOil]

Fleury starting again

i think this shows how seriously evanson takes talbot's performances against the blues

fans may feel like talbot's their preference, but honestly, that's the blues too

 

[AjaxManifesto]

IMO we got a little lucky in game 1. DP and the PP was hot, the Wild failed to capitalize on our myriad of stupid penalties, and Husso was a rock.


We spent far more time playing in our own end (probably driven much by having to kill off penalties), but we appeared to be less effective at 5 on 5 play than I would have liked.

Keys tonight:
More discipline
Better O zone pressure
Husso continues to be a rock

 

[The Note]

Sounds like Leddy may be out?

 

[AjaxManifesto]

Rosen!!!

 

[BlueDream]

Not ideal. But then again, we've already done our job by taking game one. If the Wild can't beat us with Leddy and Scandella out of the lineup, then they're cooked.

 

[AjaxManifesto]

No Leddy.

Any news?

 

[The Note]

No Leddy.

Any news?

Game time decision

 

[CaliforniaBlues310]

JR posted again that Leddy is a gametime decision, and that they just gave him a maintenance day as far as practice.