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Wild vs Blues NHL 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs preview, odds, prediction

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2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs Western Conference: Central #2 Minnesota Wild vs. Central #3 St. Louis Blues How To Watch
Game Date Time (ET) Host TV
1 Monday, May 2 9:30 p.m. MIN ESPN
2 Wednesday, May 4 9:30 p.m. MIN ESPN
3 Friday, May 6 9:30 p.m. STL TNT
4 Sunday, May 8 4:30 p.m. STL TBS
5* TBD
6* TBD
7* TBD
*If necessary Tale of the Tape
Wild STAT Blues
53-22-7 (113 pts) Record 49-22-11 (109 pts)
3.77 (5th) Goals Per Game 3.81 (3rd)
3.07 (16th) Goals Allowed Per Game 2.95 (11th)
+57 Goal Differential +69
31-8-2 Home, 22-14-5 Away Home/Away Record 26-10-5 Home, 23-12-6 Away
20.95% (17th) Power Play 26.47% (2nd)
75.77% (26th) Penalty Kill 84.4% (5th)
Can’t Miss Offer From Caesars [sc name="caesars-banner"][/sc]   Minnesota leaders
Kirill Kaprizov Wild Kirill Kaprizov (Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports)
Kirill Kaprizov, LW:  47 goals, 61 assists, 108 points, 14 power-play goals Kevin Fiala, LW: 33 goals, 52 assists, 85 points Ryan Hartman, RW:  34 goals, 31 assists, 65 points St. Louis leaders:
Vladimir Tarasenko Vladimir Tarasenko (Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports)
Vladimir Tarasenko, RW: 34 goals, 48 assists, 82 points Pavel Buchnevich, LW: 30 goals, 46 assists, 76 points Ville Husso, G: 25-7-6, .919 SV%, 2.56 GAA Series Odds STL to win: +130 MIN to win: -150 *Courtesy of DraftKings, for more, click here. Series Prediction Wild win in 7 games (4-3) Two of the three meetings in the regular season required overtime while the other was at the Winter Classic on New Year's Day — so seeing St. Louis sweep the season series is to be taken with a grain of salt. The Wild have been one of the hottest teams in the NHL since the trade deadline when they acquired Marc-Andre Fleury from the Chicago Blackhawks. Since March 16, Minnesota is a superb 22-2-3. Its defense has carried the way having allowed two or fewer goals in 14 of their final 23 games. St. Louis was just as hot down the stretch, going 14-0-2 in a 16-game sprint from March 28-April 24. Both teams will have difficult goalie decisions to make heading into the playoffs. Fleury and All-Star Cam Talbot will be fighting for minutes for the Wild while the Blues have seen Ville Husso outplay Stanley Cup-winning netminder Jordan Binnington. Considering Minnesota's goaltending situation seems more stable, I'll take them to narrowly get past a high-powered Blues team that has a lethal power play. But it would be no surprise to see St. Louis advance, either. For more 2022 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs coverage, visit TailgateSports.com