Blues embarrass Wild, Devan Dubnyk in 6-1 thrashing
The St. Louis Blues weren't even going to entertain the idea of a 3-1 series deficit.
St. Louis scored three goals in less than five minutes early in the first period and chased Devan Dubnyk with another trio in the second, cruising to a 6-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild and evening their opening-round series at two games apiece.
The Blues hit their stride for the first time in the postseason, but that might not be Minnesota's foremost concern. The Wild reverted back to a problematic past, having their competitive drive wane in response to poor goaltending.
St. Louis will look to become the first team to record back-to-back wins in the series Friday in Game 5.
Star Performer: Vladimir Tarasenko was his typical studly postseason self. He scored his eighth and ninth goal in just his 11th playoff game, including arguably the goal of the tournament thus far (more on that later).
Turning Point: This one only went in one direction. Off the hop, Ryan Reaves, Tarasenko and David Backes scored on three straight shots before the Wild could send two pucks on Jake Allen.
Goalie Comparison: Allen was beaten only once, on a gorgeous shot from Jared Spurgeon, and provided little indication that he'll release his grip on the crease any time soon.
| Goalie | Shots | GA | Saves | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allen | 18 | 1 | 17 | 0.944 |
| Dubnyk | 17 | 6 | 11 | 0.647 |
| Kuemper | 9 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
Top Highlight: There's not a move that teases and tortures more than The Tarasenko. And it's even sweeter in the postseason.
Stat of the Day: With three helpers, Kevin Shattenkirk is now just one assist shy of the club record for a single series. He'll match Joe Micheletti at eight with one more.
Series at a Glance:
Game 1: Wild 4, Blues 2
Game 2: Blues 4, Wild 1
Game 3: Wild 3, Blues 0
Game 4: Blues 6, Wild 1
Game 5: Friday, April 24, 9:30 p.m. ET
Game 6: Sunday, April 26, TBA
Game 7*: Wednesday, April 29, TBA
*If necessary