Blues-Predators Preview: 3 storylines to watch in 2nd-round matchup

It's the matchup that was never supposed to happen.

The Nashville Predators pulled off the mother of all upsets in the first round, knocking out the Western Conference-leading Chicago Blackhawks in a clean sweep. The St. Louis Blues then followed that up with a 4-1 series win over the No. 2-ranked Minnesota Wild.

So here we are.

The Predators and Blues will now battle for a spot in the Western Conference Final. This series looks to be a battle of two defensive specialists, but that's just one of the storylines to keep an eye on heading into this second-round clash.

Will Tarasenko break out?

The Blues just aren't the same team without Vladimir Tarasenko.

No, the Russian forward hasn't been injured, but with just one goal and only two helpers in the previous series, it's clear the Blues will be wanting more from their offensive dynamo.

Tararensko had 16 more goals than his closest teammate and 20 more points during the 2016-17 campaign. He also led his club with nine power-play goals during the regular season and the team could certainly use more of those.

So it's time for him to get back on track. During his playoff career he has averaged at least one goal every other game and that's exactly what the Blues would like to see from the 25-year-old.

The Blues need Tarasenko to be at his best. That being said, if the Predators can keep him in check, they will certainly help their chances of escaping the series with a win.

Rinne vs. Allen

Don't expect any blowouts here.

This matchup will feature the two hottest goalies going in Pekka Rinne and Jake Allen. In fact, these two men both arguably won their team's first-round series single-handedly.

Goalie	GP	Save Percentage	Goals-Against Average	Shutouts
Rinne	4	.976	0.70	2
Allen	5	.956	1.47	0

Rinne certainly has the edge in the numbers, thanks in large part to the two goose eggs he posted in the first two games against the Blackhawks, but it should be noted that Allen has been the busier of the two, having faced an average of nearly five more shots per game.

That being said, it sure looks like we have the makings of a real goaltending duel on our hands.

Can Blues up their game?

Minnesota dominated St. Louis in their first round series, just ask head coach Bruce Boudreau.

The Wild were the better team, but still the Blues reigned victorious thanks in large part to the man mentioned above. The Blues were out-dueled in almost every aspect of the game and sit in the playoff basement in several important categories.

They rank last among all postseason clubs in shots per game (26.8), shots against per game (38.8), tied for last in power play proficiency (6.7 percent), and rank second-last among teams remaining in goals per game (2.20).

It's becoming quite clear that this is not a winning formula, and while they may have escaped the first round, they cannot depend on Allen to save the day once again.

Mike Yeo must get his club back to controlling some of the play if they are to advance to the next round.

Betting Line

Team	Moneyline
Predators	-125
Blues	+105

(Odds courtesy: Bodog)

Prediction

As mentioned above, this should be a tight one.

Both teams muscled their way to the second round on the backs of great goaltending and solid play in their own end. However, recent trends in these playoffs suggest the Predators have the edge.

While the Blues got by almost entirely on goaltending, the Predators got both great performances from Rinne and solid offensive contributions in the first round.

The team averaged 3.25 goals per game, good enough for third in the postseason behind the Pittsburgh Penguins and Anaheim Ducks. The Predators are averaging the highest percentage of goals scored at 5-on-5, while just seven of the Blues' 11 goals have come at full strength.

The Predators also own the more well-rounded and versatile defense core. We could see some ugly looking hockey, but when all is said and done, the Predators are likely to prevail.

Schedule

Game	Date	Time	Home	Away	TV
1	Wed. April 26	8 pm	STL	NAS	NBCSN / CBC / TVA Sports
2	Fri. April 28	8 pm	STL	NAS	NBCSN / CBC / TVA Sports
3	Sun. April 30	3 pm	NAS	STL	NBC / Sportsnet / TVA Sports
4	Tues. May 2	9:30 pm	NAS	STL	NBCSN / Sportsnet / TVA Sports
*5	Fri. May 5	TBD	STL	NAS	TBD
*6	Sun. May 7	TBD	NAS	STL	TBD
*7	Tues. May 9	TBD	STL	NAS	TBD

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)

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