Preview: Predators at Blues

[April 26, 2017]  Two familiar rivals who have saved their best for last this season will square off in the Western Conference semifinals when the Nashville Predators visit the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday in Game 1 of the best-of-seven series. The Blues and Predators finished third and fourth, respectively, in the Central Division before springing impressive first-round upsets.

Nashville finished as the eighth seed in the West but turned up its game in the postseason with a stunning four-game sweep of the top-seeded Chicago Blackhawks. “I think we match up well against any team,” St. Louis coach Mike Yeo told reporters. “But that said, I know that we’re playing a great team with a ton of confidence. They’re deep, they’ve got speed, they’ve got skill and they play a good game, so it’s going to be another great test for us.” The Blues were not as dominant in the opening round as the Predators, but they continued their stellar play since Yeo replaced Ken Hitchcock behind the bench and needed only five games to dispatch the Minnesota Wild, which finished seven points above St. Louis in the Central. Nashville won three of five regular-season meetings against St. Louis, but the teams played only once since December - a 4-1 Blues victory in St. Louis on April 2.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, CBC, TVAS

ABOUT THE PREDATORS: Pekka Rinne posted his fewest wins (31) in a full season since 2008-09 but the veteran netminder turned back the clock against the Blackhawks, stopping 123 of 126 shots and coming within 5 1/2 minutes of posting three shutouts in the series. Nashville's No. 1 line features 31-goal scorers Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson flanking center Ryan Johansen, who tied for the team lead in scoring during the regular season and torched Chicago with a goal and five assists. The Predators also feature an elite blue-line corps headed by the pairings of Roman Josi-Ryan Ellis and P.K. Subban-Mattias Ekholm, who each logged at least 20 minutes in all four games versus the Blackhawks.

ABOUT THE BLUES: Like Rinne, Jake Allen had his share of rocky moments in net during the regular season - to the point where he was left home during a road trip just prior to the All-Star break. Allen set the tone against the Wild with a 51-save performance on the road in Game 1 and turned aside 174 of 182 shots in the series, boosting his save percentage to .942 since Yeo took over for Hitchcock. While St. Louis forward Vladimir Tarasenko is the most dangerous offensive player on the ice for either side with 116 goals over the past three seasons, the return of linemate Paul Stastny from a month-long injury absence and the late-season addition of Vladimir Sobotka from the Kontinental Hockey League bolsters the team's balance.

OVERTIME

1. Tarasenko has 10 goals and 22 points in 24 games against Nashville.

2. Forsberg averages more than a point per game against the Blues with nine goals and nine assists in 16 contests.

3. St. Louis advanced to the conference finals last season while Nashville lost in the second round, but the teams have never met in the playoffs.

PREDICTION: Blues 3, Predators 2

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