Game Notes: Game 5 at Wild

Game 4 marked the Blues' first loss in five games against the Wild. Now with a 3-1 lead, the Blues are back in Minnesota where they have won three consecutive games at Xcel Energy Center. St. Louis has held a 3-1 lead on nine previous occasions in their history. They went on to win eight of those series with the only loss coming in 2003 to Vancouver. The Blues have been outstanding on the road recently, winning eight of their last nine games (reg. + postseason) while outscoring their opponents 29-14 over that stretch. Defense has been the key to their success, as they have allowed two or fewer goals in six of their last eight away games, including one or less five times.

What to Watch

Vladimir Tarasenko has been a strong player for the Blues in this series though he has yet to find the back of the net. Tarasenko is averaging a point-per-game and 5.1 shots on goal over his last nine road games (reg. + postseason), while he's collected 14 points in (eight goals, six assists) in 16 career outings at Xcel Energy Center. The last time the Blues and Wild met in the postseason, Tarasenko logged six goals on just 14 shots (42.8 percent).

Quick Hits

• After accumulating a minus-44 differential in faceoff wins through Games 1-3, the Blues won 30 to the Wild's 31 in Game 4
• The Blues have allowed two or fewer goals in four consecutive postseason games for the first time since their first-round series with Vancouver in 2003 (Games 1-4)
• Power plays have not been much of a factor in the 2016-17 series (reg. + postseason) between the Blues and Wild as the two teams have combined to go 4-for-47 with the man-advantage
• The teams to score first have a combined record of 23-8 this postseason

50th Anniversary Throwback Note

On this day in 1994, Paul Cavallini scored a power-play goal at 8:34 of overtime to lead the Stars to a 5-4 win over the Blues at St. Louis in Game 3 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals. Dallas took a 3-0 lead in their first-round series.