St. Louis Blues vs Vancouver Canucks Prediction: Can the Canucks Rebound?
St. Louis Blues vs Vancouver Canucks Prediction: Can the Canucks Rebound?
The St. Louis Blues visit the Vancouver Canucks tonight in the second half of a home and home series. The Blues defeated the Canucks 4-1 on Monday, getting a great effort from Viille Husso as he got back on track with 35 saves. It will be interesting to see if Craig Berube sticks with Husso or goes to Binnington tonight, who has struggled all year long. The Western Conference playoff race is tight as the Blues hold the first Wildcard spot, they are one point behind Nashville for third in the Central. The Canucks are fighting for their playoff lives. Vancouver's 73 points put them four points behind Dallas for the final Wild Card spot. The problem is the Stars have three games in hand on the Canucks, who have to string together a winning streak if they want to have any chance of making the dance. The Nucks are home tonight after a four-game road trip that saw them go 2-1-1.
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St. Louis Blues vs Vancouver Canucks Prediction
Thatcher Demko is confirmed to start for Vancouver, who is the MVP of this team this season. The Young net-minder has a record of 28-19-5 with a 2.66 goals against average and a .917 save percentage. On home ice, those numbers are amplified. Demko has a home record of 13-10-2 with a 2.43 goals against average and a .926 save percentage. After winning their first 5 home games under Bruce Boudreau, the Canucks have gone just 6-10 on home ice, including a loss to this St. Louis team. On the season, at home, the Canucks average 2.79 goals per game and allow 2.63. Their home penalty kill has struggled as it is third worst at 71.7% and their home Power Play is middle of the pack at 23.1%, but they have scored 10 power play goals over their past 10 home games.
The St. Louis Blues have a road record of 15-11-5 where they average 3.35 goals per game and allow 2.97. Their road power play is second best at 28% and their road penalty kill is fourth best at 82.7%. The Blues definitely have the special teams advantage in this matchup. This time of the year you have to consider the desperation angle and overlook the numbers. The Canucks are in that desperate spot tonight, at home. I am expecting a big game out of Demko and company as the Canucks look to keep their unlikely playoff hopes alive.
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St. Louis Blues vs Vancouver Canucks Pick
Pick: Vancouver Canucks ML (-115) (Bet $115 to Win $100)
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Article Author
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Tone has been handicapping the four major sports for over twenty years. An NHL enthusiast, Tone’s expertise lies on the ice. He’s excelled and profited finding the right angles on NHL games, particularly with player props, game props, and game totals. A contributor to several gaming sites, you can follow him on Twitter @TonesTakes.