GDT #68: Blues vs Ducks | 6:00 pm CT | BSMW, 101 ESPN

[theohall]

BLUES The St. Louis Blues are feeling lucky this St. Patrick's Day, securing their third win in a row Saturday night against Minnesota. It took longer than they'd hoped, but the Blues pulled out a win in a shootout.

The Blues were leading 2-1 for most of the third period, but a late goal from Kirill Kaprizov sent the game into overtime, followed by a shootout. Both Brayden Schenn and Jordan Kyrou scored for the Blues, while Jordan Binnington stood tall to close out the game. Binnington made 21 of 23 saves in the win.

The Blues will want to maintain their momentum as they continue a four-game homestand. Colorado comes to Enterprise Center on Tuesday, and then St. Louis leaves for matchups in Ottawa and Minnesota.

With the win, the Blues (35-29-3) are inching closer to a playoff berth. They're still a point behind Minnesota, but they're only four points behind Vegas. While the Golden Knights hold the final Wild Card spot, they've been faltering, going 3-6-1 in their last 10 games.

For the Blues, games against struggling teams like the Ducks are their best chance to overtake Vegas.

DUCKS March hasn't been kind to the Anaheim Ducks. They're 2-6-0 this month, and the offense has all but disappeared. They haven't scored three or more in a game since March 1, and they've been shut out twice in a row.

St. Louis is the last stop of their four-game tour of the Central Division, which has been especially rough for the Ducks. They've played in Chicago, Minnesota and Winnipeg and lost 7-2, 2-0 and 6-0, respectively.

Anaheim is in the middle of a rebuild, which has led them to trade away some key pieces, such as Adam Henrique and Jamie Drysdale. While the Ducks still have young, talented players for the future - like Trevor Zegras and Mason McTavish - the team is struggling in the present.

The Ducks (23-41-3) are well out of playoff contention. They have the third-fewest points in the NHL, leading only San Jose and Chicago.

HEAD TO HEAD The Blues and Ducks play once more this season - April 7 in Anaheim. The Blues won the Nov. 19 meeting at Honda Center, 3-1. St. Louis has points in its last six games against Anaheim, going 5-0-1.

PLAYERS TO WATCH
BLUES Brayden Schenn broke an 18-game goal drought with the Blues' second goal Saturday. The captain scored in both regulation and the shootout, playing on a line with Thomas and Kyrou.

DUCKS Mason McTavish was the third pick of the 2021 NHL Draft, and he's become one of the league's exciting young forwards. The 21-year-old has 17 goals and 23 assists this season.

BLUE NOTES
This is the 28th game the Blues have played on St. Patrick's Day.

Robert Thomas assisted on Jordan Kyrou's goal Saturday night, marking Thomas' 300th career point. St. Louis' All-Star now has 81 goals and 219 assists in 381 games as a Blue.

In their last 22 games against Anaheim, since March 12, 2018, the Blues are 15-4-3 against the Ducks.

The Blues won all three games against the Ducks last season, with two of those wins at Enterprise Center.

Only lineup change is Hofer since this is a back-to-back.

[theohall]

Why has the Blues PP been 2 for the last 16? They stopped going to the net. The PP goal vs the Wild - 3 guys went to the net after the puck went to the blueline. That hasn't been happening and that 3 guys going to the net thing is what makes the PP work. It's a departure from staying in the stationary 1-3-1 which creates an overload directly in front of the net. Either the bumper who has moved down, or one of the wings who has moved in, will be open for a pass from the other wing or bumper whose moved in. It creates a 3-on-2 directly in front of the net and forces the defenders and goalie to pick somewhere to defend. No idea why these idiot players quit executing that strategy, but that failure to execute is showing again tonight (unless I haven't caught up yet, and they fixed it).

[theohall]

And 2 guys at the net - aren't enough. We've seen plenty of 2 guys there and it doesn't result in goals. If you go back over the past 2 months and see when the PP works, there are almost always 3 guys within 15 feet of the front of the net. That 3-on-2 in front matters. Teams have learned how to defend the 1-3-1 if you don't have Ovechkin shooting from a wing.

[theohall]

And while they are talking about Neighbours, he can actually play Center (since that's what he did in juniors).... Unlike Bolduc who is listed as a Center (yet never played it in Juniors), but will likely never play the position.

[theohall]

Blues are not doing any of the correct styles of play trying to "control the puck" the entire time vs a lesser team in the Ducks, instead of actually putting pucks deep, forechecking, and forcing the the Ducks to defend... which is their weakness.

[theohall]

This should've been way worse than 4-2. Blues didn't attack like they should've in the first. Should've been 6 or more to whatever the Ducks could score after 2 periods, but the Blues spent the first 2 periods screwing off instead of attacking this weak ass defensively structured team.