St. Louis hits California looking to stay hot
The Blues are riding a four-game winning streak, outscoring their opponents 13-9 during that span. But can Mike Yeo’s crew stay hot as it confronts one of the sport’s most intimidating netminders?
Jonathan Quick and the Kings welcome the Note to town tonight, with a 10 p.m. ET opening faceoff on the West Coast. Online sports book Bovada.lv gives the hosts odds of -165 to emerge victorious. St. Louis, on the other hand, enters Staples Center as a +145 underdog.
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As a result of knocking off the Islanders over the weekend, Yeo’s club moved three points ahead of Los Angeles for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference. Vladimir Tarasenko burned New York goalie Thomas Greiss for a pair of tallies in the 4-3 triumph, pushing his total to 32. Only Sidney Crosby and Max Pacioretty have netted more markers this season.
Whether No. 91 finds the same kind of success against Jonathan Quick remains to be seen. Since returning from a lengthy injury absence on Feb. 28, the perennial Olympian is 4-0-1 with a sparkling GAA and save percentage. Somewhat surprisingly, though, he only had to make 17 saves in Saturday’s 4-2 W against the East-leading Capitals.
But did the Kings (33-28-6) truly turn the corner with that effort vs. Washington? Darryl Sutter’s club has dealt with maddening inconsistency for the majority of the campaign, and Quick’s brilliance alone won’t ensure a takedown of the surging Blues (35-27-5). In the end, count on a low-scoring clash.
MONDAY NHL FREE PICK: BLUES/KINGS UNDER 5 GOALS