NHL Playoffs: Predictions for May 23rd

Let’s take a look at the top picks, plays and predictions for the Western Conference Final.

Here are tonight’s starting goaltenders, courtesy of LeftWingLock.

The night before Game 4 of the Western Conference Final, Ken Hitchcock announced that he was officially making the switch in goal from Brian Elliott to Jake Allen. The move could be perceived not so much as a critique of Elliott’s performance, but more a message to the team. The Sharks put six goals past Elliott in Games 2 and 3, plus an empty netter. The Blues failed to score in those two games. They needed a wakeup call.

They woke up.

Troy Brouwer buried his sixth goal of the postseason six minutes into the game on the powerplay. Robby Fabbri picked up his 11th assist of the playoffs with his one-touch pass to set up Brouwer’s one timer from in close.

The Blues forecheck was on the prowl just a few minutes later, as Fabbri broke up an attempt at a clearing pass in the offensive zone. Fabbri then dropped it back to Jori Lehtera. Lehtera’s shot was saved, and as he collected his own rebound, he fed Fabbri who was promptly denied by an acrobatic effort by Martin Jones. It would be for naught, though, as Lehtera would stuff in the rebound to put the Blues up 2-0.

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Kyle Brodziak got in on the scoring with his first goal and point of the playoffs in the second period. With the Blues shorthanded, Jaden Schwartz led a 2-on-1. Brodziak received the puck and picked the far high corner, catching Jones cheating to the short side.

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Brodziak would waste no time getting his second goal of the postseason, as just four minutes later the Blues’ fourth line went to work in the attacking zone. Magnus Paajarvi pounced on a loose puck after a battle along the boards and threw it at the net. Dmitrij Jaskin tried to chop the puck in, but it popped behind the net. Jaskin quickly wired the puck to Brodziak for the one-timer in front.

After being held off the scoresheet for two games, the Blues had four goals in 30 minutes.

I also would like to point out that the Blues’ fourth line is by far the hardest to spell in hockey, so thanks for that guys.

Joe Pavelski would get the Sharks on the board a minute into the third by tapping in a perfectly placed pass from Joe Thornton.

Brouwer would retaliate minutes later with a powerplay goal. Brouwer deflected a long-distance shot from Alexander Steen mere seconds into the man advantage.

Chris Tierney would try to keep things interesting with a bad-angle goal with 13 minutes remaining in regulation, but the Sharks would be unable to get anything past Jake Allen in the ensuing 10 minutes. Alex Pietrangelo would grab an empty netter and the Blues emerged victorious, 6-3.

Jake Allen saved 31 of 34 shots. He came up with the save when he had to, though his workload was not very strenuous in the first two periods thanks to the support in front of him. I am positive Brian Elliott was off in the corner frustratedly scratching his head.

https://twitter.com/myregularface/status/734198374652628992

Troy Brouwer has been noticeably effective. He has set personal bests for goals, assists and points in a postseason with 7, 5 and 12 respectively. He has three powerplay goals and has been very active in front of the net. He is not a tremendous possession player, especially since he is a bit out of place with Robby Fabbri and Paul Stastny on his line skills-wise, but he has been getting the job done and deserves a lot of credit.

There have been murmurs that Fabbri will be seeing time with Lehtera and Vladimir Tarasenko on the top line tonight anyway. The Sharks have done a very good job of forcing Tarasenko outside and pressuring him immediately upon zone entry. Tarasenko has only three shots on goal his last two games and only 11 in the entire series. After tearing it up in the Dallas series, he has been held off the scoresheet in four games. Perhaps the red hot Fabbri can light a fire under the young Russian.

If Tarasenko keeps seeing time against Roman Polak and Brenden Dillon as he did in Game 4, though, he could burn San Jose. I don’t know why I’m so focused on pyromania right now, I apologize.

Jake Allen will get the start again tonight. Martin Jones was relieved by James Reimer, but Jones is expected to get back on the horse tonight. Back-to-back shutouts will inspire confidence in most coaches.

The Blues are 0-2 this postseason in games returning back home. They lost Game 5 to the Chicago Blackhawks in overtime in Round 1, then dropped Game 6 at home against the Dallas Stars 3-2. The Blues have developed a pattern here in the postseason that does not start or end there. But history does have a tendency to repeat itself.

The Sharks will need to work on their puck protection, which was uncharacteristically weak in Game 4. They also experienced a lapse in their special teams, which was due for a bad performance after the show they have put on thus far. The Blues got two powerplay goals and a shorthanded goal. Not to oversimplify, but that’s three goals in a game that was decided by three goals.

Prediction: Adhere to the pattern tonight. Take the Sharks to win. Play the under.