Wild notes: Cooler heads counteract strategy of antagonizing

ST. LOUIS – Mike Yeo met with Chris Stewart before Game 1 of the Wild-Blues series and asked him to keep his emotions in check.

The Wild coach figured that Blues superpest Steve Ott would try to goad the Wild, especially the hard-nosed Stewart, into after-the-whistle activity.

Yeo wanted Stewart and others to skate away. One of the more impressive parts of Thursday's 4-2 victory is the Wild did just that.

Stewart didn't react when Ott drilled him with a check between the benches. Jason Zucker didn't retaliate when Ott grabbed hold of Zucker's collarbone, the one he broke in February. And Nino Niederreiter just skated away after Ott got his stick up high after a second confrontation with 64 seconds left. Ott got a 10-minute misconduct.

"It's tough, but you've got to be smart and don't get caught up in that stuff after the whistle with riffraff," Stewart said. "All that pushing and shoving, it's pointless. You don't want to fuel the fire. This time of year, it's a lot tougher to take a punch in the face. It means a lot more to the team. That's the kind of toughness we're going to have to show."

Stewart said ignoring the extra stuff could have the opposite effect and frustrate the Blues.

"They were expecting a reaction there when I got laid out by Ott, but just laugh it off," Stewart said. "It's a long series. You just have to shrug it off and look at the seven games. Chances are you're going to get a chance to get him back."

"He's been doing it for years. He's really effective at it," Stewart said of Ott's agitating style. "You just got to ignore him, smile at him."

Yeo expects the Blues to continue to try to get under the Wild's skin and he said it's important the Wild doesn't get pushed off its game.

"It's the playoffs," he said. "Our guys are ready for that and if you want to win, then you've got to be able to play around that stuff."

Sean Bergenheim played so well on a line with Kyle Brodziak and Justin Fontaine on Thursday, Yeo won't insert Matt Cooke, Ryan Carter, Erik Haula or Jordan Schroeder for Game 2. Yeo rolled four lines in Game 1 and never hid the fourth line in any matchup or situation.

"Those guys have earned that confidence. I have confidence in those guys," Yeo said. "It's the same with Charlie [Coyle's line]. Charlie just keeps growing stronger and stronger in his D-zone coverage and the way he defends and his faceoffs.

• Blues forwards David Backes and T.J. Oshie will be reunited on the same line in Game 2. "When we're playing with someone else, we usually know it's only a matter of time until we get back together," Oshie said.