2 p.m. at St. Louis • Scottrade Center • Ch. 11, 100.3-FM
History is not kind when Wild trails 2-0
Preview: This is the seventh time in 12 all-time playoff series that the Wild trails 2-0. It rallied to win once, in 2014 against Colorado, but the difference was the Wild returned home down 2-0. The Blues have been up 2-0 12 times, winning 10 of those series. The two previous occasions the Blues won the first two games on the road, they swept. The Wild hasn't had a lead in the series and has two goals in nearly 138 minutes of hockey.
Players to watch: Blues G Jake Allen has stopped 74 of 76 shots in the series, hasn't allowed a 5-on-5 goal and has won back-to-back playoff starts for the first time in his career. Under Mike Yeo, Allen is 18-7-2 with a .941 save percentage and 1.77 goals-against average. D Joel Edmundson has scored twice in two games. RW Vladimir Tarasenko tied for fourth in the NHL with 39 regular-season goals but has been held to an assist in the first two games. Wild LW Zach Parise, who scored his 32nd career playoff goal Friday, ranks second in Wild history with 11 playoff goals and ranks first with 27 playoff points. He's the only Wild player with a goal in the series. Other than Parise, Mikko Koivu, Mikael Granlund and Eric Staal, no other Wild player has a point.
Numbers: Teams that take a 2-0 lead in a best-of-seven Stanley Cup playoff series hold an all-time series record of 305-48 (86.4 percent). Teams that take a 2-0 lead on the road in a best-of-seven series hold an all-time series record of 71-18 (79.8 percent).
Injuries: Wild LW/C Erik Haula (maintenance) didn't practice Saturday but is expected to play. Blues C Paul Stastny (foot) is out. RW Nail Yakupov (undisclosed) is doubtful.
MICHAEL RUSSO
