Preview: Blues vs. Wild

When: Saturday, March 16 at 7 p.m. CT
Where: Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO
Watch: Bally Sports, Bally Sports app
Listen: 101 ESPN, Blues App
Tickets: Online at Ticketmaster.com

TEAM SNAPSHOTS

BLUES The St. Louis Blues are back on the upswing following a 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings. 

The star of the show Wednesday was Jordan Binnington, who stopped 40 of 41 shots and made a few highlight-reel saves along the way:

"Since I've come here, whether it's Binner or Joel (Hofer), the goaltending has been outstanding for us," Blues Head Coach Drew Bannister said postgame. "They give us an opportunity to win, they keep games tight. The feeling on the bench is that there's a lot of confidence in our goalies."

After losing to the Rangers 4-0 on March 9, Bannister made a few key adjustments to the Blues' lineup. One of those changes was putting Brandon Saad on the third line with Kevin Hayes and Kasperi Kapanen. The Blues have won both games since then, and the third line is a big reason why. The trio have combined for nine points over the last two games, including a goal by Saad from Hayes against LA.

"I thought our line played well again (Wednesday)," Hayes said. "When you're playing (the Kings) and that 1-3-1 (defense), you've got to make sure you limit the turnovers and get pucks deep, and I thought we did that."

The Blues (34-29-3) need all the points they can muster as they push for a playoff spot, and their next game might be the most important yet. St. Louis is six points behind Vegas for the final Wild Card spot. However, the Wild lead the Blues by two, so Saturday's matchup will be huge for the Blues to get closer to the postseason.

WILD The Minnesota Wild just visited Enterprise Center on March 2. Clearly, they didn't take the loss well. Since then, the Wild have gone 5-0-1, including a 2-0 win against the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday.

Kirill Kaprizov has been a huge factor in Minnesota's recent success. The All-Star forward has scored in three straight games, including Thursday's game-winner. In fact, no team has kept Kaprizov off the scoresheet since the Blues did two weeks earlier.

"What amazes me with him right now is just that he can play high minutes," Minnesota Head Coach John Hynes said. "You can use him in some extra shifts in certain situations and his game doesn't drop off. I just think his competitiveness, his stamina, his drive game-in and game-out is something that's really impressive. He doesn't take shifts off...When he's out there, he's a constant threat."

Marc-Andre Fleury was also outstanding Thursday, recording a 16-save shutout. Fleury - who's started Minnesota's last three games - is 9-2-0 with a 1.36 goals against average and a .926 save percentage in his last 13 games.

The Wild (33-27-7) are also pushing for the playoffs, and they're in lockstep with the Blues. If they can win on the road, then they can gain some separation from the Blues as they try to catch Vegas.

“This is the time where you have to play your best, when it matters the most,” Hynes said. “And I think lots of times there’s different segments in the season, but this is one where you’re playing meaningful games that you need to be able to play your best in those situations."

HEAD TO HEAD The Blues and Wild will meet once more this season next Saturday in St. Paul. They've split the season series so far, but St. Louis won the most recent matchup on March 2 by a score of 3-1. The Blues are 8-2-0 in their last 10 home games against Minnesota.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

BLUES Brandon Saad has taken to his new line well, scoring in both games since being moved alongside Hayes and Kapanen. Saad's goal Wednesday was also his 20th of the season, which both surpasses last year's total and is his seventh time reaching the 20-goal mark.

WILD Kirill Kaprizov, who has the Wild in goals (34) and points (74) this season. Kaprizov has points in six straight games, recording eight goals and three assists in that stretch.

BLUE NOTES

• The Blues are 11-4-1 in their last 16 games against Minnesota dating back to April 9, 2021. That includes a 10-game point streak (9-0-1) from April 9, 2021 to April 16, 2022.
• St. Louis has scored at least three goals in 14 of its last 16 games against Minnesota, outscoring the Wild 68-51 in those contests.
• The Blues currently sit six points out of the Wild Card, but they will play each of the other five teams in the Wild Card race (Nashville, Vegas, Minnesota, Calgary, Seattle) at least once more this season.
• Robert Thomas is just one shy of his 300th career point.
• Alexey Toropchenko, who had the first goal Wednesday, has scored three times in his last five games. Toropchenko now has a career-best 13 goals this season.