St Louis Blues

This is going to be a quick-hit read predicting the second round of the NHL playoffs.

I'll break down the offensive, defensive and goaltending advantages and then predict which team will prevail and in how many games.

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

St.Louis Blues (2nd, 49-22-11) vs. Los Angeles Kings (8th, 40-27-15)

This series will be defined by aggressive fore-checking, lots of hits and stellar goaltending. The winner will be the team that takes the special teams advantage or gets more of the lucky bounces.

Offence: Advantage (Minor) Blues

STL: 14 goals in five playoff games, five over-40 point scorers in the regular season, 33.3 powerplay percentage, leading scorer: David Backes/TJ Oshie 54 points 

LA: 12 goals scored in five playoff games, four over-40 point scorers in the regular season, 11.5 powerplay percentage, leading scorer: Anze Kopitar 76 points

The Kings have more "Elite" scorers, but the Blues just have some incredible scoring depth and a currently deadly-hot power play.

Defence: Advantage (Major) Blues

STL: Eight goals allowed in five playoff games, four players with over-100 blocked shots in the regular season, 88.2 penalty kill percentage, allowed 144 shots against / 28.8 shots against per game in five playoff games

LA: Eight goals allowed in five playoff games, three players with over-100 blocked shots in the regular season, 85.7 penalty kill percentage, allowed 172 shots against / 34.4 shots against per game in five playoff games

Again, the Blues' superior depth comes into play here. The SA/PG stat is the most telling.

Goaltending: Advantage (Minor) Blues

STL: Jaroslav Halak (Reg. Season 46GP 26-12-7, .926%, 1.97GAA / Playoffs: 1-1-0, .935%, 1.73GAA) 
Brian Elliott (Reg. Season 38GP 23-10-4, .940%, 1.56GAA / Playoffs: 3-0-0, .949%, 1.37GAA)

LA: Jonathan Quick (Reg. Season 69GP 35-21-13, .929%, 1.95GAA / Playoff: 4-1-0, .953%, 1.59GAA) 
Jonathan Bernier (Reg. Season 16GP 5-6-2, .909%, 2.36GAA / Playoffs: 0-0-0)

The goalie advantage is tight. In a one off of Halak and Quick, Quick slightly edges Halak, but the difference and the scale-tipper happens in the backups. If Quick goes down, Bernier is largely unproven and his numbers aren't great, where as if Halak goes down or struggles, Elliott can step right in and offer a comparable level of goaltending.

Three Players to Watch:

Andy MacDonald (STL): MacDonald ripped up the first round, with eight points in only five games. He could make a big difference in the series, as he missed all four games during the regular season meetings between the two teams. He's got 38 points in 46 games against the Kings in his career and looks to be the catalyst for the Blues offence.

Brian Elliot/Jaroslav Halak (STL): Halak was injured and Elliot took over and sealed the series win against the Sharks. So who starts Round 2? There's the guy who played most of the regular season and has the better playoff track record (against Montreal) in Halak. Or there's the guy who played slightly less but had much better regular and postseason numbers. He took over against San Jose and brought a sense of calm that allowed the Blues to close out the Sharks in five. It's a tough question and one that will be consistently asked if whichever one gets the start struggles at any point in the series. 

Mike Richards/Jeff Carter (LA): He looked absolutely dominant against the Canucks in Game 1 but then dropped off the score sheet for the most part. The duo of Richards and Carter gives the Kings the kind of secondary scoring they've been lacking for years. But if they aren't scoring, it puts even more pressure on the No. 1 line of Williams/Kopitar/Brown to score and makes it a lot easier on the Blues' checking units. Carter and Richards have the big-game pedigree and skills to make a serious difference against the Blues. The only question left is: will they?

Verdict: Blues in Six Games

The Blues have a deeper offence, better defence and a huge advantage in special teams, which makes a huge difference when it comes to teams who play with similar styles. If Quick can steal a few games and if Richards and Carter show up to play, and if Kopitar and Brown continue to dominate, then the Kings may be able to push this series to seven games. But that is a few too many "ifs" for me. 

After the eighth-seeded Los Angeles Kings defeated the No. 1 seeded Vancouver Canucks in the first round of the 2012 NHL playoffs, it set up a matchup against the second-seeded St. Louis Blues.

The Blues come into this matchup after making quick work of the San Jose Sharks in the first round.

Ken Hitchcock has his crew playing the best hockey of the season, and they won’t be easy for the Kings to stop.

Let’s take a look at three keys for the Blues to keep rolling against the Kings.

Brian Elliott

Elliott has been doing a phenomenal job of filling in for injured starter Jaroslav Halak, who continues to nurse an ankle injury.

Halak will be unavailable for Game 1 and Game 2 against the Kings, meaning Elliott will continue to start.

If the Blues have to switch back to Halak for Game 3, it probably means that Elliott has struggled to stop the Kings.

If Elliott plays well, Halak probably won’t see much ice time against Los Angeles.

Penalty Killing 

The Kings have struggled to score on power plays so far this postseason, converting only 11.5 percent of them.

The Blues, on the other hand, have killed 88.2 percent of their opponents’ power-play opportunities.

In fact, St. Louis only allowed two power-play goals in the entire series against the Sharks.

Barrett Jackman, Alex Pietrangelo, Roman Polak and company are going to have to continue their hot play and protect their zone against the onslaughts of goal-scorers like Dustin Brown and Jarret Stoll if the Blues are going to take this series.

More T.J. Oshie Magic

Remember this play from T.J. Oshie to set up a David Backes goal in Game 2 against the Sharks?

It was one of the best plays of Oshie’s young career and it saved his team.

That assist changed the tone of the entire series. The Blues never looked back and never lost another game.

If Oshie can take the wind out of the Kings’ sails with a similar amazing play early in this series, the Blues should roll to the conference finals.

St. Louis Blues star goaltender Jaroslav Halak injured his ankle during Game 2 of his team's first-round series against the San Jose Sharks and was unable play in Game 3 on Monday night. According to NBC Sports, Halak won't be available to start in Game 4 either. 

UPDATE: Monday, April 23, 2:20 p.m. ET by Donald Wood

After knocking off the pesky San Jose Sharks, the St. Louis Blues are heading into their second-round series with the Los Angeles Kings without starting goalie Jaroslav Halak for at least the first two games. Brian Elliot will continue to start in his absence.

The Associated Press is reporting via Yahoo!Sports about the goalie’s status for the first two games of the team’s second round series:

St. Louis Blues goaltender Jaroslav Halak will not play in the first two games of the upcoming second-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Kings. Blues coach Ken Hitchcock disclosed his decision Monday.

The Blues are in a great position, as their backup Elliot is arguably as talented this season as their starter. Since entering Game 2 of the series after Halak was forced to leave because of the ankle injury, Elliot has amassed an amazing .940 save percentage and minuscule 1.56 goals against average.

UPDATE: Monday, April 23 at 11:16 a.m. ET

Jaroslav Halak is attempting to get back on the ice and tested his ankle yesterday by skating around. Still, his return remains uncertain at this point, according to STL Today's Dan O'Niell. 

Luckily for the Blues, they have a very capable backup in Brian Elliott, who was one of the NHL's best goaltenders this season.

Elliott won Game 3 on the road for the Blues and will start Thursday night in Game 4. Jake Allen will be the backup for the second straight game.

When asked about Halak's injury, Elliot told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "I don't know how long (Halak is) going to be out. He's worried about getting himself healed and back on the ice and the rest of the guys are worried about the next game."

For Elliott to perform well in Game 4, he cannot afford to play like he did at the end of Game 3, when he allowed the Sharks to score two late goals and nearly complete a remarkable comeback.

The Blues won the game 4-3, but the last few minutes were much more nerve-racking than they should have been.

With a chance to take a commanding 3-1 series lead and head home to St. Louis with an opportunity to eliminate the Sharks, Elliott will have to carry the Blues on Thursday night in Halak's absence.

Check back to this article daily for the latest updates on Halak's injury status throughout the playoffs.

Follow @NicholasGoss35

Nicholas Goss is a Boston Bruins Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and has covered the team firsthand throughout the season. He was also the organization's on-site reporter for the 2011 Stanley Cup Final in Boston.

The St. Louis Blues took down the San Jose Sharks on Monday night in the third game of the 2012 playoffs, defeating their Western Conference rival 4-3. The Sharks scored two goals in the final 4:58 of regulation but came up just short, as the Blues won their first road playoff game in their last nine attempts and regained home-ice advantage in the opening-round series. 

After San Jose won a rousing Game 1 in the second overtime frame last week, it seemed as if they had the talent necessary to orchestrate an upset over St. Louis—arguably the best team in the NHL. While there still remains an opportunity for the Sharks to overthrow the vaunted Blues, their outlook appears far more bleak than it did a short time ago.

With the series now tilted 2-1 in St. Louis' favor, Game 4 has become a must-win for San Jose. But before we get too ahead of ourselves, let's take a look at some of the key points from Monday's contest:

Balanced scoring aiding St. Louis

The Blues are a team that lacks a superstar forward, and receiving offensive production from many different players is vital to their success. If Game 3 was any indication, St. Louis has the depth required to make the absence of a high-profile player nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

Four different Blues found twine on Monday, while Andy McDonald and Carlo Colaiacovo each racked up three points. 

Patrik Berglund rising to the occasion 

In addition to their spread-out attack, St. Louis has seen Patrik Berglund evolve into a highly productive center in the quarterfinal round. After potting just 19 goals in the regular season, Berglund has lit the lamp three times in the playoffs, including the opening goal on Monday.

With many capable role players in tow and a breakout candidate in Berglund, the Blues' offense—which was average at best in the regular season—should be just fine. 

Brian Elliott continues to be stellar

Having a strong backup goaltender is often an important asset in the NHL, and it's hard to ask for a better Plan B (or "Plan 1A" as Hitchcock likes to say) than Elliott. After leading the league in goals-against average, the Ontario native has seen his regular season success spill over to the first round of the playoffs, giving the Blues the netminding they require to succeed moving forward. 

Elliott, 27, has won his first two postseason contests this spring, allowing just three goals thus far. At this point, it seems as if Hitchcock will run with Elliott between the pipes until he's given a reason to put Halak back in. 

Blues' power-play stepping up

When Hitchcock took over St. Louis, they were last in the league in power-play percentage, converting only 7.5 percent of their opportunities on the man advantage. The PP system the Blues ran on Monday, however, was a far cry from the one they displayed in the early portion of 2011-12. They were energetic, focused and consistently skated circles around San Jose.

After scoring in only two of their first nine chances on the power play in this series, the Blues went 3-for-4 on the man advantage on Monday, propelling them to victory. 

Niemi wasn't good enough for San Jose

If it wasn't clear before, it is now apparent that Antti Niemi isn't talented enough to put an entire team on his back during the postseason. While the 2010 Stanley Cup champion stole Game 1 for the Sharks, he cannot be expected to string together similar performances over the span of a best-of-seven series. 

The Finnish netminder stopped just 23 of 27 shots on goal on Monday and has gotten progressively worse since the playoffs began. 

Sharks' poor penalty kill has become their Achilles' heel

The Sharks had the second-worst penalty kill during the regular season, and their dismal shorthanded play continued in Game 3.

San Jose surrendered three power-play goals on Monday, the third proving to be the game-winner. Had the Sharks been able to contain the relatively pedestrian St. Louis power play, they would have had the strong chance to emerge victorious.

To put the Sharks' penalty killing woes in perspective, no team has made the playoffs with a worse PK since the Rangers pulled it off in 1997. If Todd McLellan's team is to have any shot at contending for the Cup, this deficiency must be corrected. 

Joe Thornton didn't disappoint 

Despite being vehemently criticized for his inadequate postseason production, Thornton was the Sharks' best player on Monday, collecting three assists in 19:28 of ice time. While he has yet to score a goal during this year's playoffs, the former Boston Bruin distributed the puck with ease through the Blues' stingy defense, helping his team get on the board early and remain competitive in the waning minutes of the game. 

His last two helpers came just 2:45 apart in the third period. 

Resiliency a positive for San Jose 

The Sharks may have been conspicuously outplayed throughout the majority of the game, but they deserve credit for never giving up. Down three goals with less than four minutes remaining in the third period, San Jose notched two goals in the closing moments of regulation and created a quality scoring chance in the final seconds. 

Had the Sharks laid down and fallen 4-1, it would have given the Blues even more momentum heading into Wednesday. While San Jose's odds are still bleak, their ability to fight tooth and nail until the final buzzer bodes well for them as the series progresses. 

Andrew Hirsh is a credentialed NHL writer and a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @andrewhirsh

The NHL playoffs are simply a grind.

When the first round starts, you can forget what seed every team is, as it doesn't really matter. The only thing that matters is winning four games before losing four. If you do that, you survive. If you do that, you advance.

While many people expected the St. Louis Blues to steamroll the San Jose Sharks in this Western Conference quarterfinal series, a Martin Havlat game-winning goal in the second overtime Thursday night quickly reminded us how difficult it is to win in the playoffs. It reminded us that it truly is a grind to win the Stanley Cup.

However, one person who did not need to be reminded was St. Louis head coach Ken Hitchcock. "Hitch," as he is known, is not a newcomer to postseason play. He has taken three different franchises to the postseason, including taking the Dallas Stars to a Stanley Cup championship in 1999.

Certainly, Hitch knows how difficult it is to win when the postseason comes around. 

When a game goes on into a double overtime period, both teams are definitely playing a very good, closely contested game. With that being said, there is still knowing that, after a Game 1 loss in a series, you can quickly fall out of contention by losing Game 2. This causes many teams to panic.

The difficult thing for St. Louis tonight in Game 2 is displaying a sense of urgency, but not displaying a sense of panic. While some may consider making lineup changes, such as scratching winger Chris Stewart from Game 2, Hitchcock looks at it in a different way. Via ESPN:

When you lose in a hockey game, whether you’ve lost by one goal or whether you’ve lost in overtime or whatever, if you go into the next competition thinking that everything should be the same and expect a different outcome—I think that’s a huge mistake.

I don’t believe in that statement, just keep doing it over and over again and don’t change anything. I think we’re obligated to change.

Although some might see the changes in the Blues lineup as a sign of panic, it is far from it. Even if the Blues were to walk away with a win Thursday night, it likely would still have been a close victory in double overtime. Hitchcock is not looking for that. "We're not living on the fact that we played well and lost," Hitchcock said. "We want more."

The "more" that Hitch speaks of, would be a convincing win over San Jose; a win that shows that the Blues are not simply in these playoffs to survive, but that they are ready to adjust to the Sharks and be able to take the series over.

Although many outsiders have said the Blues will ultimately fall in the playoffs because of their lack of experience, Hitchcock's experience may be able to compensate for some of his players' inexperience.

He has obviously already instilled in his young players that there is no need to panic. After Game 1, there was no sense of panic in the young Blues players. It was not a casual nonchalant attitude either, but an attitude of confidence and belief.

"There's not much to say," forward Alex Steen said in the Post-Dispatch after Thursday's defeat. "It is what it is right now. Game 1. It's a long series. We knew coming in that it was going to be a long series. It's two tough teams, intense teams, fun buildings, so it's going to be a fun series."

Blues captain David Backes also echoed Steen saying, "The outsiders are always trying to find a storyline or reason or excuse. We've got a great group of guys in there and a lot of character. We'll climb that mountain that we have to climb."

Although the St. Louis Blues may be made up of a core of young stars without much experience, their coach is a grizzled veteran who knows what needs to be done. The St. Louis Blues will come out in Game 2 tonight, knowing what needs to be done to accomplish their goal. They will come out with a few adjustments and play the same style of defensive grind-it-out hockey that has gotten them to this point in the season.

"This is one game," Hitchcock said. "We played good, so did they."

Ken Hitchcock will make sure that his team stays focused.

These young St. Louis Blues will be just fine.

This past season St. Louis swept all four games from San Jose, including two games in San Jose where the Sharks have historically been very strong, including 26-12-3 this year. This St. Louis road prowess is attributable to the grittiness T.J. Oshie brings to the team and has provided since he arrived in 2008.

In fact, over the past three years, St. Louis is 6-3-1, a 65.0 win percentage, versus San Jose when Oshie has played, while they are 0-2 against the Sharks in games he has missed.  In those 10 games Oshie has played the Sharks have scored only 19 goals or 1.9 per game; in the two games Oshie missed the Sharks scored their more typical four goals apiece. This season San Jose scored only a total of three goals in those four losses to the Blues.

How does one measure this grittiness?

In 2007/8, before Oshie arrived, St. Louis was 13-21-7, a 40.2 win percent, on the road.

In 2008/9 in road games where Oshie played for the Blues, went 13-8-4, a 60.0 win percent on the road. But that same season they were 5-10-1, only a 34.4 win percent on the road in games Oshie missed. He was the rare Blue who produced a +9 on the road to complement his +7 at home.

In 2010/11 in road games Oshie played Blues went 10-12-4, a 46.2 win percent on the road, but that same season they were 5-8-2, a 40.0 win percent on the road in games Oshie missed. H e was again the rare Blue who produced a +4 on the road to complement his +6 at home.

The grittiness reveals itself in a number of performance criteria.

Oshie is by far the toughest Blue, with the exception of David Backes. His 175 total hits and blocks far exceeds the:

133 for Patrick Berglund

133 for Chris Stewart

89 for Jamie Langenbrunner

53 for Alexander Steen

45 for David Perron

37 for Jason Arnott.

Oshie is the Blue's most protective of the puck forward, by far. His takeaway/giveaway ratio of 4.4 comes from his 61 takeaways divided by his only 14 giveaways. Look at this ratio for his forward teammates:

 3.2 for David Perron

 2.3 for David Backes

1.6 for Patrik Berglund

1.6 for Jason Arnott

1.6 for Alexander Steen

1.5 for Jamie Langenbrunner

0.7 for Chris Stewart

Now let's address Oshie's clutchness within shootouts. He converted five of 14 attempts, a 35.7 percent success rate this season, while the rest of his teammates in total converted a mere three of 26 attempts for only a 11.5 percent success rate. He scored two of the three shootout game deciders the Blues had this year and in fact beat the Sharks with a shootout goal December 3rd, 2009 in San Jose.  

He is incredibly clutch, as 52 of his 54 points were meaningful ones with the games still in doubt. He participated in scoring the Blues' first goal of the game 17 times and the Blues were 11-3-3 in those games. Some memorable nights include:

November 4th for Oshie scores two goals and an assist, goes +3, in a 3-2 win against 2011 Conference champion Vancouver.

November 27th Oshie assists game-winning goal in third period at Columbus.

November 29th Oshie goal forges 1-1 tie in 2-1 win at Washington.

December 17th Oshie's goal at 16:08 of the third period gains 1-1 tie in shootout loss at Nashville.

January 5th Oshie assists on 4-3 game-winning goal mid-third period against Edmonton, capping a comeback from a 3-1 third-period deficit.

January 16th Oshie's goal at 11:26 of the third period beats Dallas 1-0.

February 11th Oshie's two power-play goals key a 3-2 overtime win versus Colorado.

February 25th Oshie's two assists for 1-0 and 2-0 leads result in 3-2 shootout win at Winnipeg

March 17th Oshie's assist on short-handed goal for 1-0 lead sparks win at Tampa Bay.

A key matchup will be San Jose's second-ranked power play with a 21.1 percent conversion rate facing the quality seventh-ranked St. Louis penalty kill unit, which has allowed only a 14.2 percent conversion ratio. As one might expect, Oshie plays a prominent role on the penalty kill unit, averaging 1.8 minutes per game in shorthanded situations.

San Jose is just like Washington in the East; both teams have failed to meet the huge expectations for them over the past several years. Also both struggled simply to qualify for the playoffs. Now the Sharks, like the Capitals, have an opportunity for redemption and I expect them to play with a desperate passion. T.J. Oshie brings the passion every night and so this series too ought to produce some wonderful highlights for us hockey fans. Hopefully goalie Brian Elliott's injury is not a deciding factor in the series' outcome.

This year's NHL regular season culminated to an expected finish for some, but for others it was a down-to-the-minute scramble for their playoff lives. Now that the schedule is set and the teams are ranked, it's anybody's guess as to how these clubs will perform in the postseason. 

As I look at the list, I see teams that could come from the back of the pack and make a run, and also some big names that have a lot of potential to disappoint. 

Easter Conference

New York Rangers

I love what the Rangers did this season. They're coming into the playoffs first in their conference and are carrying a lot of momentum. I also love that they open the playoffs against the Ottawa Senators, which should prove to be an easy endeavor for this hot team. They have superior leadership and numbers on their side, both of which will come in handy against Ottawa. 

The team that stands between the Rangers and a Cup has to be the Bruins, who are in pursuit to repeat as World Champions and have played at a level that, at times, was better than the play put forth by the Rangers. The Rangers bested the Bruins in regular season play, but that does not shield them from having to face them again in the postseason.

If the Rangers can manage to get past the Bruins, then I don't see anything standing in their way of becoming Eastern Conference Champions and earning the right to play for the Cup. 

Boston Bruins

The same can be said about the Bruins that was said about the Rangers; the team has played exceptionally all year. Adding to this, the Bruins carry the title of National Champions. This not only proves that they have what it takes to win it all, but also it's a motivating factor for the Bruins players. 

The Bruins open up the postseason against the Capitals. It's a series that I don't think the Bruins will have a problem putting away, considering how lackluster the Capitals, especially the once-dominant Alexander Ovechkin, have been all season. I do have to say, though, it may be an interesting series due to the back-and-forth nature of the two teams during the regular season. 

The Rangers have a less-than-stellar postseason record as of late and have a tendency to choke when things are looking good for them. Whether or not the Rangers show up to play will weigh heavily on how the Bruins will do in the playoffs this year. If the Bruins can get past the Rangers, then the Bruins will go on to compete for another Stanley Cup.

Pittsburgh Penguins

I have Pittsburgh down as the "Must Watch" team of the postseason. Sidney Crosby is back, Malkin is dominant, the team has been playing well, and on top of that one can not logically count the Penguins out of any game they are playing in.

Furthermore, the Penguins open the postseason against none other than the Philadelphia Flyers. That alone makes for an epic postseason. The Flyers are injured and their goalies are streaky despite having good numbers and records. At this point, I have to give the edge to the Penguins based on their high-powered offense and the Flyers' shoddy defense, but anything is possible when these two teams meet. 

The Penguins still have a lot to fight through if they make it past the Flyers, though. If they make it far enough, they will have to face either Boston or New York, both opponents could spell disaster for the Penguins. To me, I don't see the Pens making it past either Boston or New York. Sorry, Pittsburgh, you'll have to wait until next season.

Western Conference

St. Louis Blues

I may have sounded like I was in love with the Rangers, but I truly am in love with the St. Louis Blues. They have bested every playoff team during the regular season and have put up great numbers throughout the season. They have seen excellent play from captain David Backes and T.J. Oshie and will continue to see a heightened level of play come postseason. 

This is really a gut prediction, but I like what I've seen from them so far. The Blues outshine any other team that they might have to face. I feel like this is the Blues' season, and that they will do anything to capitalize on the success they've had this year. 

Vancouver Canucks

I'm sorry, Canucks faithful, but I smell an upset this year and foresee another riot in the streets of Vancouver. The Canucks have played very well this season, and it's been rewarded in the form of the President's Cup. It's just that I don't see them beating the Blues.

Don't get me wrong; the Canucks are an outstanding team that deserve a shot in the finals, but, again, I have the feeling that this is St. Louis' year, and that nothing will stop the Blues en route to a Stanley Cup.

Stanley Cup Final

The Final Series

For the final game, I see the New York Rangers taking on the St. Louis Blues, with the Blues coming away with a championship. To many this may sound bold, but it's what I'm betting on this year, and I advise everyone else to do the same. 

The series will be close, however. The series will probably go the distance and be decided in the final game. I'll take the Blues over the Rangers in a knock-out, high-scoring brawl for the title!