Colorado Avalanche vs St. Louis Blues Playoffs Predictions

• The Colorado Avalanche won Game One 3-2 in overtime.
• The St. Louis Blues won Game Two on the road 4-1.
• The Avalanche are only allowing 2.5 goals per game in the Playoffs.

Colorado Avalanche vs St. Louis Blues Odds

Odds taken from DraftKings Sportsbook.

Colorado Avalanche vs St. Louis Blues Picks

Colorado Avalanche beat St. Louis Blues 3-1

Colorado Avalanche cover

Under 6.5 goals

The Colorado Avalanche will try to take a 2-1 series lead on the road in St. Louis. The Avalanche squeaked out a 3-2 overtime win in Game One, but the Blues struck back in Game Two and won 4-1 behind two David Perron goals.

The Colorado Avalanche may have the most well-rounded roster in the NHL. They struggled in their first ten regular season games going 4-4-2 but went on a six-game winning streak after that. Colorado never looked back after and finished the season with the most points in the Western Conference and the second-most points in the league.

The Avalanche pushed their regular season dominance into the First Round of the Playoffs. They took on the Wild Card Nashville Predators and swept them. Other than Game Two, a 2-1 overtime win, the Avalanche had no problem beating the Predators. Colorado was the only team to sweep in the First Round.

The Avalanche have seen strong Playoff performances from Cale Makar, Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon, and Mikko Rantanen. Makar was Colorado’s best defenseman during the season and arguably Colorado’s best player during the Playoffs. Makar is playing over 25 minutes a game and leads the Avalanche with ten points. Gabriel Landeskog is playing almost 20 minutes a game and has four goals and five assists. Nathan MacKinnon has been a shooting machine in the Playoffs; he has five goals on an insane 40 shots. Mikko Rantanen had a penchant for scoring and passing during the season but has stuck to passing during the Playoffs. He has only taken 12 shots but is tied for the team lead with seven assists.

Darcy Kuemper has gotten the majority of the starts in the Playoffs for Colorado. Kuemper is giving up less than two goals a game and has a .923 save percentage. Kuemper will be Colorado’s x-factor for the remainder of the Playoffs.

The St. Louis Blues do not have as strong a roster as the Avalanche. They started the season strong and played well throughout but also went on a handful of short losing streaks.

Vladimir Tarasenko and Jordan Kyrou were two of St. Louis’ best players during the season. However, during the Playoffs, David Perron and Ryan O’Reilly have been the Blues’ top performers. Perron leads the Blues in points (11) and goals (7), and Ryan O’Reilly is right behind him with ten points and six goals. Pavel Buchnevich and Justin Faulk have also been productive in the Playoffs. They both have zero goals and six assists.

The Blues have passed the goaltending reigns to Jordan Binnington the last couple of games. Binnington struggled during the season but is only giving up 1.75 goals per game in the Playoffs.

The Avalanche are a much better team and hungry for a win after their Game Two loss. They have a veteran squad that will lead them to a victory in St. Louis.

Head-to-Head: Colorado Avalanche vs St. Louis Blues

Why Might the Colorado Avalanche Win?

The Colorado Avalanche will win this game if they win the First Round and limit the Blues’ shots.

The Avalanche are going to the Enterprise Center and will face a loud Blues’ home crowd. They need to lead at the end of the First Period and quiet the home crowd. The crowd will struggle to match their pregame energy if their team is losing after the first 20 minutes.

The Blues scored four goals on 32 shots in Game Two. 32 shots is not a ridiculous amount, but four goals is a problem. The Avalanche have to limit the Blues’ scoring by limiting their shots.

Why Might the St. Louis Blues Win?

The St. Louis Blues are the underdogs but will win if they do not commit penalties and score the first goal.

The Blues are facing an Avalanche squad that is converting over 38% of their Playoff power-play attempts. They will struggle to kill Colorado’s power-play, so they might as well avoid committing penalties.

The Blues have to score the first goal in this game. If they do, their home crowd will go crazy and completely change the energy of the game.

Avalanche Key Player: (RW) Mikko Rantanen

Mikko Rantanen has played quite well in the Playoffs, but he is yet to score a goal. Everyone knows that he makes the right passes. However, he needs to find the back of the net in this game.

Blues Key Player: (G) Jordan Binnington

If Jordan Binnington keeps up this level of play, he will remain the starting goaltender for St. Louis for the remainder of the Playoffs.

Binnington needs to bring his A-game for his team and himself. His teammates need him to play well to give them a chance, and if he does, he will solidify his position for the Playoffs and potentially next season.

How to Watch Colorado Avalanche vs St. Louis Blues