In NHL Second Round action on Friday, the St. Louis Blues take on the Colorado Avalanche.
After dropping game 5 by a score of 5 to 4, the Colorado Avalanche will have another chance to wrap up their second-round series against St. Louis. The Avalanche scored 312 goals during the regular season, good for third place among NHL clubs. Colorado is the 7th best defensive squad in the league, allowing opponents to score an average of 2.83 goals per game. The Avalanche have a strength of schedule ranking of 26th in the league this season. They are the NHL’s third-ranked team when it comes to opponent-adjusted scoring margin entering this game.
The St. Louis Blues will try to win their second game in a row against the Colorado Avalanche and keep their season alive. The Blues scored 311 goals in the regular season, for an average of 3.77 goals per game. This puts them in fourth place among NHL teams. St. Louis’ defence is rated 11th in the league, allowing 2.91 goals per game. The Blues have had the league’s 28th toughest schedule this season. When you consider St. Louis’ scoring margin in relation to the quality of their opponents, they have a power ranking of 5th in the NHL.
Mikko Rantanen leads the Colorado Avalanche in goal and overall scoring with 92 points in 75 games. With a shooting percentage of 14.2 percent, he has reached his goal total of 36. So far, he’s scored 44.0 percent of his goals on the power play. Nathan MacKinnon, who has 56 assists to go along with his 32 goals, is right behind him. His offensive production has earned him a plus-minus rating of +22 while on the ice. Darcy Kuemper is Colorado’s best goalkeeper, allowing 2.54 goals per game on average. In 57 games, he has made 32 quality starts, a quality start percentage that is higher than the league average.
Vladimir Tarasenko leads the St. Louis Blues in goal and overall scoring with 82 points after 75 games. With a shooting percentage of 14.8 percent, he has reached his goal total of 34. So far, he’s scored 15.0 percent of his goals on the power play. Robert Thomas is in second place, with 57 assists to go along with his 20 goals. His offensive production has earned him a plus-minus rating of +17.0 while on the ice. Ville Husso is St. Louis’ best goalkeeper, allowing 2.56 goals per game on average. He has made 23 quality starts in 40 games, a quality start percentage that is higher than the league average.
The over-under betting line for game 6 is set at 6.5 goals. Colorado and St. Louis have gone over this line in their last three games, including two straight games with a total of nine goals scored.
Free Pick: St. Louis Blues
