Blues and Predators 2nd Round Series Will Start In St. Louis

After winning their respective 1st round series, the St. Louis Blues and Nashville Predators will face off in the second-round of the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Game 1 is set for a 7 pm start this Wednesday at Scottrade Center in St. Louis. Games 1 and 2 will take place in St. Louis with Games 3 and 4 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Games 5-7, if necessary, will alternate between the two cities with Game 5 and Game 7 taking place in St. Louis.

The Blues beat the Minnesota Wild in their first-round series 4 games to 1. The Predators swept the Chicago Blackhawks in 4 games.

St. Louis and Nashville have never met before in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Since 1998, when the Predators began play as an expansion team in the NHL, the teams have played 105 times in the regular season. The Blues have won 52 of those games with 49 of the games going to the Predators and 4 ending in a tie. The NHL did away with ties starting in the 2005-2006 season. 13 of Nashville’s 49 wins in the series have come in overtime or a shootout.

The series beginning Wednesday will pit the hottest goaltenders in this year’s playoffs against each other. Nashville netminder Pekka Rinne boasts a .976 Save percentage this far in this year’s postseason and a .70 Goals Against Average. Jake Allen has been excellent for the Blues with a .956 Save Percentage abd a 1.47 GAA. Rinne leads the NHL in both categories with Allen right behind.

Jaden Schwartz leads the St. Louis Blues in scoring in the postseason with 5 points on 2 goals and 3 assists. Schwartz, Alexander Steen and Joel Edmundson all have two goals apeice for the Blues.

Vladimir Tarasenko has just one goal and two assists this postseason. The Russian winger scored 39 goals and recorded 36 assists during the regular season. He was recently named one of three finalists for the NHL’s Lady Byng Trophy.

Ryan Johansen leads the Nashville Predators in scoring this postseason with 6 points on a goal and 5 assists. Filip Forsberg, Viktor Arvidsson, Colton Sissons, Roman Josi and Kevin Fiala have all recorded two goals each for Nashville.

The return of Paul Stastny has been welcome addition to the Blues’ lineup. The center returned to the lineup for Game 5 against Minnesota and scored a goal in the game that the Blues would evenutally win on Magnus Paajarvi’s overtime goal.

Check out a preview of the Blues-Predators series from ESPN.

Making The Trip To Smashville

With the two cities being a drive of less than five hours apart, Nashville has been a favorite road trip destination for Blues fans. St. Louis fans looking to make the trip should be ready to put down some serious money. The cheapest tickets available for Game 3 Nashville on the Predators website are $127 each as of this writing.

The Predators are offering a Preds Playoff Pass for $99 that includes a Standing Room Only ticket to both Game 3 and Game 4 in Nashville. Tickets for the series’ first two games in St. Louis go on sale Tuesday, April 25 at 3 pm.

For Nashville fans not making the trek to St. Louis for Game 1 or Game 2, the team is hosting a watch party in Bridgestone Arena Plaza. Fans are invited to bring lawn chairs and blankets to watch the games for free on a giant outdoor tv screen.

Plan to head to Nashville on Sunday for Game 3?  Predator fans will be gathering outside Bridgestone Arena beginning at 11 am to smash a car painted in Blues’ colors.

Will Carrie Underwood Make The Trip To St. Louis?

No word if country music superstar Carrie Underwood or any other country music royalty plan to attend any of the Blues-Predators games in St. Louis. The wife of Predators captain Mike Fisher sang the National Anthem before Game 3 in the team’s series against the Blackhawks. Luke Bryan sang the National Anthem before Game 4 and later shared a picture on social media of him enjoying the game with fellow star Dierks Bentley. Bryan is set to perform at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on May 5 and 6.

Carrie Underwood sings National Anthem before Predators game

St. Louis Blues vs Nashville Predators

2017 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Second Round

Series Schedule

Game 1 St. Louis Blues vs. Nashville Predators
Wednesday, April 26 at 7 p.m CT
Scottrade Center St. Louis, MO
Television: NBCSN

Game 2 St. Louis Blues vs. Nashville Predators
Friday, April 28 at 7 p.m. CT
Scottrade Center St. Louis, MO
Television: NBCSN

Game 3 St. Louis Blues at Nashville Predators
Sunday, April 30 at 2 p.m. CT
Bridgestone Arena Nashville, TN
Television: NBC

Game 4 St. Louis Blues at Nashville Predators
Tuesday, May 2 at 8:30 p.m.
Bridgestone Arena Nashville, TN
Television: NBCSN

Game 5 St. Louis Blues vs. Nashville Predators *
Friday, May 5 – Time TBD
Scottrade Center St. Louis, MO

Game 6 St. Louis Blues at Nashville Predators *
Sunday, May 7 – Time TBD
Bridgestone Arena Nashville, TN

Game 7 St. Louis Blues vs. Nashville Predators *
Tuesday, May 9 – Time TBD
Scottrade Center St. Louis, MO

•  if necessary.

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