Of all the major leagues in the US and Canada, it appears as though the NHL is the most active in terms of keeping fans up to date with what is going on. They recently released a very solid Q&A about the current situation and are actively talking about when things might start up again. What is not clear at this point is how the league will look once it returns. The time it takes to get back to action will have an impact, and it will ultimately decide whether we get a full season and playoffs or just some sort of truncated playoff from the off. We thought that it might be fun to look at how the first round matchups might play out if the NHL did return and jump straight into the postseason, starting with the St. Louis Blues against the Nashville Predators. Let’s see how the NHL odds could be for the Blues vs Predators.
Blues vs Predators if Playoffs Started Today
The Blues and Predators Season to Date
The St. Louis Blues came from out of nowhere last season and ended up going on a run that ended with them hoisting the Stanley Cup. They were not going to creep up on anyone this season, though, so it is all the more impressive that they are 42-19-10 on the season and currently occupying the top spot in the Western Conference. Home ice advantage in the playoffs is always big, but since the Blues are 23-7-5 in their own building this season, that advantage would be absolutely huge. They have also been solid on the road, going 19-12-5 away from home.
The Nashville Predators were just beginning to round into form when the NHL paused the season, winning 3 in a row and going 6-3-1 in their last 10 games. Keeping the puck out of the net has been a bit of a problem for Nashville this season, but they are also among the highest scorers in the West, so they can never be counted out. Overall, the Predators are 35-26-8 on the season, which has them in the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference, barely ahead of the Vancouver Canucks sitting right below the playoff line.
The Blues and Predators Head to Head
Ordinarily, it is never ideal to go against the #1 seed in the opening round of the playoffs, but this might actually be a matchup that the Predators would relish. Nashville and St. Louis have squared off 4 times already this season, with the Predators winning all 4 games. All but one of those games was decided by a single goal, so it’s fair to suggest that we might be in for a very tight series with the potential for a lot of OT action.
Blues and Predators Series Prediction
I think that we can throw the regular season dominance out the window once the playoffs begin. I do, though, see this series as a close one, so I would not be surprised to see it go the full 7 games. The Blues proved that they are playoff warriors last season, so I would take them to win it 4-3.
