– Last Updated on November 21, 2022 4:51 pm
2016 NHL Futures – Series Picks
Looking for Blues vs. Stars free series predictions & playoff picks? You’ve come to the right place if you’re searching for NHL Futures.Two teams very familiar with one another meet as Central Division rivals St. Louis and Dallas meet in the 2nd round of the NHL Playoffs. Cappers Picks covers all 2016 NHL Playoff series – so check back as we’ll be adding more.
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NHL Betting – St. Louis Blues vs. Dallas Stars Second Round Series Preview and Picks
These two teams became very familiar with one another during the regular season.
The division rivals met three times this season with the Stars winning 2 of those.
Dallas came out of nowhere this year as they used their youth to spark energy that lasted all season long. With the Blues, they’ve been regular participants in the NHL Playoffs, which could hold an edge as this series gets deeper.
Who’s got the edge here? Let’s break it down.
St. Louis Blues vs. Dallas Stars Lines
- St. Louis Blues -115
- Dallas Stars -105
St. Louis Blues vs. Dallas Stars Series Schedule
- Game 1: Thursday, April 28 St. Louis @ Dallas 8:00 PM
- Game 2: Sunday, May 1 St. Louis @ Dallas 2:00 PM on Y98
- Game 3: Tuesday, May 3 Dallas @ St. Louis 7:00 PM TBD
- Game 4: Thursday, May 5 Dallas @ St. Louis 7:00 PM on KMOX
- *Sat 5/7, TBD: STL @ DAL | TBD
- *Mon 5/9, TBD: DAL @ STL | TBD
- *Wed 5/11, TBD: STL @ DAL | TBD
St. Louis Blues vs. Dallas Stars Series Forwards
The line of Schwartz, Tarasenko and Jori Lehtera was the key to the Blues advancing.
The trio combined for 17 points in the 7 game series with the Blackhawks, coming up clutch in every game one way or another. It was Schwartz who led the way with 7 points on 3 goals and 4 assists. This line will undoubtedly need a lot of production here as the Stars can really score quickly.
What St. Louis has a lot of is depth. They’re 4th line is still extremely dangerous, led by Kyle Brodziak.
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For the Stars, they have a lot of questions to be answered. Star Tyler Seguin played in just one game (Game 2) of the first round series against Minnesota. He didn’t even travel with the team toward the back end of the series. He was injured in March and had surgery, which he is still feeling the effects from. It’s unclear what is status is, but if he can’t go, the pressure is really on for Dallas.
Jason Spezza was one of the Stars to really step up. In the first round, Spezza put up 9 points on 4 goals and 5 assists. He’ll be just as important this time around, given the question marks around Seguin.
Look for Patrick Eaves (five points) and Patrick Sharp (four points) to also be key here. They give the Stars offense a spark and a lot of speed, along with the experience factor.
Verdict: The Stars are one of the fastest offenses in the league. They like to get up and down the ice and really pepper the goal. However, in turn they give up a lot of chances on the counter. Give the edge to St. Louis here, as they have more experience and many more weapons that can change a game.
St. Louis Blues vs. Dallas Stars Series Defense and Goaltending
Alex Pietrangelo leads the defensive pack that is one of the best in the NHL.
Blues don’t concede many goals and rarely give up open looks to the opposition. Pietrangelo finished Round 1 with 6 points as he tallied 1 goal and 5 assists. Not only is he a threat to find the back of the net and set up his teammates, he also shut down the top line of the Blackhawks. He’ll have a tough task in this series as he’ll deal with quick forwards.
Kevin Shattenkirk struggled in the first round, but his presence will certainly be needed as he’ll have to step up.
In net, Brian Elliott was clutch. He had just a 2.40 GAA against the Hawks, and turned away 236 of 254 shots.
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For the Stars, they don’t have anybody that has the wow factor on the defensive end, but they do have depth. They used a 7 player core in the first round against the Wild and will likely keep that.
John Klingberg came up huge in the later games, tallying three points.
With the deep defense core, the Stars can rotate a lot and really keep the legs fresh in the back.
In net, Dallas used Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi. Lehtonen got 4 starts and played extremely well going 3-1 with a 2.27 GAA. Niemi was very inconsistent going 1-1 with a GAA of 3.36. Expect Lehtonen to get a majority of the starts in this series, as he has been the better of the two.
Verdict: Edge to the Blues here. Elliot played a solid series and came up clutch many times. With the defense in front of him and as talented as they are, things will be tough on the Stars offense.
Blues vs. Stars Free Series Predictions:
Dallas isn’t very familiar with this kind of pressure. This deep into the playoffs hasn’t been a norm for them.
St. Louis has that experience and the talent. They have a lot of veterans who have been in deep playoff runs and combine that with how good their defense is and they get a huge edge here. Look for the Stars to really struggle to find scoring chances, as the Blues take this series.
St. Louis in 6.
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