Dubnyk rebounds, Allen falls flat as Wild regain series lead over Blues
Devan Dubnyk is celebrating his improbable Vezina Trophy nomination with a 3-2 series lead.
He expiated for his meager performance in Game 4, making 36 saves for the Minnesota Wild and pushing the St. Louis Blues to the brink of elimination with a 4-1 triumph in Game 5.
The Blues controlled play early, but Jake Allen was unable to match Dubnyk or maintain his impressive form throughout the series. He allowed the first shot faced to pop off his glove and bounce into the net to tie the game before spotting the Wild a lead they wouldn't relinquish when he deflected a cross-crease pass into his own goal.
St. Louis must now hope a pattern holds Sunday in Minnesota as the two teams have traded wins through the first five games of the series.
Star Performer: The Blues outshot the Wild in 31-6 in periods one and three, but were outscored 2-1. (That was Dubnyk's doing).
Turning Point: Marco Scandella's game-tying goal on the Wild's first shot of the game sullied an impressive start from the Blues. They prevented an attempt on Allen for more than 11 minutes.
Goalie Comparison: It was simple. Allen didn't make the saves that allowed him to steal the crease from Brian Elliott. Game 5 marked the first time in his last 12 starts that he's allowed more than two goals.
| Goalie | Shots | GA | Saves | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dubnyk | 37 | 1 | 36 | 0.973 |
| Allen | 19 | 4 | 15 | 0.789 |
Top Highlight: Here's Dubnyk's best, or at least most important, stop - a desperation effort from his stomach with the game still tied.
(Courtesy: NHL.com)
Stat of the Night: With his goal in the first, Vladimir Tarasenko had scored a ridiculous six goals on nine shots in the postseason before, well, not scoring on the next three he put on Dubnyk.
Game 1: Wild 4, Blues 2
Game 2: Blues 4, Wild 1
Game 3: Wild 3, Blues 0
Game 4: Blues 6, Wild 1
Game 5: Wild 4, Blues 1
Game 6: Sunday, April 26, 3:00 p.m. ET
Game 7*: Wednesday, April 29, TBA
*If necessary