Gay rights are civil rights are human rights: With the commemoration of Gay Pride month, I was stunned and angered that the Trump administration dropped yet another mean-spirited bombshell on the trans community - one that would impact a basic necessity - the quality of their health care.
… The last time the Wild had home-ice advantage for the playoffs in 2017, the Blues won the first two games in Minnesota and took the series in five games.It seems like recent protests have ushered in exciting opportunities for change. … Defenseman Alex Goligoski was the most notable healthy scratch for the Wild. Niko Mikola took his place on the third pair. The Blues held defenseman Marco Scandella (lower body) out with an injury that occurred in their second-to-last regular season game. “It seems like every puck on the power play just ended up on his stick.” He’s always a threat around the net, I know,” Fleury said. Perron bounced back in a big way against his friend - and fellow Quebecois - Fleury, who played with him on the Vegas team that reached the Stanley Cup finals in 2018 and also with Pittsburgh in 2015. “The worst part is not being a part of the team, just helping out however you could,” Perron said. None last year, though, because he had to sit out with the virus while the Blues were swept by Colorado.
Perron has plenty of time on ice when the moments are the most tense, with 92 career playoff games coming into the series. “It’s really nice for a first playoff game,” Husso said. For the first game, at least, the inexperience once again didn’t matter in the St. Husso was picked over Jordan Binnington, who backstopped the Blues all the way to the Stanley Cup title as a rookie in 2019.
Perron scored on a rebound, flinging his body forward to land on his knees after his stick connected with the puck just before the extra-skater time expired. After Brayden Schenn checked Wild defenseman Matt Dumba to the head and knocked him over, Jordan Greenway was called for roughing to give the Blues their first power play. The Wild set franchise records for wins (53) and points (113) to nudge past the Blues for second place in the Central Division, despite a power play that ranked 18th in the NHL and a penalty kill that was 25th in the league.įleury started strong with a pad save on a penalty shot by Ivan Barbashev, but Perron put the Blues on the board less than three minutes later. The Wild were insistent there was no bad decision to make and that both goalies would be needed throughout the postseason, but if they don’t get their special teams on track this might be a short run. Fleury, the reigning Vezina Trophy winner and three-time Stanley Cup champion, was acquired in a trade with Chicago on March 21. Marc-Andre Fleury got the nod in goal for the Wild over All-Star Cam Talbot, who went 13-0-3 in his last 16 starts. Game 2 is here Wednesday night, before the series shifts south to St. That’ll give us a lot of positivity going forward.” “We had pretty good opportunities, and we didn’t give much on the other end. “Our view from the eye view is that we were pretty good,” Wild coach Dean Evason said. They had a 55-28 edge on the Blues in shots attempted over the first two periods, but 14 of them went wide of the net. That was the greatest source of frustration for the Wild on a night marked by up-close misfires and clanged posts. Perron scored on each of the first two power plays for the the Blues, who went 6 for 6 on the penalty kill. Particularly on the power play, having led the league with a 29.4% scoring rate in 41 road games this season.
“It’s part of the game and it’s important, but we’ve been a good road team for quite some time here,” Blues coach Craig Berube said. Ryan O’Reilly had a goal and an assist, Torey Krug added three assists and Ville Husso made 37 saves for the shutout in his postseason debut for the Blues, who seized home-ice advantage from a Wild team they’ve had their way with in recent years.īy blocking 17 shots, clogging the passing lanes and dominating on both special teams, the confident Blues quieted Xcel Energy Center quickly with a 2-0 first-period lead and never let the crowd - that the Wild pushed so hard to play in front of to start the postseason - become a factor. “I have a lot of pride wearing the Blue note.”
Louis and posted the 14th three-goal game in franchise history. “It’s been a long way coming,” said Perron, who’s on his third stint with St.