St. Louis Blues (34-17-8) vs Pittsburgh Penguins (36-16-9)
Game Info: Thursday, March 17, 2022 at 8:00 pm (Enterprise Center)
Betting Odds: St. Louis Blues -125 / Pittsburgh Penguins +100 --- Over/Under: 5.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds
The St. Louis Blues host the Pittsburgh Penguins in Thursday NHL Action.
The Pittsburgh Penguins come into this road contest with an overall record of 36-16-9. Through 61 games, the Penguins are 2nd in the Metropolitan Division. On the season, they have found the net 198 times, good for a rank of 11th among NHL teams. Heading into the game, Pittsburgh is the 6th ranked defensive team, allowing opponents to score at an average rate of 2.61 goals per game. So far, the Penguins have a strength of schedule rating of 25th in the league. When diving into their opponent-adjusted scoring margin, they come into this game as the 7th ranked team in the NHL.
The St. Louis Blues get set to host the Pittsburgh Penguins with an overall record of 34-17-8. This mark places them 2nd in the Central division. Through 59 games, the Blues have scored 211 goals, giving them an average of 3.54. This output gives them a rank of 5th among NHL teams. On defense, St. Louis is the 7th ranked unit, giving up 2.76 goals per contest. So far, the Blues have played the 24th toughest schedule in the league. And, when taking into account St. Louis's scoring margin relative to the quality of their competition, they come in with a power ranking of 5th in the NHL.
Through 55 games, the Pittsburgh Penguins goal and overall scoring leader is Jake Guentzel with 60 points. He has reached his mark of 29 goals, on a shooting percentage of 15.1%. So far, 21.0% of his goals have come during power play time. Behind him is Sidney Crosby, who has 39 assists to go along with his 20 goals. While on the ice, his offensive production has led to a plus-minus rating of +12.0. Pittsburgh's top goalie is Tristan Jarry, who is giving up an average of 2.32 goals per game.In his 47 games played, he has turned in 28 quality starts, giving him a quality start percentage above the league average.
Through 55 games, the St. Louis Blues' goal and overall scoring leader is Jordan Kyrou, with 59 points. He has reached his mark of 22 goals, on a shooting percentage of 16.5%. So far, 18.0% of his goals have come during power play time. Behind him is Vladimir Tarasenko, who has 34 assists to go along with his 20 goals. While on the ice, his offensive production has led to a plus-minus rating of +2.0. St. Louis's top goalie is Ville Husso, who is giving up an average of 2.24 goals per game. In his 24 games played, he has turned in 15 quality starts, giving him a quality start percentage above the league average.
Heading into this game, both the Blues and Penguins are in the middle of offensive slumps. Over St. Louis' last five games, they have surpassed their season average of 2.76 goals per game just twice. The same goes for the Penguins, who are averaging just 2.61 goals per contest. Look for the Blues to be the team to break out of this skid, picking up a win over the Penguins.
Joe’s Pick Blues +100
AUTHOR: Joe Kiemen
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