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Blues eliminate Wild, unlikely duo scores Game 5 OT goal (Video)

Greg Wyshynski

The Minnesota Wild won’t have to worry about Bruce Boudreau coaching in a Game 7 this postseason.

That’s because they were eliminated in five games, at the hands of the St. Louis Blues on Saturday afternoon.

The Wild battled valiantly on home ice in Game 5, but the Blues’ goal at 9:42 of overtime propelled them to a Central Division final series against the Nashville Predators.

A goal that had an unlikely duo teaming up to end the series.

Magnus Paajarvi scored his first career playoff goal to end the series. Paajarvi has 17 career goals in 145 regular-season games with the Blues, and 43 in 308 games in the NHL.

The forward that assisted on that goal? Vladimir Sobotka, who rejoined the Blues on April 6 after nearly three years in the Russian Kontinental Hockey League. He left the NHL after an arbitration dispute with the Blues, and then returned to finish out his contract while signing a new three-year deal.

He played one regular season game for the Blues this season. He now has three points in five playoff games in the postseason.

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The Wild didn’t go out without a fight. They rallied with two goals in the third period to tie the game, after a returning Paul Stastny made it 3-1 for the Blues at 7:23 of the third. But 34 saves from Jake Allen, who yet again outplayed Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk, were enough for the win.

The game wasn’t without controversy, with a failed coaches’ challenge for the Wild in the third and another video review in the first. It also had one of the scariest moments in the playoffs, with Eric Staal crashing into the end boards in the second period and leaving for the hospital.

Yet again, the Wild had a significant puck possession advantage over the Blues. Yet again, the Blues came away victorious, in the game and in the series.

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Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.

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