### Roster Rundown
St. Louis Blues' roster boasts some power-packed skaters, starting with Brayden Schenn, who’s been a pivotal force with 25 goals and 35 assists this season. Jordan Kyrou stands out too, having delivered a solid 30 goals. On the blue line, Justin Faulk anchors the defense, logging an average of 23 minutes per game. Between the pipes, Jordan Binnington’s been a wall with a .915 save percentage. Unfortunately, the Blues will miss the presence of Pavel Buchnevich due to an injury, which might shake up their forward lines a bit.
Pittsburgh Penguins, on the other hand, rely heavily on their veteran leader, Sidney Crosby, who has notched up 40 goals and 50 assists. Evgeni Malkin adds depth with his playmaking skills, tallying 60 points this season. On defense, Erik Karlsson’s offensive prowess shines, with his 20 goals as proof. In net, Tristan Jarry has been reliable with a .910 save percentage. The Penguins will have to do without Kris Letang, who’s out with an injury, making their defensive task a tad more challenging.
### Head-to-Head
In their last three encounters, the Penguins have had a slight upper hand. The most recent clash saw the Penguins edging out the Blues 3-2 back in December. Prior to that, the Blues managed a 3-1 win in April. The Penguins had earlier secured a 4-2 victory in the previous season’s meeting.
### Recent Form
St. Louis Blues have been hot, riding a five-game winning streak, dispatching the Colorado Avalanche with a gritty 1-2 win, and outplaying the Nashville Predators twice with 3-2 and 4-1 victories. The Montreal Canadiens fell to them 6-1, and they handed the Chicago Blackhawks a 4-1 defeat.
Pittsburgh Penguins, meanwhile, have been a mixed bag. They squeaked out a 1-0 win against the Ottawa Senators but stumbled against the Buffalo Sabres, going down 7-3. Tampa Bay Lightning handed them a 6-1 loss, followed by a close 4-3 defeat to the Florida Panthers. They bounced back with a convincing 6-3 win over Columbus Blue Jackets.
### Wrap-Up
Blues are on a roll, with their recent run of victories pushing them confidently up the standings. With a solid offense and a stingy defense, they've been steamrolling opponents lately. Penguins, though, are unpredictable, with their form swinging like a pendulum. Crosby and Malkin are still dangerous, even if their defense has been porous at times without Letang. Both teams are hungry for points, with the Blues looking to maintain their streak and the Penguins eager to find consistency.
### Summary
Looking at the stats, Blues seem to have the edge with their current form, while the Penguins have shown glimpses of brilliance. If Penguins' stars can find their rhythm and Jarry holds the fort, they might be able to give Blues a run for their money. But with Blues' current form, they might just have enough to skate past Penguins if they keep crashing the net and Binnington stays sharp. This one’s shaping up to be a thrilling matchup!
Match Odds St. Louis Blues – Pittsburgh Penguins
Leon's odds are - on St. Louis Blues prevailing at own stadium.
At this moment our odds are equal to - on Pittsburgh Penguins visiting team's winning.
Draw odds are -.
