On Tuesday, Paul Stastny returned to practise, providing a sense of optimism that he could possibly return to the St. Louis Blues lineup as they looked to sweep the Wild.
However, the official word from Blues coach Mike Yeo hours before Game 4 was that the 31-year-old center will not play tonight.
Stastny hasn’t played since March 21 because of a lower-body injury, yet he still had 18 goals and 40 points in 66 regular season games.
Watch Blues vs. Wild: Game 4 at 9:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, NBC Sports app
The way this series has evolved over the last week has been one of the bigger surprises of the playoffs so far. The Blues lead the series 3-0 and have held the Wild to a total of just three goals, thanks in large part to the spectacular play of goalie Jake Allen. He’s currently sporting a save percentage of .974.
That has been the ‘X-factor’ for the Blues in this series, which they can close out tonight.
“We’re not fools. We know what’s at stake here,” Yeo told reporters. “We’re focused on our opponent, on expecting a very, very strong game from them, the same way they have every other game.”