ST. LOUIS - Blowouts are rare this time of year in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Still, it only counts as one win.
The New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens lead their series 3-1 with every game decided by one goal.
It remains to be seen whether the St. Louis Blues can build momentum off the five-goal rout of the Minnesota Wild on the road.
It's the only opening-round series with no one-goal decisions and yet is tied at 2.
After St. Louis ended a nine-game playoff road losing streak with a 6-1 victory, coach Ken Hitchcock was emphatic he expected more of the same when the Central Division champions return home for Game 5 tonight.
"This is our game, it's not our best game," Hitchcock said after the Blues did all of their scoring in the first two periods. "We're not going to chase it around the rink like we did the first three games. This is the way it's going to be for the next little while and if they can match it, great on them."
One more win tonight, and it's on to Round 2 for the Presidents' Trophy-winning Rangers and the Canadiens.
Both of those series have been tight, with three games combined settled in overtime.
Here's a look at tonight's Wild-Blues matchup, with the series tied at 2:
• A 3-0 loss in Game 3 was apparently the Blues' second wakeup call. The Central Division champions also struggled in the series opener, a 4-2 loss at home, then recovered for a 4-1 victory in Game 2.
Vladimir Tarasenko had the franchise's first playoff hat trick in 11 years in Game 2 after getting no shots in Game 1. He was scoreless in Game 3 and had two goals in Game 4.
Twice, Minnesota appeared to have the upper hand. Now, the Blues aim to keep it.
"We have to have the same urgency and remember that feeling when you're down 2-1 in the series, how desperate we were," Blues captain David Backes said. "If we don't bring that desperation, that urgency for 60 minutes, they're a great team and they'll take advantage of us."
• Blues rookie goalie Jake Allen has been a constant, allowing two or fewer goals in 12 consecutive games. He is the franchise's first rookie goalie to win a road playoff game since Curtis Joseph on April 8, 1990, at Toronto.
• The Wild took off after acquiring goalie Devan Dubnyk in mid-January and the 28-year-old former Arizona backup started 39 of the last 40 regular-season games. He's coming off by far the worst showing since joining Minnesota, getting yanked in the second period after allowing six goals.
"I think he'll react great," coach Mike Yeo said. "I'm very, very confident in that, knowing his personality, just knowing what he's been through No. 1 to get this opportunity and how we got our team here."