Nashville's Subban Found His Shot in Game 1, and the Blues Could Be in Trouble

It has brought him lots of praise, and drawn lots of criticism at the same time, but P.K. Subban's offensively-heavy style of play and ability to dictate a game on the scoresheet from the back end is what makes the All-Star defenceman who he is.

Subban broke out in Game 1 against St. Louis on Wednesday, scoring once and adding two assists (all generated off heavy point shots), while putting five shots on goal in just over 23 minutes of ice time. Colin Wilson redirected a Subban blast to open the scoring in the first, before PK ripped one by Blues goaltender Jake Allen from the right circle for his first of the playoffs in the second frame.

Later, the Predators blueliner recorded his third point of the game, teeing it up once more from the point and putting one toward the net, which ricocheted off Filip Forsberg's skate and in after bouncing away from Allen.

Subban is one of the purest shooters in the league, boasting a canon that regularly hovers in the 100-mph range. Just last season, he hit 101 and 102 on the radar gun in an epic skills competition showdown with future trade counterpart Shea Weber, who beat Subban out with a 108-mph blast. It was an up and down first season in Nashville for the 27-year-old, who missed 16 games due to injury and posted a career-low 6.1 point shares while recording his lowest points per game average (0.61) since 2011-12. His seven even strength goals, however, tied his career high, and Subban's 54.1 Corsi was his second-best mark in seven NHL seasons.

The Preds are rolling with five straight postseason wins after sweeping the Blackhawks and taking Game 1 on the road in St. Louis on the heels of Subban's breakout offensive performance. Nashville really showed its depth in the first round, dismantling the top-seeded Blackhawks in four straight without much offensive help from Subban, who recorded just two secondary assists in the series.

If Subban has found his shot and the Nashville forwards keep getting to the net with ease, it's going to be a short, miserable series for Allen and the Blues at the hands of the eighth-seeded Predators, who are surprising the whole league as they continue to march through the playoffs at a torrid pace.