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Morning Links: Could St. Louis Blues Win President’s Trophy?

By Kate Cimini

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The St. Louis Blues have been a powerhouse both on the fore and back checks, scrounging in the corners for loose pucks and going hard to the net time and time again. And it’s finally paying off at season’s end.

They are up for one of the toughest trophies to earn in the NHL, and the one that gets the least recognition from players: the Presidents Trophy.

For the uninitiated, the Presidents Trophy is given to the team with the most points at the end of the season, or the team with the most wins in case of a points tie. And the St. Louis Blues are coming up on that number awfully quickly.

They face competition from the depth dream that is the Anaheim Ducks, currently sitting at 101 points, alongside the New York Rangers. Nashville and Montréal are both one point ahead of them in the standings, and Tampa Bay ties them at 99 points.

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That seems like a lot of contenders, Kate, you say. And I hear you. I do. But the Blues have eight games ahead of them, all of them eminently winnable. And their compatriots in competition are faced with a number of competitors who need the two points to get this much closer to a playoff berth, or even a wild card spot. The Canadiens, for example, will square off against at least two teams (in three of their seven games) that are clawing for a wild card, and the Rangers face three in a row in a similar position.

The Ducks face some stiff competition from the Isles next, and, provided they can get their mojo back after the Flames stole it, have some pretty easy games coming up afterwards, save that against the Stars. It continues on in that vein with Nashville and Tampa Bay: some ups, some downs, and some teams that are getting increasingly desperate. What that spells for St. Louis is a very good chance at their first Presidents Trophy in 15 years.

Keep your eye on our Blues. They’ve got the opportunity to do something really special this year.

Headlines

Tomorrow will be a “benchmark” for Kevin Shattenkirk, a chance to see if he’s ready to be back in the lineup full-time. [FOX Sports Midwest]

Flashback: Steen’s goal pushes the Blues past the Penguins [FOX Sports Midwest]

St. Louis thinks Carl Gunnarsson will be ready to play Saturday. Not as exciting as Kevin Shattenkirk being back in the lineup, true, but it’s only been two games. [Pro Hockey Talk]

Someone’s still postulating that Ken Hitchcock could change teams this summer. [ESPN]

Highheelsandhighsticks posted a great Friday Flow appreciation post of my favorite hockey player. [High Heels And High Sticks]

And in yesterday’s dustup, one thing was clear to fans: there’s a new league for pro women players, and it’s name is the NWHL. [Puck Daddy]

The CWHL was not thrilled at the addition to the pro women’s game. [Other Half Sports]

And, in fact, this may affect the CWHL’s model adversely. [Stanley Cup of Chowder]

However, the addition of the NWHL offers another stage for players who can’t move to Canada, or who need to get paid to continue to develop their game. [Japer’s Rink]

Next: Are The CWHL and NWHL Competing For The Same Dollars?

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