Uphill Battle: Who Needs To Step Up For St. Louis Blues To Win

The first round matchups are set and the St. Louis Blues, however unlikely, have managed to squeak into the postseason for another go at the Stanley Cup. Of course, this was never going to be easy.

The Blues, who are notorious for keeping their fans on their toes, overcame a lackluster-at-best start to the season to put together a slightly-better-than-lackluster second half.  They managed to just barely hold the last playoff spot, while the rest of the division crumbled beneath them.

Consider it a blessing. Considering this is a team one (and a half?) season removed from a Stanley Cup Championship, if they got bounced early in the play-in round in last year’s modified playoff format and then completely missed the postseason the next year, it would be borderline unacceptable.

Granted, we’ve seen one-hit wonders in this league before.  We will undoubtedly see them again, but the messaging we’ve gotten from this team – from ownership all the way down – has suggested that this team’s success is expected to be long-term. A missed playoff – yes, even one – could force management’s hand at a whim.

So, making playoffs = great news, right?

WRONG.  So says every fan, pundit and algorithm that’s ever existed in the history of hockey.

I’m sure I don’t need to be the one to tell you.  If you read around the league, you’re bound to have seen numerous headlines shouting some variation of “THIS IS THE MOST LOPSIDED MATCHUP IN THE PLAYOFFS EVER” and advising to refinance your home and place your entire life savings on Colorado winning in 4.

If I’m being honest, I’m not even upset about it, nor do I necessarily disagree. The numbers don’t lie: Colorado is an ELITE team. Not elite like “very good”, elite like “the absolute favorite to win the Stanley Cup this year.”  The Blues almost lost the final playoff spot to the Arizona Coyotes; so, you see where everyone’s coming from.

But, in true hockey fashion, this is not always what it seems. The Columbus Blue Jackets heard similar sentiments when they were about to face off with Nikita Kucherov and the record-breaking Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2019 Playoffs (yeah, those ones).

The Blue Jackets responded by sweeping the juggernauts in that series. If the NHL has taught us anything, it’s that the best team doesn’t always win.  That’s not just game-to-game, but holds true for a series as well. Sometimes, there are intangibles at play that can overcome a chasm in numbers, and we just have to be okay with that.

Sometimes, if there’s a will, there’s a way. Depending on the day, we know the Blues have the will.

But how can they do it?

Let’s break down some of the impact players on the team and outline exactly what will be needed to take down a super-powered Avalanche team.