3 Reasons St. Louis Blues Can Beat Colorado And 3 They Won’t
By Todd Panula
Will: Blues on the road
One of the things the Blues have going for them to combat Colorado’s home record is the Blues ability to be so comfortable on the road. When the Blues won the Stanley Cup in 2019, they had a similar mind set that they had no problem winning on the road.
The sad thing for the Blues is they might have finished higher in the standings had they defended their home ice the way the Avalanche did. Instead, the Blues were road warriors as they seemed to simplify their game and stay focused.
St. Louis Blues have been road warriors for years
St. Louis ended the regular season with a record of 15-9-4 on the road. That’s not a huge win/loss differential, but it shows they won plenty of games in regulation when on the other team’s rink.
The four OT/shootout losses also prove the Blues are capable of keeping things close, despite the unfamiliar surroundings. That’s the kind of mentality that any team needs to have in the playoffs.
The Blues went 6-1-3 when they scored first in the other barn. They were 9-1-3 when leading after one and 8-0-3 when leading after two on the road. Clearly that second period lead will come into play.
The will have to steal at least one game on the road. When you play a seven game series, and only have three home games at homes, it’s impossible to win without taking one on the road.
The Blues have proven they can do it. When the Blues were 100% healthy, they were one of the teams that handed Colorado one of their home losses.
The Blues beat Colorado 4-1 in the very first game of the season. While many fans focus on the 8-0 loss the following night, the fact remains even in the other two losses in Colorado, the Blues only lost by one goal in each game.
The Avalanche won, but it wasn’t convincing. Additionally, the Blues never had their full lineup together in Colorado after those first two games.
If St. Louis can continue their habit of getting off to good starts and keeping it simple on the road, they can win this series.