The St. Louis Blues are rolling along, picking up key victories against top-tier NHL talent. The 4 Nations Face-off break is the best thing that has happened to this team all season. That time off has rejuvenated this team, and now, they are knocking on the door of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Which three players will help push this team into the playoffs, and make an immediate impact upon reaching it.
Pavel Buchnevich
If there was a time for right-winger Pavel Buchnevich to get one a hot streak, he sure picked an amazing time to do so. This season has been run-of-the-mill for him, not bad but not great. He has 13 goals on the year, and has 29 assists to with it for 42 points. But, it has been the past nine games that have proven Buchnevich will undoubtedly seperate the Blues from the rest of the pack.
Over the past nine games, he has a pair of goals and nine assists for 11 points. That is a fourth of his point production on the year just over the course of nine games. What an impeccable run for the 29-year-old. But, the job isn't finished yet. He will be an integral part of this team for years to come, and he can begin his Blues legacy by helping this team find the postseason, this season.
Colton Parayko
All season long, defenseman Colton Parayko has proven that he might just be the best player on this team. There was some competition between him and newly acquired Cam Fowler, but Parayko has seperated himself from a vast majority of the competition in the league.
After hitting a career-high 15 goals on the season, Parayko has the fourth-most goals scored on the Blues. Yes, you read that right, he has scored enough this season that he is flirting with a potential 20-goal season. If memory serves, Al MacInnis, Larry Sacaruk and Jeff Brown are the only three d-men to score 20+ times in a season.
Parayko has also been keeping up with stellar defense, and has been aggressive on the puck. His 200-foot game is a crucial part of the Blues winning streak, and will be relied on in the potential playoff run.
Jordan Binnington
It all rides on goaltender Jordan Binnington. There is no playoff run possible without the Blues starting goaltender continuing to be great. Another example of the 4 Nations Face-off being the best thing that ever happened to the Blues this season.
Binnington has been on fire lately, with a 4-0-1 record over his last five starts. In those starts, he has only allowed 12 goals from the 142 shots he has faced. If the Blues can make the playoffs, Binnington must retain this hot-streak.