The St. Louis Blues have a tilt against the top team in the Metropolitan Division, and tied for the most points in the entirety of the Eastern Conference, the Carolina Hurricanes. This is going to be a grueling test for this team, and a victory might give them that spark they need.
The Blues have lost three straight games, and things are starting to look grim. Each of these losses has pitted them further back down the standings in the wild card race, and they are now sitting at six points back of the second wild card spot.
Here are three players that can hopefully be difference makers and help get this team back into the win column.
Colton Parayko
After playing in all 46 games so far this season, Colton Parayko remains goalless, and that has been a detriment for this Blues team. Defensively, the statistics are showing that he is contributing nicely with 112 blocked shots and 48 hits. But his 55 giveaways this season have been a glowing reminder of the misfortunes for the entirety of this defensive unit.
The Blues are having a hard time scoring goals, with only scoring more than two goals in a 60-minute hockey, six times over their last 21. That is an embarrassment. Parayko's donut in the goal column is one of the many reasons why they have not been able to score more often.
Can Parayko break the cold-streak and get back to his usual self?
Jordan Binnington
If the Blues want to try and beat one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference and try to decipher what exactly they have at the goaltending position, they have to give Jordan Binnington the nod here. Joel Hofer, who has gotten a lot more time this season, would have been the next up after Binnington lost his last start against Vegas, but head coach Jim Montgomery has to challenge No. 50 and see if he has what it takes.
Additionally, General Manager Doug Armstrong is probably hunkering down his options for a starting goalie for the Olympic Games, and the best way to do that is to see if Binnington still has that clutch gene in him. When the chips are stacked against him, he always finds a way to win the game.
Can Binnington continue to prove that here?
Jordan Kyrou
Another player who can be directly attributed to the lapse in scoring by the Blues is star forward Jordan Kyrou. This has been a tough stretch for him, with only two goals over his last 19 games. For someone of his caliber, that is completely out of the ordinary. If he is able to turn it around in this second half and mirror a performance similar to how Robert Thomas was down the stretch last season, he could win back over the hearts of the Blue Note faithful.
Kyrou has not had the best luck against Carolina, with only a goal and four assists for five points in nine games. Not the worst stat line, but he is also rocking a -12 during that time, which is the worst +/- he has against any opponent in his career.