The St. Louis Blues and the rest of the NHL are entering the most crucial month of the season. This is where the real playoff race begins. This is when we see teams fall out of their respective conference playoffs, and some teams find a way to sneak in.
This month of March is going to have it all for the Blues. The Trade Deadline is coming up on March 7, 15 games on the docket, and a tight wildcard race between four teams and three points difference.
Let's break it down.
Trade Deadline
On March 7, there will be a slew of breaking news and developing trades going across the internet. Every media outlet will be documenting every trade, from every team, and it will shape up the rest of the regular season. We will find out what Blues General Manager Doug Armstrong decides to do with this current roster, as the intentions at the deadline are still unknown.
These next few games will dictate the future of this organization. Will they try and go all in right now, jeopardizing their future contention, or will they sell off and bolster their team for a shot at the next few seasons?
30 Points up for grabs and Wild Card race
With 62 points on the year, the Blues have a chance to add a possible 30 points over the next 15 games this month. In this list of games, their are some great chances to try and move up the ladder in the Western Conference and sneak into the wildcard. More on that later.
Here is the the schedule for the month of March:
March 1 | Los Angeles Kings |
|---|---|
March 2 | Dallas Stars |
March 5 | Los Angeles Kings |
March 7 | Anaheim Ducks |
March 8 | Los Angeles Kings |
March 13 | Pittsburgh Penguins |
March 15 | Minnesota Wild |
March 16 | Anaheim Ducks |
March 18 | Nashville Predators |
March 20 | Vancouver Canucks |
March 22 | Chicago Blackhawks |
March 23 | Nashville Predators |
March 25 | Montreal Canadiens |
March 27 | Nashville Predators |
March 29 | Colorado Avalanche |
There are a ton of matchups with Western Conference teams, and a lot of them are teams just in front of the Blues in the wildcard race. Vancouver and Colorado are the standout games here, as they are both in the wildcard spots at the moment. But those three games against the Kings can definitely shake things up a bit.
This month is going to have a little bit of everything, and what a roller coaster it will be. There is a lot to see in March, and if all goes according to plan, this won't be the last full month of Blues hockey.