The St. Louis Blues and Los Angeles Kings will meet three times this week for an intense Western Conference showdown. This can shake the entire landscape of the Wildcard and Central Division Standings. With six points up for grabs, one team can fall out of the playoff race, and one team can sneak their way in.
Let's give it a look.
First of three-game series
This has all the meanings of a playoff series. The Blues and Kings have fought hard all year to make it to the last, more important, month of the season. The Kings, at 31-18-8 for 70 points, sit in the third position of the Pacific Division. The Blues, at 28-26-6 for 62 points, are three points back from Vancouver for the last wildcard spot.
After taking down two of the best teams in the NHL, the Blues have finally hit their ever-alluding three-game winning streak. In order to make it the playoffs, they need to get as many points as they can get this month. It all starts with this three-game tilt with the Kings.
With the trade deadline looming on March 7, the Blues have a lot of decisions to make. Will they be buyers or sellers at the deadline, and what kind of deals should they make or avoid?
Robert Thomas looks to continue his hot streak, as he is on an 8-game assist streak. This monumental run has already etched its way into the Blues record books, and from the look of things, it isn't slowing down. He is the 10th player in Blues history to reach eight straight games with an assist.
All eyes are on Brayden Schenn as his name continues to circle the league. Will it be to Toronto or maybe another Western Conference team? These next few games will be a preview of where his future with the Blues will lie.
The puck drop at the Enterprise Center will be at 7 PM CT.