The St. Louis Blues are in a bit of a tricky spot. They’re seventh in the Central Division and suddenly looking up at the rest of the lot.
The five-point gap between them and the third-place Colorado Avalanche (yes, Colorado is third) seems pretty substantial to overcome at this point. Unless the Blues can go on a heater and really turn things around, making up that gap might seem more like wishful thinking.
The idea here isn't to claim the Blues can’t do it. The point here is to highlight that time is running out. Because time is of the essence, the Blues can’t afford to let it slip through their fingers.
Entering Thursday night’s action, the Blues had lost three of their last four. While the victory against the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night was great, the game against the Utah Mammoth on Thursday night was another solid effort. It was the rare 0-0 stalemate that the Blues ended up winning in the shootout.
With that in mind, there’s a critical signpost that the Blues can’t afford to ignore. If they do, it could spell doom for the club’s playoff chances.
Blues need to focus on Thanksgiving signpost
There is an unofficial rule in the NHL stating that teams outside of a playoff spot by Thanksgiving don’t generally make the playoffs. Anecdotal data show that about 75% of teams within a playoff spot by Thanksgiving make it to the postseason.
Now, that’s hardly an ironclad rule. But it’s a trend that has illustrated the realities of the salary cap era in the NHL.
That’s why the Blues are running out of time. Unless they can climb into a Wild Card spot in the next two weeks or so, it looks like the chances of making the postseason could be slim.
Of course, if there’s any team that’s proven that there’s always an exception to the rule, it’s the Blues. Blues fans still vividly recall the magical run of 2019. When everyone figured the team was dead in a ditch somewhere, they pulled everything together and rode a marvelous run that culminated in a Stanley Cup.
We’re not expecting such magic this time around. Consistent all-around play will go a long way towards getting the Blues to become a solid playoff team moving forward.
The fact is that there are no hidden formulas anywhere. It’s all a matter of playing fundamentally sound hockey. The goaltending has been there with Joel Hofer, and the defense isn't looking all that bad.
So, it will just be a matter of the scoring catching up. When it does, the Blues will be a force to be reckoned with.
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