Can the St. Louis Blues sneak into the playoffs and pull off one of the most remarkable Stanley Cup playoff runs in recent memory? Or, is this all just a bunch of false hope, with this team’s success up to this point being a fresh coat of paint on a totaled car?
Let’s discuss it.
Pretenders
Let’s get this one out of the way first, this team has not won more than two games in a row. Let that sink in. If they were to get into a playoff series, they have to win two, lose then win two immediately after to have any chance of moving on. No sweeps allowed over here in the Lou.
The offense is up, then down. The defense is still trying to find the right set of pairs, and the goaltending has been less than stellar. This Blues team is good, maybe even great, but not this season.
Contenders
At the same time, what if this team had a chance at proving themselves in a seven-game series in the playoffs? What if they could get on a roll and win consecutive hockey games, more than twice? What if, under an experienced and successful head coach Jim Montgomery, they pull themselves together and win the whole thing?
Somebodies gotta win it all, right?
The Blues have started to get some secondary scoring, to go along with their core group who all have chances of hitting 20+ goal territory. Jordan Kyrou and Brayden Schenn are leading the offense to a new level, as the Blues steadily climb the goals-per-game rankings.
Defensively, Cam Fowler’s acquisition may have helped save this season. He has settled right in, and he could very well be the second d-man on this roster to hit 10+ goals this season, aside Colton Parayko.
Finally, the Blues were counted out before they made the playoffs in 2018-19. Plus, they had a goaltender back then, who is still the go-to guy now, who could bring this team back to the Stanley Cup Final and win it. Jordan Binnington has had a rough year, but he has enough experience that he can pull himself up and put on a show when it matters most.