Fans of the St. Louis Blues have every right to be upset about how their team exited the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Giving up a lead late in a game that they had a serious opportunity to win continued a frustrating trend this season - at the worst possible moment.
While Blues fans deserve to be upset about the outcome of this particular game, they also have plenty of reasons to be optimistic about this team and its outlook moving forward.
5. Jordan Binnington
The greatest goaltender in Blues history has silenced the doubters and haters once and for all this year. He set a franchise record for wins. He stood on his head to earn Team Canada a 4 Nations Faceoff trophy. And he once again came through in the postseason.
Call it confidence, or the "clutch gene," but Binnington becomes a whole new player when the clock strikes playoffs. Per Moneypuck, among goalies with at least five games played in the playoffs, Binnington ranked fourth in GAA with 2.53, seventh in save percentage on unblocked shots with 0.958, and sixth in save percentage on high danger unblocked shots with 0.800 (all while having the third worst percentage of shot attempts blocked by teammates at 21.27%). Binnington came through in the playoffs once again.
4. Jim Montgomery
Doug Armstrong was not afraid to be bold this year. Once the Boston Bruins fired head coach Jim Montgomery, Armstrong swiftly snatched him up, signing him to a five-year deal and replacing Drew Bannister.
After Monty took over, the Blues had a 35-18-7 record in 60 games played. Over an 82-game period, that's a 105 point pace, which would have been good enough for third in the Central Division this year.
Next season, the Blues will get a chance to play under Montgomery for a full season. Seeing what one of the greatest regular season head coaches in the game can do with this team for a full year will be exciting.
3. The revival of St. Louis' hockey culture and identity
One of the biggest stories of the 2024-25 season is the development of an established identity and culture in the locker room. Captain Brayden Schenn led the way, helping the Blues establish themselves as a gritty, hard-working team that also knows how to have fun.
Throughout the season, we saw St. Louis players competing for the Note on the front, rather than the name on the back. Additionally, a solid culture and identity helps the team pick themselves up when they get knocked down, and helps them ride the wave when they're finding success.
2. The youth movement
Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg were season highlights all year long. Doug Armstrong's masterful double offer sheets move was one of the most brilliant moments of his career, with both players shocking the hockey world and establishing themselves as core pieces for the Blues.
Beyond these two players, the Blues have a great deal of other young talent to be excited about. Zack Bolduc (at 21 years old) came into his own, scoring 19 goals. Jake Neighbours followed up his breakout season with a career-high 46 points.
Jimmy Snuggerud is officially a Blue, and looked outstanding in the first round of the playoffs. Tyler Tucker established himself as a legitimate third pair option. And Dalibor Dvorsky got his first taste of the NHL - it shouldn't be too long before he's here for good.
1. The window is open
"The re-whatever is ending. I think we're now becoming who we want to be," said Doug Armstrong during the Blues' end-of-season press conference. The general manager seems to be bought in, after going into this season saying that the Blues would need to prove they're ready to take a step.
They proved it and then some, defying expectations by winning 12 games in a row and making the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Blues are ready to take a step, and making the playoffs is now the expectation, especially if there are some offseason additions.
If the opening of the window is the Blues taking the winners of the President's Trophy to double overtime in Game 7, then the future is very bright for the next era of Blues hockey.