The St. Louis Blues have found themselves in a 0-2 hole against the Winnipeg Jets in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The location switches from Manitoba to Missouri, giving the Blues a secret weapon they didn’t have on the road.
It is time to hear the roar of the Blue Note, live from the Enterprise Center. There was no hotter team in the NHL at home down the stretch, and it helped them get their new franchise record 12-wins in a row. Coincidentally, that 12-game win streak is also the same number of wins the Blues have declared victory in front of their home crowd.
Secret Weapon
The next two games of this best-of-seven will be Blues home games. This is a huge advantage, and it is essentially the last stand, as the Jets could potentially sweep the Blues in game 4 at the Enterprise Center.
The Blues were 24-14-3 at home this season, and the Jets were 26-15-0. This is the Blues' best chance to get back in this series. With the hometown crowd on the edge of their seats, they will have all the support they need.
Cannot afford to waste their trump card
After giving up back-to-back third-period collapses, the Blues hang in against the “best team” in the NHL. Now, they can try to catch up in the place where they play their best hockey.
This is it. If the Blues lose the next two games, the season is over. They have to try and reclaim a tie in the series, at two games each and make it a best two out of three to move onto the second round.