The St. Louis Blues are on the path back to Stanley Cup contention. As Doug Armstrong said, the "rewhatever" is over, and the Blues will look to build upon the success of the 2024-25 season moving forward. What can the Blues learn about creating a contender from the final four teams in the Stanley Cup Playoffs?
In this short series of pieces, I'll take a look at each team in the Conference Finals to determine what the Blues should learn about the quest to win another Cup, starting with the Carolina Hurricanes. Be sure to return for articles on what the Blues can learn from the Florida Panthers, Edmonton Oilers, and Dallas Stars.
Check out this recent episode of Note News, where we discussed what the Blues can learn from the NHL's top contenders!
The Carolina Hurricanes have been one of the top regular-season teams in the NHL for many years. In fact, in the past 7 years, they have a winning percentage of .609, which is 2nd in the NHL (Tampa Bay ranks 1st with .616).
Their regular season success, however, has yet to translate to playoff success. Playing against the Florida Panthers, they look entirely out-matched and, as of May 25, 2025, have lost their last 15 games in the conference finals.
What aspects of the Canes should the Blues emulate?
One of Carolina's biggest strengths (which may also be a weakness, as I'll discuss later) is their rigid system of on-ice hockey. Head coach Rod Brind'Amour has developed a style of play that is consistently overwhelming on both offense and defense. That style, along with generating quantity chances rather than quality chances, allows the Canes to win in the aggregate.
One criticism of the Blues in recent seasons is that they're too focused on passing to find the perfect shot every time, rather than taking chances when they present themselves. The Blues shouldn't go to the extremes that the Canes do, but they might be better off putting more pucks on net.
Another area where the Canes excel is on defense. Stellar play in their zone allows them to quickly transition back to offense. When that defense leads to transition, it works well with their quantity-style offense to win most games they play.
The Blues are already implementing this strategy. St. Louis became a solid defensive team this season, particularly among the forward group. That, paired with goalies who can handle the puck like Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer, allowed the Blues to generate offense as well.
What aspects of the Canes should the Blues avoid?
The biggest strength of the Hurricanes might also be their biggest weakness. While their system is solid, it isn't flexible enough. An opponent like the Florida Panthers can win in many ways, and Carolina has been unable to adjust their strategy when it doesn't work.
Jim Montgomery and the Blues should be cautious not to let their style of hockey prevent them from adapting to their opponent, especially in an extended playoff series.
Another issue with the Hurricanes seems to be an inability to "kick it up a notch" in the playoffs. This problem is on full display in the Eastern Conference Finals, with the Florida Panthers oozing playoff mentality. Because the Canes treat every game they play the same way, it appears to be difficult for them to access another level of hockey and mindset.
I'd be surprised if this became an issue for the Blues. With Montgomery at the helm and Brayden Schenn as captain, the "blue collar" style that the Blues play should lend itself well to playoff hockey. We saw their ability to find the playoff mindset in Round 1 against the Winnipeg Jets, and, with some more talent on the roster, the Blues should start winning series like that.
Come back for more pieces on what the Blues can learn from the rest of the Conference Finalists!