With the season officially dwindling down, the St. Louis Blues reached the official do or die time of the year. A win against the Chicago Blackhawks, along with some results elsewhere, would keep their playoff hopes alive. A loss in the Windy City and the Blues would officially switch their mindset towards the 2026-27 season.
In worrying fashion, the game didn't open up that well. Oskar Sundqvist took a tripping penalty just 37 seconds into the game. Fortunately, the penalty kill managed to get things done and the game remained scoreless.
Despite getting outhot 6-1 in the early going, the Blues managed to control much of the period once they got their footing. They also scored the first goal of the game as well.
Tyler Tucker had the puck in the left corner and fired one in front. Jimmy Snuggerud had his stick well placed, and was slightly behind the defender, for a fantastic tap in with the goaltender not even knowing what happened. It was 1-0 Blues at 9:26.
The Blues couldn't make the lead last though. A little over five minutes later, Ryan Greene tied the game when Tucker blindly put the puck up the wall and the Blues forward was weak along the wall, creating a turnover. A quick pass found Greene on the right circle and a wrister evened the game.
The Blues gave the Blackhawks a gift by taking a penalty with 14 seconds left in the period. In an ironic twist, the Blues managed to kill that off as well, but almost immediately allowed a goal.
The Blackhawks came out hot, with nine shots in the first seven minutes, but the tying goal came just over three minutes in. The Blues had a scramble play in front on offense, but ended with three players below the goal. It ended with a one-on-one play the other way and Ilya Mikheyev shot back across the grain and beat Joel Hofer to make it 2-1.
Just over a minute later, the Blues had it tied up again. Alexey Toropchenko got sprang on a breakaway and did a little deke action before scooping it in on the backhand for a 2-2 game.
Similar to the first period, the Blues started looking better once they dusted themselves off after the first few haymakers thrown by the Hawks. St. Louis regained the lead with just over 12 gone in the period. Jordan Kyrou, who had been ice cold, put the play on his shoulders. He took it out from the wall and buried a wrister for the one-goal lead.
St. Louis added to the lead at 17:19 after some mediocre shifts in terms of creating. Jonaten Berggren slotted the pass through to Cam Fowler who softly chipped it over the goalie to push the lead to 4-2.
Unfortunately, the good vibes disapated for the fans. Almost at the same time the Blues scored, the Los Angeles Kings defeated the Edmonton Oilers, which ended the Blues playoff hopes. Nevertheless, the Blues carried the lead into the break due to some quality finishes and also good, early goaltending by Hofer.
The third period continued the solid push from the Blues. Despite the chances being even overall, the Blues got the next one into the back of the net.
Dalibor Dvorsky got it about seven minutes into the period, which was good for the young forward since he had been on a bit of a slump as far as the score sheet was concerned.
The Blackhawks weren't done though as they got a goal with 6:25 left in the third. It was Mikheyev's second as he knocked in a deflected puck.
Chicago nearly scored on their very next shift, which would have made it nail-biting time. The game suddenly felt way too close as it was, even though it was a two-goal difference.
The Blackhawks pulled their goaltender with a little over two minutes left and had some good pressure. Hofer made a save and then stopped a late rebound with the glove to preserve that two-goal difference.
Connor Bedard had another good look right off the faceoff, but Hofer and the Blues continued to keep him quiet. The Blues never got a chance at the empty net, but they hung on for a 5-3 win.
Pro: Special teams
As much as we deservedly dogged on them the last game or two, the Blues special teams was a big part of their victory on this afternoon affair. They needed it to turn around in a game that, as far as they were concerned, was still important in the playoff race.
You get an important power play goal from Kyrou, which gave the team the lead. When the power play has failed to score in clutch moments so many times, it was good to see them get off to a better start in that aspect.
Meanwhile, the PK also had to step up in important game situations. You're put out on the ice to kill a penalty before some of the guys even had a full shift at the first part of the game and then again late in the first and early in the second.
Con: Missing playoffs
This one has very little to do with this game specifically. It just stunk to know the team was eliminated before this particular game was even over.
It was an odd couple days of scheduling as it was. There were no games of importance on Friday and then suddenly a game with two Pacific teams somehow started earlier before a Blues game that had a 4pm local start.
Pro: Hofer
While this game was quite odd overall, the reality is that Hofer still saw a lot of rubber. The Hawks went quiet for long stretches, but when they came, they came hard.
Chicago ended the game with 35 shots on goal and several of them were quiality. Hofer needed to be sharp, especially late when the Blackhawks got some lift with that third goal.
Hofer didn't need to stand on his head, but he still had to be good.
Overview:
The Blues won the game. We have to focus on that for this day and for the next three games too.
As fans, you want to enjoy each game as much as possible and let everything else fall as it may. Unfortunately, there were just too many nights that we didn't get any enjoyment out of things this season.
That is what led this team to missing the playoffs. Despite the very loud "blow it up" crowd, this team has talent and just needs to learn and supplement that talent.
Their issue is between the ears. When the talent is there to beat teams like Colorado and look much better than Chicago in spots, they're getting in their own way.
They cannot continue to have slow starts to seasons and hope to make late-season pushes to make the playoffs. It worked last year and didn't work this year.
As far as this game went, it was fun. It's still far removed from anything close to a rivalry with Chicago as the fans and players are pretty blah about everything now since it's mainly mediocrity and no fire.
Still, as a hockey game this was good. The offense was there, Tyler Tucker showed up well with some physicality and Hofer was solid.
We just need more of that earlier in the season next season.