The St. Louis Blues have found themselves in an interesting spot. They are so close to a playoff berth, one point away. Currently, they have a record of 31-27-7. They are tied with the Vancouver Canucks at 69 points apiece, which is one point behind the team holding the second wildcard place, the Calgary Flames.
As close as they are to getting a ticket to the big dance, would it be the worst thing in the world to miss the playoffs this season? Or, could they be a Cinderella story?
Sooner or later?
This season started with a question of uncertainty. Is this team rebuilding? Or is this team re-tooling?
This team has no identity after missing the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, and much of the squad that was put together for the 2018-19 through 2021-22 playoff runs withered away. In just 22 games, Drew Bannister was ousted as head coach and Jim Montgomery was brought in. What a whirlwind of change that was.
The Blues have battled all season long, so much so, that they remained one of the most 50/50 NHL teams. They could not string together more than two wins, but they also did not go on losing skids either. For much of the year, they have hovered around that coveted wildcard spot, but not yet achieved it.
The Blues were not buyers or sellers at the trade deadline, leaving this team as it is for a potential playoff appearence.
With that said, it does not seem ideal that the hope this season is for glory. The hope this season is wisdom. If the Blues can make it into the playoffs, awesome, and good luck. But, if they are the odd team out, let this be a lesson for the next couple of successful seasons. Many players can learn from a bit of heartache. Sooner or later, this team is going to be clicking on all cylinders.
Cinderella Story
Nevertheless, making it into the big dance means that the Blues have a 1/16 shot of winning it all. They have 16 wins in front of them, but very stiff competition. Plus, the playoffs breed a whole new animal for some teams and players.
As middle-of-the-road as this team has been this season, why not bet on them to come alive in the postseason? The pieces are there, and if there is one thing to count on, it is goaltender Jordan Binnington in winner-take-all games. That was evident years ago in Game 7 against Boston in the Stanley Cup Final, and just a few weeks ago in the 4 Nations Faceoff against one of the best teams in the world.
Who doesn't love a Cinderella story?