The St. Louis Blues are still on the outside looking in on the playoffs. They sit in sixth position of the Central Division, with a record of 25-26-5 for 55 points. They currently sit eight points back of Vancouver for that final wildcard spot.
The question is, if they can make up the ground and sneak into the playoffs, do they even deserve it?
No Streaking Here
The Blues, amazingly enough, have yet to win more than two games in a row all season. That is about as much as you can describe this season. They have not been able to go on any kind of a streak, and thankfully, they haven’t been on the other end of that line either.
If they make the playoffs, how can they possibly be able to compete in a seven-game series if they cannot rattle off more than two wins in a row? Sure they can win two, lose, then two more, and clinch the series, but that is not a sustainable way of winning.
Do they have enough talent?
If the Blues can cut the deficit and make it into the playoffs, do they even have enough talent to keep up with the rest of the Western Conference contenders? Are they going to be able to go top-line versus top-line with Edmonton or Winnipeg?
Absolutely not.
The Blues have a solid core, with great depth and a pipeline that is ready to burst onto the scene of the NHL. But, they do not have a superstar to either help them out tremendously or draw the attention of the opposing players.
This is where the Blues are seriously lacking, and it is hurting them. In the 56 games played so far this season, only Jordan Kyrou (44 points), Robert Thomas (41 points), and Dylan Holloway (40 points) are the only players to hit the 40+ point mark. They do not have anywhere close to a point-per-game player, which most of the teams in the playoffs currently have.
Until they have that competitive edge, they will be very close to being a playoff team but not quite there. They don't deserve to make it to the dance if they can't even make any kind of impact.