Rediscover what made the team so hot between mid-December and mid-February
The Blues were one of the NHL’s better teams between December 14th and February 11th, boasting a 15-7-1 record in that stretch, and their 1.35 points per game was seventh in the NHL. So, through a two-month stretch, St. Louis wasn’t just one of the better teams in the league; they were a top 10 team, and fifth in the West in the points per game category.
But, winning hockey games consistently was not all that made St. Louis such a dynamic group during that span. They excelled on the man advantage, converting 27.5 percent of their opportunities into goals, and only the Colorado Avalanche enjoyed a higher conversion rate in the West.
They also faced fewer shots on goal per game, at 31.1, or 3.3 fewer than what they are dealing with now. It’s true that they still weren’t logging an ideal number of shots on goal at the time, but they also enjoyed a solid 11.1 shooting percentage, which ranked fifth in the Western Conference.
The Blues were also stepping up when it mattered the most, as eight of their 15 wins in their stretch came by one goal. Of those eight wins, four occurred either in overtime or in a shootout.
To play hockey reminiscent of what we saw during this span, the power play needs to perform the way it did. St. Louis must find ways to cut down on shots allowed, and they also need a better shot selection.