The battle for fifth place in the Central Division is about to take place. Each team can pull themselves a little bit closer to the final wildcard spot with a win tonight. The St. Louis Blues take on the Utah Hockey Club, soon to be either Mammoth or Outlaws, in a big tilt on Sunday night in Utah.
Let’s give this one a preview.
Can Blues rally?
It is quite simple. After dropping four games in a row, do the Blues rally themselves back to get a win or sink further into this rut? No matter which one they choose to do, it will take a complete team effort.
The Utah Hockey Club has had its number on the Blues this season. In their first two meetings, Utah took both wins by a score of 4-2. As the playoffs are rapidly approaching, the chances for the Blues to make any kind of headway are starting to dwindle. They are running out of time, and currently, Utah is ahead of them in the standings.
Winning this game is imperative for the Blues.
Is a loss the nail in the coffin?
If the Blues go to five losses in a row, with most of them coming from teams similar or better, is this the nail in the coffin that is the 2024-25 season? A year of anguish to start, a shakeup in leadership, hope, and false hope. Is this the ending to this thriller of a story?
It is, but it isn’t. There is still a good amount of season left, and they are only seven points out of a playoff spot. If they truly deserve to be there, that is a different story. But, they are not out of the race just yet.
But, with fewer games than nearly everyone else in front of them, time is running out. They are going to need a bit of luck on their side to really make this thing happen.
In this one, the player to watch for Utah is Clayton Keller, who has been a thorn in the Blues side this season. In the first two games, he combined for a goal and four assists in both winning efforts. For the Blues, it is going to be all about the goaltending. It is not confirmed who it will be yet, but both Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer need to step it up.
The Blues are not the only team with rotten luck lately, as the Hockey Club has lost four in a row themselves, with two Overtime losses. One of these teams is going to get a chance to turn their season around, or one of them is going to seriously contemplate packing up and getting ready for 2025-26.