It took the St. Louis Blues 82 games to arrange their postseason plans. With a decisive 6-1 victory over the Utah Hockey Club and the Minnesota Wild's shootout victory over Anaheim, the Blues clinched a playoff berth as the second wildcard team in the Western Conference. This means their first-round opponent is the Central Division and Presidents' Trophy winners, the Winnipeg Jets.
Buckle up folks, this is going to be a fantastic series. Put your brooms away, no sweeping allowed for this series.
Blues versus Jets
Obviously, the Jets have been phenomenal all season long, and their league best record was earned handily over the rest of the NHL. The Blues are in for a tough test, but it is a test they have played against four times already this season. No less, the Blues kept up with the "best team in the NHL" for each of those games.
Over the regular season series, the Blues lost three of the four games. But, looking at the goals forced and allowed, it is a dead-even tie at 10 goals apiece. Goaltenders Jordan Binnington and Connor Hellebuyck, who now get a rematch of their 4 Nations Face-off championship game, did not start all four meetings this season.
Interestingly enough, Blues backup goaltender Joel Hofer started three games against the Jets. Keep that in the back of your mind going forward. He was 1-1-1, allowing only six goals on 70 shots faced.
A whole new season starts now
Now that the regular season is all said and done, the new season is set to begin. All 82 games played before do not matter now, as it is all eyes on trying to dethrone the Jets. There is no margin for error with Hellebuyk and company, as the Jets have been dominant from beginning to end of this season.
Every single Blues player is going to have to use their newfound skill they gained in the final stretch of this season. Post 4 Nations Face-off, the Blues were the greatest show on ice, and that has to continue over the next four to seven games agains the Jets in the first round.
This series is going to be atight one, with both squads having elite talent in all three units. Robert Thomas versus Mark Scheifele, Colton Parayko versus John Morrissey and of course, the aforementioned rematch of the best goalies in the 4 Nations tournament, Binnington versus Hellebuyck.
Do not expect the Blues to be swept in this series, as they have a ton of fight left in them.