If you’re reading this article pre-game, you’ll know the St. Louis Blues could tie a franchise record of 11 straight regular season wins. If you’re reading this post-game, then you’ll know whether or not the Blues managed to tie that record.
And yeah, I get it, some will see it as a good omen should the Blues top a beatable Pittsburgh Penguins team. But to be frank, it shouldn’t matter and there’s no need to put much thought into it. Franchise records don’t win championships, even if some coincidentally occur in pursuit of one.
That’s why I’m in the, “Okay, great, they matched a franchise record,” crowd if I wake up tomorrow and see that the Blues stole their 11th win in a row. But if they don’t, I’m not flipping out, because there are bigger things at stake here. I’d rather see more growth and a one-game-at-a-time approach that will put an ‘x’ next to the Blues name in the NHL standings.
St. Louis Blues need to worry about one streak and one streak only
Should the Blues make the playoffs, there is one streak I wouldn’t mind seeing them tie. And I guess you could call it tying a franchise record if they got there. That record involves winning four games in a seven-game series four times in a row. And that’s it. Nothing else needs to matter to this team.
Yeah, getting a win over the Penguins would help the Blues inch closer to the Colorado Avalanche, a team that just won in a thriller to increase their lead in the battle for third place in the Central. But there’s not a single fan in Arch City who wouldn’t be fine with a No. 1 or No. 2 wild card, considering the recent retooling efforts general manager Doug Armstrong put this team through.
At this time, do I see the Blues matching that streak that made the 2018-19 team Stanley Cup Champions? What, with the Winnipeg Jets, Vegas Golden Knights, and Dallas Stars playing some of the most dangerous hockey in the league today? I don’t foresee it, no. But as the Blues have proven in the past, getting into the playoffs in come-from-behind fashion has worked for them.
The Blues need to celebrate and move on should anything awesome happen
Suppose it’s Friday morning and we’re all waking up to the Blues snagging that seemingly elusive 11th straight win to tie the record they set in 2018-19. Honestly, they need to approach a potential 12th win as the next matchup in what are 82 one-game seasons. In other words, be 1-0 at the end of each of their remaining games, worrying not about regular season records.
And in the playoffs, it should be the same mentality - act as if you’re in Game 7 every time you skate onto the ice. A sense of urgency, regardless of what’s in reach other than a Clarence Campbell Trophy and the Stanley Cup.
So, best of luck to the Blues, and while tying a franchise record would be great, it’s by no means a deal-breaker for what else could be in store for them. If they treat every upcoming contest as an elimination game. And as a result, any franchise record stemming from them would be nothing but by-products.