Though the St. Louis Blues have had a disappointing season and seem poised to miss the playoffs, there is one thing they can be proud of: ending the Tampa Bay Lightning's winning streak. Before that win, they'd managed to shutout the Metropolitan Division-leading Carolina Hurricanes, as well. Beating two good teams back-to-back could give the Blues some juice to close the distance on a wildcard spot, and this week serves up two winnable games and an opponent who's hit a rough patch. Finishing the week with six points could put the Blues right back in the playoff conversation--they just have to go out and get it done.
@ the Winnipeg Jets, 1/20
It's hard to believe, but the Winnipeg Jets--last year's President's Trophy winners for best regular season record--are one of the worst teams in the NHL this season. They've strung together a few wins to keep themselves out of last place, but they're a far cry from the dominant force of last year. Maybe we should've known how tenuous it all was when the Blues came within second of beating them in the first round of the playoffs last year? Regardless, the Blues haven't been much better than the Jets this season, so this game could be viewed as more important for draft positioning than a playoff berth.
@ the Dallas Stars, 1/23
The Stars have been up and down of late, going 2-5-3 in their last 10 games after a stretch of dominance going into the holiday break. Jason Robertson, Wyatt Johnston, and Mikko Rantanen have been unreal, but inconsistency elsewhere in the lineup has let them down. Still, they're 27-12-9 on the season and tied with the Minnesota Wild for second place in the Central Division, and those two are likely destined for a first-round matchup in the playoffs as the Colorado Avalanche appear uncatchable. Though the Stars have been struggling since the break, they're a group that can flip the switch and look like the best team in the league on any given night--a truly dangerous opponent.
vs. the LA Kings, 1/24
In a weak Pacific Division, there's a path to the playoffs for the Kings--but man, are they doing everything they can to stay out of the race. While their widely panned offseason hasn't been as bad as expected, it's still not great: their defense is old, slow, and unable to move the puck, and their forward group doesn't have the offensive pop of a contender. Still, it's the last season for long-time captain Anze Kopitar, and a swan song, last dance sort of run remains in the cards.