The St. Louis Blues have one of the busier schedules in the NHL this week, with many teams only having two or even one game on the docket due to the three-day break around Christmas. The Blues start out on the road in Tampa Bay, then come back for two games at home after the break.
Things have looked brighter for the Blues, as they're 5-4-1 in their last 10 games and sit at fifth in the Central Division with 36 points and a 14-15-8 record. A few strong games and they're right back in the playoff mix, but in a loaded Western Conference, that's no easy task. Let's break down their opponents for the week.
@ Tampa Bay Lightning, 12/22
Though they've hit a few bumps, going 3-6-1 in their last 10 games, the Lightning are not to be trifled with. They're kicking around the top of the Atlantic Division, and they still have a superstar in Nikita Kucherov and future Hall of Famers in Victor Hedman and Andrei Vasilevskiy. The Blues won't have to deal with Hedman, though, as he's out with an injury; JJ Moser has stepped up in Hedman's absence and is playing some of the best hockey of his career.
vs. Nashville Predators, 12/27
The Predators are one of the worst teams in the league, yet somehow, the Blues just can't seem to solve them. In each of their meetings this year, the Blues have had their butts handed to them by Nashville, losing 7-2 and 5-2 four days apart. Third time's the charm?
vs. Buffalo Sabres, 12/29
It's been quite a December for the Buffalo Sabres. They started turning it around, going 7-3-0 in their last 10 games and riding a five-game winning streak into Sunday's matchup against the New Jersey Devils, slowly climbing back into the Eastern Conference playoff race. Oh, and they finally fired Kevyn Adams as general manager and replaced him with Jarmo Kekalainen. The Sabres have a long road ahead to be taken seriously as contenders again, but a front office shakeup may be enough to start that process.