The St. Louis Blues came out of the break on a high, winning their first game after Christmas 3-2 against a Nashville Predators team that's given them trouble all season. The Blues are 5-4-1 in their last 10 games and have, quite shockingly, put themselves in striking distance of a wildcard spot--though two of the teams (the LA Kings and San Jose Sharks) have games in hand over the Blues.
Anyway, the Blues have a busy, four-game schedule ahead this week, so let's get into it.
vs. Buffalo Sabres, 12/29
What a turnaround for a team that was hanging around the basement to start the 2025-26 season. The Sabres have won eight straight and are tied in points for the Eastern Conference's second wildcard spot. If anything, that sort of turnaround should provide hope for Blues fans as they make their own run at a playoff spot midway through the season. The bad news is the Sabres appear unstoppable now, which could be trouble for the Blues.
@ Colorado Avalanche, 12/31
Speaking of unstoppable teams, the Avalanche are having a surreal season. At time of writing, they're on a seven-game winning streak, are 28-2-7 on the season, and lead the NHL standings with 63 points--and they're doing it with one of the league's worst power plays. This is going to be a tough matchup for the Blues, as the Avs are 15-0-2 at home--not a single regulation loss this season in Ball Arena. Bonkers stuff.
vs. Vegas Golden Knights, 1/2
The Blues' gauntlet continues as they welcome the Golden Knights who, at time of writing, sit atop the Pacific Division with 45 points and a 17-8-11 record. If you look closely, that's 17 wins and 19 losses, so it's fair to ask: are the Golden Knights actually any good, or is the Pacific Division just that bad? The Blues are going to find out first hand.
vs. Montreal Canadiens, 1/3
On the second half of a back-to-back, the Blues will host the Canadiens, who are barely holding on to third in the Atlantic Division as the Sabres and Florida Panthers surge up the standings. The Habs got off to a blistering start, but have been sunk but some truly terrible goaltending; sound familiar, Blues fans? Sam Montembault's -6.3 goals saved above expected, per MoneyPuck, is only slightly better than Jordan Binnington's -9.7 GSAx. Woof. Montreal's not bad on the road, going 10-3-4, so the Blues will have to be prepared.