Since returning from the 4 Nations break, the Blues have secured points in both games. They took a point against the best team in the NHL, losing to Winnipeg in a shootout, and then defeated the Colorado Avalanche, 3-1. Now, they turn their attention to the Seattle Kraken, who currently sit in a little worse standing than the Blues.
The Blues, now at 26-26-6 for 58 points, still sit in sixth position in the Central Division. More importantly, they are five points back of Vancouver for the final wildcard spot. With Calgary and Utah, as well as Anaheim right behind the Blues, the Western Conference wildcard spots are going to come down to the wire this season.
For Seattle, as I stated earlier, they are a little bit more out of the playoff picture. At 25-30-4 for 54 points, they are in the seventh place of the Pacific Division. They are within earshot of the final Wildcard spot but have a ways to go to get there.
Let’s preview this one.
Two bubble teams battle it out
Both the Blues and Kraken have interesting scenarios. Both have made some early to mid-season trades to help bolster their roster, and both have an uncertain outlook at the Trade Deadline on March 7. It is a little more complicated for the Blues than the Kraken, as they are on the verge of being the last wildcard team in the Western Conference.
Dating back to before the 4 Nations break, the Blues are on a three-game point streak. This has to become a trend for any chance of a postseason. Speaking of streaking, the hero in their win against Colorado, forward Robert Thomas, is currently on a six-game point streak. He has three goals and six assists during that time and has been the best player on the ice for the Blues.
For the Kraken, they are led by Jared McCann and Chandler Stephenson, whom they just acquired in the offseason. Much like the Blues with three, the Kraken only have two members in the 40+ point club on the season.
Blues cannot afford to lose
It is quite simple, to stay in the hunt for the playoffs, the Blues need to win. Getting the game for the extra frame and gaining a point is not a bad thing, but as they are only grabbing one point, the teams in front of them may be grabbing two.
There is no easy or polite way to say this, but the Blues cannot downplay the Kraken. History has shown that the Blues have an issue at taking the easier wins, and have let their guard down. For example, they have lost a game to San Jose, lost to Buffalo, lost to a similarly ranked Utah team twice. That is eight points that could have been gimme’s.
The Blues cannot afford to lose this game, and they should not lose it either. In the first meeting between these two teams, the Blues took home the victory on opening night, 3-2. It was a hard-fought win, and both teams have had roller-coaster seasons since then.
The puck drop will be at 7:00 PM ET at the Enterprise Center.