The St. Louis Blues' 2024-25 season was a rollercoaster. The team started slow, winning eight out of their first 20 games. The Blues were able to climb their way back into the playoff picture, but after losing seven of their last 10 games before the Four Nations Face-Off break, it looked like the team's playoff hopes were dwindling.
The Blues' season looked all but over. Doug Armstrong confirmed in his exit interview that he was ready to shake up the locker room at the trade deadline. Armstrong wanted to see the team continue to fight. It would all depend on how the team would play after the Four Nations Face-Off break. The Blues won six out of 10 games following the break, with two of those losses coming in overtime or shootouts. They got some momentum rolling and followed that up by going on a 12-game winning streak, firmly putting them back into the playoff picture.
The Blues' season did not end the way they wanted, but for a team that no one saw making the playoffs, taking the Presidents' Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets to seven games shows the potential of what this team can become. There were great moments along the way, games that defined this team and showed what they were capable of. To truly understand how far the Blues came, let us look at three games that showed this team's journey.
Jim Montgomery's First Game at the Helm
There were no rumours that the Blues were looking to move off of their head coach, Drew Bannister, but once someone like Jim Montgomery is on the market, it makes you think, do you have the right man in charge for your long-term project? Armstrong decided that he believed Montgomery was a better fit for the team in the long term.
Montgomery's first game as head coach of the Blues came on November 25th against the New York Rangers. The team needed a strong showing after the shocking firing of Bannister, who only lasted 22 games as the team's head coach. Usually, when you fire your coach, it is to shake up the team before deciding to start trading players away. The players understood that if they did not start playing better, there was a chance they could be next.
The Blues came out like they had something to prove. They registered 44 shots in the game, their highest total of the year at that point in the season. The team's identity shifted, and Montgomery identified things he wanted to see changed. One of those things was getting more pucks on net, and it looked to have paid off against the Rangers that night. The Blues' constant pressure seemed to have broken the Rangers down in the third period, as the team scored three unanswered goals and left with a 5-2 win. It felt like the beginning of a new era in St. Louis and showed some newfound energy.
Binnington Finds His Game With Team Canada
Jordan Binnington's season was a tale of two halves. Before the Four Nations Face-Off tournament, Binnington's numbers did not meet his usual standards. He had a 15-19-4 record with a 2.89 goals against average and a .897 save percentage. If the Blues wanted any chance of making the playoffs, they needed Binnington to play better.
When Binnington was named the starting goalie for Team Canada at the Four Nations Face-Off, there was criticism. If it was not the media saying that Canada has the worst goaltending in the tournament, it was fans arguing which goalie should be in the net, not named Binnington. After every game, even if the team won, the first question at the interview table would be "Will Binnington be the goalie next game?"
Binnington had to prove himself every single game that he would be the man who would help them win. And he was stellar down the stretch. Binnington's play shut many of those doubters up. Like he has proven time and time again, in those crucial moments, he shines. Binnington came up huge in the final, especially in overtime, and was an important reason why Team Canada won. You could see the pressure of a country lifted off him with the emotional talk he had with Team Canada's coach, Jon Cooper, following the end of the game.
Binnington took the play he found with Team Canada directly to the Blues. His numbers after the tournament had a massive jump. For the rest of the season, Binnington posted a 13-3-1 record with a 2.23 goals against average and a .910 save percentage. He was stellar down the stretch for the Blues, and that did not stop in the playoffs. Even though the Blues did not leave game seven with a win, Binnington gave the team every chance to get the win. He finished the game with 43 saves and made massive stops in overtime. The Four Nations Face-Off did wonders for Binnington's confidence.
Win and You Are In
After the impressive 12-game winning streak, it looked like the Blues were on their way to clinching a playoff berth. With four games left, they needed three points to clinch their spot in the playoffs. The team went on a three-game losing streak, but lost one of those games in the shootouts, which meant if the Blues won their final game of the season, they were in.
It was a win-or-go-home, almost as if the playoffs started a game early. The Blues needed to come out firing early against the Utah Hockey Club. They did not want to leave it to chance if the game was close late.
The Blues lit up Utah in the first period. The captain, Brayden Schenn, kicked off the scoring, ending his nine-game goalless streak. The rookie, Jimmy Snuggerud, finally got the monkey off his back and scored his first NHL goal. Pavel Buchnevich and Zach Bolduc were the two goal scorers as the Blues were up 4-0 after the first period. The team left no doubt about their playoff fate. Jordan Kyrou scored twice in the third period on route to a 6-1 victory that clinched their spot in the postseason. The team proved that the playoffs are where they belong.