One of the most consistent teams of the 2010s was the St. Louis Blues. Between the 2010-11 and 2019-20 seasons, they missed the playoffs only twice and regularly won the Central Division or finished as runner-up. However, despite making the playoffs eight times in ten years, they only advanced to the Stanley Cup finals once, when they won the championship in a hard-fought seven-game series against the Bruins. The rest of this era is filled with heartbreaking losses.
Outside of 2019, the Blues' best chance to make the finals came in the 2015-16 season. That season, the Blues were 49-24-9 with 107 points and got all the way to the Western Conference Finals. But they would fall in six games to the San Jose Sharks. But what if the Blues had won that series? How would they fare in the Stanley Cup Finals, and how does this change the way we view those Blues teams?
The Blues become one of the best teams of the 2010s
Just because the Sharks ended up losing that series does not mean that the Blues will. While on paper the Penguins are the better team, the Blues match up pretty well against them. They have a defensive game plan that could shut down the Penguins' stars, such as Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. The Blues also had one of the best special teams of the playoffs, ranking in the top five in both power-play and penalty-kill percentage. This is a series that is likely going seven games and will be considered an instant classic.
Regardless of whether the Blues win or lose the Cup Finals, the way we look at the 2010s Blues is entirely different. They are currently viewed as a playoff disappointment that overcame the hump in 2019. Instead, they are one of the dominant teams of the late 2010s. Making two Cup Finals and winning at least one in four years is extremely impressive. There will be considerable debate about where they rank among the other great teams of the 2000s and NHL history.
This would also increase the rivalry between the Blues and Blackhawks. These two are the oldest rivals of the Western Conference, and having their best periods in franchise history coincide will only amplify that rivalry. It was viewed as a battle between the team that dominated the early 2010s and the team that ruled the late 2010s.
It also changes the future of Vladimir Tarasenko. While Tarasenko was traded during the 2022 season due to the deteriorating relationship between him and the Blues over how they handled his shoulder injury, the relationship would be completely different with multiple Cup appearances. Tarasenko is the face of a dynasty rather than a one-Cup run. The relationship between the two would be a lot stronger as Tarasenko would be in the running for one of the best players in Blues history. Even if the shoulder drama happens, the two can probably reconcile, considering all the success they have had.
Had the Blues won the West in 2016, they're playoff runs of the 2010s would be looked at much differently. Instead of a team that constantly came up short, they were looked at in a similar light to the other dynasty of the eras. However, this is just one possible scenario.