February has almost come to an end and now that the Trade Deadline has come and passed, the homestretch of the NHL season is here. Your St. Louis Blues have had an up-and-down month, bouncing back from five straight losses with four straight victories, keeping their foothold on the Central division. For a bit, it might have been expected for the Blues to make a move (other than the deal for Scandella a week ago) but the recent winning streak has kept the front office and fans content with the lineup. If you are one of those perpetually negative Blues fans or haven’t been keeping up, I will explain why this is the case and how the Blues stack up as we head towards the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
This past month has been a tough one for the back end of the Blues, but it appears that they are heading on the right path. The February 11th game will be one that will stick in the mind of every Blues fan for a long time, as Jay Bouwmeester collapsed on the bench after enduring a cardiac event. It was an unfortunate event that can’t be predicted, but thankfully trainers and medics anticipate these occurrences. There is no replacing someone like #19, he is a world-class defenseman who has been a huge part of the franchise for years and was key in the Stanley Cup victory. With the 2x All-Star out, Colton Parayko was in need of a linemate that could try to recapture some of the magic that he had with his “Shutdown Line” partner. Enter Marco Scandella. Since Scandella has joined the Blues, he has garnered a +5 rating and an assist in three games. Also, in those three games, Scandella has shown that he has some of the skills that Bouwmeester was able to implement into the defensive structure, using his stick skills and great back-checking speed to make numerous plays.
In the games that followed Bouwmeester’s health issue, the Blues faltered on defense, giving up 12 goals in three games. It didn’t take long for the D-corps to turn things around, forcing two straight shutouts and two games of only one goal allowed. Other than the addition of Marco Scandella, the Blues defense has seen the emergence of Carl Gunnarsson as a formidable pairing with captain, Alex Pietrangelo. You throw in a third pairing that includes Justin Faulk and Vince Dunn and you have a defense that is good, if not better, than the team that made the Cup run last year. Goaltending has found its way as well as Binnington has played with the same confidence that got him the starting job in the first place and Jake Allen playing in relief in what can be described simply as sturdy. The defense has been getting involved much more in the offense lately, but the forwards are pitching in quite a bit lately, as well.
For a stretch of the season, most would say that the Blues were in need of depth scoring. Much of February saw the offense go sour and it cost them games that they should have cam out on the better end. Chris Kreider of the Rangers was a name that was thrown around, but the Blues didn’t need to look much further than their own young talent. Three players have emerged as forces on offense: Zach Sanford, Jordan Kyrou, and Robert Thomas. Sanford made the most of getting paired with David Perron and Ryan O’Reilly, netting seven goals thus far in February, including a four-goal game against the Golden Knights in a losing effort. Jordan Kyrou had struggled to find a secure place in the lineup, but he has shown his confidence as of late. Kyrou has looked great the past couple of games and has been able to play smart hockey, possibly the reason Berube kept him out of the lineup not long ago. Can I say enough about Robert Thomas? No, I seriously can’t. I could go on-and-on about how great this kid is at the game of hockey. I’m not sure if there is a player on the team who is more confident with the puck on their stick than Thomas. The leap he has made since this time last year is amazing and it won’t be surprise when this guy is seen as an elite player in the NHL soon. The young guns aren’t the only ones that deserve love, the veterans have been great as of late, too.
Some of the more experienced players at the forward spots for the Blues have been streaky, but the recent returns of Oskar Sundqvist and the move to put Ryan O’Reilly on a line with Brayden Schenn and Jaden Schwartz has sparked offense lately. Oskar Sundqvist has always been a sparkplug for the team and specifically Ivan Barbashev. Since Sundqvist’s return, it appears Barbashev has hit a new gear and this has been no more apparent than on the penalty-kill. Ryan O’Reilly hasn’t been the player he can be in the season after proving himself as a top center, but that doesn’t mean he has been bad at any stretch. Even O’Reilly would admit he has been too passive, but that isn’t a horrible thing when you put him on a line with Schwartz and Schenn. Both have looked explosive in the past few games and a lot has to do with the things the 2018-2019 Selke winner, O’Reilly, does on the face-off dot and defensively. You add in the depth of Alexander Steen and Tyler Bozak; and you have a formidable squad. Did I mention Vladimir Tarasenko isn’t long from his return to the ice? No trade the Blues could have made at the deadline would equal getting Tarasenko back. The lines after Tarasenko’s return are too good to even imagine, top-to-bottom strong. The Blues may not have made moves, but some teams in the Western Conference have in an attempt to challenge St. Louis for a chance at “The Chalice”.
The Trade Deadline has seen some teams bolster their rosters, but how do they stack up to the Blues? In the Central, the Blues rivals have been formidable this year, especially the Colorado Avalanche. At the deadline, the Avalanche have added Vladimir Namestnikov to add some depth scoring, but that hasn’t been keeping them from grabbing the division lead from the Blues. The Avalanche have had injury issues, including at goaltending. At this point of the season, goaltending needs to find its stride and this might have their hands tied. The Pacific has seen two teams make substantial moves that move them into contender status. The Oilers have added forward depth, notably with the addition of Andreas Athanasiou from the Detroit Red Wings. Athanasiou will be paired with the newly returned, Connor McDavid, making it one of the fastest (if not fastest) line in hockey. Additionally, the Golden Knights picked up netminder, Robin Lehner from the Blackhawks. This trade fills their top need and instantly makes them the favorite to make it out of the Pacific Division. The East saw the Bruins and Capitals get even better, but that is a bridge the Blues will cross if they find them in June. The 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs are shaking out to be a battle and the Blues have the makeup to be right there.
With three games left in February, the Blues have the chance to end the rollercoaster month on a high-note. Two of those games coming against division rivals, the Blackhawks and Stars and the other coming against a strong Islanders team. I can’t sit here and say that the Blues are just as likely or more likely to repeat this year, but the team has the talent, the coaching, and the chemistry. If the past week is any indication, they are heading in the right direction and might be getting hot at the right time. Next up: the lowly Blackhawks at home Tuesday night-7PM CST puck drop.
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