The Stanley Cup playoffs really feel as huge open as they’ve in any latest season. Whereas there are quite a lot of wonderful groups within the discipline, there isn’t a one actually dominant group that stands out as a transparent favourite. Nearly each group has a serious flaw or query that would find yourself holding it again.
That additionally means it’s solely doable for an surprising group, or even perhaps a bottom-seeded group, to go on a run.
The St. Louis Blues, the second wild-card group within the Western Convention, are a kind of groups that would go on a surprisingly deep run at a championship.
There are a few components working of their favor going into their first-round matchup towards the Presidents’ Trophy-winning, top-seeded Winnipeg Jets.
The Blues are going into the playoffs as one of many hottest groups within the league and clearly taking part in their finest hockey of the season. Since Feb. 1, their 21-5-4 file is the perfect within the NHL, and there may be nothing of their play to recommend it’s any sort of a fluke.
So, how did they flip right into a juggernaut greater than midway by the season?
The primary improvement was the hiring of head coach Jim Montgomery nearly as quickly as he turned accessible. When the Boston Bruins fired Montgomery, the Blues wasted no time in firing their very own coach (Drew Bannister, who had simply been employed on a full-time foundation previous to the season) to convey him in.
The change behind the bench was not the one vital transfer.
Additionally they made probably the greatest in-season trades once they acquired veteran defenseman Cam Fowler from the Anaheim Geese. Fowler has been an enormous addition to the Blues’ protection, and together with the offseason addition of Philip Broberg (restricted free agent supply sheet from the Edmonton Oilers), has helped utterly remodel a unit that had turn out to be a critical weak point in recent times.
With Montgomery behind the bench and the revamped protection, the Blues have nearly in a single day turn out to be one of many stingiest defensive groups within the league. Throughout their 30-game run to shut out the season, the Blues rank third within the NHL when it comes to anticipated objectives towards per 60 minutes during 5-on-5 play whereas additionally proudly owning the league’s finest 5-on-5 objective differential. They suppress opponents scoring probabilities and have considerably outplayed everyone at even-strength.
That alone makes them a group that playoff groups may wish to keep away from.
However it isn’t simply their protection that has improved. They’ve additionally turn out to be one of many prime offensive groups within the league through the second-half. Dylan Holloway (the opposite restricted free agent they signed away from Edmonton) has been a breakout star in his first 12 months with the group, whereas returning core gamers Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas have had huge years.
They’re second in the NHL in goals per 60 minutes during 5-on-5 play since Feb. 1.
They’re additionally taking part in a Winnipeg group that, for all of its strengths this season, has had some disappointing playoff showings in recent times. Particularly because it pertains to beginning goalie Connor Hellebuyck. If Hellebuyck falters once more, even somewhat bit, the door can be open for the Blues to drag off the upset and doubtlessly begin a run.
An in-season teaching change helped flip a disappointing Blues group right into a Stanley Cup champion through the 2018-19 season. The identical recipe is in place this season.
