ST. LOUIS – After months of uncertainty, the St. Louis Blues have surged into a playoff spot for the first time since late October. A season once defined by inconsistency and a midseason coaching change now has the potential for a remarkable turnaround as the Blues push for their first postseason appearance in three years.

The Blues took a major step forward Thursday evening, securing a 4-3 overtime victory over the Vancouver Canucks. With the head-to-head win, the Blues leapfrogged ahead of the Canucks in the Western Conference standings for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, the second Wild Card seed.

For now, the Blues hold a playoff spot with 77 points (35-28-7 record) and 12 games left in the regular season. And they have certainly found their stride of late with an impressive 12-3-3 record since the 4 Nations break.

However, the Blues face a fierce battle to maintain their position…

  • Vancouver has 76 points (32-25-12) with 13 games left (one in hand on the Blues)
  • The Calgary Flames have 75 points (32-25-11) with 14 games left (two in hand)
  • The Utah Hockey Club has 73 points with 13 games left (including one head-to-head with the Blues)

Most likely, only one of these four teams will claim a playoff berth. While seven other spots are up for grabs, everyone else ahead in the standings holds at least a six-point lead over the Blues, and most of those contenders have been steady down the stretch with little cause for concern.

With this in mind, Thursday’s win over Vancouver was indeed crucial for a playoff push, though the Blues also missed out on a chance to close it in regulation, allowing a game-tying, overtime-forcing goal with five seconds left. The late goal gave the Canucks one point in the standings as opposed to zero, making St. Louis’ margin for error slightly smaller as they race toward the finish line.

Still, while plenty of games remain over the next several weeks to shape the playoff picture, the victory boosts the Blues’ playoff hopes for now. Hockey analytics site MoneyPuck.com now estimates that St. Louis’ playoff odds increased to 49.1% (almost 50/50) with Thursday’s overtime victory over Vancouver, while a regulation loss could have dropped their chances as low as 28.1%.

With less than three weeks left in the regular season, the Blues resilience will be tested. Can they complete the turnaround and punch their ticket to playoffs? Time will tell.

Whatever the outcome, these factors could be make or break toward the Blues’ playoff push…

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE

The Blues have the fifth-easiest strength of schedule remaining among all NHL teams, according to Tankathon.com. Three of their next four matchups are against two division rivals who have mightily struggled this year, the Chicago Blackhawks and Nashville Predators. Several other remaining opponents are on the playoff bubble for the Eastern Conference. Capitalizing on favorable matchups could be key to securing a playoff spot.

PLAYOFF CUTOFF – RECENT HISTORY

Last season, the Blues were the first team outside the playoff bubble in the Western Conference. They finished with 92 points and would have needed at least 98 points to qualify for playoffs. In the past two seasons before that, the cutoff averaged around 96 points. If that again is the benchmark, the Blues will likely need to win around nine of their remaining 12 games for a realistic shot at playoffs.

TEAM HEALTH

Fortunately, the Blues have remained relatively healthy in the second half of the season, aside from a key injury to defenseman Colton Parayko two weeks ago. The Blues are hopeful he can beat a six-week recovery timeline that could possibly have him ready for the final few games if the Blues are still in the playoff hunt. Otherwise, injuries have been minimal, and with team chemistry arguably at its highest point of the season, the Blues could benefit from stability down the stretch.

OFFENSIVE MOMENTUM

Unlike some successful Blues teams of recent history known for their defense, this squad is also surging offensively. They’ve scored at least three goals in nine of 10 games this month, largely due to generating high-quality chances. Hockey analytics page JFresh recently labeled the Blues a “Wagon Alert” with the fifth-best expected goal differential in the league since Jim Montgomery took over as head coach in late November. Their analysis showed the Blues have consistently outchanced and outscored opponents with Montgomery at the helm, a trend that bodes well for a playoff push.

THE GOALIES

Jordan Binnington is finding his groove again, reminiscent of his 2019 Stanley Cup-winning form. Since leading Canada to a championship in the 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament, he has gone 7-2-0 with a .911 save percentage in his victories. His confidence is high, and his teammates have taken notice. Meanwhile, Joel Hofer has provided steady support in a backup role and will likely get at least three or four more starts down the stretch.