The Blues have taken a bit of a skid as of late, winning just three of their last ten. They certainly laid an egg in the game last Saturday when they hosted Columbus. The Blues didn't respond well when the Blue Jackets got physical and they spent the majority of the third period with at least one player in the penalty box because of it. It's difficult to score goals when you're constantly outnumbered on the ice.
That said, St. Louis did play a much better game on Wednesday when they hosted Detroit. They may have lost, but they did pick up one point before succumbing to the Red Wings in the skills competition...err... shootout. The Blues have struggled for most of the season in shootouts, posting just a 4-10 record in them. Luckily, only two more games this season, tonight's and tomorrow's, have the possibility of going into one. After that, ties after regulation will result in the most beautiful thing in sports: sudden death overtime hockey, play until someone scores. This comes from a guy who watched the third longest game in NHL history when the Penguins and Flyers went five overtimes back in 2000. And it was a school night. I'm pretty sure my mom had thought I went to bed, but I stayed up until I saw Keith Primeau end it for the Flyers. I was disappointed, since I was cheering for Pittsburgh, but it was an amazing hockey game just the same. I hope for a few similar contests this spring.
Even with the Blues' struggles as of late, they got a nice gift from the Calgary Flames on Thursday night. Calgary trailed the Vancouver Canucks 1-0 heading to the third period, but the Flames managed to light the lamp three times in the third and held on for a 3-2 win over the Canucks in regulation. This kept Vancouver within two points of the Blues with one game remaining, while the Blues still have two left to play. Based on tie -breakers, the Blues will take the top seed in the conference if they win out, regardless of what Vancouver does in their final game. That is a huge opportunity for the Blues, seeing as they've posted a 30-5-5 record at home so far this season, with the 30 home wins being a franchise record. Their 65 points at home this year are the best in the league, one point ahead of Detroit, who has gone 31-7-2 at home. The Wings have their home finale tomorrow afternoon against Chicago, who would take the five seed from Detroit with a win. I'm not sure either team wants the five seed, as they will end up playing Nashville in the first round, who is certain to me a tougher opponent than the winner of the Pacific Division. So for those watching on NBC, you may see a game of "who's better at throwing this game without making it look too obvious." The current leader in the Pacific is the Los Angeles Kings, who have a tremendous goaltender in Jonathan Quick, but other than that, aren't nearly as threatening as the Predators.
The Blues will host Phoenix tonight. The Coyotes have already been assured a playoff spot, but they could win out and take the division title from the Kings, so they have a lot to play for still. The Stars, on the other hand, have nothing to play for but roster spots and contracts on Saturday. It shouldn't be a walkover game for the Blues, but they should definitely win it. Hopefully, with their first regular season conference title since the 1999-2000 season within their grasp, the Blues will show up more like they did against Detroit than they did against Columbus. The Canucks do finish up tomorrow night at home against Edmonton, one of the worst teams in the league, so the Blues should count on needing to win both to win the conference. I'm certainly looking forward to watching it all unfold tomorrow night, especially if the Blues win tonight.
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