Three straight first-round playoff exits have certainly impacted perceptions of whether the St. Louis Blues are true Stanley Cup contenders.
While the club currently sits atop the Western Conference alongside the Dallas Stars with 99 points, recent playoff failures have tainted expectations among media members for the Blues come playoff time. That's all well and good, as captain David Backes sees it.
"It's fine by us," Backes told ESPN's Pierre LeBrun. "We've been on the other side of that coin, where we've been picked and disappointed. Now, maybe we get to play that underdog role, lower expectations, just come in and, whoever we play, just get our game out there.
"If we're concerned or worried about (what) the writers are saying, no offense, we've got our minds in the wrong place."
The Blues have gotten hot at the right time, going 10-2-0 in their past 12 games - a stretch Backes credits largely to the team's goaltending tandem of Brian Elliot and Jake Allen.
"The goalies have been out of this world," Backes said. "We've done a decent job in front of them, but they're making all the stops that they should be making and stealing a couple that they have really no business making. When you've got that kind of support and protection behind you, it frees you up to make a few more plays in front of them. And we're starting to see a few pucks in the net on the offensive side of things because of that."
While things are looking up for the Blues, Backes also understands they can't get ahead of themselves, especially given recent postseason failures.
Pressure is clearly on the team to advance at least a round or two, and failing to do so could spark major changes within the organization.
"Maybe if we don't get out of the first round, (we'll have) big changes," Backes said. "We need to focus on our task at hand. Somebody is going to have to make that decision once the chips have all settled and we figure out what's happened. We're hoping the situation is that we're going to have a big party and a parade, and everyone can wrap arms around each other, and everyone gets to stay put."
