With a commanding 4-0 victory over the Vancouver Canucks Friday, the St. Louis Blues punched their ticket to the postseason for the fifth straight season.
The win also gives the team a share of top spot in the Western Conference alongside division rivals, the Dallas Stars, while priming the club for what could potentially be their third division title in five years.
The Blues have won nine of their last 11 games and look to be gaining momentum as a playoff season approaches. The team has exemplified regular-season dominance over the last handful of years, but have seemingly choked once the season's most meaningful hockey arrives.
The team has averaged just under 108 points a season since 2012, but have failed to make it past the second round, while being ousted three times in the conference quarterfinals.
The Blues are on thin ice, and look to be replicating Western Conference allies San Jose Sharks for not a great reason.
Between 2004 and 2014, the Sharks enjoyed a plethora of dominating regular seasons. The club finished with the top record in the Pacific Division five times, but don't have a single Stanley Cup to show for it.
The Sharks had slightly better success in the postseason, reaching the conference finals on three occasions and making it past the first round in seven of the 10 seasons, but once again, have nothing but a slightly shorter golf season to their credit.
The continued model of "good but not good enough" finally hit its course last season, seeing the Sharks miss the playoffs for the first time since the 2002-03 campaign.
As for the Blues, the team was booted from the playoffs last season by the Minnesota Wild after tying the Anaheim Ducks for the best record in the West.
The loss left the team fragile and management's confidence appearing to waver, as reports came out that the team made a run at signing then-free agent head coach Mike Babcock, even with Ken Hitchcock at their disposal.
The team ultimately failed to acquire the $50-million man, signing Hitchcock to a one-year deal and making it clear that he was on the hot seat.
Further roster questions also loom, and will likely be dependent on postseason performance. Captain David Backes has seen production decline, while the last couple trade deadlines have seen eyes pointed toward Kevin Shattenkirk.
As both clubs stand, the Blues have better positioned themselves for future success with a talented and young nucleus of players.
| Player | Age | Stats |
|---|---|---|
| Vladimir Tarasenko | 24 | 34 G/ 64 PTS |
| Jaden Schwartz | 23 | 7G/ 21 PTS |
| Robby Fabbri | 20 | 18 G/ 37 PTS |
| Alex Pietrangelo | 26 | 5 G/ 29 PTS |
| Jake Allen | 25 | .917 SV%/ 2.42 GAA |
While successful this season, the Sharks' core is getting older, with their best years largely behind them.
The Blues have been among the league's most winningest franchises over the last handful of seasons, but time is slipping. If the Sharks are any indication, the Blues need to start capitalizing on their regular season successes or risk walking away with nothing.
