COLUMN: Blues gain a point, lose ground entering season's final stretch

The St. Louis Blues gained a point but also fell a point back in the wild-card chase after falling to the Vegas Golden Knights 2-1 in overtime on Monday, March 25, at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis.

The Blues have 10 games left to make up a five-point deficit between them and either the Golden Knights or Los Angeles Kings, who are tied for both the third spot in the Pacific Division and the second wild card spot. With six home games left, the playoff atmosphere came early.

“Games like this are why you want to play in St. Louis,” said Blues defenseman Tory Krug. “Great ice advantage, fun atmosphere. At this time of year, you want to be playing important hockey games. Good for us to hang in there but we just couldn’t get that extra one to push us forward in the playoff race.”

This has been a major change of pace compared to last year when the Blues waived the white flag after trading Vladimir Tarasenko and Rick O’Riley. St. Louis has been fighting for the last playoff spot since the turn of the new year.

The Blues (38-30-4) are 25-16-3 since making the coaching switch from Craig Berube to Drew Bannister on Dec. 14, 2023.

“It’s fun to come to the rink and be a part of these games, which is meaningful and we know where we’re at,” Blues interim coach Drew Bannister said. “That’s gonna continue probably at the end of the season.”

The Blues are 8-5 so far in March and that includes an eight-game stretch with six wins against teams either in the playoffs or in a similar position as St. Louis.

“We have been playing solid hockey lately and playing against some good teams,” Krug said. “Even the Colorado game (March 19), we probably should have ended up with at least one point, push it to overtime, but we didn’t. We’re playing against pretty good hockey teams and we’re playing well. So we’re feeling confident.”

The defending Stanley Cup champions have now won the season series with St. Louis 2-1, two of which ended in overtime.

“It’s a big hockey team. I guess every team seems that way for me,” joked Krug, who is listed at 5’9”. “They’re big, they skate well, and they take away a lot of ice, and their [defense] swings in. It makes you feel like you don’t have much room out there.”

A first-period goal by Pavel Dorofeyev gave Vegas a 1-0 lead throughout most of the game. The Blues snatched a point from the jaws of defeat late in the third period after a goal from Brandon Saad, his 23rd of the season.

The Blues had opportunities to win the game in overtime. Pavel Buchnevich slid into the net underneath Vegas goalie Logan Thompson, which gave him a penalty shot that unfortunately did not go through Thompson.

“Certainly he’s a player you want that opportunity,” Bannister said. “The goalie made a good save. That’s part of the game. We had the opportunities. In the third period, we had some good looks and the goalie was able to keep the puck out of the net. But it wasn’t from the lack of opportunities. We had them. We had to finish on our chances.”

The Blues (80 points) are currently sitting fifth in the Central Division and have been for much of the season. O’Riley and the Nashville Predators (88) are ahead by eight points. Trying to make up the equivalent of a four-win deficit within the final 10 games may be too much to ask for.

Bannister emphasized that the Blues are going to need help to reach the playoffs and they might get it. Half of Vegas’ final opponents are currently in a playoff position but the Kings, winners of four straight and 9-of-13, have a much easier schedule. One of them will have to crumble along with the Blues to continue winning in order for St. Louis to return to playoffs.

"This team isn’t going to quit fighting," Blues captain Brayden Schenn said. "We’re going to go all the way to the finish, and still believe in here we can make the playoffs.”

The final stretch may be made harder with the injury of center Oskar Sundqvist, who had to leave the game after being checked into the boards by Bryaden McNabb 9:50 into the second period.

“He’s the heart and soul of this team,” Krug said. “He’s a warrior that brings it every single night. You know what you’re gonna get out of him. So any time you see a guy like that go down, you feel for him.”