Record - 49-22-11 (109 points), 3rd in the Central Division
Goals For: 311 (4th in the NHL), Goals Against: 242 (11th in the NHL)
Leading Goal Scorer - Vladimir Tarasenko (34)
Leading Point Scorer - Vladimir Tarasenko (82)
If it weren't for the Colorado Avalanche being lightyears better than every other team in the league last year, the St. Louis Blues probably take home their second Stanley Cup in four years. They had the most balanced offensive attack in the NHL complimented by terrific defense and special teams. With essentially the same roster as 2022, the Blues are looking to build upon their success from last year and once again reach the mountain top as the best hockey team in the world.
It's not too often you see a team with nine different 20-goal scorers. In fact, it's only been done 12 other times in league history. Just four teams have had 10 or more 20-goal scorers on their team in a single year, not one of them coming after the 1981 season. An incredibly rare feat that shows how lethal this hockey team is. Not only did they have nine players with 20 plus goals, they had eight skaters with at least 55 points. Their lineup was stacked from top to bottom, with several guys having true breakout seasons. Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, Pavel Buchnevich, and Ivan Barbashev all posted career highs in goals and points. With each of these players locked in for short and long term future, the Blues are in prime position to win once again.
There was never a time last season where I was worried about the Blues playoff hopes. Their ability to score and defend in all situations was unmatched. They were the only team in the entire league to have a top 5 ranking powerplay and penalty. Their consistency in all facets of the game helped them keep a steady pace for the entirety of their schedule. Most importantly, the Blues ended up getting hot at the perfect time, winning 11 of their last 14 games heading into their opening round matchup against the Minnesota Wild.
It's a shame that this had to be a first round matchup. Each of these teams were electric during the regular season, and had what it took to make a deep run in playoffs. The early goings of the series favored the Wild who took an 2-1 lead after torching the Blues in Game 3 by a score of 5-1. This had HC Craig Berube vacillating on who the starting goalie should be for Game 4. Should he continue riding with Ville Husso, or switch him out for Jordan Binnington? Husso had been outstanding for the Blues, winning 25 of his 38 starts in the regular season. He posted a 37 save shutout in Game 1, but proceeded to struggle mightily in Games 2 and 3 giving up a combined 9 goals. Binnington, on the other, hand hadn't been the same goalie since taking the league by storm in 2019. Before these playoffs, he hadn't won a postseason contest since Game 7 of the 2019 Cup finals against the Bruins. This decision carried a great weight on Craig Berube because if he made the wrong choice, the Blues would have to go back to the State of Hockey down 3-1 in the series. He elected to go with Binnington, and did it ever pay off for the Blues. The team won three straight with and took down the Wild in six games. Binner certainly didn't look nervous in any of the games, giving up just 4 goals total in his three wins between the pipes.
His spectacular performance carried over into the second round matchup against the soon to be champion Colorado Avalanche. Game 1 took place in Denver. The Avs came roaring out the gate and were all over the Blues for 60 minutes, but Binnington wouldn't crack. They peppered the Blues' netminder with 54 shots while Darcy Kuemper faced just 25 shots all game. It was one of those games where it was only a matter of time before the Avs scored the deciding goal. It just wasn't a game the Blues were supposed to win with how they played. It would have been highway robbery if they did somehow score in the overtime period. They were able to bounce back in Game 2, but Game 3 is where things took a turn for the worse.
Just seven minutes into the first period, Avs center Nazem Kadri collided with Jordan Binnington after going for a loose puck in the crease. Binnington was forced to leave the game and ended up missing the remainder of the series with a lower-body injury. Things even got a little spicy during the presser, where Binnington threw a water bottle at Kadri during his interview with the TNT broadcast crew. Binner has always been a bit of a hot head, and the two have a prior history with one another. I understand the frustration, especially when you consider how much he struggled to once again find his game, but at the same time it was pretty evident this was just another hockey play that had an unfortunate result. To chuck at water bottle at the guy well after you've had time to cool down is pretty childish in my eyes. Regardless, Ville Husso had to come back in for St. Louis and the struggles continued. Three of the next four games ended in defeat for the 2019 champs and the Blues season ended well before they had hoped it would. Despite the loss, the Blues were the only team in the Western Conference to beat the Avalanche in the postseason, and accounted for half of their total losses for all of playoffs. It just goes to show not only how good the Avs were, but also how tough of a team St. Louis was to take down. The loss still stings, though. Had things gone their way, they very well could have advanced to play the Oilers in the Western Conference Finals.
As we look ahead it's kind of the same story. If things go the Blues' way this season they could very well be crowned hockey royalty. With the way their lineup is structured, they have everything they need from top to bottom. The departures of David Perron and Ville Husso are undeniably huge losses for them, and the injury to Marco Scandella thins them out a bit on defense. But even without this triage of players, the Blues are a wagon. The culture of this organization has been completely turned around since Craig Berube took over in the middle of the 2019 season. Taking a last place club and turning them into champions has forever changed the mentality of those within the organization. They expect to win. They know how to win. And most of all, they know they can win no matter the circumstances.
This team can beat you in a multitude of ways which makes them so dangerous. They have one of the strongest forward lineups in all of hockey as well as an experienced d-core. They have the best special teams in the league. They have a goalie who, when he's on, can reach a level very few around the league can reach. It's why they're my pick to win the Central Division. It's why I believe they will be one of the final teams left competing for a championship when it's all said and done. Obviously it's easier said than done, and so much has work out in their favor. But all you have to do is get into the postseason. Once you're in, the possibility of winning becomes all the more real. The sense of belief grows more and more with each win. Like I said, it won't be easy. It never is. it will be a daunting task that, as many in that locker room already know, is worth it in the end. I know they're up for the challenge and I know that Gloria will once again be blaring in the Enterprise Center when next May rolls around.
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