The St. Louis Blues find themselves at .500 on the season with a 6-6-0 record after their win Saturday night. As with most teams, the Blue Note have had their highs and lows to begin the season. With that being said, the Blues have an important next 14 days ahead that can determine the course of their season.
Blues Season So Far
As mentioned earlier, the Blues have a .500 record on the season. Jake Neighbours, Pavel Buchnevich, and Dylan Holloway lead the team with four goals each. While it is unsurprising to see Neighbours and Buchnevich in that spot, Holloway has been a pleasant surprise in his first season with the Blues. Furthermore, Philip Broberg has had another strong start to his first season with the Blues. His success on offence and defence has created the possibility that he could be a long-term option on defence for the Blues.
However, their opening 12 games can be summarized by one word, injuries. Oskar Sundqvist, Alexandre Texier, and Nick Leddy have all missed time due to injury. In addition, the Blues are also without Robert Thomas until early December. Additionally, the Blues lost Broberg to injury on Saturday night.
The Blues are currently fifth place in the Central Division. They are just two points away from third place, which would put them in a playoff spot. Likewise, as there is a four-way tie at 13 points, the team is just a single point out of the Western Conference Wild Card playoff position as of Monday morning. The Blue Note are very much in the playoff hunt in early November.
The Tall Task of the Next 14 Days
This brings us to the next 14 days on the Blues schedule. When we looked at the Blues schedule when it was released over the summer, we highlighted the month of November as an important one for the Blue Note. It is indeed looking like it will be important for the team.
In the next 14 days, from Sunday, November 3, to Sunday, November 17, the Blues will play a total of seven games. Fourteen points are on the line. Of those seven games, five are against teams who were in the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season. Of those seven opponents, four have winning records. Moreover, two of those teams still only have an impressive two regulation losses on the season so far.
Here is the Blues schedule over the next 14 days:
- 11/5 vs. Tampa Bay
- 11/7 vs. Utah
- 11/9 vs. Washington
- 11/12 vs. Boston
- 11/14 at Buffalo
- 11/16 at Boston
- 11/17 at Carolina
Even some teams who do not currently have a winning record, such as the Boston Bruins, should be considered a threat because of their roster and past experience. Even with the current contract disputes in Boston, a road game in TD Garden is never easy.
Implications of the next 14 Days
The Blues will be playing without Robert Thomas. They will likely be without Nick Leddy for some of the time. As of now, we do not know what the extend of Philip Broberg’s injury is, but we can assume he is going to miss some time. Despite these injuries, the Blues need to overcome them these next 14 days.
If the Blues have a rough 14 days, they could find themselves falling somewhere around ten points out of a playoff spot. Of course, this would also depend on how other teams do. However, a strong 14 days keep the Blues in their current position at the very least. Being just a few points out of the playoffs is a great spot to be in.
Good, Bad, and Ugly
At the very least, the Blues should hope to earn eight points over these next 14 days. This should keep the Blues close to where they are now. Again, it also depends on how other teams perform. In contrast, earning eight of a possible 14 points should be considered the minimum the Blues require.
As far the maximum, well, earning 14 out of 14 points would sure be nice. What would be a eight-game win streak (counting Saturday’s win) would certainly improve the Blues position in the standings. However, that is unlikely for even the healthiest team.
If the Blues struggle over these next 14 days and only pick up about five points, that can really push them back in the standings. There are some teams behind the Blues in the standings right now who are likely to turn things around soon. A slump on the Blues end would really derail their hopes of returning to the playoffs.
Are We Exaggerating?
If the Blues have a strong 14 days, are they definitely going to the playoffs? No. If they have a poor 14 days, are they going to definitely miss the playoffs? No. So, are we exaggerating things a bit?
We are not.
There are many points on the line that if the team fails to earn them, they cannot get them again. In hockey, a short losing streak is the difference between 85 and 95 points at the end of the season. That can be the difference between a playoff team and a couch potato in the spring. Considering in previous seasons, the lowest playoff teams are recording point totals in the 90s, the Blues have to earn points when they can.
The next 14 days are not a guaranteed make or break. However, it will set the tone for how the season continues from that point.
Main Photo Credit: Jeff Curry – USA TODAY Sports
