Blues Forcing Their Way Into Wild Card Spot

The St. Louis Blues are forcing their way into a Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.

Mar 16, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Blues right wing Mathieu Joseph (71) is congratulated by defenseman Ryan Suter (22) after scoring against the Anaheim Ducks during the second period at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Blues are forcing their way into a Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. They've won eight of their last 10 games, most recently a 7-2 stomping of the Anaheim Ducks, tying them with the Vancouver Canucks for the final playoff position in the West. With 15 games remaining, the Blues have gone from afterthought to dangerous threat in the playoff race.

The Blues are one of four teams vying for the postseason's final spot. The Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks were the likeliest options just a week or two ago, but the playoff landscape has shifted. Now, the Blues and the Utah Hockey Club are in the mix, and the Blues are playing the best of the four squads.

One impressive aspect of the Blues is how they've improved their goal differential over the last month of action. For reference, on February 15th, the Blues were eight points out of a playoff spot with a -17 goal differential. They were outplayed regularly, and their goaltending duo couldn't bail them out.

Fast forward to a month later, and the Blues have increased their goal differential back to an equal 0. The improvement is results from the team finding it's offensive legs. The team has a group of fast skaters, and they've figured out that if they can create turnovers and start the transition, good things happen. They either score off the rush or draw a penalty, giving their power play more chances.

That style of play has taken a significant amount of pressure off their goaltending duo as well. Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer are a strong tandem, but the play in front of them wasn't enough. Now that the offense is clicking, their net minders are able to simply do their part and help the team win. Binnington has won three of his last five starts, while Hofer's earned at least a point for the Blues in each of his last four.

The Blues have been one of the bubble teams all season long, but many counted them out by the midway point of the year. Their play over the last month has flipped those criticisms on its head and put the team back in the playoff race. If they continue playing this way, they will continue forcing their way into the postseason.

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