BLUES The St. Louis Blues have just one game left in their 2021-22 regular season, a home matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights.
The team came back from a 3-1-0 road trip in good spirits despite ending on a regulation loss in Colorado - their first since March 26 - which ended a franchise-record 16 game point streak.
"We've been finding ways to win games," said Ryan O'Reilly. "We're just trying to build ourselves and our game for the Playoffs - we got one little tune up left and we're into it. I think we're all proud of getting those points."
Gearing up for the postseason, the Blues have a lot to feel confident about with the way they closed out the regular season. The team's eight 20-goal scorers lead the NHL, as well as their eight 50-point scorers. Their 12 wins and 26 points in the month of April are both the most in the League.
Goaltenders Jordan Binnington and Ville Husso have both turned in impressive performances all season, getting a lot of repititions under their belts in the process. The Blues are one of three teams (Boston, Washington) to play two goalies at least 37 games each.
The Blues can still grab home-ice advantage in their first-round series against the Minnesota Wild. To do so, the Blues need to beat the Golden Knights and will also need the Colorado Avalanche to beat the Wild in regulation on Friday.
At a record of 49-21-11 for 109 points, the club also has an opportunity to match their second-highest regular season point total in franchise history.
GOLDEN KNIGHTS For the first time since entering the NHL in the 2017-18 season, the Vegas Golden Knights will miss the Playoffs.
An overtime loss by the Dallas Stars on Wednesday night gave them the point they needed to mathematically eliminate Vegas, who fell to the Chicago Blackhawks in a shootout on the same night. Facing the same result against San Jose and Dallas early in the week, it was Vegas' third consecutive shootout loss.
"I'm surprised, I'm disappointed, I'm at the front of the line for responsibility," said Vegas Head Coach Pete DeBoer. "There were a lot of expectations on this team, so it's not an easy thing and it doesn't feel good for anybody right now."
Jonathan Marchessault and Chandler Stephenson lead the scoring for the Golden Knights this season, both at 64 points heading into their final game.
Still with no shortage of pride to play for, Vegas will be sure to bring intensity to their frequent Western Conference foe in St. Louis. Just as the Blues have a chance to cement home-ice advantage, Vegas has a chance to deny home ice for a competitive opponent when they come to Enterprise Center on Friday night.
The Golden Knights bring with them a record of 42-31-8, worth 92 points and fourth place in the Pacific Division.
HEAD-TO-HEAD The Blues carry a 2-0-0 record against Vegas this season, winning 3-1 in Vegas on Oct. 20 and 5-2 in St. Louis on Nov. 22. They are 6-2-1 against the Golden Knights at Enterprise Center since they entered the NHL in 2017-18.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
BLUES Vladimir Tarasenko led the Blues in points this season, setting a career-high in an outstanding effort coming off of two injury-riddled campaigns. Tarasenko now has 82 points in 74 games and sits two shy of his first career 50-assist season.
GOLDEN KNIGHTS Alex Pietrangelo, who returns to St. Louis for the second and final time this season. As he wraps up his second season in Vegas, Pietrangelo has two points in his last five games, crossing the 40-point threshold for the ninth time in his career.
BLUE NOTES
With a win against Vegas, the Blues would reach 50 wins in a season for the fourth time in franchise history (1999-00, 2013-14, 2014-15)... The Blues share second in the NHL with 63 power-play goals this season and share sixth with nine shorthanded goals... They have all but clinched the franchise record for power-play efficiency with 26.5 percent on the season, beating the previous record of 24.6 percent from 1986-87... Scoring one goal vs. Vegas would also clinch the team's first season without being shut out a single time since 1980-81.
The St. Louis Blues will have home-ice advantage in the playoffs on their mind when they play host the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday in the regular-season finale for both teams.
The Blues (49-21-11, 109 points) are set to face the Minnesota Wild in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, but the seeding is still to be determined. The Wild (52-22-7, 111 points) earned a 3-2 overtime win over the visiting Calgary Flames on Thursday, and they finish at home Friday against the Colorado Avalanche.
St. Louis can claim second place in the Central Division by finishing level with Minnesota on points, since it holds the tiebreaker with more regulation victories. Gaining home-ice advantage may be a critical edge in what should be a tight series, as the Wild and Blues have been two of the NHL's hottest teams over the last two months.
St. Louis also heads into Friday's game looking to rebound from a rare defeat. Tuesday's 5-3 loss to the Colorado Avalanche ended the Blues' team-record 16-game streak (14-0-2).
Following a scoreless first period, the Central Division-champion Avalanche broke out with three goals in first 8:03 of the second period to take a lead they never relinquished.
"It's frustrating, especially because we felt like we played a good first period," said Blues defenseman Torey Krug, who had an assist. "We thought that if we got the first (goal), it'd go a long way and unfortunately it kind of unraveled on us. We responded pretty well in the third period, obviously too little too late."
The Golden Knights (42-31-8, 92 points) are coming off a far more crushing loss. Wednesday's 4-3 shootout defeat to the Chicago Blackhawks officially eliminated them from postseason contention.
After heading into the 2021-22 season as one of the favorites to hoist the Stanley Cup, the Golden Knights rarely played with a healthy lineup, and will now miss the playoffs for the first time in the franchise's five-year history.
"A lot's being said and made of the injuries we've had, but the same time, we've had such great depth that you expect to at least get into the playoffs with that adversity," Vegas forward Max Pacioretty said. "It's just a tough pill to swallow right now and it's going to take some time to digest, because right up to the end there, I never lost hope in thinking we were going to make it."
Vegas is 1-2-3 over its last six games and has lost three-consecutive games in shootouts. Adding to the frustration, the Golden Knights didn't score a single goal in all 17 rounds of those three shootouts.
Golden Knights forward Chandler Stephenson has seven points (four goals, three assists) over a five-game point streak.
With regular Vegas goalies Robin Lehner and Laurent Brossoit sidelined by injury, Logan Thompson was pressed into regular action down the stretch. If Thompson doesn't get the nod in the Golden Knights' final game, backup Jiri Patera could make his NHL debut.
Robert Thomas' 17-game point streak for the Golden Knights also came to an end against Colorado. Tied for the longest points streak in the NHL this season, Thomas had 29 points (eight goals, 21 assists) over the 17 games.
Since Jordan Binnington started in net against the Avalanche, St. Louis could start Ville Husso against the Golden Knights. Husso has emerged as a viable starting option for the Blues and could get some action to stay sharp heading into the playoffs.
The Blues won their previous two meetings with the Golden Knights this season.
