GDT Game 81: 4/6/18|7:30 PM CT|@ Blackhawks|FSMW/KMOW

[theohall]

Time is running out for the St. Louis Blues to make the playoffs.

Only two games remain in the regular season for St. Louis (43-31-6), which is on the outside looking in when it comes to the Western Conference playoff race. The Blues have a chance to move past the Colorado Avalanche for the second wild-card berth, but they cannot afford to stumble in the next 48 hours.

In other words, the pressure will be squarely on the Blues' shoulders Friday night when they visit the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center.

St. Louis trails Colorado by one point for the second wild-card spot with a game in hand after the Avalanche lost at San Jose 4-2 on Thursday. The clubs meet Saturday in Denver with a victory by the Blues over the Avalanche putting them in the playoffs. There could be other scenarios for St. Louis to reach the postseason pending Friday's result in Chicago.

The Blackhawks (33-37-10) already have been eliminated from playoff contention for the first time in a decade. But it is safe to assume that a pride-filled Chicago roster -- not to mention a raucous crowd -- is energized at the possibility of crushing the postseason hopes of its longtime division rival.

"It'd be nice to see them miss the playoffs," Blackhawks right winger Patrick Kane said to the Chicago Sun-Times this week. "So it'd be nice to have a hand in that."

The animosity was apparent Wednesday night as Chicago stormed back from a two-goal deficit for a 4-3 victory over St. Louis. Defenseman Duncan Keith scored in the final seconds to complete the comeback and weaken the Blues' playoff chances.

St. Louis goaltender Jake Allen took the blame for the loss. Other Blues players said nerves might have played a role.

"If you're going to play nervous, then you better play smart," St. Louis coach Mike Yeo said to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

The team vowed to perform better on the back end of its home-and-home series with Chicago.

"It (stinks), but at the end of the day, we have to stay positive," Blues center Brayden Schenn said. "Two-game winning streak here to get into the postseason."

Allen is expected to get another chance in net Friday for St. Louis. The 27-year-old is 27-24-3 with a 2.74 goals-against average and .906 save percentage in 58 games (55 starts) on the season. He is winless in his last four contests.

In 14 career games against Chicago, Allen is 8-5-1 with a 2.53 GAA and .915 save percentage.

The Blackhawks most likely will counter in net with Jean-Francois Berube, who made 31 saves during Wednesday's victory. Berube is 3-5-1 with a 3.84 GAA and .893 save percentage on the season. He has made three career appearances against the Blues (1-0-1, 3.39 GAA, .901 save percentage).

The game could mark the final appearance at the United Center for Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp, whose contract expires at the end of the season. The 36-year-old has avoided specifics when asked about his future plans. He won three Stanley Cup championships with Chicago in 2010, 2013 and 2015, and has scored 249 goals in 747 games with the franchise.

Although Sharp's future is up in the air, coach Joel Quenneville and general manager Stan Bowman definitely will be back. Team president John McDonough announced Thursday that he planned to retain both despite missing the playoffs.

"We might have to reinvent ourselves a little bit," McDonough said to The Athletic. "We might have to be a little bit creative. We might have to dial it up a little bit more. But I'm confident this is a group that's going to do it. I'm certainly disappointed where we are right now."

[theohall]

While the numbskulls are going to bang on Allen's sometimes sup-par play... let's look at some facts.

1) Blues Team GA - 6th in NHL. Allen has started 58 of 80 games. He clearly had a hand in that.
2) Blues GF - 24th in NHL
3) Blues Goal Differential - 17th in NHL (Worst in West of remaining playoff contenders; 3rd worst in NHL of remaining playoff contenders)
4) Blues PP - 30th in NHL for season. 31st in NHL in 2018 alone. 10/20/17/91 - fewest PPGs of any team's 1st unit PP since March 1st (1 goal). Blues 2nd PP unit - fewest goals of any team in NHL after Jan 30th (0 goals).

Those are just the measurable facts about the Blues and it is painfully evident the Blues major problem is offense, not goaltending. Could goaltending be better? Yes. But even if it were, it wouldn't solve any of the following problems. But getting better than 6th goals allowed as team in the NHL?? Let's be realistic.

There are other major issues like the following:
1) inconsistent transition which relies too much on defense to move the puck up ice with little forward support
2) not working as tighter 5-man units when in transition, both offensively and defensively
3) over-reliance on the stretch pass for breakouts (look for the D-to-D pass in Blues D-zone with zero forwards even visible on a tv screen)
4) not skating enough resulting in entries where Blues forwards are stationary at opposing blueline entering offensive zone, resulting in easy turnovers for the opposition (hard to get to a puck sent deep first if you are stationary when dumping it and the defenseman is closer to the corner where it's dumped)
5) over-reliance on the "torpedo" type transition. 1 forward skates forward with speed, defenseman tries to hit one of the stationary forwards beyond center ice, that forward then attempts to get the puck to the 1 F moving with speed or throws it deep for that lone forward to retrieve. This started, I think, at Michigan State when the NCAA got rid of the two-line pass well before the NHL dumped it. The Blues have tried this way too often and it rarely works. When it does, it creates breakaway chances, but it is easily defended by getting in the lane of the lone forward moving with speed.
6) lack of depth scoring. Only 3 forwards over 20 goals
7) lack of setup forwards. Only 1 forward with 40 assist
8: lack of general offensive depth - Schenn, Schwartz, Taransenko and Pietrangelo are the Blues entire offense. When they get stopped, the Blues lose. Note - all 4 of them are on the one godawful PP unit which has become so easy for opponents to defend.

The Blues very well might make the playoffs. Anyone want to take bets on who gets blamed if they lose in the 1st round? My take - the maroons will blame Allen and not Yeo's utter inability to get offense out of an NHL roster. He wasn't getting offense out of the Blues last season either. It's why they lost in the playoffs.

[gaijin]

I’m ambivalent about Allen. Like it has been said, there are bigger issues like special teams. If the Blues’ power play were in the top ten, I doubt any of us would be worried about goaltending. While the Blues’ current goaltending won’t win any awards, it could always be worse- remember Dallas’ goalie situation from last year?

Anyway, tonight’s game really isn’t that huge. The Avs don’t play again until the last game against the Blues, so whether the Blues are one point ahead or one point behind the Avs, it will all come down to tomorrow. The only advantage of being one point ahead going into tomorrow’s game is that if Colorado were to win in OT, the Blues would still get the wild card due to more ROW.

[glen a richter]

If Allen is pulling press box detail tonight does that mean Hutton is in both games? I have a hard time envisioning Husso getting his first NHL action in a must win game 82, but also a hard time rationalizing Allen going press box tonight then playing tomorrow. I’m lukewarm about Jake. The season certainly isn’t his fault but Husso is still in line to be the starter of the future. Is Allen packaged with Winnipeg’s pick to move up and Hutton resigned for a year to split duties with Husso next season? I’ve heard worse ideas than that... saves a little dough too. Every penny saved is another you can spend on someone like say a player whose name rhymes with Ron Savares.

[flyingnote38]

basically a meaningless game (although getting at least a point would be a moral/morale victory).
but, win or lose tonight, the game tomorrow is for all the marbles

although I think technically with a win tonight if the Blues were to lose in a shoot out to the Aves tomorrow, they would still make the playoffs based on ROW

[JCShutout]

basically a meaningless game (although getting at least a point would be a moral/morale victory).
but, win or lose tonight, the game tomorrow is for all the marbles

although I think technically with a win tonight if the Blues were to lose in a shoot out to the Aves tomorrow, they would still make the playoffs based on ROW

Yup. A win tonight means just getting to OT vs Col is enough.

If the Blues lose tonight, and win in a shootout Sat, both they and Col have 40 ROW. Who has the head to head tiebreaker then?

[Robb_K]

Both Berglund and Pietrangelo should have scored, already. Hutton looks better already than Allen has in his last 4 games.

[Robb_K]

Great save by Hutton on Debrincat!

[Robb_K]

Nice follow shot by Berglund for his 15th!! Blues lead 1-0!!!

[Robb_K]

Pretty good 1st by The Blues. They had several good chances, and kept The Hawks from getting shots off from the middle and near the net. Hutton looked 100 times better than recent Allen. I feel confident that The Blues will win this one to allow us a chance for more agony tomorrow night.

[evil roy]

It just occurred to me that if the blues win to nite and tomorrow's game goes into OT they will clinch a playoff berth before tomorrow's game is over. Weird.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[Robb_K]

And now, Hawks tie it up. But Berglund gets it back right away!!! Blues lead 2-1!!! Way to fight back!!!

[Robb_K]

We're one Butler tripping penalty away from being tied up, and a 2nd one away from losing in regulation. Need to get that next goal, fairly soon.
And they DOOOOOOOO!!!!! Blues lead 3-1!!!! Schwartz on a brilliant pass from Schenn!!

And Brodziak was robbed by Berube, soon after!!!

[Robb_K]

Berglund gets the hat trick!!! Blues lead 4-1!!! His 17th!!! Blues SHOULD win now!

[Robb_K]

Berglund gets the hat trick!!! Blues lead 4-1!!! His 17th!!! Blues SHOULD win now!

[Robb_K]

Blues Win!!!! Blues Win!!! Hutton played great!! He'd better play tomorrow!

[Robb_K]

Blues Win!!!! Blues Win!!! Hutton played great!! He'd better play tomorrow! Bergy hero!

[JCShutout]

Pretty big win. Everything is in the Blues hands now. Win or just get to OT. The only negative I can think of is one of the Blues radio announcers said, "Tonight we call him Hatrick Berglund!!!1!". I love puns, but that's really bad.