St. Louis Blues: Reasons for Excellent Hockey This NHL Season

Last season, the St. Louis Blues finished 11th in the Western Conference with a record of 38-33-11 for a total of 87 points.

Already this season, the Blues are only nine wins away from tying last seasons' win total.

The Blues' record so far this season is 29-13-7 for a total of 65 points. This puts the Blues in the fifth place seed in the Western Conference.

So the question is: Why are the St. Louis Blues playing so well this season, despite having an unsatisfactory season last year? 

There are multiple reasons, as the Blues' organization has taken their game to the next level.

Arguably the number one reason for the St. Louis Blues' success so far during the 2011-12 NHL season is the outstanding play in the crease between goaltenders Brian Elliott and Jaroslav Halak.

Both Elliott and Halak have shared the goaltending duties, playing almost the same number of games. Elliott has played in 23 games while Halak has played in 27.

Both goalies have also put up exceptional numbers as well, as Brian Elliott has posted a 1.69 GAA along with a .938 PCT and a record of 15-5-2 with five shutouts. Halak, in the mean time, has put up a 2.04 GAA and a .918 PCT with a record of 14-8-5.

Despite Elliott playing fewer games than Halak, Elliott has been playing exceptional in the crease for the St. Louis Blues this season.

He has crushed his career save percentage of .906 as well as his career GAA of 2.72. This is easily a career year for the 26-year-old net-minder.

His well-earned effort and play has lead Elliott to be elected into his first All-Star game of his career.

His great effort has also lead the St. Louis Blues in a great position to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2008-09 season, where they were swept in the first round by the Vancouver Canucks.

Do not expect the St. Louis Blues to be swept in the postseason during the 2011-12 campaign. 

Two young defencemen have emerged this season for the St. Louis Blues, as Kevin Shattenkirk and Alex Pietrangelo have stepped up their game to the next level.

22-year-old Pietrangelo has stepped up the offensive side of the game on the blue line, posting eight goals and 16 assists for a total of 24 points in 48 games so far this season. The young gun is on pace to reach a career high in goals with 13, if Pietrangelo can keep up the pace.

The blue-liner has also manage to keep his plus/minus rating up at plus 16, which shows that he is also responsible defensively in his own zone.

23-year-old Shattenkirk has also stepped up his game for the 2011-12 NHL season.

During 48 games this season, Shattenkirk has put six pucks in the back of the net to go along with 17 helpers for a total of 23 points. The youngster is on pace for a career high in goals as well, expect him to reach approximately 10 goals by season's end.

His plus/minus rating is also positive at plus 17, which also shows that Shattenkirk is a great two-way defenceman.

Together; these two young blue-liners will help the St. Louis Blues reach the playoffs and also make a great push towards success in the postseason.

Three forwards have made great contributions to the St. Louis Blues so far this season and are likely to continue.

David Backes, T.J. Oshie and Jason Arnott led the team in points.

Captain David Backes leads the team with 16 goals and 21 helpers for a total of 37 points, with a plus/minus of plus 16 in 49 games. Backes also brings a physical presence, as he has recorded 143 hits already this season.

Not only does Backes lead his team in points, the 27-year-old is the team's Captain and brings great leadership both on and off the ice.

37-year-old veteran Jason Arnott also brings a similar element as David Backes to the St. Louis Blues.

Even though Arnott's offensive numbers have dropped in the past few seasons, he has still proved that he can score between 15 and 20 goals per season.

Arnott has recorded 12 goals and 12 assists for a total of 24 points in 48 games this season. The power forward is on pace to reach 40 points by the end of the season.

He has also kept his defensive game in touch, as he has a plus/minus rating of plus 11.

25-year-old T.J. Oshie has also been playing consistent hockey for the St. Louis Blues this season.

The young forward is second in team scoring, putting up 14 goals and 18 assists for a total of 32 points in 47 games to go along with a plus/minus rating of plus 14. Oshie is on pace to record 53 points if all goes well; this would be a career high.

As the Blues keep on pushing towards the postseason, expect these three forwards to contribute to the team's success both on and off the ice.

Arguably the St. Louis Blues' biggest reason for their 2011-12 season success is because of the hiring of head coach Ken Hitchcock on November 6th, 2011.

Previous head coach Davis Payne started the team off with a 8-8-1 record to the season.

Not a terrible record, however General Manager Doug Armstrong felt his team needed a change. Payne was fired and was quickly replaced by the veteran head coach; Ken Hitchcock.

Since taking over the Blues, "Hitch" has led the team to a 21-5-6 record.

An exceptional turnaround to the St. Louis Blues' season, now currently placed fifth in the tough Western Conference and third in an even tougher Central Division.

Some people may ask, "why is Ken Hitchcock the biggest reason for the Blues' success this season?"

Well, look at his impressive record. Look at what he has done to his young team to make them better hockey players.

If "Hitch" can keep the core together and improving, the St. Louis Blues will be the dominant force in the NHL during next season, or even during the postseason.

The St. Louis squad now must ask themselves an important question:

Can they sustain their great play for the rest of the regular season? The answer to that question is a simple one.

Yes they can.

Despite having a young core, leaders such as David Backes and Jason Arnott will keep their men strong as the second half progresses.

Head coach Ken Hitchcock has also been in the NHL long enough to know how to sustain pressure as seen in the 1998-99 season, when his Dallas Stars captured the Stanley Cup. Hitchcock will be looking to continue improving the team as the season gets older.

If there is one thing Hitchcock can improve on for the final stretch, it is the Blues' play on the road. So far this season, the St. Louis squad has posted a road record of 8-10-3.

With a young core group, sometimes it is difficult for those players to perform in unfamiliar rinks at the NHL level. With experience, effort, determination and hard work, the team as a whole will start to play much better hockey away from home.

The Blues organization and their fans have much to look forward to heading into the second half of the season and especially the future of the team.

Expect a successful 2011-12 NHL season for the St. Louis Blues, and many more in the near future.