St Louis Blues

St. Louis may not have a ton of guys on the roster who have spent much time vying for a Stanley Cup, but that doesn't particularly matter for this year's team. This year, talent trumps experience for the Blues.

And even against the experienced Sharks, who face unfamiliar territory as the No. 7 seed in the West, the Blues have what it takes to win.

The Blues, champions of the Central Division and the second seed in the West, have very little experience making a deep run in the playoffs. They're in the postseason for the first time since 2009, when they were swept by the Canucks in the first round. Seventeen of the Blues' 26 players this year have never been past the first round.

But despite their limited experience, they are not lacking at all in the drive department. They want this, and in their minds, they're good enough to get it. They will go to any lengths. As Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Tom Timmermann on Monday, "From now on, unless someone is dead, they're day-to-day."

Though the majority of the Blues might be green when it comes to the playoffs, they have experience where it matters. Take, for instance, Hitchcock, who won the 1999 Stanley Cup with Dallas and twice took his teams to the conference finals.

He knows how to assemble and motivate a championship club, and he knows it. He told Timmermann:

Bottom line, this is why I coach. I think I'm good at this time of year. I think I can get the guys focused, and I can keep them focused. This is what I'm good at.

In addition to Hitchcock, the Blues have center Scott Nichol, who reached the conference finals with San Jose in each of the last two seasons. They have Jamie Langenbrunner, who won Cups with Dallas (1999) and New Jersey (2003).

And perhaps most importantly, they have a goaltending tandem that led them to a league-leading 1.90 goals against average in 2012. Jaroslav Halak has made three trips to the postseason, all with Montreal; Brian Elliott has played in just four postseason games, in 2009-10 with Ottawa.

Sometimes, postseason experience is simply an afterthought. In this case, St. Louis' 4-0 record against San Jose during the regular season is far more telling. As Hitchcock said, "There's a reason we're 4-0 against [San Jose]. We're 4-0 because we played better than they did and we have to find a way to keep that streak."

San Jose may be making its eighth straight playoff appearance, but it is doing so during a down-year. Its situation could not be more different from  the Blues'.  There's nothing that makes the next four games against San Jose any different from the last four. St. Louis is still the better team, and on a bigger stage, they have to prove it. It's that simple.

Every team has to start building its experience somewhere, and San Jose will likely be just the first challenge during a long playoff run for St. Louis.

If there's one trophy that's not up for discussion among candidates this season, it's the Jack Adams Trophy for Coach of the Year.

Earlier this season, the St. Louis Blues found themselves in familiar territory.

The team was stockpiled with talent, both young and old, a near perfect mixture of fresh talent and seasoned veterans to balance out the team in hopes that they would deliver a postseason berth to a playoff starved St. Louis fan base.

Starting the season off on a paltry 6-7 record, management decided it was time for a change behind the bench.

On November 6, Ken Hitchcock, former Stanley Cup-winning coach with the Dallas Stars and more recently Gold Medal-winning assistant coach of the Canadian Olympic team, was brought in to wright the ship.

Known for disciplinarian ways and imposing a defense-first system on all his teams, Hitchcock was an immediate success.

Any games that the Blues didn't win during those early days under Hitchcock were always close, and always came down to the wire.

Hitchcock's success is no more apparent in anyone than in Blues' net minders Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott.

Halak, the former Montreal Canadiens favorite was a big-ticket item in St. Louis, but was horribly under performing. Elliott was a cast aside goaltender from last season that many didn't think would have a job in the National Hockey League at the beginning of this year.

If you look at either goaltenders' numbers today you can't decide which you'd rather nominate for the Vezina Trophy.

Not only did Hitchcock make superstars out of his goaltenders, but he also turned Alex Pietrangelo and Kevin Shattenkirk into studs on the blue line.

The two youngsters are instant offense and have an unusually high ceiling for potential. The two defenseman are not even close to their prime but somehow have looked like battle-hardened veterans who simply just win since Hitchcock took over.

If you go up and down the ranks of the Blues you'll see one constant, and that is everyone has bought what Hitchcock is selling. Every scorer scores, every grinder grinds, every fighter fights. In many cases, one player has taken on every role imaginable by buying into Hitchcock's system.

Take captain David Backes for example.

Not only is Backes the team's leading scorer and points getter, but he has turned into one of the most complete players in the game. Backes hits, fights, grinds, plays great defense, eats minutes, and most importantly, wins games.

Under Hitchcock's system, Backes has recreated himself into one of the most physically imposing and dangerous players on ice. If Backes is comparable to anybody, past or present, you have to take a look at Jonathan Toews when the Chicago Blackhawks won the cup.

Backes is the Toews of 2012.

Does Hitch have what it takes to put his Western Conference leading Blues into the Stanley Cup Finals, delivering the city it's first ever championship?

With a wealth of knowledge and a treasure chest full of talent, experience, and grit at his disposal, the Blues look like they are well on their way to powering through the rest of the league. 

Players are looking to make a statement that their style of hockey is the best, and they are ready to back up those claims with 16 postseason wins.

The 2012 NHL playoffs are nearly upon us, and the St. Louis Blues are sitting pretty atop the Western Conference. But with two worthy goaltenders and only one net to fill, head coach Ken Hitchcock will soon be forced to address a crucial dilemma, one that could determine his team's fate this spring.

Both Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott have been exceptional between the pipes in 2011-12, each of whom would be a valid choice for Hitchcock to use in the playoffs.

Elliott set the franchise mark this week for most consecutive minutes without allowing a goal (186:33) and most shutouts in a season (nine), remarkably done so in just 34 starts. Together, Halak and Elliott are now tied for the NHL record for most shutouts in a year (15). 

Looking beyond the established 82-game schedule, the Blues essentially have three options: Run with Halak, run with Elliott or continue to alternate between the two. 

Many would argue that entering the playoffs without a bona fide starter is a poor strategy, and they would have history to back up them up: Nearly every team that has ever won the Stanley Cup has done so by relying on a single goalie throughout the postseason (injury scenarios notwithstanding). If St. Louis was to successfully implement such a game plan, it would be unprecedented in the modern era. 

"They've both played good and then there's stretches where one guy's played great, lights out," Hitchock said. "I think the big story for us is how well they've played collectively and individually. I've never had a situation like this where you've had two goalies play this well for this long. It's been good for us."

When asked recently if he already has a starter in mind for Game 1 of the playoffs, the likely Jack Adams Award winner didn't have an answer. 

"I don't know if it's a good problem to have, but it's one I'm putting off until the last possible moment," he said. "I don't want to even think about it, because I know if I start thinking about it something's going to happen; a guy might get dinged up or whatever. I just feel like I owe it to both guys to continue to play both."

Halak, 26, was signed to a four-year, $15 million contract in the summer of 2010 in hopes that he would become the franchise cornerstone in net the team lacked. He has, for the most part, lived up to those expectations and played up to his $3,750,000 annual average value.

Halak would be a clear-cut No. 1 on nearly every team in the league, but the emergence of his "backup" has prevented that from happening.

Elliott, who came to the Blues via the Colorado Avalanche, had been relatively mediocre prior to this season. But after being signed as Halak's understudy, it soon became difficult for Hitchcock to keep the former ninth-round pick off the ice. 

After posting sub-.900 save percentages the past two seasons and struggling in both Ottawa and Colorado, Elliott has flourished while playing behind St. Louis' suffocating defense, saving .943 percent of shots faced and allowing an average of only 1.48 goals per game in 2011-12. His play for the Blues thus far has earned the University of Wisconsin-Madison product a two-year extension in St. Louis as well a spot on this year's All-Star roster. 

Despite Elliott's brilliance, team management would ideally like to see Halak take the reins, as he is the one being paid the big bucks to do so. But Ken Hitchcock being the old school, no-nonsense coach that he is will not be influenced by dollars and cents—he will ice the best team he possibly can, plain and simple.

And if the Blues were to make their decision based purely on this year's numbers, the choice would be easy. 

While Halak has been leaned on more heavily, his GAA is 0.52 worse than Elliott's, and his save percentage is 0.16 lower. Obviously there isn't a significant chasm between the two, but the data certainly speaks for itself. 

From a statistical perspective, the one key advantage Halak holds over his counterpart is his former playoff success. Halak won nine postseason games in 2010 for the Canadiens and performed admirably throughout their run. Elliott, who started for the Sens in five postseason contests, won just one game in the opening round and allowed 4.14 GAA as Ottawa fell to the Penguins.

All this being said, it's hard to imagine St. Louis can go wrong regardless of how they approach this situation. If the Blues do choose one goalie over the other, at least they would have a very capable alternate in tow. While there's no telling how this battle will play out, it will surely be one of the more entertaining subplots moving forward.

Stay tuned to Bleacher Report for the latest on this story and all NHL-related news. 

Follow @andrewhirsh

Jaden Schwartz, a sophomore forward from Colorado College, has signed an entry-level contract with the NHL-leading St. Louis Blues. 

Exactly two weeks after making no additions before the NHL trade deadline, the injury-plagued Blues will benefit in adding their 2010 first-round draft pick for the stretch run.

GM Doug Armstrong and Coach Ken Hitchcock felt their current roster needed a boost, with the returns of Alex Steen and Matt D’Agostini still in question.

Fresh off a disappointing loss that eventually ended his collegiate career, Schwartz and the Blues quickly worked to get a contract in place. 

At Colorado College, the shifty forward amassed a career 32 goals and 56 assists in just 60 career games. The Canadian native will look to add anything he can to the team that sits atop the NHL standings. 

Schwartz will bring a great energy to an already strong team. Getting right into the swing of things with the NHL club, the Blues' 2010 No. 14-overall draft pick possesses both the skills to perform as well as the will to use this as a learning opportunity.

At just 19 years old, Schwartz is extremely knowledgeable when it comes to hockey.

He works hard and loves being involved in the action, a quality the Blues value in his game. He has the potential to make a game-changing play on every shift.

Part of the reason Armstrong chose to sign the young winger now gives credibility to the mental game he possesses.

Schwartz is a natural leader, shown by his captaining of Team Canada in the 2012 World Juniors. You have to be if you are going to survive in the NHL at the age of 19.

While not an excessively flashy offensive talent, Schwartz's skill set is one that will mesh well with the St. Louis Blues style of play. Two things that bode well for a playoff run—a smart, grind-it-out style of play and depth—are both aspects Schwartz adds to the Blues.

To that, Schwartz adds a natural playmaking ability that could be lethal once he develops.

Hitchcock has yet to speak about what line Schwartz will play on. Regardless, expect him to replace some of the versatility lost to the injury bug.

Work on multiple lines is probable, as Hitch is known to switch his lines on a nightly basis. This gives the young Canadian a chance to prove himself while still allowing him an opportunity to gain comfort at the NHL level.

Schwartz's contract makes him immediately eligible to join the team. He is also eligible for the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

It remains uncertain when Schwartz will make his NHL debut. Be sure Coach Hitchcock will unveil his new weapon when the time is right.

In the end, adding a player with great playmaking ability and a natural sense for the game was too good of an opportunity to pass up for Doug Armstrong and company. Especially when that player is as well-grounded as Jaden Schwartz.

Hitchcock certainly welcomes the addition to his offensive arsenal.

As for Schwartz, a chance to contribute to a playoff-bound St. Louis Blues team this year is a tremendous opportunity.

The worst case scenario is he gains his NHL footing sooner than expected, knocking the nerves out before next year.

The best case scenario? You can imagine.

Playing well in March is important for every team in the NHL.

For the bottom-feeders, it's about respectability.

For the middle of the pack, it's about trying to make the playoffs.

And for the cream of the crop, it's all about positioning yourself well in the playoffs with the highest possible seeding.

1. St. Louis Blues (Last week: No. 3)

Don't think coaching matters in hockey?

Exhibit A: 2012 St. Louis Blues. Ken Hitchcock has elevated this team to the highest point in the NHL. Let's not forget that the Blues are also in the NHL's most difficult division. Four out of five teams in the Central are probably going to make the playoffs.

The Blues already have their highest point total since the 2003-04 season. 

The team doesn't have a major scoring threat. No one on the team has over 50 points, yet their defense and goaltending is superb enough to lead them to the promised land. 

2. Pittsburgh Penguins (Last week: No. 6)

The Penguins are the hottest team in the league and they're about to get Sidney Crosby back very soon. He's only going to make this team even more dangerous. They've won eight in a row but they have a series of tough games coming up this week against the Bruins, Rangers, Devils and Flyers. 

Marc-Andre Fleury has been a major part of the Pens' success. He's made timely saves and because of him, the Penguins now have a higher point differential than than the Rangers. They've also beat them twice in the last two meetings, elevating them in front of New York in the rankings. 

3. New York Rangers (Last week: No. 1)

That comfortable nine-point lead in the Eastern Conference is down to four. The Rangers came up empty-handed in this week's three-game road swing, losing to the Devils, Senators and Blackhawks. 

That said, they have a seven-game home stand coming up in the next two weeks. Hopefully for the Rangers they'll use this homestand to extend their lead over the Penguins.

4. Vancouver Canucks (Last week: No. 2)

Roberto Luongo's inconsistencies continue. He can't be getting pulled against the Buffalo Sabres and follow up that lackluster performance by letting four pucks go through against the Dallas Stars.

They still have three more games on their seven-game homestand. Luongo needs to figure it out, because the Canuck fans don't want a repeat of last year's Stanley Cup Final in this year's playoffs. 

5. Detroit Red Wings (Last week: No. 4)

While St. Louis has nobody over 50 points on offense, the Red Wings have four guys hovering over the 50-point mark. And with Jimmy Howard a wall in net, the Wings have the highest point differential. This team isn't fazed by the Blues. They're going to make an effort to win the division and the West.

6. Boston Bruins (Last week: No. 5)

The Bruins may be the best built team for the playoffs, but they're just 12-12-1 since January 14. Perhaps they're just getting complacent waiting for April. 

7. Nashville Predators (Last week: No. 7)

The Predators finally lost in regulation at home to the Los Angeles Kings. 

Perhaps some help from Alex Radulov in the KHL on the way?

8. Philadelphia Flyers (Last week: No. 9)

Ilya Bryzgalov has opponents saying, "Why you have to be so good all of a sudden?"

Bryz had two shutouts in the last four games, but the quote of the week  came from Jaromir Jagr when asked why he played when he had a hip injury.

"I had to play because there were no other Czechs. All of the Czechs were out and everybody knows if there are no Czechs in the game, it's kind of a boring game. It's like when you want to make food without salt, you know what I mean? I was pushed."

 

9. Chicago Blackhawks (Last week: No. 11)

They may have lost to the Blues on the road, but they also beat the Red Wings and Rangers. They get another shot against St. Louis this week. Because of those two big wins, they're back in the top 10. 

10. New Jersey Devils (Last week: No. 10)

Wouldn't the Devils rather finish sixth in the East so they play Florida (or any other Southeast Division team) in the first round?

11. Dallas Stars (Last week: No. 17)

The Stars are 8-0-1 in their last nine, propelling them to the top of the Pacific Division. We've noted weeks before that the Stars were struggling to find consistency throughout the season. They kept winning one and losing one.

Well, it seems like they've figured that one out.

12. Ottawa Senators (Last week: No. 13)

The Senators gained some confidence after beating down on the Rangers, 4-1. They're only three points behind the Boston and catching them is a conceivable task. 

13. Phoenix Coyotes (Last week: No. 8)

After not losing in regulation in February, the Coyotes have yet to win in March. 

14. San Jose Sharks (Last week: No. 12)

The Sharks have lost 10 of their last 12. Fortunately for them, they still have a few games in hand against the Stars and are within striking distance for the division lead.

15. Florida Panthers (Last week: No. 14)

The Panthers somehow have gone 1-3-1 in their last five yet taken control over first place in the Southeast. In that span, they lost 7-0 to Winnipeg and 5-0 to Philadelphia. They're a minus-27 overall in the season. 

Say hello to a quick first-round exit...

16. Washington Capitals (Last week: No. 15)

All the Capitals need to do is get on a four- or five-game winning streak and they should wrap up the division. What is this team waiting for? Why are they having such difficulty in winning this weak division?

17. Los Angeles Kings (Last week: No. 16)

Jeff Carter only has four points in his stint with the Kings so far. With all this talent, if Los Angeles doesn't make the playoffs, it's going to be a miserable failure for the organization. 

18. Calgary Flames (Last week: No. 19)

After a rough end to February, the Flames have recorded points in four of their last five games and are only a point behind the eighth seed in the West. 

19. Winnipeg Jets  (Last week: No. 20)

The Lakers of the NHL. Dominate at home, can't win on the road. That was the story for the week for the Jets as they won two home games, then lost two away from the MTS Centre.  

20. Buffalo Sabres (Last week: No. 23)

If the Sabres make the playoffs, watch out. They have the potential to knock off a No. 1 seed because of Ryan Miller and Jason Pominville. 

That said, Ville Leino has to be the worst signing in a long time. 

21. Colorado Avalanche (Last week: No. 19)

The Avs only have 13 games left in the regular season. They're only a point behind the Sharks but they're really going to have to finish strong if they want to lock the final seed. Losing Matt Duchene doesn't help them either. 

22. Tampa Bay Lightning (Last week: No. 24)

The Bolts are just three points behind the No. 3 seed. They have the second-best player in the league so if they can just get some goaltending and if Steven Stamkos goes on a roll, we could see the Eastern Conference finalists from last year back in the thick of things.

23. Anaheim Ducks (Last week: No. 22)

For a minute there the Ducks were making a huge run for the playoffs. Four key losses in the last two weeks have made that dream almost impossible. They'll probably need to win 11 of their last 14 if they're going to come close to making the playoffs.

24. Toronto Maple Leafs (Last week: No. 21) 

The Leafs are 2-11-1 in the last few weeks. More questions than answers yet again heading into a playoff-less spring in Toronto.

25. New York Islanders (Last week: No. 27)

They're doing a good job in not being as bad as Montreal and Toronto recently.

26. Carolina Hurricanes (Last week: No. 24)

The Hurricanes have yet to win in the shootout.

27. Minnesota Wild (Last week: No. 26)

The Wild, along with the Kings, have proven that defense isn't going to win championships if you don't have at least some offense. (See St. Louis)

28. Montreal Canadiens (Last week: No. 28)

Interesting theory: Hockey-rabid cities aren't attracting any free agents because they're so crazy about hockey that it's an uncomfortable environment to play in.

Kind of explains Montreal's mediocrity in the past decade. Why would anyone want to play there? Being under that kind of microscope isn't worth it. Just ask Scott Gomez.

29. Edmonton Oilers (Last week: No. 29)

One goalie away from making a run for the playoffs next year.

30. Columbus Blue Jackets (Last week: No. 30)

Deadline ends. Blue Jackets win four in a row. Watch them crush a few playoff hopefuls' dreams in the last month of the season.

Power Rankings History: Dec 13-19 | Dec 20-26 | Dec 27-Jan 4 | Jan 5-11 | Jan 12-18 | Jan 19-26 | Jan 31-Feb 14 | Feb 15-22 | Feb 23-29

The St. Louis Blues are quite the impressive team this year.

After starting the season 6-7-0, the team's coach, Davis Payne, was fired, and Ken Hitchcock was brought in.

Since that point, the Blues have gone 35-11-7. They have charged up the conference standings, today finding themselves in second place in the conference, only a point behind the Canucks. They are also sitting first in the Central division (tied with the Red Wings but winning the tiebreaker), unarguably the best division in the west.

Unfortunately, none of that matters, because once the postseason begins, the Blues are toast.

St. Louis' success this year has been based entirely around the goalie tandem of Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott. Now admittedly, that duo has been insanely good.

	Starts	Record	SV%	GAA	SO
Brian Elliott	29	20-8-2	.937	1.63	6
Jaroslav Halak	37	21-10-5	.925	1.91	6

*The bold means top five in the league.

Clearly, the Blues are cheating somehow. Unfortunately, until evidence of that surfaces, we just have to accept that both of the Blues goalies are playing Vezina-caliber hockey this season.

Right now, Elliott leads the league in goals-against average, is second in save-percentage and tied for third in the league in shutouts.

Halak is third in the league in goals-against average, tied with Elliott in shutouts and is an embarrassing ninth in save percentage.

Together, they've kept the Blues on top in terms of goals against and have kept up the slack for a pretty unspectacular rest-of-the-roster.

A Whole Other Game

That brings us to the playoffs.

The problem with the playoffs is that a team can't start two goalies. There needs to be one clear starter, not just from one game to the next, but from one series to the next.

In the playoffs, a hot goalie can keep a team going for a long time, and a cold goalie can completely sink a team. But either way, the goalie is a constant. There are rare occasions when one team brings in a backup after losing the first few games and goes on to win, but that is a situational change, not a trend.

So how do you build to winning a Stanley Cup without a clear starter? If the past is any indication, you do it with great offense.

In 2010, the Blackhawks' goalies, Antti Niemi and Cristobal Huet, essentially split time—Huet played in 48 games, Niemi in 39—and they both finished with 26 wins. Then the playoffs started, Niemi got the starts, and they won the Cup.

You know what the difference is here? The Blues don't have Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews.

Likewise, when the Red Wings won the Cup in 2008, Chris Osgood and Dominik Hasek split starts, both finishing with 27 wins. When the playoffs rolled around, Osgood got all but two wins.

But again, the Red Wings had Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk and Nicklas Lidstrom. The Blues do not.

What I'm saying here is that, despite what old adages might make you believe, goaltending alone does not win Stanley Cups. A team needs solid, reliable scoring to churn out a championship, and that is something the Blues do not have.

No Power Up Front

The vast majority of St. Louis' players are relatively inexperienced in the playoffs. Most have no more than four playoff games under their belts.

Two notable exceptions, Jason Arnott and Jamie Langenbrunner, are both experienced veterans. Unfortunately, both of those players are about three years past the point of being a game-changer.

When it comes down to it, the Blues will need to see above-average production from a lot of players (forwards T.J. Oshie, David Backes, Patrik Berglund and Andy McDonald and defensemen Alex Pietrangelo and Kevin Shattenkirk, to name a few of the most important).

Maybe it's possible that that group comes together and puts on a Cup run, but I don't see it. And say what you want, but a team can't do it on goaltending alone.

The Bruins Example

Last year, in the Stanley Cup finals, Tim Thomas won his team the Stanley Cup, right? Well, that might be how it appears, but look closer.

The series went to seven games. The Bruins lost Games 1, 2 and 5, and in those games, Thomas played superbly: he stopped 33-of-34 in a 1-0 loss in Game 1, 30-of-33 in a 3-2 loss in Game 2 and in Game 5, he stopped 37-of-38.

That means, in his losses, he had an astounding .952 save percentage. But of course, that stat means nothing, because they lost.

In his winning games, Thomas had equally impressive numbers. In Game 3, he stopped 40-of-41, in Game 4 it was all 38 shots, in Game 6 he stopped 36-of-38 and in Game 7, he stopped all 37 shots. That means, in his four winning Finals games, he had the even-more-insane save percentage of .981.

But it wasn't those saves that won the Bruins the Cup, because in those four games that they won, they outscored the Canucks by a margin of 21-3.

That is why the Bruins won the cup. Because, after a hot goalie kept them in games, they still had an explosive offense that could win for them. And when all is said and done, Thomas could've given up an additional 14 goals during those games without it mattering.

That's where the Blues fall short. They certainly have a goalie capable of putting up a .950 save percentage through the playoffs—heck, they have two—but sooner or later, you need more than that. You need a hot offense to cancel out the other team's hot goalie.

After all, while two high-caliber goalies might give an advantage during the regular season, it affords you no such luxuries during the postseason. You can only play one goalie, and if a team is in the playoffs, they probably have a great goalie.

If they want to win a Cup, at some point they'll have to against Jimmy Howard or Jonathan Quick or Henrik Lundqvist or Tim Thomas, and any of those goalies have stronger offenses in front of them.

The Bottom Line

The Blues will certainly be in the playoffs, and they might even advance a few rounds. Lord knows Jaroslav Halak is capable of making some insane playoff runs. But sooner or later, they'll hit a goalie just a hot as theirs, only they won't have the offense to overcome him.

There's nothing wrong with building a team around a great goalie—hell, it's probably the best way to build a contending team. But the Blues haven't gotten to the point of building yet. So far, they just have two hot goalies, a couple forwards striving for the 50-point mark and not a single skater who's hit the 20-goal mark.

Next season, who knows? Maybe the goalies stay hot, the younger skaters start to progress a little more and the team gets something going beyond great goaltending, they'll have a chance.

But until they can do better than 21st in the league in goals per game, 23rd in power-play goals and ninth on the penalty kill, they're simply not a good enough team.

The St. Louis Blues silenced a lot of critics on Tuesday night, in a dominating 5-1 win over the rival Chicago Blackhawks.

As noted in a previous article, some of the primary concerns for the Blues going into the postseason have been their inability to beat elite teams, and their lack of offensive capabilities.

The Blackhawks are on the fringe of being considered "elite," but most would argue they are still one of the better teams in the NHL, and were riding a three-game winning streak going into the game.

The Blues made a huge statement in showing that they can not only play with, but also dominate an elite team that was playing some of its better hockey.

Just as importantly, the Blues' offense had a huge night, and may be starting to show the scoring potential that fans have long awaited. For the sixth time in the past seven games, the Blues scored three or more goals.

That number is so significant because the Blues are now undefeated at 34-0 when scoring three or more goals. During that seven-game stretch, the Blues have outscored their opponents 22-13, with their most dominant offensive performance coming Tuesday against Chicago. 

What an impact the return of Andy McDonald has had on the team. In the 13 games since his return, McDonald has posted 11 points, including eight goals.

The offensive woes of the Blues may finally be ending, and with the defense and goaltending that this team has, they could truly be the best team in the NHL. Now imagine where this team could be if and when Alex Steen, Jamie Langenbrunner and Matt D'Agostini return.

The Blues are playing more confidently now than they have all season. On Tuesday night, they truly seemed to be skating circles around the Blackhawks, continuing their tremendous even-strength play with chance after chance, but also dominating on special teams.

After going 5-5 on the PK Tuesday, the Blues have now killed 31 straight penalties. During that span the Blues have faced the top-four power-play teams in the NHL in Edmonton, Nashville, San Jose and Vancouver, according to ESPN.com's statistics.

With the man advantage, the Blues have scored a power-play goal in four of their past five games, going 6 of 18 during that span—a 33.3 percent success rate.

At the Wells Fargo Center in Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia Flyers held off the Detroit Red Wings behind Ilya Bryzgalov's 37-save effort to win 3-2.

The Wings' loss gave the Blues sole possession of first place in the Central Division with 91 points, and St. Louis still owns the tie-breaker with two more regulation/overtime wins.

The Red Wings are finally experiencing some struggles with the injury bug, playing Tuesday night's game against the Flyers without Pavel Datsyuk, Nicklas Lidstrom, and Jimmy Howard.

Just an hour after the Wings' loss, the Vancouver Canucks were unable to gain a point against the Dallas Stars, as the Canucks suffered a disappointing home defeat. Mike Ribeiro had two goals and an assist as the Stars scored three times in the third period to win 5-2.

The loss for the Canucks left them at 90 points. The Blues not only gained sole possession of the Central Division, but also of the Western Conference with 91 points.

The Canucks, Blues, and Red Wings have have all played 67 games, and St. Louis currently leads the conference in points and regulation/overtime wins.

At the close of Tuesday night, the Blues are the No. 1 team in the Western Conference. They continue to lead the NHL in shots allowed per game, goals against per game, and home wins.

Now, the power-play is on the climb, the penalty-kill is rocketing towards the top, the scoring is drastically improving and after going 5-1 on a 6-game road trip, their record away from Scottrade Center is starting to look pretty good as well.

They are just now finding their stride, and still may see the returns of Steen, Langenbrunner, and D'Agostini to improve them even further. 

The playoff seeding race should be a fun one to watch in the Western Conference during the final stretch of the season.

Earning the number one spot for the night is a huge step for the Blues. For now, however, it takes a backseat to the new jolt the club got Tuesday night in getting a couple of monkeys off of their backs: Beating an elite team, and showing they can score too.

This season the St. Louis Blues have a legitimate shot at winning the Stanley Cup, and could arguably be the favorite in the Western Conference.

This season did not start as well as the front office thought it should have, and after an average 6-7 start to the season the team made the move to fire coach Davis Payne and brought in Ken Hitchcock to take over the team.

Hitchcock taking the bench seemed to set off what would become a great season for the Blues. Hitchcock is a great coach to have for success, while he would like to forget his years in Columbus he had major playoff success in Dallas and Philadelphia, where he only missed the playoffs once in his first season with the Stars.

With a really good coach behind the bench the Blues have really turned into a team that is greater than the sum of its parts, which is a really good sign to the people of St. Louis because a really great team is better than the sum of its parts. Great teams are not just great players all on the ice looking to have a great night, great teams are built from a group who all do their job for the betterment of the team.

When Hitchcock took over the team he really needed some help to get the team to buy into his system and his plan for the team, and captain David Backes stepped up and bought in. When Backes fully committed to what Hitchcock wanted from day one the team followed their captain.

The Blues are a very balanced team they are not a great goal scoring team—averaging 2.50 goals a game. Their goals per game average is not one of the highest in the league, but the Blues are a team that plays a very strong defensive game. The Blues lead the NHL allowing 1.89 goals a game.

While the Blues have a number of really good players, they do not have players who are league wide stars. Having no NHL superstars on the team could be something that really helps the team in the long run, because nobody will have the mentality of being bigger than the team.

The players on the Blues that could be the closest to being league wide stars are the players who make up the two headed monster between the pipes. Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott have both seemed to find their grove and are both playing at an elite level.

Most NHL teams would be happy to have a top level goaltender and then have a backup who gives the team a chance to win, so they can keep their starter well rested. The Blues have a great situation where they can almost split the time in net because both of their goalies are playing at an elite level.

The fans in St. Louis are very hungry for a Stanley Cup, their team has been to the finals several times over the course of their existence but has fallen short every time so far. This season the Blues seem to have all of the pieces falling into place and are getting ready for a trip to the playoffs.

They are currently battling for the top spot in the Western Conference and are only a few points from the top spot in the NHL. This could be the season that the Blues put an end to that drought and get their long overdue Stanley Cup.