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I hate standings watching, don't you? There's nothing more irritating than seeing an upstart team like the Columbus Blue Jackets (what did I just type?) bump the Blues out of 8th place, even if for a night. It's a sign. It's a red flag that the Blues need to remove head from sphincter, put on their big girl panties, and play.
We've hit that nasty spot of the season where every game is make or break. Don't believe me? Look at the Blues' playoff chances. Sure, they're at 61.5%, which seems good. A loss tonight? It knocks those odds down nearly nine percent. A win? Up 10%! What does all of this mean?
It means that the Blues have gotten themselves into a see-saw of a pickle towards the end of the season. Is this what any of us expected? Probably not.
Regardless, it's on them. Will Jordan Leopold give the power play some oompf? Will he let Kevin Shattenkirk be more effective? Who knows. Just keep your fingers crossed that the Blues can find a way through the very stingy, and very good, Wild goaltending.
This is your game day thread. Fight the urge to flip over to baseball during the intermissions -- it's still hockey season.
Let's go Blues.