Blues at Devils Preview: Kyrou probable to return

Back on February 18th, the Blues were trapped in a month-long drag of a slump. The Blues’ opponents, the New Jersey Devils, were scene as a prime target for busting that slump, and boy howdy, were they ever. The Blues rolled to a 3-0 victory, allowing 17 shots on goal. This victory started their current eight-game winning streak, the longest active in the NHL.

You may wonder what happened to the other longest streak, the Colorado Avalanche’s, who were meeting the Blues win for win. They lost to the Anaheim Ducks Wednesday night in overtime, so the Blues’ lead has been extended a point to two.

An eight game winning streak for a two point lead - welcome to the modern NHL.

The Devils themselves have been playing pretty solid hockey as of late. Their last game was a 3-0 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, but it was their first regulation loss in seven games. This recent push of good play has, unfortunately, done no good. They’re third from the bottom in the Eastern Conference and will more than likely miss the playoffs this season again.

The Blues’ next stretch of games are against teams outside of the playoff bubble: New Jersey, Chicago, Florida, Anaheim, San Jose, and Ottawa. They won’t see another playoff team until the surprising Philadelphia Flyers on March 17th. The team doesn’t see the Avalanche again for the rest of the season until the final game. Their fate is in their own hands, so racking up points over the next six games is important, and doable.

To give them a little punch in this stretch, Jordan Kyrou might be in the lineup tonight. He’s been out sick, and adding him adds a potent weapon that can help widen the gulf between the Blues and their closest competition.