…‹In this edition of the hotstove, we discuss which of the four teams realistically battling for the final three playoff spots in the Western Conference…‹ will fall short.
Todd Cordell
While the St. Louis Blues are the hottest of the four teams, I think they will be the team to miss out.
Anaheim seems to be trending in the right direction and they have the softest schedule the rest of the way.
Los Angeles has also been playing well and four of their last five are at home.
The Avs have the stiffest remaining schedule but they've remained in the mix despite playing more than a dozen games without Tyson Barrie and/or Erik Johnson – by far their two best defensemen – and they also survived a few weeks without their Hart Trophy candidate in Nathan MacKinnon. They're obviously a much better team with all those guys playing and right now they are.
The Blues have a pretty difficult schedule and I just don't trust a team with Kyle Brodziak centering the 2nd line.
Jared Crozier
Just looking at the respective schedules, I would say St. Louis is the odd team out. They have some quality opponents, with Arizona being the only "gimme" out of their 7 remaining games. They have a tough home and home with Chicago, and even though the Hawks will be on the outside looking in, you can bet that they don't want one of their most bitter rivals to get to the dance and spoiling the Blues chances might put the final bright spot on a tough season in Chi-town. That, and the Blues simply don't score enough and have had to win 5 straight just to get back into the hunt.
Peter Tessier
It’s going to be St Louis. Even though they are fighting the good fight does it serve any purpose for them to make it?
The Blues need a reset and getting a better draft pick along with the one they acquired from the Jets is worth more to them than pushing to make the post season. Now can they make it? Yes but is suspect that they find a way to pull off the miss and they should.
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