New Sheriff in the West
Don’t look now, but the St. Louis Blues are in first place in the Central Division and sit second in the Western Conference. Yes, I said it, the St. Louis Blues – the team that has only made the playoffs once in the past six seasons, and the team that hasn’t been to the playoffs since the 2008-2009 season. Those feisty Blues have catapulted themselves into the top spot in the Central and second in the West. Some other Central fans (see: Detroit) may scoff at Blues fans for celebrating this milestone, but the Blue Note has not led the division this late in the season since 2001. I’d say that’s a victory in itself. Yes, the ultimate goal is to make the playoffs and contend for the Stanley Cup, but contending in the West throughout the first half of the season and keeping pace with division rivals Chicago and Detroit is something Blues fans can be proud of. The Blues are halfway through their season, and they have the ESPN “Game of the Week” tomorrow night when the conference leading Vancouver Canucks come to Scottrade in what is poised to be a gritty battle for the top spot in the West. If the Blues are able to defend home ice (which is likely considering they have the best home record in the NHL), they would be tied with the Canucks for first place in the Western Conference. That’s unheard of for Blues fans – as much as it hurts me to say that, it’s the truth.
When the Blues made their historic second-half playoff run during the ’08-’09 season, that was really the last time that there was this much excitement about hockey in St. Louis. Yes, the team started hot last year in the first half, but a second-half meltdown forced them out of the playoff picture for the second year in a row. I’m not saying that it’s a guarantee that the Blues will be in the playoffs come April, but the way they’re playing right now, it seems like they are just hitting their stride, and that’s something that Central Division foes need to watch out for. This is by far a different team than last season. The Blues currently have six players in double-digits in the goal category, something they have lacked for a while. Captain Backes continues to lead the charge with 14 goals and 31 points, and it looks like Chris Stewart is gaining back his lost confidence from earlier in the season, as he netted another goal and assist last night when the Note shutout the Canadiens in Montreal. The depth scoring, coupled with the outstanding goalie play and defensive effort the Blues are giving each time they take the ice make them a scary team to play on any given night, at home or on the road. With two straight shutouts pitched by Brian Elliott and Jaroslav Halak (in his return to the Bell Centre since being traded from Montreal after his magical playoff run in 2010), the Blues have outscored their opponents 10-0 in the past seven periods. That could very easily change tomorrow night when the Sedins come to town, as they have been playing their best hockey of the year, but it doesn’t seem like it matters right now who Hitch throws in net – both “Ells” and Jaro are playing their best hockey of the season, which is why the team is second in the league in goals against. It’s been exciting to see the Blues play with so much fire at home and on the road, and with 13 of 16 games away from St. Louis starting in February, the Blues need to rack up as many points as possible at home while they can in case they hit a slump on that treacherous road trip. The Blues in first place in the Central – that has a great ring to it!
Out East, there’s also a new team sitting atop the conference, as the New York Rangers have separated themselves from the pack and lead the Bruins by three points for the outright lead. Ever since the Rangers beat the Flyers in the Winter Classic, their sustained play and excellent goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist has propelled them atop of the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference. The Rangers are 10th in the NHL in goals per game, they are tied with the Blues for second place in goals against and they have the sixth best penalty kill in the league – that makes for a winning formula right there. With superstars Marion Gaborik and Brad Richards netting goals almost on a nightly basis, and with solid defensive play led by Dan Girardi, the Rangers look similar to Blues right now. They’re a gritty, tough team that has the ability and star power to score at will. They have an all-star goalie between the pipes, and their sustained winning streak has kept them atop the East (they’re 9-1-0 in their last 1o games). It’s good to see an original-six team like the Rangers, who have underachieved the past few years, at the top of the conference. While average Joe NHL fan likes to see the Crosbys and Ovechkins of the league lead their respective divisions, it’s refreshing to see a team with such a storied history finally playing to their potential. Similar to the Blues, there’s no guarantee that there’s a playoff spot waiting for the Rangers, especially because we’re only halfway through the season, but if they keep up this pace, they could easily end up with the #1 seed in the East going into the playoffs in April.
Player of the Week
It’s hard to ignore one of the Sedin twins this far into the season, which is why I picked Henrik as my player of the week. He currently leads the league with 50 points (11 goals & 39 assists), and his leadership both on and off the ice has pushed Vancouver back into their familiar spot atop the Western Conference. In the first five games of 2012, Henrik has netted one goal and three assists, but his December is what pushed him to the top of the standings in the scoring category. In 15 games in December, Henrik scored two goals, added 20 helpers and was a +6 in those games. Obviously the Canucks go as the Sedins go, and both Henrik and Daniel have stepped up their games as of late to lead Vancouver to a 6-3-1 record over their last 10 games. If Henrik can keep dishing out assists on a nightly basis to his brother and “the third Sedin”, Alex Burrows, the Canucks will stay atop the Western Conference standings for the second half of the season. He is easily one of the NHL’s elite players, and his recent surge has vaulted the ‘Nucks back into the conversation as the best in the West.
