OVERVIEW
The Winnipeg Jets (2-0) took advantage of their home ice. Now it's the St. Louis Blues (0-2) turn to see if they can do the same.
The Blues weathered the whiteout in Winnipeg and kept both games close, but the team ultimately returns home still looking for their first win in the series. As the next two games shift to St. Louis, they will need to take advantage of a building where they found significant success this season.
Enterprise Center and a home crowd have been huge for the Blues this year, especially during their second-half surge. The team is undefeated there since Feb. 23, a franchise-record run of 12 wins in a row at home and the longest streak in the NHL this season.
While the team knows regular-season trends are not guaranteed to extend into the postseason, there will be one common factor that will carry over. In fact, it will be taken to a whole new level - and that's a building full of Blues fans.
"That's the regular season, it's playoffs now, we've got to start a win streak in the playoffs," said Head Coach Jim Montgomery. "But our crowd is a big part of it."
The Blues went 24-14-3 at home during the regular season as opposed to 20-16-5 on the road. While shots for and against per game and special teams numbers were similar, the team averaged 3.22 goals-for per game at home as opposed to 2.88 on the road. Additionally they averaged 2.66 goals-against per game at Enterprise Center compared to 2.98 away from it.
As the team returns to their ice, they also look to return to what made them so successful at the end of the regular season, especially on the offensive side. While the Blues have an impressive three power-play goals in the series, tied for second-most in the postseason, they have scored only one goal at five-on-five against Winnipeg.
"We've got to get to their blue paint better. We've got to sustain more O-zone time," Montgomery said. "Those are two things that we definitely have to do better. And then, besides that, we need to play faster, not only offensively but defensively."
Despite trailing in the series, the Blues are confident heading into Thursday's game.
"We believe in ourselves," said Zack Bolduc. "We know what kind of team we are, we know what kind of hockey we can play and we know what we can achieve."
