Minuses:They have been too inconsistent. You can't lose seven games in a row (0-6-1) during a playoff chase. It's no surprise that streak coincided with a scoring slump when the Blues scored 10 goals in those seven games. Recently, they won six straight to get back in the race but have since lost three in a row, including a 6-0 loss to the Arizona Coyotes, who have nothing to play for.
In that same notion, the Blues have lacked the sense of urgency needed at this time. They didn't come out hard against the Coyotes and were blown out, and didn't fare much better in a 4-2 loss to the Washington Capitals on Monday. St. Louis can't rely on other teams to lose. They need to take care of business themselves.
Lastly, the power play must be better. It's 30th in the League (15.4 percent) with one goal in the past seven games. The Blues have also gone 12 of their past 15 games without scoring on the man-advantage (4-for-33). You have to take advantage of those opportunities, especially at this time of year.
THREE THINGS TO WATCH
1. Will St. Louis be the more desperate team? They need to be, considering the playoff implications.
2. Do the Blackhawks rise to the occasion of playing the spoiler role, something they are unaccustomed to doing?
3. The Blues are 2-0-0 against the Blackhawks this season. Can they make it 3-0-0?