The St. Louis Blues took a shootout loss Friday night, but in the jaws of defeat, they snatched a playoff spot, clinching postseason time. This is their sixth year in a row in the playoffs. Last year, they went on to the Western Conference Finals.
St. Louis Blues' Season
Mar 25, 2017; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Blues center Ivan Barbashev (49) celebrates with defenseman Colton Parayko (55) after scoring a goal during the second period against the Calgary Flames at Scottrade Center. (Billy Hurst-USA TODAY Sports)
The Blues had a rough go of it early, with no offense clicking and Jake Allen not looking like he earned his spot. But then the Blues fired Ken Hitchcock midseason. Hitchcock was on a one year deal, and replacement Mike Yeo was already behind the bench. It was clear since the hiring that Yeo was going to be the Blues' coaching replacement, it was simply a matter of time.
With Yeo coming in, the Blues returned a rush of adrenaline, saving their season. The Blues are 7-1-2 in their last ten games, and that's only just a sign of their success since Yeo was brought in. Since the move, the Blues have posted a nineteen-seven-and two record. That record includes both a five-game and six-game winning streak.
And it wasn't just the record that improved under Yeo.
Mike Yeo Improvements
Feb 2, 2017; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Blues head coach Mike Yeo watches from the bench during the third period against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scottrade Center. The Blues won 5-1. (Billy Hurst-USA TODAY Sports)
Under Yeo, Jake Allen's stats have climbed their way back up to a respectable 2.39 goals against average and a .915 save percentage. That's a little bit over league average, but it's much higher than Allen was. Carter Hutton, Allen's backup, has also started posting reasonable numbers again, with a 2.34 GAA and a .913 SV%.
Vladimir Tarasenko, supposedly one of the reasons Hitchcock was fired, also has come alive under Yeo. He's posted twenty points since Yeo came in, including fourteen goals. Tarasenko is now at 69 points.
Hell, even the loss of Kevin Shattenkirk hasn't seemed to shift the St. Louis Blues' momentum post-deadline, as they've continued rolling into this playoff seed.
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