The NHL playoff race can turn upside down during the stretch run, as the St. Louis Blues proved last season.
The Blues rallied from last place in the league in January to reach the playoffs and rolled through four postseason rounds to win the Stanley Cup. That run provides fuel for this season’s race, which still includes most of the league.
kAm“(:E9 E96 q=F6D[ E96J 7@F?5 E96:C 8C@@G6 2?5 E96J <6AE 8@:?8 =2DE J62C 2?5 C@56 E92E H2G6[” D2:5 %@C@?E@ |2A=6 {627D 7@CH2C5 |:E49 |2C?6C[ H9@D6 E62> D2E 7@FC A@:?ED @FE @7 E96 A=2J@77D 6?E6C:?8 E9:D D62D@?’D p==\$E2C 3C62<] “(6 ?665 E@ 7:?5 E92E 8C@@G6 2?5 <66A AFD9:?8] %96 E62>D C:89E 369:?5 FD 2?5 C:89E :? 7C@?E @7 FD 2C6 5@:?8 E96 D2>6 E9:?8]”k^Am
kAm~?=J E96 s6EC@:E #65 (:?8D[ }6H y6CD6J s6G:=D 2?5 ~EE2H2 $6?2E@CD 2C6 @FE @7 E96 t2DE6C? r@?76C6?46 C246] ~?=J E96 p?296:> sF4<D 2?5 {@D p?86=6D z:?8D 2AA62C E@ 36 5@?6 :? E96 (6DE6C? r@?76C6?46[ E9@F89 E96 $2? y@D6 $92C<D 2C6 D:?<:?8 72DE]k^Am
kAm~E96CH:D6[ A@DED62D@? 36CE9D 2C6 FA 7@C 8C23D 7@C E62>D E92E 42? 82:? EC24E:@? 2?5 DFDE2:? :E :?E@ pAC:=]k^Am
kAmu@C :?DE2?46[ E96 DFCAC:D:?8 r@=F>3FD q=F6 y24<6ED H@? D:I 4@?D64FE:G6 82>6D 4@>:?8 :?E@ E96 p==\$E2C 3C62<] %96J 4FCC6?E=J D:E :? E96 7:CDE H:=5\42C5 DA@E :? E96 t2DE6C? r@?76C6?46]k^Am
kAm“(6’C6 4@>:?8 E@86E96C AC6EEJ ?:46=J[” q=F6 y24<6ED 5676?D6>2? $6E9 y@?6D 2:5] “x E9:?< H6 H6C6 A=2J:?8 AC6EEJ 8@@5 9@4<6J 62C=:6C :? E96 J62C 2?5 H6 H6C6?’E 86EE:?8 E96 C6DF=ED] pD @7 =2E6[ C62==J E96 A2DE 6:89E H66<D[ H6 C62==J 42>6 :?E@ @FC @H?]”k^Am
kAmx? E96 |6EC@A@=:E2? s:G:D:@?[ E96 D64@?5\A=246 !:EED3FC89 !6?8F:?D 2?5 D:IE9\A=246 !9:=256=A9:2 u=J6CD 2C6 D6A2C2E65 3J ;FDE D6G6? A@:?ED] x? E96 !24:7:4 s:G:D:@?[ E96 E@A 7:G6 E62>D 2C6 D6A2C2E65 3J ;FDE @?6 A@:?E]k^Am
kAm%96 '2?4@FG6C r2?F4<D =625 E96 5:G:D:@?[ 3FE E96 t5>@?E@? ~:=6CD[ r2=82CJ u=2>6D[ pC:K@?2 r@J@E6D 2?5 '682D v@=56? z?:89ED 2C6 C:89E 369:?5 E96>]k^Am
kAm“(6’G6 366? E96C6 2E E96 E@A 7@C 2 H9:=6 ?@H[” r@J@E6D 4@249 #:4< %@4496E D2:5] “}@H H6’C6 :? 2 D:EF2E:@? :7 H6 92G6 2 325 H66<[ H6 4@F=5 36 :? 7:7E9 A=246] %96C6 2C6 b` 82>6D =67E 2?5 :E’D 2== 5@H?9:==] (6 92G6 D@>6 J@F?8 8FJD[ x E9:?< E96J F?56CDE2?5 :E’D 8@:?8 E@ 36 92C5] x7 J@F E9:?< :E’D 92C5 ?@H[ :E’D 8@:?8 E@ 36 C62==J 92C5]”k^Am
kAmw625\E@\9625 82>6D H:== 564:56 E96 5:G:D:@?2= C246D]k^Am
kAm“*@F <?@H H92E 92AA6?D 2E E96 6?5 @7 E96 J62C[ 6G6CJ3@5J DE2CED A=2J:?8 6249 @E96C[ D@ E92E 96:89E6?D :E 6G6? >@C6[” u=2>6D 5676?D6>2? |2C< v:@C52?@ D2:5] “%96 5:G:D:@?2= 82>6D[ E96 9625\E@\9625D :7 J@F 42? H:? E96> :? C68F=2E:@?[ :E 5@6D 2 =@E 7@C J@F] %9@D6 2C6 6>@E:@?2= 82>6D] *@F’G6 8@E E@ 36 23=6 E@ 4@?EC@= J@FC 6>@E:@?D[ 36 5:D4:A=:?65]”k^Am
kAm{2DE D62D@?[ E96 u=2>6D H6C6 E96 2?E:\q=F6D] %96J 5@>:?2E65 E96:C D:56 @7 E96 =628F6 7@C >F49 @7 E96 D62D@?[ E96? 72565 =2E6 2?5 E@@< 2 BF:4< 6I:E 7C@> E96 A=2J@77D]k^Am
kAm“xE’D 23@FE AFEE:?8 :E E@86E96C 2E E96 C:89E E:>6[” v:@C52?@ D2:5] “x 766= =:<6 =2DE J62C H6 925 2 8C62E DE2CE 2?5 2? F?36=:6G23=6 7:CDE 92=7 2?5 D@CE @7 =@DE E92E 4@?7:56?46 E92E H6 925 5@H? E96 DEC6E49 2?5 :E 42CC:65 @G6C :? E96 A=2J@77D] $@ 9@A67F==J E9:D J62C :D 2 4@>A=6E6 @AA@D:E6]”k^Am
kAm(:??:?8 E96 3:8 9625\E@\9625 82>6D[ 2D E96 q=F6D 5:5 2 J62C 28@[ 42? D@=:5:7J 2 E62> 7@C E96 A@DED62D@? 8C:?5]k^Am
kAm“xE’D 8@:?8 E@ 36 2 7:89E E@ E96 6?5[” v@=56? z?:89ED H:?86C |2I !24:@C6EEJ D2:5] “(6’C6 6IA64E:?8 E96D6 =2DE b_ 82>6D E@ 36 C62==J :?E6?D6[ 3FE @? E96 3C:89E D:56[ :7 J@F’C6 23=6 E@ 86E :?[ :7 J@F’C6 23=6 E@ 86E E9C@F89 E96D6 82>6D[ E92E D9@F=5 AC6A2C6 J@F 7@C E96 A=2J@77D]”k^Am
Recommended for you
Scenes from the Hands for Humanity Donation Day and Locust Grove High School Band Christmas Concert held Friday at Locust Grove High School. Click for more.PHOTOS: Hands for Humanity Donation Day and Christmas Concert at Locust Grove High School
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Please log in, or sign up for a new, free account to read or post comments.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.