After a somewhat inconspicuous start to the season amid injuries and even a strange illness that swept through the team, the St. Louis Blues are rolling. Winners of their last five games, the Blues are starting to get some of the bounces they weren't getting in their first few games of the year.
Though the frequency of wins over the most recent stretch for the season is not something you'd expect to become the norm, St. Louis is hardly a mirage. The Blues are one of the more dominant teams possession-wise this season and have enjoyed some solid goaltending to date.
What makes the Blues' latest run is their ability to keep winning despite limited contributions from their star players. Top offseason acquisition Paul Stastny has appeared in just four games so far this year while dealing with injuries. David Backes, who missed a game with a concussion, has five points in 10 games, while T.J. Oshie, who also has dealt with a concussion this year, has just one point in eight games.
A big portion of the Blues success comes thanks to the emergence of Vladimir Tarasenko. The 22-year-old Russian forward leads the Blues with 13 points in 11 games including seven goals. He has eight points over his last four games and looks to be growing into a dominant force.
Offseason signing Jori Lehtera has also been strong in his first NHL season, while Alex Steen has been a consistent presence at the top of the lineup as well. They have spent quite a bit of time playing with Tarasenko, giving the Blues a line that has helped offset the loss of Stastny and lighter production from Oshie and Backes.
The goaltending cannot be overlooked either. Brian Elliott and Jake Allen have been strong in tandem, with Elliott carrying the load as the team's primary starter. Though the club's .951 save percentage at five-on-five is due for some regression, it'll be interesting to see what happens when the forward corps is fully healthy.
There are probably a few teams in the Central Division that would rather not see what that looks like.
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