You better come ready to play if you want to score on Ken Hitchcock's team.

That's been the hallmark of the clubs iced by the legendary bench boss, and certainly his story since arriving in St. Louis in 2011, as the Blues have finished no worse than fifth in goals against under Hitchcock's guidance.

Hitchcock replaced David Payne in 2011-12, coaching the Blues in 69 games. The following season was shortened to 48 games due to the lockout.

Most impressive has been Hitchcock's ability to achieve such a feat with a slew of netminders over the years, from Jaroslav Halak, to Brian Elliott, Ryan Miller, a handful of games with Martin Brodeur for good measure, and returnee Jake Allen.

But the numbers haven't been nearly as strong this season, in what is Hitchcock's seventh and likely last season in St. Louis, on the final year of his contract with associate coach Mike Yeo promised the head role next season.

The Blues have plummeted to among the worst goals against in recent weeks, a result that now has the team's playoff chances at risk, with St. Louis grasping a playoff position by a single point. Only five clubs have performed worse in goal than the Blues, with the last spot Winnipeg Jets allowing just nine more goals than St. Louis.

It's a result that is almost foreign to Hitchcock, and one he hasn't seen since his final year in Columbus. Fired in February 2010, the Blue Jackets pulled the plug on Hitchcock with the team sitting second-to-last in the West, and having allowed a conference-worst 193 goals. Only the Toronto Maple Leafs, at 197 against, had fared worse.

No doubt it has been some troubling times in St. Louis this season, with backup Carter Hutton now getting the bulk of work as Allen works to find his game.

On a recent road swing to Winnipeg, Allen was left in St. Louis and didn't travel with the team, while Blues general manager Doug Armstrong insisted that Allen remains in the club's future plans. That night, farmhand netminder Pheonix Copley got the call against the Jets, allowing five goals in a losing effort.

"There's a lot in his head," Hitchcock said of Allen at the time. "He's kind of locked up mentally and he's going to have to fight through this."

More recently, with Allen promised the start Thursday against the divisional rival Minnesota Wild, that plan was quickly shuttered after Hutton posted a shutout two nights prior against the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins.

As for Allen, he hasn't finished a game since dropping a 4-2 decision to the Carolina Hurricanes on Jan. 5, pulled in three straight starts since, including twice in a 7-3 defeat to the Washington Capitals. That night, a dreadful performance saw Allen allow four goals on just 10 shots.

With 33 games left on the season, the Blues' poor play in the crease must be fine-tuned, not only to preserve the team's now precarious playoff chances, but potentially the swan song of one of the game's most decorated coaches.

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