It's coming down to the wire in the Western Conference.
Four teams are separated by just four points in the hunt for the final wild-card spot, and the situation changes daily. As of Friday, the St. Louis Blues hold the final playoff spot in the west, thanks in large part to two former Edmonton Oilers: Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg.
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We've written ad nauseam about the Blues' breakout stars here at The Hockey News this season, but they keep giving us reasons to come back to the well. Most recently, the pair came up huge in the biggest game of St. Louis' season, a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks that vaulted them into the playoff spot they currently occupy.
Tied with Vancouver coming into the night, the Blues were riding a hot streak and trying to fend off the Canucks, Calgary Flames, and Utah Hockey Club in search of a playoff spot. Down 2-1 in the third period, St. Louis scored two goals in 24 seconds to flip the game on its head and take the lead. Who scored the go-ahead goal? Holloway, of course:
THIS PLACE IS ROCKIN' pic.twitter.com/Y8hYRIz6PX
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) March 21, 2025
"It reminds you of [Teemu] Selanne and [Paul] Kariya," Blues head coach Jim Montgomery said of Holloway and linemate Jordan Kyrou after the game. "They just used to burn to each post and make great backdoor plays."
High praise, indeed.
"That's a helluva compliment," Holloway said in response. "Those guys are legends, so I'll take that."
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The drama wasn't over in St. Louis, however. Vancouver's Brock Boeser spoiled the party with a huge game-tying goal with just two seconds remaining in regulation, setting up overtime to decide which team would sit inside the playoff picture.
Though Vancouver could salvage a point, they couldn't complete the comeback. Of course, it had to be Philip Broberg who played the hero, beating Kevin Lankinen with a slick move to put the Blues in a playoff spot for the first time since November 6th.
THE BLUES ARE BACK IN A #STANLEYCUP PLAYOFFS SPOT!! 👏
— NHL (@NHL) March 21, 2025
The @StLouisBlues pick up a crucial extra point thanks to Philip Broberg's @Energizer OT winner! pic.twitter.com/XSMlAYZMtg
The goal was Broberg's seventh, bringing his point total up to 22 for the year. Holloway assisted on the game-winner--of course--giving him 23 goals and 56 points this season, tied with Robert Thomas for second on the Blues.
For comparison's sake--or to twist the knife on Oilers fans--Holloway's 56 points would be third on the Oilers, while Broberg's 22 points are more than Trent Frederic, who the Oilers acquired in exchange for the pick they got in compensation for Broberg leaving, has scored this season in exactly as many games.
While it's impossible to know how Holloway and Broberg would have fared had they stayed in Edmonton, it's hard not to look at their success in St. Louis and wonder what might have been.
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