This is what the St. Louis Blues were grinding for, for the past two months. On the outside looking in, it's all come to fruition now and to be on the grandest stage to be competing in the Stanley Cup playoffs is what it's all about.
The Blues, the second wild card from the Western Conference, open the best-of-7 Western Conference First Round on Saturday against the Presidents' Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets (5 p.m.; FDSNMW, TNT, truTV, MAX, CBC, TVAS, SN, ESPN 101.1-FM) at Canada Life Centre.
It will be the second playoff meeting between the Blues and Jets, with the first taking place in 2019 when the teams also met in the first round, with the Blues winning in six games en route to their first Stanley Cup title in franchise history.
"It's very exciting," said Blues defenseman Cam Fowler, who will return to the postseason for the first time since 2018 with the Anaheim Ducks. "That's what all of us play for is to have the opportunity to compete for the Stanley Cup. I've certainly missed that feeling over those past few years so I'm grateful and excited to get this opportunity again. There's nothing like it. Playoffs in the NHL is as good as it gets in any sport. As an athlete competing in it, you just try and take in the moment and you enjoy it and know that it's going to be a battle. We have to appreciate it because the opportunity doesn't come around every year.
"We know it's going to be a difficult test, but you get yourself into the playoffs, anything can happen. We've got to prepare as best as we can and make sure that we're ready to go because going into Winnipeg is always going to be a challenge and they played great hockey throughout the course of the year but especially on home ice. We've got to make sure that we're ready for that challenge."
Plenty of storylines are in the air heading into the series, from the head-to-head matchup (again) between Blues goalie Jordan Binnington and Winnipeg's Connor Hellebuyck, who is the odds-on favorite to win the Vezina Trophy and is under serious consideration to also win the Hart Trophy; there's the Winnipeg 'White Out' that's encapsulated playoffs past with picturesque views.
"I'm super-excited and I'm looking forward to it," said Blues forward Zack Bolduc, who will make his NHL playoff debut. "I've been watching playoff games in Winnipeg growing up. You see all the white shirts in the stands. Now I get the chance to experience it and I'm looking forward to it."
And there's the brotherly battle between Blues captain Brayden Schenn and older brother, Winnipeg defenseman Luke Schenn.
"I love my brother, it's a unique situation, you never think you'd be playing as many games as we have and never played each other in the Stanley Cup (playoffs)," Brayden said, "but here we are. The type of games that we have to play are physical and be in your face type of hockey. I don't see me or Luke talking about this much longer. To each other, it's not about me vs. Luke. It's the Blues vs. the Jets and we'd like it to be like that. We understand it's brotherly competition, but at the end of the day, we respect our team, we respect the game and we're going to play each other hard and have a beer and laugh about it in the summer.
"... It's an intense building, it's fun. Hockey playoffs in a Canadian city, people embrace it. It's always fun to go on the road to start. ... We're looking forward to getting back there. It's a fun place to play and it's a good hockey team that's going to give us a good challenge."
The Blues had to go through a gauntlet to receive entry into the playoffs by going 19-4-2 in 25 games following the 4 Nations Face-Off break, including a franchise record 12-game winning streak when they were eight points out of a wild card position and made up that ground.
"I loved how we got here, but it's over and done with," Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. "I'm on to Winnipeg and I'm in the Stanley Cup playoff mode. This is such a cherished opportunity to be a part of the Stanley Cup playoffs. It's great we earned our way there, but now it's over and done with and it's what are we going to do now that we're here.
"I think playoffs are a completely different animal. In that sense, whatever we've done in the last two months to get ourselves ready for this, it helps. Just like the outstanding season that they've had for 82 games, helps them prepare for the playoffs, but it's a different animal. It's like going from civilization to the wild, wild west. It's completely different, and the way people react and how people respond, it's different because results are immediate. You don't have the next two games to correct things. You've got to correct them within games."
The series resumes with Game 2 on Monday (6:30 p.m.) before the series shifts to St. Louis for Game 3 on Thursday (8:30 p.m.) and Game 4 on Sunday, April 27 (noon).
"It’s loud, they’re passionate fans there and the city’s definitely excited and waiting for us," Binnington said. "It’s something that, looking back on it, is such an incredible experience to feel that energy and emotion and go out and just play hockey and do our best to play our game and win our game. It’s a great opportunity for us and we’re excited in here.
"We’ve put in the work and we caught our stride at the right time. We have to keep looking forward and keep mentally strong here and focusing on what we can do to win and just playing together and more of the same that we’ve been doing."
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An area the Blues worked on Friday and know they'll have to excel at in this series is net front presence and being able to box out the Jets at the other end.
Sounds simple enough but they're areas that could, along with special teams play, make or brake a team in a series.
"Really important. I think obviously when you’re facing a goaltender like Hellebuyck, it’s important to get traffic in front of him, create a lot of chaos in there," Blues forward Jake Neighbours said, "and obviously they have some big D, too, that are pretty good at boxing out and being physical and stuff like that. As forwards, winning those battles and getting to the net-front is going to be pretty important.
"Obviously I’ve never played playoff hockey, but I’d imagine (getting boxed out) are the frustrations you’re going to deal with. Nothing’s going to be for free out there. It’s going to be real tight. You have to work for every inch of space you want out there. It’s going to be tight checking, we know that, we expect that. I think when you go into it expecting those things, it’s a little bit easier not to get frustrated because you know it’s coming. We understand how hard it’s going to be to get there and create offense and we’re ready for that."
It's why Montgomery was urging his players to be more assertive in those areas on Friday.
"They are a really good net front team," Montgomery said. "Defensively, they haven't given up much. They defend their net really well. We've got to find way to get in front of Hellebuyck, who's had an outstanding year, and defensively, they're a team that always has an anchor in front of the net, always has someone there and we've got to make sure in our D-zone coverage, that we're boxing out or fronting pucks and our wings are getting out and taking away. They shoot a lot of pucks from their point men.
"The urgency that, as a coach you’d like to see for trying to bury pucks and attacking the blue paint was not at the level I’d like to see. We’re going to have to be good at it. They’re the best defensive team in the league. If you don’t make it hard on them, it’s going to be easy on them."
The Jets do more than just take away the middle of the ice, though.
"They protect the middle of the ice really well but I’ve got to say they protect lines well, they protect their net-front really well," Montgomery said. "In order for us to have success, we are going to have to, and this is true every playoffs, you’re not playing the teams that were out of the playoffs at Thanksgiving anymore. You’re playing the best teams in the league and they’re in the playoffs for a reason because they’re usually really good defensively. That’s first and foremost and then they can counter-attack and score goals."
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A couple roster updates include Robert Thomas, who is set to go after not skating on Thursday but being a full participant on Friday after leaving Tuesday's season finale, a 6-1 win against Utah Hockey Club, in the third period with a lower-body injury.
"Yeah he looks fine out there to me in practice and I talked to him at the end," Montgomery said. "He said, ‘All good.’"
As for Dylan Holloway, who missed the last five games with a lower-body injury of his own and has not skated with the team since, being termed week to week, there was no indication by Montgomery he would be traveling for the first two games. The balls are still up in the air as far as when/if Holloway would be available.
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They're not as hyped during games in the regular season unless they're marquee matchups, but now that the playoffs have arrived, they tend to be more magnified.
The home side obviously gets the upper hand on matchups, and that's why for Montgomery, he himself though has a luxury because of his willingness and trust whoever he uses in any situation.
"I find it much easier to just coach on your toes on the road," Montgomery said. "You put out your line and you dictate matchups and if it’s not a matchup you like, the players have to battle through it. Every time there’s a whistle, they’re going to get their matchup. So, as a coach, you just put out the guys you think are in favorable situations, whether it's offensive zone, neutral zone, defensive zone and you live with your decisions. You’re asking your players and you’re trusting your players to get the job done.
"It’s a huge benefit for us when your third- and fourth-line centers are Faksa and Sunny. They’re not only grizzled veterans, but they’re hard and they’re really good defensively and they’re really sound, they’re really physical and mean. So, when you have that, it’s a huge benefit as a coach because you can just throw them out at any time and if there’s an icing, you’re perfectly comfortable with it."
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Blues Projected Lineup:
Jake Neighbours-Robert Thomas-Pavel Buchnevich
Jimmy Snuggerud-Brayden Schenn-Jordan Kyrou
Mathieu Joseph-Oskar Sundqvist-Zack Bolduc
Alexey Toropchenko-Radek Faksa-Nathan Walker
Cam Fowler-Colton Parayko
Philip Broberg-Justin Faulk
Ryan Suter-Nick Leddy
Jordan Binnington will start in goal; Joel Hofer will be the backup.
Healthy scratches include Tyler Tucker, Alexandre Texier, Matthew Kessel and Will Cranley. Dylan Holloway (lower body) remains week to week. Torey Krug (ankle) is out for the season.
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Jets Projected Lineup:
Kyle Connor-Mark Scheifele-Alex Iafallo
Nino Niederreiter-Vladislav Namestnikov-Cole Perfetti
Brandon Tanev-Adam Lowry-Mason Appleton
David Gustafsson-Morgan Barron-Jaret Anderson-Dolan
Josh Morrissey-Dylan DeMelo
Dylan Samberg-Neal Pionk
Logan Stanley-Luke Schenn
Connor Hellebuyck will start in goal; Eric Comrie will be the backup.
Healthy scratches include Dominic Toninato, Haydn Fleury, Colin Miller, Ville Heinola and Chris Driedger. Nikolaj Ehlers (lower body) is week to week; Gabriel Vilardi (upper body) and Rasmus Kupari (concussion) are out.