Blues' Physicality Fueling Upset Chances

The St. Louis Blues have a chance to knock off the top-seeded Winnipeg Jets in a do-or-die Game 7 matchup. Facing elimination in Game 6, the Blues stomped the Jets in a decisive victory to force the winner-take-all contest.

The Blues have a legitimate chance to advance to the next round, and a key to their success is their physicality in the offensive zone. Going against a world-class netminder in Connor Hellebuyck, the Blues know they must do two things to rattle him: take away his vision and knock him off his positioning. The team's physicality, especially in the offensive zone, is fueling the Blues' chances in the series.

The Blues' head coach, Jim Montgomery, commented on that approach following the team's Game 6 victory. He discussed with reporters how effective they can be when they win the battles down low in the offensive zone.

"I thought we were able to be physical down low," he said. "We were able to skate with some speed through the neutral zone, and we were really committed to getting to the netfront again. Those first couple of goals, they’re really good screen goals. That [Radek] Faksa line was dominant tonight."

As the Blues showed in Game 6, that approach works against the Jets and Hellebuyck. In three home games, the Blues have scored 17 goals. Most of those have come from sustained offensive pressure and winning physical battles behind and near the net.

Now, the Blues must find a way to replicate that performance on the road in Game 7. The home team has dominated the series, going 6-0 so far. The Blues have a blueprint to reverse that trend, however. If they can continue winning the battles in the offensive zone and creating chaos in front of Hellebuyck, the Blues will have a chance to knock off the top-seeded Jets in the first round.