Arch Authority
Fansided

St. Louis Blues Attempt to Lock Up First Round Victory Over Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday

By Patrick Karraker

Apr 19, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; The Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues scrap after game four of the first round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at United Center. The Blues won 4-3. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 19, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; The Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues scrap after game four of the first round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at United Center. The Blues won 4-3. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports /
twitterfacebookreddit
Prev
1 of 3
Next
St. Louis Blues Chicago Blackhawks
Apr 19, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; The Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues scrap after game four of the first round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at United Center. The Blues won 4-3. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports /

The St. Louis Blues have a chance to clinch their first postseason series victory since the 2011-12 season as they host the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday.

Thursday will be an unbelievably huge day in St. Louis Blues nation, as the team heads into Game 5 of their playoff series with the Chicago Blackhawks possessing their first 3-1 lead in a postseason series since 2012. Thus, the Blues also have a chance to advance to the next round of the playoffs since 2012, and the cherry on top of the whole situation is that they have a chance to bump the archrival Blackhawks from the postseason.

In addition to sticking it to their rival, a win Thursday would be bigger in the sense that the Blackhawks are perhaps the Blues’ fiercest competitor in their bid to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1970. Among the Western Conference playoff teams, the Blackhawks, Minnesota Wild, and San Jose Sharks were the only teams to defeat the Blues twice during the regular season, and Minnesota is currently down 3-1 in their series with the Dallas Stars. If the Wild goes on to lose to Dallas, that would pit the Blues against a Stars team that they defeated four times this season in the second round.

With that said, it’s important that the Blues not overlook a Blackhawks team in Game 5 that defeated them on their home ice last Friday. Even without the suspended Andrew Shaw on Thursday, the Hawks will still have three of the league’s most prolific forwards in Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and Artemi Panarin, and they’ve got perhaps the best Blues-killer of all in defenseman Duncan Keith. The Blues obviously hold an advantage heading into Game 5, but it’s important that they come out with the same ferocity that they had in both games at United Center.

Check out the next few slides to see what the Blues and Blackhawks’ lineups are expected to look like in Game 5:

Next: Blues Lineup

Home/St. Louis Blues