10 Wishes for a Better 2017 in St. Louis Sports

Jun 16, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; St. Louis FC fans show their support with a banner during the second half of the match against Sporting KC at Sporting Park. Sporting KC won 1-0. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 16, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; St. Louis FC fans show their support with a banner during the second half of the match against Sporting KC at Sporting Park. Sporting KC won 1-0. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports /
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St. Louis Blues
Dec 28, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk (22) is congratulated by left wing Alexander Steen (20) left wing Jaden Schwartz (17) center Jori Lehtera (12) and right wing Vladimir Tarasenko (91) after scoring against the Philadelphia Flyers during the first period at Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /

1. A Blues Stanley Cup

Just as it’s been for nearly 50 years, the top wish list item for many St. Louis Blues fans in 2017 will be a Blues victory in the Stanley Cup Final.

The Blues don’t look quite as much like Cup contenders this season as they have in recent years past. They lack forward depth, haven’t gotten optimal production from core players like Alexander Steen and Jori Lehtera, and haven’t seen Jake Allen take the step forward needed to establish himself as a true number one netminder.

With that said, the Blues are firmly in position to make the playoffs as things stand now, and as long as they find out how to win on the road and make a few fixes, they should have enough talent to make a strong run. After all, success in the NHL playoffs is so much about finding a rhythm late in the year and carrying that over into the postseason. For reference, on this date one year ago, the two eventual conference finalists—the Pittsburgh Penguins and San Jose Sharks—had 37 and 36 points and ranked fifth and fourth, respectively, in their divisions.

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It’d be so fitting for the Blues to finally win a Stanley Cup during the season in which they’re celebrating their 50th anniversary, and it’d be wildly beneficial to do so during the first full season since the early 1990s that they’re not competing with an NFL team for attention.

As the famous tune goes, “it’s gonna be a celebration when the Cup comes to St. Lou.”