6/13/13: Blues center Andy McDonald announced his retirement this past week. He cited concern for concussions as the primary motivation to end his career. McDonald suffered several concussions in his playing time, including one a couple years ago the kept him out for the majority of the season. While it is sad to see a player of his character and talent leave the team, it is far better for him to leave with the opportunity of a healthy post-career life than continue to risk a devastating injury. St. Louis will miss McDonald, and hopefully he will return in another capacity for the team.

6/6/13: The St. Louis Blues did not progress as much as they wanted this postseason, but there is no reason for alarm. They matched up in the first round with the defending Stanley Cup champion L.A. Kings. Losing to that team is disappointing, but not problematic. Expect the Blues to put forth a similar lineup next year. The team still has faith in its cores, and will welcome Jaden Schwartz in with open arms. The Blues do need a true sniper - someone who can score. Schwartz has proven himself as a goal scorer, and if Taresenko recovers correctly, then they may have two new weapons that they lacked in the postseason.

5/30/13: The Blues and their fans are surely disappointed on how the season ended. The team got off to a great start, then struggled midway through the shortened season, but regained their form to finish 4th in the West. They got knocked out in the first round by the L.A. Kings - the same team that knocked them out the previous season en route to the Stanley Cup Championship. But do not expect major moves out of the Blues this offseason. They still have a strong young core of skaters and solid goaltending. The Blues may look for a good left defenseman, but their real need is a pure scorer.

5/23/13: The rest of the NHL is on notice. Granted, the 2013 playoffs are only in the second round and there is another month of hockey left in this season, but once again, everyone is on notice. The Blues have suffered for the last two years because they could not consistently score. They have a top defense and great goaltending, but seem to be allergic to scoring. Cue Ty Rattie. Rattie is a scoring machine and rewrote the record books in the minors. He scored 20 times in 21 games this postseason with Portland, and has 50 goals in 75 games. Once Tarasenko gets the concussion clouds of his head and is paired with Rattie and Jaden Schwartz, the Blues will set scoring records.

5/16/13: The St. Louis Blues have been playing in the NHL for 45 years and have zero Stanley Cups - they are almost half way to Cub-like futility. The Blues had a good team this year - good enough to win everything. But they drew the Kings in the first round and that is a team that matches up too well. L.A. knocked the Blues out in six games, particularly heartbreaking since St. Louis won the first two matches. On an aside, Jaro Halak may not be back with the team. He and head coach Ken Hitchcock are at odds over his injuries and playing time. Brian Elliot starred in net the last month and rookie Jake Allen showed he could handle the game.

2013 Stanley Cup Playoff Team - St. Louis Blues

After a slow start to their 2013 NHL campaign, one that saw their trademark abundance of goaltending produce subpar results, the St. Louis Blues rebounded in the second half of the season and secured the No. 4 seed in the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs for the Western Conference. Last season, that goaltending and tight, systematic defense earned them a second seed, but in the playoffs they ran into the upstart Los Angeles Kings and fell in the second round. This season's team is free of the lofty expectations that weighed on them last year, but what they still have is solid blue-line character and an 11-3 record heading into the 2013 NHL Playoffs. They never had much of a shot at their division title, as they play in the same group as the Chicago Blackhawks (and their historic streak this season).

At the trade deadline, the Blues traded for defenseman Jay Bouwmeester from Calgary, and his performance has anchored their trademark stingy performance; for an average NHL Offense like St. Louis has, they rely on goal prevention in between and in front of the pipes to keep them in games and a series like this one. The Blues are hoping to improve the track record against the Kings that they established this season, where they have failed to avenge their playoff loss in three meetings. While the Los Angeles Kings have talent up front and on their own blue line to challenge St. Louis, look for goaltender Brian Elliot of the Blues to be the most important factor in this series. If he can match the success of the Kings' Jonathon Quick - who was the NHL playoff MVP last season - the St. Louis Blues have a chance of advancing in the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

St. Louis Blues Stanley Cup Playoff Opponent

The St. Louis Blues were 0-3 against the Los Angeles Kings during the 2013 NHL regular season, including two losses at the Scottrade Center. With home ice advantage in the first round of the 2013 NHL Playoffs, the Blues are hoping to improve their performance and earn a different result than last season.

NHL Playoff Preview - St. Louis Blues

St. Louis Blues - Because It's the Cup

Blues - Kings Fight - 3/5/2013

Related Teams and Bands

• Edmonton Oilers
• Detroit Red Wings
• Calgary Flames
• New York Rangers