Full disclosure: The St. Louis Blues are the hottest team in the National Hockey League right now, and Tom Loeffler thought his Loeffler's Link column should recognize that. But he felt his knowledge and insight were not sufficient for the job ... and mine, because I go to a dozen or more Blues games every year (and watch most of the rest of them on television), somehow are. He's probably wrong on both counts.

But for those who don't follow professional hockey or the Blues that closely, here goes.

---- Kermit Miller, KRCG news anchor

Feb. 21, 2019

NEW BLOOMFIELD, Mo. --- When the season began, a lot of faces wearing Blues sweaters were unrecognizable to a lot of fans.

Blues General Manager Doug Armstrong had made a flurry of off-season trades, the most notable of which was sending Blues mainstays Patrik Berglund and Vladimir Sobotka, first-year forward Tage Thompson, and a couple of high draft picks to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for centerman Ryan O'Reilly.

O'Reilly is a proven difference maker and by the start of the season in October, fan expectations probably could not have been higher.

By Nov. 19, the Blues' record was just seven wins, nine regulation losses, and three overtime losses. When they got shut out at home by the Los Angeles Kings (the only team with fewer points than the Blues, and the third shutout in four games) fans were grumbling.

Armstrong replaced head coach Mike Yeo with Craig Berube, who had coached the Philadelphia Flyers briefly but had spent most of his coaching career in the American Hockey League.

What Berube appeared to bring was an understated, no-nonsense approach to leadership, and a coaching history with several Blues players, including top-six forward Brayden Schenn.

Even so, there was no immediate relief.

Most fans will tell you the downward spiral was triggered by the inconsistency of goaltender Jake Allen, which spawned a breakdown of the defensive effort in front of him. That, combined with a lack of scoring by usually-reliable sniper Vladimir Tarasenko and a drier-than-dry drought for set-up man Jaden Schwartz, had left the Blues about the most beatable team in hockey.

By December, Berube was making references to the Blues as a "fragile group," meaning one that would collapse at the first sign of adversity. Few fans would challenge that.

Despite a .500 record in December, the new year found the Blues to be a dead team skating. They were listless. They were unmotivated. They were last in the standings, 31st out of 31 NHL teams. Fans had given up and were calling on the team to tank the rest of the season, to put the Blues in position for a high pick in the NHL Draft during the coming summer.

The mantra became "Lose for Hughes," a reference to Jack Hughes, the Orlando, Florida teenager projected to be the Number 1 overall pick in the draft.

It was a dark time, indeed.

There were a couple of sparks in January, notably a pair of lopsided wins over the defending Stanley Cup Champion Washington Capitals. But another loss to the bottom-feeding Kings thwarted any renewal of confidence.

Then came Jordon Binnington, the 25-year-old career minor league goaltender who had appeared in only one Blues game before 2019. On the bench since early December to replace the unworthy Chad Johnson as Allen's back-up, Binnington did not get a start until Jan. 7, when the Blues had hit rock bottom.

Where Allen was given to athletic moves that left him out of position on too many occasions, Binnington brought a calm, stay-at-home approach to protecting the crease. He does not (at least, HAS not) let in weak goals.

The team, especially the defense, responded with much more aggressive play. Defenders no longer hung back at the blue line. They began to jump into the offensive, often joining the rush up the ice on defensive zone breakouts.

That seemed to make the forwards work harder on the forecheck, the puck battles that happen along the boards behind the goal line in the scoring zone that, when won, allow the team to set up scoring opportunities.

Binnington won his first three starts and took over as the Blues' No. 1 goalie. Tarasenko came alive, scoring almost at will and taking the pressure off O'Reilly, by then the team's most consistent player.

It's a level of confidence that had deserted the Blues before Christmas, and has made all the difference since.

Beginning with a 5-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Jan. 23, the Blues put together a string of consecutive wins throughout the month of February that included road victories over league leaders Tampa Bay and Nashville, and reached a club record at 11 in a row with an overtime home win against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday.

It's an out-of-the-grave rebound which has vaulted the Blues into a solid playoff position, and made them the talk of the league.

Through his first 15 starts, Binnington has posted a stunning 13-1-1 record. His per-game goals-against average is a paltry 1.53, and his save-percentage (shots rejected against total shots faced) is .938, with four shutouts.

At this pace, only his lack of required starts (41) will keep him out of contention for the Vezina Trophy, given to the NHL's best netminder.

Making the Stanley Cup Playoffs is a suggestion that would have been laughable just a few weeks ago. The Blues have undergone a grueling schedule in the second half of the season, and still face seven back-to-back game pairs through the end of March.

Even so, with the 11-game winning streak righting the ship, some fans now expect a deep playoff run. Personally, I will consider just getting there a magnificent recovery, and anything beyond the first round an extra serving of gravy. In any case, the hockey air surrounding Blues Nation is breathable again.

And I haven't heard anyone say "Lose for Hughes" in a while.

Chris Leuckel