from Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch,

Fear isn’t necessarily a bad thing. When you have nothing to lose or everything to lose, you’re better off fully committing to the fight and using that fear to your benefit.

Coach Mike Yeo noted last week that the Blues played with a sense of fear during their recent six-game winning streak. That sense of uncertainty helped propel them back into playoff contention.

While the Blackhawks eagerly attempt to sink their season, the Blues must find that balance between playing with fear and under control once again to end their three-game winless streak.

Some teams can be frozen by fear. Others can be motivated by it. The Blues must strike a healthy balance and push themselves out of a funk that threatens to derail their playoff hopes.

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The Blues host the Blackhawks at 8:00pm ET on NBCSN.

Below, a snapshot of the playoff race in the West...