from Steven Ellis of The Hockey News,

Discussing Stanley Cup contenders from either conference may seem like a moot point considering how outstanding the Tampa Bay Lightning have been from start to finish this season. But truly, very few teams have been as good as the St. Louis Blues in recent weeks.

It’s inarguable that rookie goaltender Jordan Binnington has been incredible for the Blues and had he played the entire season with the club, he would be a top contender for the Vezina Trophy. His 21-4-1 record, 1.83 goals-against average and .929 save percentage make him one of the best goaltenders in the NHL this season. But there’s a lot more to St. Louis’ success than great goaltending, like one of the hottest first lines in the league. In fact, dating back to Jan. 21, the Blues have gone a perfect 17-0-0 when all three players on the top line – Ryan O’Reilly, Vladimir Tarasenko and Brayden Schenn – have suited up.

It’s hard to ignore the play of O’Reilly, who is St. Louis’ leading scorer and in the midst of the best offensive campaign of his career with 71 points in 76 games. He is the only forward on the team who has played every game this season and, in cases where Tarasenko and Schenn have been sidelined, O’Reilly has been the principle offensive catalyst for the Blues.

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