from Tracey Myers of NHL.com,

The St. Louis Blues are back in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the seventh time in the past eight seasons, clinching a berth when the Arizona Coyotes lost 3-2 in a shootout to the Colorado Avalanche at Pepsi Center on Friday.

The Blues (41-28-8), who did not qualify for the playoffs last season after doing so in each of the previous six, are third in the Central Division with 90 points, four behind the Winnipeg Jets and Nashville Predators, who are tied for the division lead. St. Louis and Winnipeg each have a game in hand on Nashville.

Here are five reasons why the Blues clinched a playoff berth:

1. Coaching change

It's not easy for a new coach to come in more than a month after a season begins; Craig Berube faced that situation when he was hired as interim coach after the Blues fired Mike Yeo on Nov. 19. But Berube, who took over when the Blues were 7-9-3, has helped them turn around their fortunes; they're 34-19-5 since.

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