from Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch,

The numbers point to just how hard the schedule has been for the Blues. Right now, they are in a run of seven games in 13 days. That comes after two back-to-back stretches where they played nine games in 15 days, with only the three-day league-mandated Christmas break separating them. The Blues had a third stretch of nine-in-15 in November.

That adds up to 38 games in 76 days for the Blues starting on Nov. 10. Compare that to the span after the All-Star break, when the Blues close the season by playing 30 games in 76 days. Those eight extra days off will be most welcome.

“What it feels like is we’ve been in playoff mode since September,” Hitchcock said. “When you play nine in 15 days, take three days off, then nine in 15 again, that’s rich. We’ve had 18 games in 33 days, which is awful rich. We’ve got to find a way to keep getting points.”

At the All-Star break, the Blues will have played 52 games, which will be second to only Chicago. That number breaks both ways. That the Blues have 57 points, which was tied for fourth-most in the league going into Friday’s action, is somewhat of a byproduct of them having played, in some cases, five more games than the teams they’re tied with. The Blues may have been five points up on Minnesota going into Friday, but the Wild had played four fewer games.

That’s the bad side. The good side, as far as Hitchcock is concerned, is that it means the second half of season has plenty of built-in breaks, plenty of chances to stay fresh.

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