from Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch,

The Blues host the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday having accomplished the improbable: They’ve gone from presumptive favorites to win this year’s Stanley Cup to a team that would stun its fan base by advancing beyond the playoffs’ first round even given home-ice advantage.

A team that lost only 14 of its first 68 games in regulation is 5-8-0 in its last 13.

A team that didn’t take a regulation loss in its first 21 games within the Central Division has lost five consecutive games against the same competition.

The Blues have been outscored 24-11 in their last seven games within a division they no longer control. They require help to recapture the Central Sunday. Heck, the Blues require help, period.

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