ST. LOUIS – A season that offered hope came to an abrupt end, but it could mean opportunity.
On Sunday, the St. Louis Blues' best campaign in more than a decade closed with black streamers falling from rafters in Staples Center and the message, "KINGS WIN!" flashing on the scoreboard above center ice. The Los Angeles Kings completed a sweep in the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal, leaving the Blues to wonder how a regular season that produced 109 points and 49 victories after a two-year absence from the Stanley Cup playoffs ended with a whimper.
But once disappointment gives way to reflection – once the Blues study why they were outscored a combined 15-6 by a team that played well above its No. 8 seed – they will see how progress under coach Ken Hitchcock can mean potential for the future. There are lessons to be gained from the last four losses, and they could grow because of them.
"What we really play for is postseason success," said Blues center David Backes, who finished with three points in the series. "This is something that's going to sting, but we're going to have to learn from it. (The Kings) are playing as well as anyone. They have a great goaltender, and their guys are sticking together so they get credit. I have a feeling they're going to go a long way."
The Blues won't go any further, because the Kings showed what a physical and confident team could accomplish in this unforgiving time of year. The theme began in Game 1, when Los Angeles answered a goal by Backes in the first period with three consecutive scores, causing Hitchcock to demand more commitment from his stars.
Instead of a Blues rally, though, the Kings asserted themselves with each passing night.
There were the four goals in the first period of Game 2 that led to boos and mock cheers at Scottrade Center. There was the stellar play of goalie Jonathan Quick, who made 96 saves and never allowed more than two goals against a group that produced 14 against the San Jose Sharks in the last round. There was the sense that Jaroslav Halak's left-ankle injury that kept him out after Game 2 of the San Jose series was more damaging than most thought when Brian Elliott skated onto the ice to applause when replacing him.
"We took penalties at the wrong time," Hitchcock said. "We got emotionally wrapped up during the shift and couldn't shut it down when we needed to shut it down. … As much as we played really well (in Los Angeles), we lost the series at home."
Looking forward, though, there's reason to be optimistic about the Blues. This was an underachieving team that grew under Hitchcock after the Stanley Cup-winning coach replaced Davis Payne on Nov. 6.
Their 109 points, the most since earning 114 in the 1999-2000 season, showed consistency. Their franchise-record 30 home victories in the regular season showed resolve. Their ability to win the Central Division for the first time since the 1999-2000 campaign with 11 players ages 25 and younger showed maturity.
But until the Western Conference semifinals, the Blues hadn't witnessed the mental and physical approach required to contend for the Stanley Cup. It's a lesson that comes with time, and as Kings coach Darryl Sutter said after Game 4, "Experience is a big part of getting better."
Yes, and the Blues can draw knowledge from the way the Kings attacked them. Los Angeles skated with an attitude that St. Louis failed to match. The series changed when Kings winger Dwight King delivered a crushing hit to Alex Pietrangelo into the boards late in the second period of Game 1, causing the Blues' star defenseman to miss the rest of the contest and all of Game 2.
Pietrangelo returned for Game 3. But by then, Los Angeles was the series' aggressor. Like they did when ousting the Presidents' Trophy-winning Vancouver Canucks in the last round, the Kings rattled a favored opponent and earned the right to move on.
"It's tough to swallow ... because I thought we played really well," Blues winger Ryan Reaves said. "We had a couple little mistakes that hurt us, but it was a hard-fought (Game 4). First and foremost, I'm going to remember how much fun I had this season. It was an unbelievable group of guys this year, and I had a blast my first year. I couldn't have asked for a better group, but right now losing in the playoffs stings."
For the Blues, that feeling will linger in the coming weeks. This series was supposed to be competitive. It was supposed to give the Blues another chance to showcase their rise in their first appearance in the Western Conference semifinals since the 2001-02 season.
Instead, this series will be remembered for something else: Their struggle and the Kings' stunning efficiency.
But sometimes, the greatest lessons occur in unexpected moments. The Blues accomplished a lot this winter, but they can do even more next year if they continue to grow.
