They'll choke out just like they do every year.
But not before a bunch of morons compare them to those old championship Devils teams. That's a HUGE
Pet peeve of mine. One of the worst comparisons I've ever seen. The Blues don't ever deserve to be spoken of in the same sentence as a team that won 3 cups in 9 years, and 4 SCF appearances in 9 years.
Nor should they ever even be compared to Hitchcock's Dallas teams either, who won a cup and had back to back SCF appearances. They should be compared to Hitchcock's Philadelphia teams.
They're gonna win a few cups in the next few years? Then go for it. Until then, they're just a bunch of playoff chokers.
Can't say I've heard anyone compare the Blues to the Devils champ teams or Hitch's Dallas champ teams, and you're the only one comparing them to Hitch's Philly teams so that carries lots of weight. Blues are, on average, a good defensive team and that's where any Devils comparisons end.
As for the uninformed opinion that the Blues are perennial chokers, consider the following. They were not considered possible contenders until they finally made it back to the playoffs 3 years ago and spanked the Sharks in the first round, with a mostly inexperienced group and a couple retreads. The Sharks, for comparison, are considered chokers because they were considered serious contenders (with some elite players) for
several seasons running.
The Blues have not only lacked elite veteran players in recent years, they've lost in the playoffs to elite teams with elite players (CHI and LAK), as have many other NHL teams that are not considered to be "chokers". Nor have the Blues been anywhere near a cap team until local ownership took over ~2 seasons ago.
Fact is, the Blues haven't been serious contenders (negating those who've given them upset potential) until maybe this season, with the culmination of Center acquisitions and maturing of draft picks. The Blues recent success has been largely due to sound system buy-in and character/work ethic. If, now that the team has some maturing talent, the Blues go the next 5 playoffs without a cup... Well, then you can call them chokers, with an informed opinion.