I'll give them tonight. If they can't win tonight, I really don't see it happening. But a win tonight could set them in motion, on the right path. Even a hard fought loss will put them in hole I can't see them climbing out of.
I've said from the beginning of this experiment of a season/playoff that the format favors the speedy and younger teams. First, it is harder for the older players to just jump into a season and play at their top speed. And their top speed is still not what the youngin's is. The younger guys will simply have an easier time getting up to their best game. Second, the normal cadence is 82 games and a grueling playoff. While it takes the older guys longer to get up to speed they tend to have better endurnace both mentally and physically. Those same young guns that are buzzing around now are normally exhausted and not as effective in the playoffs, after 82 games. This is a whole new dynamic. Add to all of this the fact that the refs appear to have no intention of swallowing their whistles and you will have a huge advantage to teams with good power plays.
If I were a gamblin' man, I'd put my chips on a team like Colorado or Vancouver that has the younger faster team. I would not expect this playoffs to be nearly the grinding marathon that we normally see. The finals will probably look like a track meet.
Still think the Blues can win but they need to find their 2019 playoff form tonight.
-------------------- "Hunts are best measured by the endurance of the memories they produce..."