ST. LOUIS — A victory over Calgary on Thursday would have put the Blues in a virtual tie with the Flames and Edmonton for a wild-card spot. All three teams would’ve had 47 points in 43 games, with Calgary and the Oilers claiming the two wild-card spots in the Western Conference — at least for now — by virtue of the “wins in regulation” tie-breaker.
But the Blues took a step back in their playoff pursuit with a 4-1 loss to the Flames at Enterprise Center. So they remain on the outside looking in, falling to 21-19-3 for the season and 4-2-0 in the New Year — which also coincides with the injuries to Ryan O’Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko.
Calgary snapped a four-game winless streak against the Blues, and at 20-14-9 for 49 points, has the top wild-card spot in the West.
