The St. Louis Blues won the Central Division crown March 31 despite losing an awful game to the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-2. Winning the division is vital to the Blues for several reasons.
The most obvious reason why winning the Central Division crown is important is for playoff seeding. The division winners are listed one through three atop the Western Conference playoffs, regardless of the number of points. The highest point-getting team among the three division winners gets the top seed and the lowest gets the three seed. Even if the Blues win the Central Division with 90 points, they would still get a three seed.
In the 2011-2012 season, a division crown is important for competitive reasons. Four of five members of the Central Division made the playoffs. That means St. Louis has already played many playoff-caliber clubs on a regular basis. It also means the Blues will have familiar competition throughout the playoffs in addition to some home ice advantage. Home ice means more rest. Higher seeds also mean playing lesser teams in the first round.
Another reason a division title means something is psychological. Knowing the Blues can win against anyone is uplifting going into the postseason. St. Louis has no doubts that it is a good hockey team. Any psychological edge going into the playoffs can mean the difference between a Stanley Cup or going home empty again.
It doesn't matter at this point that St. Louis lost two disappointing games in a row. It's better to be in a position to win a division title even with some hiccups along the way. The playoff seeding favors teams who win divisions just like the NFL does with at least one home field game/series to start the postseason. The same is true of division winners in baseball with home field advantage.
Even if the Blues "backed into" a Central Division title because the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Nashville Predators, that doesn't mean anything. One or two losses in a row in a season won't make or break a spot in the playoffs. The fact St. Louis has gotten consistently better is more important. That drive needs to stay prevalent as the Blues march through the brutal Western Conference playoffs.
William Browning was born in St. Louis and has been a lifelong Blues fan.
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