The St. Louis Blues enter the 4 Nations Face-Off in an interesting spot. The team is only eight points out of the final Western Conference playoff spot.
The St. Louis Blues are in a tricky spot approaching the March 7 NHL Trade Deadline, and they could even trade captain Brayden Schenn.
With Binnington's performance for Team Canada earning plenty of plaudits, the Blues must decide if winning now or later is more important.
Blues dominate with a second-period surge, defeating Avalanche 3-1. Colton Parayko's decisive goal leads St. Louis, while Jordan Binnington's 27 saves secure the win. Makar reaches 400 career points.
Kyle Connor ensured that the Blues would emerge with just one point on Saturday, scoring the game-deciding goal in the second round of the shootout.
"Today was about getting back to feeling the puck, some skill work in the first 25-30 minutes and the last 30 minutes was all about competing and getting back to working," Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. "We feel our consistency needs to come from a higher level of competing on pucks consistently.
The Blues used a three-goal second period to zoom past Colorado 3-1 on Sunday night, picking up points for the fifth time in the last six games.