I want to preface this by saying that we do not have as good of a roster as the 2019 team and I am not predicting a 2019-style deep playoff run.
But man, the vibe coming out of that room sure does feel similar to February/March of 2019. Monty seems to be pushing all the right buttons and every indication is that the players are all playing for each other. The 5 on 5 numbers in the 48 games since Monty took over look great (2nd in GF%, 4th in GA per 60, 5th in GF per 60, 10th in xGF%, 9th in scoring chance percentage, and 6th in high danger chance percentage). The numbers are even better if you just look at the most recent 10-20 games. We've been in the top third of the league in hits all year, but you can see the physicality ramping up.
This is the most fun I've had watching the Blues since the 2021/22 season and it felt great to check the standings and see the Blue Note sitting in a playoff spot. I absolutely loved how much ESPN was focused on Bolduc in the 1st period last night. This team is just fun right now.