St. Louis Blues season snapshot

With the NHL pausing the 2019-20 regular season on March 12 due to the concerns surrounding the coronavirus, NHL.com is taking stock of each of the League's 31 teams.

Today, a snapshot of the St. Louis Blues at the pause:

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St. Louis Blues

Record:42-19-10, 94 points

Playoff position:First place in Central Division, two points ahead of Colorado Avalanche

So much for struggling after winning the Stanley Cup last season. The Blues picked up right where they left off in the second half of last season and are looking to repeat as NHL champions.

Even the absence of forward Vladimir Tarasenko, who has been recovering from shoulder surgery he had Oct. 29, hasn't slowed the Blues. Certainly they miss Tarasenko, but other players have picked up the workload. Forward Ryan O'Reilly, who last season won the Selke Trophy voted as the best defensive forward in the NHL and the Conn Smythe Trophy as most valuable player in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, leads the Blues with 61 points (12 goals, 49 assists) in 71 games. Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo has 52 points (16 goals, 36 assists) in 70 games; he's two points shy of his NHL best set in 2017-18.

The Blues remain strong at defenseman despite missing Jay Bouwmeester, who is out for the rest of the season after having a cardiac episode on the bench against the Anaheim Ducks on Feb. 11. Marco Scandella, acquired by the Blues in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens on Feb. 18, has played with Colton Parayko on the second pair in place of Bouwmeester.

Goalie Jordan Binnington has been steady again, going 30-13-7 with a 2.56 goals-against average, a .912 save percentage and three shutouts in 50 games. Jake Allen has been a reliable backup, going 12-6-3 with a 2.15 GAA, a .927 save percentage and two shutouts in 24 games.

If there's been an issue with the Blues it's been their penalty kill, which is 18th in the NHL at 79.3 percent. But their power play is third at 24.3 percent.

More Blues season snapshot coverage: Video: Top 10 Blues Plays ... Thus Far | Video: Top 10 Blues Plays ... Thus Far | Video: Top 10 Blues Plays ... Thus Far

Breakout player

David Perron:This is a tough selection, given how balanced the Blues are. The forward was solid last season despite missing two months because of an upper-body injury. This season he's been productive and healthy. With 60 points (25 goals, 35 assists) in 71 games, he is second on the Blues behind O'Reilly. Perron's four overtime goals lead the NHL, and his nine game-winning goals are one behind League leaders David Pastrnak of the Boston Bruins and Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers.

Statement win

Blues 3, New York Rangers 1, March 3: The Blues had two eight-game winning streaks this season, the first from Dec. 12-29 and the second, which started Feb. 18, reached eight with this win. Brayden Schenn scored midway through the third period to break a 1-1 tie and Jayden Schwartz scored with six seconds remaining.

Most compelling game

Winnipeg Jets 5, Blues 2, Feb. 1: Forward Alexander Steen played his 1,000th NHL game in the perfect place, Winnipeg, the city where he was born. Steen has played for St. Louis since 2008-09, but the family name looms large in Winnipeg, where Steen's father, Thomas Steen, played for the Jets from 1981-95. It was a tough night otherwise for the Blues, who lost for the fifth time in six games.