Now THAT is how a team is supposed to exploit a home stand. The Blues went to work this week and took all six points against Los Angeles, Vancouver and Columbus.

The Blue Jackets and Canucks had been two of the hottest teams in the NHL. The Kings had owned the Note this year.

This was a challenging stretch of games, even at home. But fans jammed Scottrade Center for each game and Andy Murray’s battled to win each one – with Saturday’s large victory coming in a shootout. If you haven’t checked out the postgame interviews, these will definitely cheer you up.

(Remember Hockey Guy’s lament from earlier this month: The team that gets that No. 8 spot will get it on the strength of the post-game skills competition. If the Blues make it, they will point back to Saturday night’s shootout victory with pride.)

This run pulled the Blues into a tie for the final playoff spots, with Edmonton, at 81 points. The race has become positively frantic, as the Puck Daddy blog outlines.

If you like numbers, check out SportsClubStats. By beating Columbus, the Blues improved their percentages of making the playoffs to 45.2 percent. HockeyBuzz.com’s revised projections had the Blues securing the No. 8 spot ahead of Anaheim, Nashville and Minnesota.

Of course, the task gets harder now. The team faces the Blue Jackets again, in Columbus tonight. The Blues play just one of their remaining games at home.

This brutal schedule made Hockey Guy doubt their ability to get in. But Murray’s team has remained locked in game after game after game, piling up point after point after point.

Chris Mason has remained steady in goal. Jay McKee has become a physical force on defense. Old-timer Keith Tkachuk is leading at both ends of the ice, validating the team’s decision not to move him at the trade deadline.

Most encouraging has been the play of youngsters T.J. Oshie, Patrik Berglund and David Perron. They are enjoying their first taste of playoff-caliber NHL hockey. They are making game-changing plays late in this marathon season.

Imagine how much better these kids will become from this experience.

THE FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT

Boston Globe scribe Fluto Shinzawa had this observation:

The BU defenseman who always catches my eye is freshman David Warsofsky. The 5-foot-9-inch, 170-pound Marshfield native was selected in the fourth round of the 2008 draft by St. Louis, two slots before the Bruins took Jamie Arniel. Warsofsky is a mobile defenseman who entered the NCAA Tournament with a 3-19 -22 line. When asked about Warsofsky, one member of an Eastern Conference coaching staff who follows college hockey noted his high skill level. Given the emphasis on blue-line puck movement, Warsofsky could be a solid member of St. Louis’s up-and-coming defense

AROUND THE RINKS: Down in Peoria, the Rivermen are making a big push toward the AHL playoffs. Veteran forwards Steve Regier (three goals in three games) and Yan Stastny are finishing well for the Blues’ top affiliate . . . With the Rivermen headed for postseason play, the Blues are getting an advance look at some of their prospects. Should University of Michigan scorer Aaron Palushaj elect to go pro, he could join the Rivermen next week. After scoring 50 points in 39 games for the Wolverines, he looks ready. Given the dearth of blue-chip forward prospects at Peoria, he could really give the organization a boost . . . Old Friend Chris Osgood is under fire in Motown, as the Toronto Globe and Mail notes. Ozzie is one of the real good guys in the game, but Detroit will have to score like crazy to win a Cup with him goal. Ty Conklin is better, but he isn’t exactly Martin Brodeur. Rather that re-up Marian Hossa, the Red Wings ought to put that money toward a real No. 1 goaltender. Could Jean-Sebastien Giguere turn things around if he landed in Motown next season? It would be worth a look . . . HockeyBuzz notes that Edmonton could make a big play on Hossa, if the Red Wings can’t re-sign him. And that team would also bid on Jason Spezza if the Sens move him as expected. Tough economics in the NHL and the potential for long-term salary cap shrinkage has a lot of GMs adjusting their game plans for the next four to five years. As Hockey Guy noted earlier, the Blues are well-positioned to succeed in the new economic order.