It's bloom or bust for the Blues. (NHL Insider).(St. Louis Blues, National Hockey League)(Brief Article)

Blues general manager Larry Pleau understands his predicament.

"We're in a heck of a battle," he says. "It's time for our players to step up and be counted here in the next couple months because we haven't been counted ... for the first three or four months."

Last spring Pleau was busy before the trade deadline, acquiring rugged winger Scott Mellanby, skilled forward Cory Stillman and power forward Keith Tkachuk.

After those moves helped propel the Blues to the Western Conference final, Pleau made more moves during the summer. He traded for a No. 1 center, Doug Weight, and signed gritty winger Mike Keane and rugged defenseman Richard Pilon as free agents. The Blues' payroll jumped $20 million within a year, but aggressive owner Bill Laurie cheerfully paid the price to buy a Stanley Cup favorite.

Rather than continuing their ascension, however, the Blues regressed. Except for a 10-game winning streak, this team has been ordinary. It struggled even before Tkachuk (thigh contusion) and Weight (season-threatening pelvic injury) suffered injuries as the stretch run arrived.

The franchise sits at a crossroads. Pleau made one minor move at this year's trading deadline, spending a fourth-round pick to get center Ray Ferraro, 37, from Atlanta. The incumbents must salvage the season.

This team either will squeak into the playoffs and make a run at it all--or it will face an overhaul in the summer.