"As the Blues and their fans take a break on this NHL All-Star weekend, it's a good time to pause and reflect on how far the franchise has come.

Remember the depressing season that followed the NHL lockout? It was 2005-2006, and the Blues fell through the ice, finishing at the cold bottom of the NHL with 57 points. Attendance plummeted.

The new regime of chairman Dave Checketts and team President John Davidson must have wondered what they'd gotten into but never complained. Management set a plan and stayed the course.

Checketts and Davidson didn't mislead anyone. They were straight with the customers: the franchise was in disrepair and required a massive rebuild. They would draft and develop young players, and that would be the lifeblood.

This resuscitation would take time and would require immense patience. This was not a project for the weak, the fickle, the frontrunners.

"It's been hard," Davidson said. "It's been tough. It's been a lengthy process. We stuck with it. The great thing is, looking back, the fans believed in us and stayed with us during those trying times."

Before we continue, let's get something straight: the Blues have won nothing yet. They aren't taking bows. Just because they've played outstanding hockey for the unofficial first half of the season, it's no reason to organize a parade at the corner of 14th and Clark.

"We're cognizant that there's a long way to go here," Davidson said. "We're not getting ahead of ourselves."

Still, when the Blues resume play on Friday at Scottrade Center against the Los Angeles Kings, it's fair to say the franchise will be in its strongest position in years."