St. Louis Blues Likely Won't Be Saved By All-Star Break
The St. Louis Blues have likely been waiting for the All-Star break to give them a breather. While they will have time off, it seems unlikely it will benefit them much.
The St. Louis Blues are one of the many teams limping into the 2017 All-Star break. While they don’t have the injury problems that some teams have, they might as well since their current roster is not playing anything like what they are capable of.
The Blues struggles have been well documented over the last few weeks to months. The defense is softer than a feather pillow and the offense is flatter than a used one. While the goaltending has not been the main issue, despite what the national pundits would have you believe, the goalies have still had more holes than Swiss cheese.
It has all been a recipe for disaster. Thankfully the Blues opened up the year with an outstanding home record that might just save their season if they can turn things around.
That’s a big if. Given what we have seen, there seems little reason to think they will actually get that done.
Out of all the 30 teams in the NHL, the Blues might be the one in need of a break the most. They ground to such a halt at the end of the “first half” that they resembled a group of men trying to pull a pyramid stone through loose sand.
They look like a team in need of a mental break. Maybe a few days to not think about hockey and either stay away from the rink or just show up and have a loose practice might be good for them.
Maybe is the key word. The bottom line is there may be no reprieve for this team.
Some people think a few games off and working out will have no positive effect on Jake Allen. That might be true, but we also have to consider the possibility that a few days off to rest won’t do anything to help the Blues.
St. Louis had an extra day or two before and after the Winter Classic. That did help them come out with their A-game against Chicago on that special day, but they could not build anything off it.
The Blues had played the most compacted schedule of almost anyone heading into January. Now, they have games in hand on several teams above them. So, St. Louis can no longer use the schedule as an excuse because so many teams caught up and passed them in games played.
There are reasons given left and right for the varying product we see. First, it was the distraction of the Winter Classic and the media attention that came with it.
That is understandable since the Blues were hosting it. You have family members looking for tickets, all sorts of extra interviews and off-ice things to take care of and lots of things pushing you out of your normal schedule. A month is way too long of a hangover even if you want to consider that a possibility.
Allen just had a baby. That changes your life, whether you want to believe it or not. I don’t know how much I buy the whole lack of sleep thing, but there is no doubt it can change a person and any change can alter your daily life.
Then there is the issue of home vs. road. To begin the season the Blues were unbeatable at home and could not buy a win on the road. That has slowly reversed with the Blues at least playing better, if not winning, on the road and not even being competitive at home.
So, we are left with the idea that a handful of days off is going to benefit the team? I hope so. I really do. As a die-hard fan, I pray they find a way to turn the season back toward the light.
As someone who considers himself pragmatic, I don’t see it making a difference. Outside of my own hopes, I don’t see how it can.
The team’s issues are not being physically tired. It’s mental. They don’t want to put in the work every shift, every night.
They are too easily affected by the things that happen to every team. Yes, the Blues have had a few more bad goals go in than other squads, but other teams – better teams perhaps – find ways to overcome that. St. Louis has a bad habit of hanging their heads and accepting their fate.
A few days off just does not seem to be enough to fix the issues of this team. But perhaps I’ve gone from a pragmatist to a pessimist. I’m to the point where I don’t even know if a trade would impact this team enough.
I just want them to be able to string together some wins. I want the second half of the season to at least be entertaining.
Maybe the Blues won’t make an impact in the playoffs, but how is that different from any other year? I don’t buy into this missing the playoffs would be a good thing. Taking any step back from the Western Conference Finals should be enough for the front office to look in the mirror without having to miss the playoffs for that to happen.
I just don’t see it happening though. This team needs something to happen and time off doesn’t seem like it will change enough.
Let’s hope I’m wrong. Even I hope I’m wrong. The Blues are the ones that have to prove me wrong though.
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