Good morning Blues fans! The holidays are not officially over yet, but they are for our team. It’s time to hit the ice again.
The St. Louis Blues are not in a bad position at all heading into the final couple games of 2016. That said, they aren’t where they or we want them to be.
Ending 2016 in third place in the division, or worse, is not exactly what many of us expected. Nobody was saying they would win the division, but it has not been a fantastic run in the first third or so of the season.
2016 has been an odd year for the Blues. Of course you have that great run to the 2016 Western Conference Finals.
You also have mixed results at home and away. In 2015-16, we wondered if the Blues should tank to get a lower seed since they struggled on home ice. Then proceeded to win Game 7 against Chicago, due in no small part to it being at home.
Fast forward a few months and the Blues cannot buy a win away from home. Conversely, they have turned Scottrade Center into all but a fortress.
The one thing that has been consistent with this team is the inconsistency. Very few players go on long goal scoring streaks. We have seen a few point streaks, but scoring still feels at a premium regardless of what the numbers say.
The defense can shut down teams or they can look like someone trying to catch rain with a strainer. Again, the numbers don’t bare it out, but the goaltending has actually been pretty solid.
Jake Allen has let in a few bad ones and Carter Hutton can’t even luck into a win with the lack of support he has gained. It’s been a roller coaster year, but there is still time to salvage it.
Eastern Conference games are always a good place to let loose and fly because you don’t have that four point swing in the standings. The Blues take on the Philadelphia Flyers tonight and then the Nashville Predators on the 30th.
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The Flyers actually have more points than the Blues do, but are worse off as they are currently the final Wild Card team. Nashville was considered a division, possibly conference, title contender. They are currently out of the playoffs.
These are winnable games for the Blues. Philadelphia has a better offense and Nashville has a slightly better defense. That said, they aren’t unbeatable.
As usual, it will boil down to what Blues squad we see. If we get a team refreshed by the Christmas break and hungry to work and earn things, they’ll win. If we see more of the team that backs off and looks timid at times, they won’t. Pretty simple.
Here are your St. Louis Blues Morning Links to get your day started off right.
For those of you just itching to get to the Winter Classic, there are things going on downtown to kick off the whole event. You missed the opening ceremonies, as that happened yesterday, but there is still an open rink down by the Arch. (Fox 2)
Speaking of the Winter Classic, the formation of the outdoor rink is always one of the most interesting aspects. So, some local students taking part in a STEM class at Parkway got the opportunity to visit and learn about everything that goes into laying down the rink and ice at Busch Stadium. (InsideSTL)
While the injuries have not mounted this season the way they did last year, the Blues have still gone through plenty of roster upheaval due to players out. Fortunately, people always get healthy eventually. For tonight’s game, both teams are getting some key players back. (Fox Sports)
The Flyers once thought Michael Neuvirth was their goaltender of the future. Due to a poor start this season and the emergence of a rookie as well, he might end up on the block. (Broad Street Buzz)
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Heading toward the Winter Classic, the Chicago Blackhawks continue to be a revolving door when it comes to IR. As soon as one comes back, someone else goes on. So it remains as one of their better scorers remains inactive. (ESPN)
Sticking with the injury theme, the Nashville Predators hoped they had their future and present in mind when they got P.K. Subban. Unfortunately, the immediate present has seen him absent with a mysterious injury that has derailed him for five games and counting. (NHL)
Have a great day Blues fans!
