Expectations versus Reality...

by Ackermania on Dec 1, 2009 3:30 PM CST Comment 7 comments

As Blues fans bemoan the lack of a completely played game and another loss due to a lack of offense at the critical time, we find ourselves worrying about the continuing lack of success on the ice and wondering What Dreams May Come.

Ah, we are indeed guilty of surrendering too much to our expectations this season based on a couple of factors. Surely the excellent second-half game established last season would continue, bolstered by the return of Erik Johnson, Paul Kariya and other players injured who did not play. Surely the fabulous freshmen would continue to grow...surely Patrik Berglund would break out...surely Alex Pietrangelo would make the team. And the offense wouldn't, couldn't be a problem; the powerplay and penalty-killing was very good; the only problem this team might have is goaltending. The playoffs are a cinch for this team...and we should go pretty deep, too.

Well, the reality at the almost one third mark of the season is quite different, sorry to say. Goaltending has been a major strength ( maybe the ONLY one, too ) and the power-play and offense have been the major problems. And team defense isn't all that great, as reflected in the shots against category. Clearly, there's a lot for the beleagured coaching staff to work out. With each loss, the pressure mounts on Andy Murray and his assistants. The vultures are roosting down on Brett Hull Way. Some quickly forget the things that are going good and are ready to write off this team (in late November, yet...Geesh!) for any possible future success.

Fortunately, reality is ever-changing and malleable. It is within the power of the Blues management and players to correct these present problems and work harder to effect change. Fans are short-tempered, though, and it will be hard for management to resist a quick fix (by either trade or a change in coaching) if the boys don't start winning. We need more goals! And the schedule won't get easier, starting Thursday night in the Shark Tank. The fans are tired of being patient and having their dreams and expectations dashed in the reality of what the season has been, grasping for signs of a turn-around that would give them good reason to continue to dream about the presence of the Cup on Market Street next June.

So, we continue to fret and worry about reality...and what dreams may come...

So it goes...

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At the Blues Talk forum

it seems like most of the discussion is about Andy Murray’s future. Not the most fertile conversation considering management put their faith in him just a few months ago by picking up his contract option for next year.

I’m still in the camp of expecting a trade between now and the no movement time at Christmas.

www.stlouisgametime.com

by Brad Lee on Dec 1, 2009 3:46 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

If it is a trade then....

I can only see a 2 for 1 deal going both ways. Like last years Lee Steph for Colo and Steen. If i do see anyone moving it will be Kariya for a 3rd line center and a 2nd round pick next year and mybe a 4th two years from now. Just to clear the cap for a hopeful free agent signing next year. We at this moment in time we have little to nothing to offer other teams without dismantaling the team for the next 2 seasons.

by Go_Blues on Dec 1, 2009 4:27 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

yea

but the management total faith is often the kiss of death.

again the media telling me i’m the last piece, ok. they are media and p.r. men and selling something. that checckett’srampage indicated he thought we were not only a play off team NOW but an elite central division team TODAY had me worried a bit.

fan expectations can slowly kill things, ownership expectations can quickly demolish things.

again, I’M most concerned about seeing 60 minutes of hockey every single game. but if the real immediate concern is WINS today i’d have to say I’m not confident that something will not happen “ust to happen” if we stay in central’s basement.

a trade might be a step one, but again, jd semmed to indicate most trades were of the “team gets a young blues player and dumps money to the blues” and IF that holds, i can not see the blues increasing payroll.

maybe we need a list of struggling 4-5 million dollar players because if you are right brad the only way i see a trade this month is a struggling kariya, or often prodded brewer or the like go someone for the exact same thing back.

A strong anvil fears no hammer

by Childhood Trauma on Dec 1, 2009 4:30 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

A trade would be inadvisable

Murray was ZOMG TEH AWESOME last season when he made the most of what he had to work with, but now hes the worst coach in the NHL because we have a mediocre start? This isn’t NHL10 where players stats just keep going up till they hit 35, sort of tired of people not understanding what player development is.
We played out of our fucking minds last season, anyone who expected the same this year was deluding themselves. We have returned to normalcy, hit a slump and are working our way back up.

What are we now in the big NHL scheme of things? A young team working on developing the talent we have, young talent is very often erratic and streaky so saying Berglund is terrible and needs to go because he will never turn it around requires me to yell at you and maybe go hostile should we meet. Backes was mediocre at best till he hit about 24, and now hes David fucking Backes. Even if this year is a wash, we aren’t on the clock to win now Now NOW like many other teams so just enjoy the blues when you can and know that we will continue to be getting better, even if we don’t go anywhere this year theres a better season ahead.

by Icion on Dec 1, 2009 6:38 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

fan expectations

are one thing. owners expectatons are another. as bad as upsetting the fan base is in the long run, nothing we fans do can cause change faster than a pissed off ownership group :)

checketts made it clear we are not a developing team we are an arrived team.

A strong anvil fears no hammer

by Childhood Trauma on Dec 1, 2009 8:22 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

“Surely the excellent second-half game established last season would continue, bolstered by the return of Erik Johnson, Paul Kariya and other players injured who did not play.”

Not enough love for Captain Roboto to name him directly? Paulie Walnuts should be an unnamed “other player”, too.

I’m not calling for trades & I don’t want AM’s head. There is a problem in the locker room that someone needs to solve immediately. The person who stepped up when Cap’n Binary showed “the blue screen of death” needs to do it again, even without the “C”.

Fuck the Sharks, but if you watched that game closely, the Sharks do all the right things with the puck and, more importantly, without the puck. They check the shit out of you after you release the puck, up until the point the refs warn them about late hits. Then, they continue to do it to a lesser extent. No calls were made because of Shark late hits and the Blues got their cocks knocked stiff. Not to mention, the Sharks had control of the game flow and the best we could do was lollygag our way the the bench forblune changes. Don’t even get me started on the line changes.

It’s a matter of fundamentals and locker room motivation for me. The Blues can hand out applications, but they need to let everyone know they’re not presently hiring.

Let's go Blues!!!

by Milo. on Dec 2, 2009 6:33 AM CST via mobile reply actions 0 recs