The press surrounding this team are so schizoid it's not even funny. Hell, upgrade that to suffering from Multiple Personality Disorder, and you'll get a better idea about how they are. Of course, watch the team, and you'll be schizoid too.
Oh, wait. You do? And you are? I rest my case.
The back to back losses against Minnesota in their home and home series personified the two typical ways that the Blues can lose games - by not playing a full sixty minutes, and by just not giving a shit until the last minute of play. Games like these make the team look like a bunch of apathetic twelve year olds, and single-handedly almost do away with the goodwill that the team's built up as being the "hockey team of tomorrow." They've beaten teams that they were supposed to beat, but rarely as of late have they beaten teams that they weren't supposed to beat.
Oh, but last night they beat the first place Vancouver Canucks. The last time the 'Nucks lost in regulation on December 5th, it was to the Blues. Apparently St. Louis has Vancouver's number, and that's swell. Sometimes good teams just have issues with average or underachieving clubs. But to read the Post Dispatch or the News Democrat today, good God:
-
Gordon: Blues flash long-range potential
-
Energized Blues give Vancouver a jolt
-
Win over Vancouver is major breakthrough
Holy crap. Plan the parade.
I admit, last night's game was an excellent effort, especially from Alex Pietrangelo, who is fast becoming this team's best player on the ice. It's what we know that the Blues are capable of. It's how they played at the start of the year. But turning a corner? Fixing a sputtering engine? After one game? Could we see a consistent effort applied over a larger sample size, maybe, before we start puffering up hopes?
I believe that if the Blues play to their full potential for a full season, they're a playoff team. The problem is, this isn't a full season any more. It's the last quarter. Will this be the start of something great? Possibly. But it's too soon to tell.
What say you - is this a corner-turner or just a tease?