Mike Yeo calls a team meeting instead of a practice

The Blues were supposed to have a team practice Wednesday morning after their disappointing 3-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks. At the last minute, Mike Yeo called it off in favor of an extended team meeting. Post-meeting, he sent the guys home with no media availability.

We’ve now hit the “think about what you’ve done” stage of the Blues’ season.

21 games remain, and the Blues have become professionals at making small, lazy mistakes that can allow an opponent to either get back into a game or take it over. Once the opposition gets a one goal lead, you can feel the air go out of Scottrade and out of the team. You can’t allow multiple odd-man rushes and not expect another NHL team to take advantage of them. This isn’t mite hockey.

I have long been a fan of Yeo’s approach to managing the team when they’ve been in down patches. He doesn’t drill, he teaches, and it appears that he is a fan of allowing the lessons he needs to impart sit before hopping into the practice.

Last season, it looks like this technique worked down the stretch, with the Blues snapping out of their funk and finishing strong down the stretch. It’s also worked after smaller losing streaks this year; unfortunately, the results haven’t been permanent.

As a coach, you have to work with the players that you are given and the hand that you’re dealt. Yeo is trying multiple avenues to try to get things to stick. We’ll see if it works tomorrow night against Winnipeg.