While Blues fans were busy entering “write it off, write it all off” mode - a six game losing streak will do that to a person - the Minnesota Wild were rising in the ranks in the Central Division. The Bruce Boudreau coached team is 7-1-2 in their last ten games and sits in third in the division at 77 points.
The Blues are now one point behind the Kings for the last wild card spot (five points behind the Wild), and they’re 3-6-1 in their last ten, which somehow looks better when it’s written out than a fan would expect. I think it’s the three wins. We’ve forgotten that the team is capable of that.
The Blues are now short a top-six center with the trade of Paul Stastny to in-division rival Winnipeg. They’ve outshot the Wild 119-70 in the season series, but are still 1-1-1 against them and the loss of Stastny isn’t going to improve that. What would improve the record would be the remaining members of the Blues to step up and claim responsibility for a season that has gone so far off of the rails it’s not even funny. There is still time to get back into playoff contention, but the team’s mindset has to change. Kyle Brodziak mentioned after the team’s 4-0 loss to the Predators that the Blues don’t know what to do.
Losing wears on you, Learned helplessness is a thing that getting paid millions of dollars should balance out, but somehow doesn’t. We’re going to learn how helpless the Blues are tonight, and so is the rest of the country, because tonight is the second of three games this week that NBC has felt compelled to show the nation. Tonight’s game is on NBCSN, and so is tomorrow’s home game against the Red Wings.
Nice timing, guys.
We’re all anxious to see what the lines are, and when those’re released later on today, there will be a separate post so we can pick them apart.