Mediocrity Not an Option for Blues

Through the middle of December of this 2017-18 season, only the Tampa Bay Lightning had more points than the St. Louis Blues, and it looked like the Blues were contenders for the Presidents’ Trophy. A title they have seeked since their memorable 1999-2000 regular season.

St. Louis rang in the new year with an above average 7-5-0 record in January. They entered February with a convincing 31-18-3 overall record and was within reach of the top spot in the Western Conference standings, and another trip to the postseason seemed like a no-brainer.

Then the Blues hit rock bottom.

With 13 games in the month of February, St. Louis managed to grab just nine points in the standings. Only the Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers had a worse month. Averaging only 2.08 goals per game in a month isn’t going to cut it, and the Blues’ goalie situation didn’t help things either. Jake Allen and Carter Hutton both struggled as starters, and now the question “who’s #1?” is constantly in the air.

As the trade deadline came and went on February 26th, St. Louis seemed unmotivated and caught in a losing streak, forcing general manager Doug Armstrong to trade Paul Stastny in an attempt change the team’s tone. Trading Stastny to the Winnipeg Jets for two conditional picks and prospect Erik Foley was difficult, but necessary, especially with the slumping state of the Blues. Given recent rumors of locker room concerns, there is a major need of a culture change.

One thing is very clear - the St. Louis Blues have hit a wall and are not playing with the same intensity and passion as the start of the season. However, the question still remains on who is to blame - Coach Yeo? Captain Pietrangelo? Starter Jake Allen? General Manager Armstrong?

Fans deserve better from the Blues, as they have supported the team through thick and thin over the past 50 years. No more of the same excuses, the fans want to see results.