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St. Louis Blues Ken Hitchcock Isn’t The Problem

By Andrew Martin

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Apr 20, 2015; Saint Paul, MN, USA; St. Louis Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock looks on during the third period in game three of the first round of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center. The Wild defeated the Blues 3-0. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

St. Louis Blues Scapegoat

When things go wrong, a scapegoat will always be found. Whether deserved or not, the “fall guy” will always be there to take the blame.

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In the case of the St. Louis Blues, Ken Hitchcock has been at the receiving end of fan frustration as a result of early playoff exits, and uninspired play in the postseason.

Hitchcock wasn’t the one suiting up in the locker room, pulling on the blue note sweater, and leading the team on the ice. That being said, he is the boss out there. Hitch puts the lines together, picks who plays and when. GM Doug Armstrong picks which players will be on the roster, but Hitch puts them in what he feels is the best position to win.

Don’t Forget to Blame the GM

Armstrong deserves blame as well, as he has made many questionable decisions in his tenure as GM. One of the more notable decisions being the Jaroslav Halak trade two seasons ago which brought over goalie, Ryan Miller and 4th liner, Steve Ott from Buffalo. In addition to Halak, Chris Stewart, William Carrier, and a 2015 1st round draft pick were also shipped to the Sabres.

Miller was ineffective in the playoffs as the St. Louis Blues crashed out at the hands of the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round. He was not re-signed by the Blues and moved onto Vancouver. Bleedin’ Blue recently analyzed Armstrong’s highs and lows as St. Louis Blues GM.

Ken Hitchcock received a one-year contract to remain as St. Louis Blues head coach for the 2015-2016 season. This might as well be called his trial period. If the Blues fail to impress in the playoffs once again, the coach and/or GM will be open positions come next summer in St. Louis.

May 2, 2013; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock (right) watches the action against the Los Angeles Kings in game two of the first round of the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs at the Scottrade Center. The Blues defeated the Kings 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports

Ken Hitchcock may be at the receiving end of a boot out of St. Louis at the end of the year, but it isn’t deserved. They have been one of the best regular-season teams under his command. Sure, you don’t get remembered for being a great regular season team if you lose out in the 1st round of the playoffs every year, but it’s more complicated than that.

St. Louis Blues Coaches 2004-2016

Before Hitch took over the St. Louis Blues in 2012, former coaches Andy Murray, Davis Payne, and Mike Kitchen struggled both in the regular season and playoffs.

According to Hockey-Reference, Kitchen went 38-70-4-19 from 2004-2007 and never went to the playoffs. His PTS% was .378 in that timeframe. Murray was 118-102-38 from 2007-2010 and a PTS% of .531. His only playoff appearance came in 2009 where the St. Louis Blues were swept by the Vancouver Canucks. Davis Payne was meant to be a young talent to coach the Blues for years to come.

Unfortunately, that didn’t translate into playoff success as his Blues teams never made the playoffs in his seasons as coach from 2010-2011. He was replaced by Hitchcock early in the 2012 season. Payne had a 67-55-15 record for a PTS% of .544.

Hitchcock, the current boss, has a 175-79-27 record through four full seasons with a playoff record of 10-17. Certainly, Blues fans are well-aware of Hitch’s dismal playoff performance, but all it takes is the right form at the right time. If the St. Louis Blues get hot as a team at the right point in time, and are peaking right at playoff time, then perhaps a Stanley Cup parade in St. Louis isn’t such a farfetched dream after all.

Ken Hitchcock Isn’t A Weakness

I remember feeling uneasy about the firing of David Payne early in the 2011-2012 season, but I knew his replacement, Hitchcock, had heaps of experience that could help the young Blues make the playoffs. The St. Louis Blues were a disappointing 6-6 at the time of Payne’s sacking. The Blues knew a coaching shake-up could be the boost needed to get to the playoffs.

Hitch ended up leading the St. Louis Blues to a Central Division crown, and a 2nd place finish in the Western Conference. The Blues won their first playoff series since 2002 against the San Jose Sharks, but fell to the Los Angeles Kings in the next round.

Since then, the Blues have finished 2nd in their division in 2013-2014, 2nd in 2012-2013, and 1st in 2011-2012. These are fantastic finishes, and it is truly unfortunate the Blues may move on from Hitch as early as this season.

Granted, the playoffs are where it counts, but Hitch has done everything right up to that point. Getting the right, playoff-caliber, grizzled-veterans the team needs is a solid step to ensuring playoff success. The trade for Troy Brouwer that sent T.J. Oshie to Washington is a testament to that philosophy. If these moves don’t pay off, perhaps it’s time for a change of GM. Fans would be wise to limit their expectations for this trade.

The Blues haven’t been sneaking into the playoffs with a 6th, 7th, or 8th seed. Hitch is a key part of that. Tom Stillman would be wise to keep him around, or the Blues may regress even further toward the levels of Payne, Kitchen, and Murray.

Next: St. Louis Blue GM Doug Armstrong: The Good And The Bad

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