St Louis Blues: What’s Really Missing

The St Louis Blues inconsistent play is not due to injury or over paid talent. The reason may be a lack of determination to win.

Last Saturday night at Scottrade Center I had the pleasure to talk St Louis Blues hockey with a fellow die-hard fan just like myself. This gentleman (he knows who he is) had some unique perspective and quality analysis that I enjoyed listening to. While we still share different opinions on many things here are a few that we both agreed on.

Yes Stastny is worth the money

Poor Paul Stastny has had a tough shake the last year and a half. From the moment he signed the contract he was doomed. It doesn’t matter what amount of money it is, when a high profile player signs a well publicized contract with another team, unless they have a record setting season, they are constantly going to be criticized for not being worth the money. Never mind having to come to a new team and learn a new system that was completely foreign to him, he has also been bitten by the injury bug.

Despite all that, he is still a great play making center who is talented enough to play with the likes of Vladimir Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz. Last year he was able take the rookie Dmitrij Jaskin and the streaky Patrik Berglund and turn them into a solid third line. This year he has bounced around from line to line before finally ending up where he belongs. But once he gets settled in, if Hitch leaves his wingers alone, his talent will begin to show. 

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Young Talent

I have said it before and I will say it again. The strength of this team lies with it’s younger players. Guys like Colton Parayko, Jaskin, Robby Fabbri, and Joel Edmundson have been impressive so far this year. They bring an energy and youthful confidence to a team  that sometimes has trouble finding motivation.

With the constant injury battle the Blues have faced all year these young players have been asked to shoulder a large amount of the load and they have done so in excellent fashion. They have proven they can absorb big minutes as well as score timely goals. A trait that will prove most valuable during a long and exhausting playoff run.

Where is the determination to win?

It has seemed, as this season has progressed, that there is something missing from this team. I could never really put my finger on it until the other night. There just doesn’t seem to be a willingness to do what needs to be done to consistently win games.

The talent is there, no one can argue that. We have a prolific goal scorer that can summon his talent almost at will. We have good, physical defensemen that can move the puck and contribute offensively as well. We have seasoned veteran leaders and young energetic talent. But for some reason, whenever you watch this team, you get the feeling like they are holding back. That they are waiting for something.

We have seen flashes of their greatness here and there, but never with any consistency. As soon as they start to play like the Blues team we all envisioned at the start of the season, then the next game they will look utterly lost. Maybe they are doing it on purpose. Maybe they are waiting to peak at just the right time in order to facilitate a deep playoff run. Maybe they will be able to flip a switch and suddenly become a goal scoring machine. We can only hope.

Next: St Louis Blues: Jaden Schwartz Returns

Despite the rollercoaster ride that has been the Blues season I am still impressed with how they continue to find ways to secure points. They are currently third in the central division and third in the western conference. No small feat by a team that has yet to rooster a completely health lineup and has had one of the most hectic schedules in the NHL. If this team could just get some momentum going, and a little bit of luck, there is no telling what could happen.