St. Louis Blues Still Waiting For All the Pieces to Come Together

Like a game of whack-a-mole, every time the St. Louis Blues have one problem beat into submission another one pops up. Are the pieces slowly coming together or are we waiting on something that may never happen

Like many St. Louis Blues fans, I have faithfully watched every game this year. Whether it is from my seat at Scottrade Center or from my living room I have followed this team as it ascended the mountain of victory and fell into the valley of defeat. Although I am merely a spectator, I must say, I am freaking exhausted.

I have yet to watch a game where I have walked away completely satisfied with what just happened. Seriously, I am one of the easiest going fans out there and even my hair is beginning to turn grey. I mean the St. Louis Blues have actually got their fans believing that a two goal lead is the worst lead in hockey. It’s not. A one goal lead is the worst lead because one is less than two. (How’s that for some stats).

How I yearn for the grinding 2-0 game with strong defensive play, quality offensive zone time, an early lead, and a strong finish. Do you remember how relaxing and fun that used to be?

Instead this year we have seen anything but. Either we’re roaring back because we waited until the third period to actually start playing hockey and testing everyone’s patience in the process or we’re blowing a two goal lead because, well, no one really knows why. As a result, they have repeatedly tested the fanbase’s cardiac health and their profanity vocabulary.

Last week is a perfect example. I don’t believe there was a single St. Louis Blues fan who honestly believed we would walk away from Chicago, Anaheim, and Dallas with six points. Sure, individually we could handle them, but one right after another? Forget about it.

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But true to form the St. Louis Blues proved the impossible was, indeed, very possible. Although they stilled managed to blow a third period lead in two of the three games, the boys in blue found a way to notch a win against the second, third, and fourth best teams in the NHL.

Then, just when you think this rollercoaster ride is starting to flatten out, they go and give up seven goals to the third worst team in the league. SEVEN.

Yes, there were some weird bounces and there were some questionable calls. But, even taking those things into account, this is still Calgary we are talking about. We could have all the bad luck in the world and the St. Louis Blues should still be able to scratch out a win.

Instead we watched our top ranked power play give up two short-handed goals. Our top-tier goalie got chased from the net. Also, our team collectively looked like a group of monkeys trying to sexually satisfy a football.

This has been the St. Louis Blues season in a nutshell. Early in the year it seemed like we were always playing from behind. Then it seemed like we could never close out a game in proper fashion. Next we watched Brian Elliott put on a month and a half long goal tending clinic while our offense struggled to give any kind of support. And now just as our offense has started clicking our defense has hit the skids.

Of course there are two ways to look at this. The first is that this is a team, despite all its talent, that will never reach its full potential. For whatever reason the St. Louis Blues cannot seem to find, or at least maintain, their identity. This is a team that has all the right pieces but, for some reason, cannot figure out how to put them together. A streaky team that managed to build a good season on a cracked foundation and will ultimately collapse again under the pressure of the post-season.

Or this could be a team that is on the cusp of greatness. A St. Louis Blues team that is slowly but surely putting together something that no Blues fan has witnessed in fifty years. A championship team that has proven it can overcome any obstacle it encounters. Despite all the injuries, the lack of scoring or the goaltending, this is a team that can isolate a problem, fix it, and come out on the other side as one of the best in the league. A team that is hitting its peak at just the right time.

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Me, I believe in the latter. I believe this is shaping up to be a perfect ending to an imperfect year. I believe that we, as St. Louis Blues fans, will look back on this season as one of the wildest rides we have ever been on but still managed to arrive at the ultimate destination. We will realize that all the maddening play, all the head shaking moves and all the cursing and crying was just a test to see how devoted we really are. And besides, this is hockey. It’s not supposed to be easy.

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