Good morning Blues fans! It’s gameday and though that usually brings about feelings of joy, right now it brings nothing but trepidation.
The St. Louis Blues are taking on the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight. As fans, we are normally excited for any gameday, but with the way the team has been playing, it brings nothing but worry.
Instead of trying to think of ways we can win, we are worried how much we will lose by. Like many teams the Blues have been playing lately, the Penguins have a great offense.
Their captain, Sid the Kid, has regularly been leading the league in goals this season. With the goaltending issues and the porous defense, are the Blues ready to put in the effort it takes to stop him?
Even if you stop Crosby, the Penguins have a plethora of guys capable of putting the puck in the back of the net. There is a guy named Malkin that is a pretty good threat as well.
I have said it several times this season, but it may have never been more true than today. The Blues cannot worry about the Penguins.
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That sounds dumb on the surface, but that’s how it has to be. The Blues have so many issues of their own that they need to focus on fixing those.
Whoever the goaltender is, whether Hutton or Copley, they must focus on being sharp, in position and toward the top of the crease. The defenders need to worry about being strong at the blue line and have good gap closure and positioning. The offense needs to be heavy on the forecheck but willing to get back and help defend as a five man unit.
None of that includes worrying about the Penguins. Pittsburgh presents plenty of problems, but the Blues need to just play Blues hockey. We have not seen enough of that in 2016-17.
Here are your St. Louis Blues Morning Links to get your day started off right.
Get all your little nuggets of info from Jeremy Rutherford about tonight’s game. From starting goaltenders to streaks, he’s got the lowdown before puck drop. (Post-Dispatch)
The St. Louis Blues made the somewhat surprising decision to leave Jake Allen at home during this road trip. For the first time since that decision, the Snake talked to the media. For a man with tremendous pressure on him to save his career, he seemed rather loose. (STLToday)
Speaking of goaltending, the fools that know nothing about the position or what is truly wrong with the Blues keep bringing up rumors of trades for that position. Though the Blues need help elsewhere, the rumors are starting to focus more on the net. (My NHL Trade Rumors)
It’s not usual for games to have lengthy interruptions. That’s what happened out east. An Eastern Conference clash between Pittsburgh and Boston had to be stopped for ice issues. (ESPN)
At least the Blues are not the only team dropping points to the Washington Capitals. In fact, it is becoming a league wide epidemic. The Caps have now gained points in 14 straight games. (NHL)
Have a great day Blues fans!