St. Louis Blues Morning Links: Blues Get A Rare Off Day

Good morning Blues fans! There is no game today, so there’ll be no article. Have a good one. Just kidding.

The St. Louis Blues get a rare off day today as they prepare to face the Colorado Avalanche in Colorado on Tuesday. It must be nice to get a real off day.

Those of us that live in the real world don’t really know what a true off day is like. Sure, we have days where we don’t have to go into work, but there is always something to do.

There is laundry to catch up on. Usually people get their shopping done on an off day. There are chores around the house to get done. If you are a parent or guardian, there are practices and games to attend and just the general practice of taking care of kids.

Professional athletes get a respite from those things every now and then and they get one of those on this trip. The Blues might have a quick skate or something just to keep the legs warm, but that’s about it.

They have team employees that take care of the laundry. Meals are usually taken care either by the team or simply because going out doesn’t take much effort. The team is on the road, so all the family worries are back home.

There are pluses and minuses to any profession, but it must be nice to not have any worries for a day. It’s a rarity that most of us don’t get to experience too often and the players are soaking it up.

That said, the focus can’t stray too much. The Blues are on a roll that needs to continue and they can’t afford a slip up even with the cushion they have built between themselves and Los Angeles.

St. Louis still trails some of the Pacific Division teams. They are behind Edmonton by four points and Calgary by five.

If St. Loius wants to keep their playoff opponent options open, they need to keep winning. If you can catch those other teams, then even if they fall behind Nashville, then the Blues could get a Pacific opponent in the playoffs.

Once they hit the ice again, the Blues must keep the focus on winning and staying sharp. Even with their cushion, they need to be playing for every point.

The Blues did that to a tee against Arizona and face an opponent with an even less stellar record. Colorado is, in fact, the worst team in the NHL.

St. Louis has already won two games against Colorado. Continuing to throw up goose eggs, even if not in the game in this instance would be in the Blues best interest.

Here are your St. Louis Blues Morning Links to get your day started off right.

When it comes to being a little old school and demanding a lot from their players, Mike Yeo is not too different from Ken Hitchcock. One of the ways they are not alike is Yeo being more lenient when it comes to rest. The proof is in the pudding recently as the Blues have benefited from Yeo’s more relaxed philosophy. (STLToday)

The Blues continue to tell the story of their 50 years through the eyes of the fans. Their most recent one was rather heartwarming as the team provided a welcome escape for one season ticket holder battling a serious disease. (Blues Facebook)

Jake Allen has plenty of fans but also plenty of detractors. Cold, hard facts are not always enough to put the naysayers down, but they help. The names associated with Allen as he moves up the team’s all-time list might be enough to silence a critic or two. (Blues)

As hot as the Chicago Wolves have been, they failed to catch up to the one team ahead of them in the standings. Grand Rapids managed to hold off a rather game Wolves squad but it took extra time on two occasions. (Wolves)

Next: Which Opponent Should The Blues Want In The Playoffs

Under the helm of former Blues President John Davidson, the Columbus Blue Jackets have come quite a ways. Now, after clinching their first playoff berth in three years, they have their sights aimed at even loftier goals. (NHL)

Jaromir Jagr has played for seven teams since leaving Pittsburgh. Despite all that time away, many fans not associated with the Penguins still associate him with the Steel City. So, it was nice to see even the black and gold gome around and honor Jagr with a video tribute when the Panthers came to town. (NHL)

Have a great day Blues fans!