Earlier this week, St. Louis Blues General Manager Doug Armstrong held a small session with reporters to discuss the state of this team. The hope was to light a fire under his players, and it did much more than that.
It struck a nerve, and the players took it personally. The result of that led to a 1-0 victory over the team that ended their season back in May, in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Blues absolved their demon and beat the Winnipeg Jets on home ice in front of their die-hard fans.
Armstrong's words resonated
Armstrong expressed his disappointment at the start of this season, especially after how well last season was. The expectations were high, and this team isn't even smelling them right now. He also commented on their being no untouchables, which, in my opinion, was the strongest thing he could say.
The player felt that and used it as motivation to do better. And, with those 60 minutes of hard-fought hockey against the Jets, this moment in time might have changed the trajectory of this season.
Tilt versus Rangers will prove how much it hurt to hear
The recent win against the Jets was the first of a back-to-back, with the New York Rangers coming to town on Thursday. Montgomery's words struck a nerve, but how deeply did they hurt these players?
If the Rangers come into the Enterprise Center and go scorched-earth on goaltender Jordan Binnington and the Blues, and win in blowout fashion, obviously, it wasn't enough. The time for trades and movement will be quick and swift.
But, after seeing the Blues 'success against a solid team like the Jets, and their two new players having favorable impressions in their Blues debuts, they should be able to carry it over. This tilt against the Rangers will reveal a lot about this team.