The St. Louis Blues are currently a team that just cannot get out of bed on the correct side at home, apparently. Another poor start doomed them against the Utah Mammoth. I was at the game, so I'll skip the general recap since those who didn't watch it don't really want to know, and those who did watch it don't want to relive it.
Con: First period
Blame whoever you want for this. It's the entire team right now.
Some fans will yell at the coach to have them prepared. You can come up with the most detailed game plan and explain it perfectly, but Jim Montgomery can't get out on the ice and play.
Some fans will blame Joel Hofer. He hasn't had much luck thus far this season, but I don't personally blame him as much as in his last start. The defense allowed way too many chances with guys just walking in unscathed or just standing in the slot for a goalie to be at fault.
The reality is that everyone who laced up a pair of skates on this night was not good enough in the first period, except for maybe Jordan Binnington, and that workload was small enough to not count. The team continues to show up for puck drop, thinking they can ease into every game and win on talent. That just isn't true.
Pro: Broberg
Although everyone on the back end had a few breakdowns defensively, Philip Broberg was one of the few bright spots on the night. He used his stick well, placed himself in good spots even if he wasn't overly physical, and showcased his speed and drive with his decisiveness getting to the zone and the net.
All of this culminated in his goal. He had continually driven into the zone with speed and possession, but he got rewarded this time around by wrapping the puck all the way around the net and just barely tucking it over the blue line.
We already knew how good Broberg was, but if he can continue to play more games like he did in this one, he'll be a top-pair guy for sure.
Cons: Sarcastic fans
Look, I get it - you paid your money, you're disappointed and frustrated. I'm there with you.
However, I felt like too much of the crowd cheered too much when Binnington got put in. There's nothing wrong with the initial reaction, but Binner got cheered as soon as he stepped on the ice, again when he put his mask on and went to the crease, and yet again when they announced the goalie switch.
When the goals Hofer let in weren't on him alone, that's a little harsh to give that many cheers to the guy replacing him. The entire team could have played better in front of him, but the focus is on the goalie far too often.
Con: Power play
Although the Blues got a power play goal in this game, the loss is on that unit just as much as anything else. The team claws its way back into the game and has two key power plays in the last half of the second period and another pretty early in the third, and does nothing.
When I say nothing, I literally mean nothing. They generated about one shot and often couldn't even keep the puck in the zone.
It's early in the season, and the units are still trying to gel, but the power play is emblematic of what the Blues do in general. They pass way too much, try to set up something perfect, and scramble when things don't go their way.
Power plays don't score all the time, but you need them to come up big in big moments. So far this year, the power play always seems to fail in those key moments.
Pro: Battle back
What stinks about this game is that if you remove the first period, the Blues win 4-3. If you don't give yourself such a big hole, the team has the run of the play to win.
Still, you have to give them credit for finding a way to crawl into the game to begin with. In a small sample size, we have seen them just pack their bags up early and not do anything for the rest of these types of games.
I'm not looking for any moral victories, but at least now they've shown themselves they have the ability to overcome these things. Just get off to better starts and maybe they can come back from two or three goals down instead of four or five.
Overview:
Social media and call-in radio will be inundated with blame over the next couple of days. Logan Mailloux and Hofer will be popular targets, with reason, and then there's always the general blame on the guys who make the most money.
Let's be real, though. If Mailloux has a good game, the Blues still lose. If Jordan Kyrou or Robert Thomas has a good game, the Blues still lose.
There might be a small case to be made that the Blues don't lose if Hofer finds a way to stand on his head in the first period. Outside of that, nobody was saving that game because the entire team did not do enough.
You can assign blame on one play or one shift, but if you remove any one of the players you choose to blame for the entire game, it just does not make a difference in this game.
You cannot fall behind 4-0 in the first period and think you're going to win. You cannot allow a hat trick in the first period and blame it all on the goalie. Your defense has to prevent some of those passes, not look like they were skating in cement skates, and move their legs.
The offense cannot keep making passes, hoping someone will be there. You can't just stand around as though you're doing something when all you are doing is being a useless option. There are too many plays where the puck carrier has no option, so he dishes off just to get rid of it, and the guy that gets the puck loses it or doesn't have any options of his own. That's on both the puck carrier and the one standing around because neither is in a spot where they have a choice.
It's great to show that fight and dig your way back into a game. They simply cannot need to do that, though. Play the entire game like they did in the second and third, and you win. Continue to play like they did in the first period, and you can have Patrick Roy or Martin Brodeur in net, and you'll still lose plenty of games.