The St. Louis Blues dropped their first two preseason games, and a contingent of fans will always say that's a cause for concern. But really, it's not necessary. Not after two measly games where we never saw a ton of players slated to make the big club in action.
And even if we did? It's still not worth worrying about. Preseason games don't count for a reason. This is when you see coaches and players try new strategies, different lines, and maybe even techniques. These are practice games, and that would be the case even if A-squad players were going against and losing to B-squad players.
Heck, preseason's only entertaining because you get to see the occasional rookie enjoy some epic performances. Something we've already seen from Justin Carbonneau. Carbonneau's given fans a reason to believe, but players like him aren't the only ones worth watching until the games start to matter.
It's also when you see guys destined for organizational depth shine. And if they do, we can say, "Hey, maybe they can be a solid 'next man up' should injuries strike?" That's all preseason is: Watch a few youngsters string together some epic performances and watch the general manager and coaching staff evaluate talent.
No reason to panic after the St. Louis Blues drop two straight games
I'll tell you what: If the Blues are losing games consistently come November 1st, I'll say it's okay to think about panicking. But even then, it's so early in the season that they could righten the ship and end up back in the playoffs.
So, when's it okay to push that panic button? Why not January, when the playoff race is fleshed out more? At the absolute earliest? Mid-December, especially if injuries hit the team hard.
But even then, I have a tough time giving Blues fans permission to panic even in January, for obvious reasons. Because if the Blues haven't looked like the 2024-25 version that we saw take the league by storm late last season in January, maybe history will end up repeating itself, if you catch my drift.
That said, Blues fans, of all fanbases, should know better than to panic after two preseason games in September. I know most of you won't panic, but there's always that clique that will. But flash back to the 2018-19 campaign, and you might change your tune.
Because things ended well for the Blues that season. And yes, I was listening to Laura Branigan's "Gloria" while writing this article.