With a Blues team that’s coming off back-to-back disappointing starts to their season, it’s somewhat surprising to see Armstrong seemingly take the pressure off getting off to a good start when speaking before training camp.
The quote from Armstrong was, “It is a growth thing. We are not going to measure an individual on how we look on the Sunday after the first two games,” Armstrong said. “It’s a process, and we are in a process now where winning has to become part of the equation.”
Though there’s nothing wrong with that mindset, it still likely makes many Blues fans hold their breath because they’ve played this patience game each of the past two seasons after slow starts.
Should Blues fans be concerned if they start rough?
I would say yes and no. The team’s first two games are against Dallas and Colorado, who we know are entering this season among the Cup favorites, and going 0-2 to start the season wouldn’t be the end of the world. With that being said, they cannot come out and get beaten down in the same fashion they did in last year’s opener and not expect pushback.
We saw far more success this past season when the Blues committed to their top line of Robert Thomas, Dylan Holloway, and Jimmy Snuggerud rather than making nearly nightly changes to their forward lines.
The first two games will provide a reality check to see if they can compete with high-end talent. If they prove unable to compete with Dallas and Colorado, then I think Armstrong’s words will be questioned as to why he downplayed the pressure of winning these first few games.
Which players need to step up early?
There’s no question that all eyes are on Robert Thomas to start this season. Thomas has missed over 10 games in the first half of each of the past two seasons, and he’s been under his usual point-per-game-plus pace during those stretches as well.
Despite a lot of reports that the Blues may not name a captain this year,Thomas being named captain earlier this month significantly increases the pressure on him going into this season. I think the tone he sets in those first two games could be crucial, and it shouldn’t be downplayed how important a hot start is for him.
On top of that, Thomas will need someone to step up into that first-line winger role. Jimmy Snuggerud and Dylan Holloway have certainly shown the potential to be those guys, but regardless, in order for Thomas to get off to a strong start, these two need to step up.
Lastly, and arguably most importantly, Joel Hofer needs to ensure, from Game 1, that he’s the guy who can take the Blues back to the playoffs. Hofer had a brutal start that was overlooked because of his fantastic play down the stretch, but Binnington is at the stage in his career where he may not be able to offer a lifeline if Hofer proves early that he can’t handle a starter’s workload.
In sum, Armstrong is right that two losses against two of the best teams in the NHL will not necessarily kill their season. However, if they don’t show some life, it shouldn’t be out of the question for the team to start panicking, at least a little bit.
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