Few coaches know how to win more than Jim Montgomery, who has a Presidents' Trophy and the Jack Adams Award on his resume. He's a great coach, and when his team isn't playing to his standard, a great coach like Montgomery will call them out.
That's what he did recently following the Blues' practice on Monday, two days after they beat the Dallas Stars 3-1. Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic shared the exchange between Montgomery and a reporter after the coach quipped that "Practice wasn't great."
When the reporter pressed him for more, Montgomery continued, “You want to know the real reason, or do you want to know the politically correct reason? The politically correct reason is we get happy after we win hockey games, and we don’t practice the right way.”
As for what "the real reason" was, Montgomery didn't elaborate. But it shows a distinct pattern, since the Blues, predictably, lost on Tuesday night to the Los Angeles Kings after putting up one measly goal.
St. Louis Blues are stuck in cycle young teams would do well to avoid
The problem here is that the Blues are getting younger, and with that youth comes less experience when they are winning. Players like Jordan Kyrou, Jimmy Snuggerud, Robert Thomas, Dylan Holloway, Jake Neighbours, Philip Broberg, Tyler Tucker, and Logan Mailloux figure to be part of that young core that has slowly replaced aging veterans over the years.
Do the math, and that's eight players. Add goaltender Joel Hofer to the mix, and you have nine guys in their mid-20s at the oldest, hoping to help bring this Blues team back to the playoffs. And with a young team like them, you need to perpetually hold them accountable, never conceding an inch until they prove they won't take a mile.
Still, the Blues aren't that young, with Pavel Buchnevich, Brayden Schenn, Colton Parayko, Cam Fowler, Justin Faulk, and Jordan Binnington expected to bring veteran leadership. So it's not just the youngsters Montgomery needs to call out, but the veterans who, right now, are doing a poor job of showing any kind of leadership.
Montgomery probably gave the entire team a harsh reality check
Montgomery might be mum on what "the real reason" is behind the Blues' inconsistent play, but the 23 players on the big club probably heard it. If it struck a chord, then the Blues should start playing the way they did late in 2024-25 when they looked like one of the NHL's fastest-rising teams.
If they don't, then expect Montgomery to get even harder on them, especially those who have shown constant, inconsistent play throughout the first six games of the season. Montgomery, the fans, and the team itself know that they're better than what they have shown everyone so far, but the Blues need to prove it.
And they can't afford to get stuck behind the eight-ball in a Central Division, where even the Chicago Blackhawks look like a relevant hockey team. Should this stagnation continue and Montgomery can't get through to them, fans will be talking more about Gavin McKenna than about the Blues making the playoffs.