Most of us attended some type of school when we were young, whether it was at a state school, a private school, or, in some cases, a micro school, or some other alternative type of learning model. What I’m getting at is this: in most of our experiences, we probably recall that one individual who was absolutely brilliant, awesome to talk with, and fit in with just about everyone. The catch is that they just never received the best grade, or grades.
That’s the vibe I’m getting with the 2024-25 St. Louis Blues. They are that one team I can’t help but tune in and watch just to see what they’re up to. And wow, have they been a blast to follow. Here are just a few reasons the Blues have made 2024-25 fun:
- General Manager Doug Armstrong’s gutsy move to bring in a couple of building blocks.
- The number of close calls and third-period comebacks.
- The injury bug and subsequent relentlessness.
- Firing Drew Bannister through his brief period as head coach and replacing him with Jim Montgomery.
Yeah, it’s been a roller-coaster experience for Blues fans, and predictably, the team hasn’t been that good. So, I can’t give them a decent grade two months into the season. But, this was also a group I thought would for sure fall well below even moderate expectations, and they haven’t done that.
St. Louis Blues are fun; they’re just not that good so far in 2024-25
Yes, the Blues are fun, as you can rarely count them out of a game unless they’re en route to losing 8-1, or something. Still, their feisty play has them at 12-12-2 before Thursday night. Not a bad record, considering the injuries and adversity early in the year. Still, you’d like to see the Blues, at some point early in the Jim Montgomery era, rise above and play better hockey consistently.
With Montgomery, the question isn’t about if this will happen but when. This is a coach with a track record of success and one who, in the past, has taken teams with less-than-stellar talent on paper and turned them into something. Just look at the 2023-24 Boston Bruins if you want any confirmation, following an offseason that saw them lose players due to retirement and free agency.
So, if you’re a Blues fan, optimism should be the only word in your dictionary while they continue to improve on what was supposed to be a throwaway season. For me, they’re just an average team that has shown flashes, and played mainly exciting hockey, regardless of the final tally on the scoreboard. But, at other times, looked like a team in a retool.
That said, their letter grade is a ‘C,’ but with potential to rise beyond that at midseason, and perhaps if they’re in outer orbit for the playoff race.