I don’t know about you, but if I had to choose between playing more games against a team that ended with the fewest points in the league last season or the Stanley Cup Champions, I’m taking the latter. It’s counterintuitive, and I know I’m in the unpopular opinion category, but I cannot stand playing games against bad teams so early in the year.
Just two days ago, the St. Louis Blues built momentum in a come-from-behind win against the Seattle Kraken, and that trend should continue tonight. While I still don’t have a ton of faith in the Blues, I’m optimistic enough that if they play a solid game, they’ll escape San Jose, California, with the W.
Yeah, they’re playing a team that finished 19-54-9 last year and were absolute snoozers to watch if you cared to tune in. Okay, maybe not snoozers because few teams can rival the Blues in terms of uniforms, and those alone made the Sharks worth watching, but even with another year of retooling in their near future, the Blues, on paper, should have this one locked up.
That’s if they don’t play down to or underestimate Macklin Celebrini and Company. Speaking of “on paper,” the Sharks are a better hockey team but a far cry from even remotely contending for the postseason, barring some unforeseen miracle.
St. Louis Blues cannot fall into a trap game so early in the year
From “it’s only preseason” to “it’s only the second game of the season,” I know there’s always a contingent of fans out there who won’t even bother to tune into Blues hockey until about January when the season starts to “matter.” But if you ask me, the 2024-25 campaign already matters because if you want the Blues to build good habits, now is the time.
That means not taking it easy against teams like the Sharks but going in, playing a strong game, and treating them as if they’re the Florida Panthers. Losing tonight obviously won’t break the season with 80 games to go, but how many times have we seen teams pull off some magnificent come-from-behind wins or even skate away winning a thriller in an instant classic, only to lose to a team they should have skated all over?
Right now, the Blues fit that description, being that team down by a pair of goals, only to win in a thriller, thanks in part to Jordan Binnington’s excellent goaltending. So, winning a game they probably shouldn’t have after looking like the flat hockey team they were in the preseason is great, but we’ll be right back to Square One tonight if they find a way to lose to the (still) lowly Sharks.