The Blues — and this includes Vladimir Tarasenko and Ryan O’Reilly — did this to themselves.
But now, not only are they down in the standings, but they’re also down that duo for more than a month.
Alas, here’s thinking the Blues will be in a situation, come the March 3 deadline, in which it’s best to trade Tarasenko and O’Reilly.
It’s a deflating reality that only can be altered by reliable play from the unreliable Blues.
The underachieving Blues.
The underwhelming Blues.
Perhaps the best way to describe these Blues is comparing them to the pre-Jordan Binnington Blues of 2018-2019. Come to think of it, the Blues could arrive at Jan. 7 — the famous date in Blues history — with an eerily similar record. Currently 17-17-3, the Blues have road games against the superior Maple Leafs (Tuesday) and Devils (Thursday). And so, the Blues could enter Friday’s Jan. 7 game in Montreal with a record of 17-19-3. They were 16-19-4 on Jan. 7, 2019 — the day Binnington took over in goal, the Blues shut out the Flyers in Philadelphia and “Gloria” was first played by the players.
That Blues team went on an epic run to make the playoffs and win it all.
This Blues team needs to go on an epic run just to keep the team together for the end of the year.
Tarasenko (hand) will be reevaluated in a month. O’Reilly (broken foot) in six weeks. Both fellows have expiring contracts. By the time they are back, those two could be traded shortly thereafter. It’s the business of the game — if you’re not going to be a Cup contender, then you do everything you can to make you one for the next year.
During Monday’s news conference, I asked Blues boss Doug Armstrong: What do you need to see from the team that’ll keep you from being a seller at the trade deadline?
“Well, I think your record, obviously, is the first and foremost (teller of) where you’re at,” said Armstrong, who is the Blues’ president of hockey operations and general manager. “And then, good play. I think that we need just a better team game. And that starts with our coaches and management to make it a No. 1 priority to defend.
“I look at some of the last games Binnington’s been in. He walks out a game with a .890 or .910 save percentage, yet he’s a first star by a mile, by the number of chances that we give up. We have to we have to defend better, we have to take pride in defending and we have to hold everyone accountable to defending. I mean, you just look at the underlying stats — our defensive game is poor. And we need our best players to play better defending.”
Notably Colton Parayko.
He was supposed to be a star. Or, at least, a stalwart. But here we are, another year wondering when he’ll play tougher and make smarter plays more routinely. Just 10 points in 34 games. And while plus-minus isn’t the end-all-be-all stat some make it out to be, he is minus-14. That’s ninth-worst of all defensemen in the National Hockey League.
Of course, Parayko isn’t the lone reason the Blues are average — but his play encapsulates his disappointing team.
“He’s a better player than he’s showed this year. And he knows it,” Armstrong said. “I’ve got the utmost faith in him that he’s going to find it. And just being in hockey and being around hockey, not every day, every week, every month is going to go your way. But the very competitive players make those changes quickly. I think these guys are going to do it, I know they are.”
The Blues’ problem isn’t just their defense. Their offense can be pretty offensive, too. Maybe the advanced stats were right about Ivan Barbashev’s 2021-22 being an outlier year? O’Reilly is known for bringing the best out of guys, but he hasn’t been able to do that with linemates this year. And Brandon Saad has been baad.
“We pass up too many good scoring opportunities,” Armstrong said. “We get too cute offensively with the puck.”
The onus is on the big names. Even Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas, who are around a point-per-game this season, need to elevate their play at times. And now, without the captain and an alternate captain, the Blues are down two veteran leaders, too. Some locker-room lieutenant is going to have to rise. But who will actually do it? Is it Justin Faulk? Noel Acciari? If the Blues want to play winning hockey, it starts with inspiration to do so.
“We have to get joy back into being a hard-working team,” Armstrong said. “A team that defends first and foremost and plays for the other guys. And if we do that, I think we can surprise people. If we don’t do that, it’s going to be a long second half of the season.”
