What is going on with this team?
It’s been a while since Blues fans have been treated to a stretch of play this putrid. What began as a good effort loss to the Winnipeg Jets last week has slid into an absolute dumpster fire in which it looks like the Blues are actively trying to lose games.
Their 6-2 loss against the Nashville Predators was bad, but their 7-4 loss on Saturday night against the Montreal Canadiens was atrocious. A blown 3-1 lead slid into a meltdown that was absolutely inexcusable, home ice or not.
Hopefully coach Craig Berube was able to practice the lack of confidence right out of this team yesterday. The team knows what they need to do, the coaches know what they need to do – let’s hope that they do it. This is the longest regulation losing streak under Berube, but that doesn’t mean it’s something to sleep on. Early season points mean as much as late season points, and after starting off with a three game win streak, a four game losing streak is inexcusable. A loss tonight to the Kings would push that over into unknown territory for this coaching staff.
“It’s about staying with things and playing the right way all the time,” Berube said. “We’re letting teams off the hook. We had a 3-1 lead and we turn a puck over or we don’t make good puck play and we kinda give them a little momentum when we don’t need to. We gotta keep hammering teams, keep going at ’em with our game. I don’t feel like we’re doing that for 60 minutes.”
That’s not exactly a quote from Berube that’s specific to just this season, is it?
The Kings come in tonight with a .500 record, but so did the Habs on Saturday, so we all know how much the opposition’s record means to the Blues’ success. Both Jonathan Quick and Cal Peterson are struggling as the season begins, and that’s something that’s like reverse catnip to Blues scorers right now.
Here’s hoping that the Blues give us some full bars for Halloween tonight instead of being those weird people who give out pennies and toothbrushes. We all had that house in our neighborhood, and no one liked them.