Pattern Presents a Problem

The Blues got out a brilliant start this season, winning five of their first six. They came from behind in three of those five victories, showing heart and spirit. Over the past three games, this spirit has disappeared.

After a tough road loss in Detroit in which a horrid call cost the Blues at least one point, when captain David Backes was ejected for a hit to the head (it was actually to the shoulder), the Blues came home for a four game stretch in St. Louis. The first game of the homestand was against a Nashville team that they'd beaten twice already this season and did so soundly at home the second time with a 3-0 win. One would expect the Predators to be tired of losing to the Blues and to come out with a big effort. Well, they certainly did that and the Blues had no answer for it. The final was 6-1 and it was pretty embarrassing. I fell asleep after it was 3-0 and it was pretty obvious that the Blues were content to lay an egg that night. I wrote it off, as many of us did, to these things will happen on occasion, especially with such a condensed schedule. With Detroit coming in two days later, they'd want to take it to them after they got robbed at the Red Wings' place just days earlier. Wrong. The Blues came out strong in the first, but got behind 2-0 fairly early and had a "woe is me" lull. They began to play well again in the second and got a power play goal from Alex Pietrangelo to cut it to a 2-1 Detroit lead. In the blink of an eye, the Wings answered with two goals in 1:31 and that was all she wrote. It was 4-1 and even with a period left, they essentially gave up. That one lull right after scoring cost them the game.

Saturday night, the Blues had Anaheim in town. The Blues grabbed the momentum early with a quick power play goal, but they gave it right back when goalie Brian Elliott gave up perhaps his softest goal of the season, a straight shot right off his arm that trickled across the line. The Blues hung with it and while I feel they didn't outplay the Ducks by that much in the first, finished the period with a 3-1 lead. Things fell apart in the second period. Anaheim scored three goals in a span of 1:41, with defensive breakdown after defensive breakdown. Obvious plays like putting a body on a guy who is approaching 700 career goals in Teemu Selanne escaped the Blues during this span and it cost them. A two goal lead became a one goal deficit almost instantly. The Blues would rally with a goal to tie it at four early in the third and then the two team would trade goals in the last six and a half minutes of the third, forcing overtime. The Blues caught a bad break when they scored what looked to be the winner in overtime, just to have it waived off when Patrik Berglund was shoved into the Ducks' goalie and eventually lost in the shootout. But the point stands, that it never should have come down to overtime. Without the Blues taking two minutes off in which they allowed three goals, they would've been in great shape to win the game. 

The most frustrating thing for me after the game on Saturday as I walked out of the arena with my friends, was some moron started sarcastically chanting Brian Elliott's name. I pointed out how his defense hung him out to dry during that three goal span, but he just argued it further. Elliott hasn't been good over the last few games by any stretch of the imagination, but to blame solely him for the Blues' losing streak is ignorant and short sighted. Saturday's game was a team loss and so were the other three games before it. The Blues need to get it together and start putting together team wins again.

I'm aware that players are more likely to be tired with the shortened scheduled, but that can't be an excuse with every team dealing with those issues. No one is going to feel sorry for the Blues. They have to get back to playing the way they were at the beginning of the season, not taking shifts off, fore checking relentlessly, and being accountable on defense. If the Blues do that, they can get back on track and contend with the Blackhawks for the Central Division title.

The End of an Era

When I read that Nicklas Lidstrom had retired this morning, it made me smile from ear to ear. Not because I think he's a douche. Not because I think he's well past his prime and that he hung on too long. Because I think he's great and he played for a team I despise.

When a great player plays for a team that constantly stops your own from winning titles, playoff series, and lots of regular season games, you're going to hate him. This is how Bears fans feel about Brett Favre, how Cavs fans feel about Michael Jordan, and how Cubs fans felt about He Who Shall Not Be Named before he went to some stupid red team in California.

Lidstrom wasn't known for the bone-jarring hits of a Scott Stevens, the laser slap shot of an Al MacInnis, or even the vocal leadership of a Mark Messier. However, he made the proper checks in his own zone when they were needed. Lidstrom always found a way to get the puck to the net, either with his initial shot or with a deflection of the boards which he perfected, making him a menace on the power play. He led by example both on and off the ice and was described by teammates as a perfect person. Of course, if a guy helped me get into the playoffs every year and win a bunch of titles, I doubt I'd have many bad things to say about him either.

I'm thrilled that the St. Louis Blues will never have to kill another penalty with Lidstrom on the blue line, worry about him making an outlet pass, or have to try and dump it by him into the offensive zone. The Red Wings fell apart without him in the lineup for the 12 games he missed last year, which opened the door for the Blues to win the division. I'm sure Detroit will find a nice replacement with all of the money they have to spend towards the cap. Perhaps they'll lure Ryan Suter away from the Predators, but he's not Nick Lidstrom, nor will he ever be. And for that, I am very thankful. The door is definitely open for the Blues. They just have to step through it.

Home Ice is Still Within Grasp for the Blues

The Blues have taken a bit of a skid as of late, winning just three of their last ten. They certainly laid an egg in the game last Saturday when they hosted Columbus. The Blues didn't respond well when the Blue Jackets got physical and they spent the majority of the third period with at least one player in the penalty box because of it. It's difficult to score goals when you're constantly outnumbered on the ice.

That said, St. Louis did play a much better game on Wednesday when they hosted Detroit. They may have lost, but they did pick up one point before succumbing to the Red Wings in the skills competition...err... shootout. The Blues have struggled for most of the season in shootouts, posting just a 4-10 record in them. Luckily, only two more games this season, tonight's and tomorrow's, have the possibility of going into one. After that, ties after regulation will result in the most beautiful thing in sports: sudden death overtime hockey, play until someone scores. This comes from a guy who watched the third longest game in NHL history when the Penguins and Flyers went five overtimes back in 2000. And it was a school night. I'm pretty sure my mom had thought I went to bed, but I stayed up until I saw Keith Primeau end it for the Flyers. I was disappointed, since I was cheering for Pittsburgh, but it was an amazing hockey game just the same. I hope for a few similar contests this spring.

Even with the Blues' struggles as of late, they got a nice gift from the Calgary Flames on Thursday night. Calgary trailed the Vancouver Canucks 1-0 heading to the third period, but the Flames managed to light the lamp three times in the third and held on for a 3-2 win over the Canucks in regulation. This kept Vancouver within two points of the Blues with one game remaining, while the Blues still have two left to play. Based on tie -breakers, the Blues will take the top seed in the conference if they win out, regardless of what Vancouver does in their final game. That is a huge opportunity for the Blues, seeing as they've posted a 30-5-5 record at home so far this season, with the 30 home wins being a franchise record. Their 65 points at home this year are the best in the league, one point ahead of Detroit, who has gone 31-7-2 at home. The Wings have their home finale tomorrow afternoon against Chicago, who would take the five seed from Detroit with a win. I'm not sure either team wants the five seed, as they will end up playing Nashville in the first round, who is certain to me a tougher opponent than the winner of the Pacific Division. So for those watching on NBC, you may see a game of "who's better at throwing this game without making it look too obvious." The current leader in the Pacific is the Los Angeles Kings, who have a tremendous goaltender in Jonathan Quick, but other than that, aren't nearly as threatening as the Predators.

The Blues will host Phoenix tonight. The Coyotes have already been assured a playoff spot, but they could win out and take the division title from the Kings, so they have a lot to play for still. The Stars, on the other hand, have nothing to play for but roster spots and contracts on Saturday. It shouldn't be a walkover game for the Blues, but they should definitely win it. Hopefully, with their first regular season conference title since the 1999-2000 season within their grasp, the Blues will show up more like they did against Detroit than they did against Columbus. The Canucks do finish up tomorrow night at home against Edmonton, one of the worst teams in the league, so the Blues should count on needing to win both to win the conference. I'm certainly looking forward to watching it all unfold tomorrow night, especially if the Blues win tonight.