St. Louis Blues hope to find their identity
The St. Louis Blues had many different faces during the 2017-18 season. What is the true identity of this team?
At different points of this season, the St. Louis Blues were surprising, disappointing and everything in between. For a good portion of the year, they seemed like legitimate cup contenders. But with a horrible finish, the Blues failed to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Throughout their history, this has been the story. “They can do it this year,” people will say. “They’ve got what it takes.” Starting with their 0-16 record in the Stanley Cup Finals, the Blues have just never had things go their way.
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This season was no exception. Through the month of October, the Blues looked absolutely terrifying, with a record of 10-2-1. Everything was clicking despite a number of injuries. Every move the Blues had made to bolster their depth was showing. This team represented how good the Blues could really be.
Things started to slow down a bit in November. In 12 games, the Blues would end up with just seven wins. Their record still looked fantastic at 17-7-1, but perhaps reality was beginning to sink in. In December, they would only win seven of their of 15 games.
Even appearing on the verge of collapse, St. Louis did their very best to cast off the dark cloud looming over them. They finished January with an impressive 7-3-1 record. Unfortunately, the remainder of the season would be the downfall of the team.
The Blues would go on to win just 13 of their next 28 games, keeping them out of playoff contention. I could go over the entire season-ending Avalanche game, but Blues fans have probably heard enough about that.
Next Season
The real tragedy of this team was not really the downfall itself. Just look at who they had on their roster: Brayden Schenn, Vladimir Tarasenko, Jaden Schwartz, Alex Pietrangelo. Even backup goalie Carter Hutton. This team should not be missing the playoffs. Not in a million years.
As the Blues move away from this disappointing season, they are going through an identity crisis. They have a good team built around some great (and overlooked) talents. In the upcoming season, the Blues have to decide who they really are.
With the addition of Ryan O’Reilly, they have the capability to be one of the best teams in the league. If the Blues are able to play to their full ability, they can be a scary team to go up against. Losing Carter Hutton will hurt, but it won’t stop them. St. Louis needs to realize that they have the talent, and they have it now.
The only lesson they should take from the 2017-18 season is that even good teams like themselves can end up out of the playoffs for a variety of reasons. Whether that be injuries, randomness, or something else. The Blues don’t merely have a middle-of-the-pack roster. This is one that should be trying to go all the way.
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It’s time for the Blues to realize their full potential. I really like this team, and I hope that a disappointing 2017-18 campaign will not dash their spirits. The Blues have a good team and they should be treated that way going into next season.