Is the pressure on coach Ken Hitchcock this season? That’s the topic of a recent STLToday article which provided some interesting quotes from both the coach and from general manager Doug Armstrong.
The Blues as a whole are under the magnifying glass after building strong teams and tumbling out of the playoffs year after year. With Hitchcock’s system fully in effect and the core group of players remaining intact over the last few years, the blame will have to go somewhere should the Blues miss out on a deep playoff run.
According to Armstrong, the heat is on the players.
“I think now there’s a less ‘feeling-out,’ or ‘getting-to-know’ period between him and the players. The new players come in and feed off the experience of the players that have been here. So he’s not having to sell as much as he probably had to sell his thoughts. Now, quite honestly, it’s basically up to the players to get the job done.”
The article as a whole is one that could use some discussion. Usually these types of articles and comments only come out when someone’s job is in jeopardy. A GM usually doesn’t have to state his confidence in a coach unless there’s a problem. That may be reading too far into things, but it’s a thought.
As for Armstrong’s comments, he’s right on the money. Though with his flaws, Hitchcock is an outstanding coach. The Blues would have a tough time finding better. Should the Blues fall well short again in 2014-15, the blame (barring an obvious flaw from a coaching perspective) has to fall on the players.
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