It’s early, but the Blues need more from their forwards

Kevin Shattenkirk already has three goals and three assists on the year and is well on his way to the impressive totals he set in 2015-16 (14 goals and 30 assists). Why are Shattenkirk’s numbers being brought up at the beginning of an article discussing the team’s need for offense from their forwards? Because Shattenkirk is currently tied for second on the team in goals (he shares the second spot with Paul Stastny and David Perron) and is fourth on the team in points.

Shattenkirk’s early accomplishments should be applauded, but the fact he’s near the top of the team’s offensive stats with eight games in the books is a bit concerning.

Before you say it – Yes, it’s early. But, the season is roughly 10% complete and the early showings from the team’s forwards have left a lot to be desired.

There are plenty of players who need to step things up. It wouldn’t be fair to call out anyone individually considering it’s a group effort which has caused the Blues to stumble offensively. The chances have been there for numerous players. The club’s most recent game against the Detroit Red Wings did feature an outstanding performance from goaltender Petr Mrazek, but the Blues also missed some big opportunities. That inability to capitalize more than once on 32 shots resulted in a shootout loss instead of two points. That may not seem like too big of a deal now, but those missed points could come back in a bad way in the spring.

The Blues as a whole need to find more offense. They’ve averaged 2.63 goals per game which is only good enough to be ranked 19th in the NHL. The defense has been better (2.50 allowed per game – 11th in the NHL), but the offense has to be better if the Blues are going to be a legitimate Cup threat.

Historically, the Blues have loved to be consistently inconsistent. That’s been on full display so far in 2016-17 and the other usual descriptions for this team (lacking a killer instinct, failing to capitalize on glorious opportunities) continue to ring true. Injuries have played a role and there is of course still time to improve, but so far the Blues look rather tame on offense.