The St. Louis Blues lost on the road again, dropping a winnable contest against the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night. The Blackhawks hadn’t won in eight contests, but picked up a win over the Blues by a 1-0 score.
Why does it seem like the Blues are always one step away from breaking through in 2018-19? That same thought could be extended to the Blues as a whole over nearly their entire existence, but let’s keep it focused on the current season.
Against Chicago, the Blues’ defense only allowed 19 total shots on Jake Allen. That’s a stark improvement over the 50 shots they allowed in an OT loss to the Blackhawks earlier this season. Speaking of Allen, he played well and gave the Blues a great chance to win – something we haven’t been able to say too often this season.
Unfortunately, the offense went missing. The Blues couldn’t muster a goal on 28 shots. They once again made Corey Crawford look like a star.
It’s always something. If the defense plays well it’s the offense that’s missing. When the offense shows up, the defense and goaltending leave a lot to be desired. When the Blues find a way to mesh all of their pieces together to pick up a win or two, something goes wrong to bring their streak to a halt.
The Blues are capable of better. Even with some glaring inconsistencies on defense and between the pipes, they should still have the tools to go on a bit of a run. There’s absolutely no excuse for the team to be last in the Central Division, 14th in the Western Conference and 30th in the NHL.
At what point will the Blues make a change?
Head coach Mike Yeo is the easy target following 16 games of mediocrity. His criticisms have been loud and well documented. With the roster being mostly overhauled over the summer, he’s the one piece the Blues could change in an attempt to right the ship. It’s possible a new voice with a new strategy could pull the Blues together enough to climb out of the league’s basement.
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