The St. Louis Blues of old took two series off but they’ve showed up in a big way in the third round against the San Jose Sharks. The competent, powerful hockey team that sent the Blackhawks and Stars home is missing. In its place is a pathetic, embarrassing club which struggles to string two passes together and haven’t scored since the second period in Game 1.
Without Brian Elliott’s outstanding (and lucky) Game 1 performance, the Blues would be in a 3-0 hole and the brooms would be ready in San Jose. Based on how they’ve played in Game 2 and Game 3, they deserve to be on the brink of elimination. That’s not the case, but it might as well be unless things turn around and in a hurry.
This isn’t two of the top NHL teams competing in the Conference Final. This is a junior club being taken behind the woodshed by a Cup contender.
There isn’t an easy “fix this and good things will happen” message which can be delivered or discussed. Everything is broken and the Blues have now gone multiple games without finding any sort of solution. After Game 2, I preached that the team’s failure to adapt on the fly cost them. They played stubborn, stupid hockey and they deserved to lose. Game 3 started out a bit more promising, but then it’s as if someone gave a bunch of newborns skates and asked them to face the Sharks.
It’s embarrassing. Blues fans know all about embarrassment, but this is a new kind. The team made it this far for the first time in 15 years. They have the eyes of the city on them, especially now that the Rams are history, and they’re putting in an effort which will drive away casual fans and make the die hard fans resent the club even more than they already do.
It’s one thing to lose a tight battle. It’s another to get beaten so badly that you wish no one was watching.
Unless the Blues change things in a hurry, this could be one of the biggest disappointments in St. Louis Blues history.
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