COMMENTARY | As
heavy favorites to win the Stanley Cup the past two seasons, the St. Louis
Blues have stumbled and once again made an ungraceful exit from the first round
of the playoffs. Both years, the Blues have yet to win a series. Blues’ fans
felt that this time the Blues actually had a chance to win against the
Minnesota Wild. It would be a hard series, but it was predicted that the Blues
would eventually come out on top.
Is Hitchcock to
Blame?
Fans and commentators have been considering what the future
of head coach Ken Hitchcock, who has been with the club for four seasons,
holds. Hitchcock has transformed the St. Louis Blues from a team that was
unexceptional to a team that is able to consistently win hockey games. Under
the tutelage of Hitchcock, the Blues are able to be true contenders for the top
spot within their division each season. The Blues and Hitchcock came to a one
year contract agreement earlier this month. He will be behind the Blues bench
for another season.
Hitchcock’s leadership throughout the season is strong and
the players respond well. So, what is it about the playoffs that cause the
Blues to lose leadership? Does Hitchcock change his type of coaching during a
playoff series? It would be unlikely that his whole coaching approach changes
once the playoffs begin. I think that Hitchcock has been a strong leader for
the team, working with what he has been given. However, when a team earns a
reputation for being unable to win a playoff series, the players go into the series
with a little too much to prove and end up falling flat on their face.
Ken Hitchcock has experience that has proven effective
during regular season play. He has been a rock-solid coach behind the Blues
bench and has earned the respect of his players. Fans are still sounding off about bringing
Hitchcock back for another season. Personally, I think it was a solid move on
the part of the Blues.
Forwards Not
Producing
Many people are contemplating the potential dissection of
the backbone of the team. David Backes, team captain, and TJ Oshie, Olympic
hero, are both exceptional players during the regular season. When it comes to
the playoffs though, they are not able to produce for their team.
Backes is a shrewd player who does have the ability to
motivate his team and lead them through a successful season as their captain.
But, once the playoffs begin, he begins to fade away and his lacking leadership
ability becomes problematic. Backes has become a strong personality within the
St. Louis community. Fans of every demographic love him and give him their
devoted support. Many of those fans are now asking could it be time for him to
part ways with the Blues.
Oshie is without a doubt a fan favorite, especially the
female fans, and is very active within the St. Louis community. He won over the
hearts of fans around the country during the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
He has been riding on that high ever since. Oshie is a player who has the
know-how to set up plays and make things happen on the ice during the regular
season. Oshie is a strong leader within the locker room and his many of his
teammates look to him to lead them to the all-important win. Oshie, like
Backes, fades away during the playoffs. You have to wonder if Oshie has grown
as much as he can as a player while in St. Louis. Would he succeed on a
different team under different leadership or with the Blues with a different
head coach?
The Goaltending
Question
Jake Allen, the Blues rookie goaltender, came into the
playoffs with poise and had a team in front of him who protected him well. By
the end of Game 5, his poise was shaken. There had been little offense and a
defense that was no longer giving him the protection he had come to rely on.
The blame of losing the first round has been placed on Allen’s shoulders. But
that is not a fair assessment. While Allen showed big cracks in his confidence,
it was his team that failed to produce offense. Then there were the empty-net
goals that Allen could do nothing about.
Simply Outplayed
It is sometimes hard to face the fact that the Blues faced a
better team. All the analyzing plays and second guessing decisions are not
going to change that fact. There is no definitive way of saying which team is
the better team. The better team is the one that was able to create offense
while staying with a proven and effective defense. Not taking unnecessary or
just plain stupid penalties is also key to becoming the better team.
The Blues had a great, winning season that allowed Hitchcock
to showcase several of their young guns: Vladimir Tarasenko, Alex Pietrangelo ,
Kevin Shattenkirk, and Jake Allen re a few of the younger players
who will be the building blocks of the team in the future. The playoff series
against the Minnesota Wild highlighted the Blues’ weaknesses; Steve Ott is a
weak link while on the ice and has not contributed much to the team. The entire
defense was a puzzling jumble most of the season. The Blues are in the process
of evolving and building a Stanley Cup worthy team.
