Wow we lose 3 games in a row and this garbage is starting. Hey experts, ITS OCTOBER! Maybe if andy murray will just keep a set of lines instead of putting janssen on a line with oshie and perron, we could be 3-1-1

My take on the Blues:

1. Every team in the past that has opened in Europe has tanked during the regular season.

2. Goaltending is still a long term issue – we still don’t have a goaltender of the future on staff.

3. The kids will have a normal south more jinx.

4. The defense is very much suspect.

5. The Blues will regret signing Murray to an extension.

6. The Blues will not make the playoffs this year.

JEFF GORDON
With the return of Erik Johnson and Paul Kariya and the addition of Ty Conklin and Darryl Sydor, this team has an excellent talent base. I like this mix of young players and battle-tested veterans.

This group of veterans have never won a playoff game together. How can you say they are battle-tested. Watching the game last night this team doesn’t look all that great. They seemed to have snuck up on teams last year. This year that won’t happen. We’ll see how talented this group really is.

WIN NOW.
WIN NOW.
WIN NOW.

Hey Imus, it’s a sophmore slump ya moron.

Check that Sophomore.

Will the veterans have an abnormal North Less jinks? Your post is sophomoric; your jinks are Hi.

Thank you for the correction - John John!

Please ESAD!

I have no problems with the team losing some games, but where is the passion we saw the second half of last year?
Excluding the first two games, the level at which the Blues have played is very disappointing.

I believe in just enjoying every game without any expectations attached. remember, no expectations mean no disappointments.

Mr. Mus (or is that Pus?):

1. Coincidence. Big deal. Do you expect the Red Wings to tank too? They opened in Europe.

2. Ben Bishop is very much a “goaltender of the future on staff.” He’s not ready for the big time, which is why Mason is here and Conklin signed as a backup. Netminder development takes time, and Bishop is ahead of the curve.

3. I’d say your pun on “sophomore” was less than sophomoric; more like infantile.

4. I would agree only on the basis that Darryl Sydor is in the top six. Once he’s removed, I think the blue line is fine. It wasn’t as if Jay McKee was the answer.

5. Signing Murray to an extension was a wise decision. He’s an excellent coach, and he also admits to maturing as a coach. Something not many people in his position are willing to admit. Would you rather he was belligerent, like a few Sutter brothers I could mention, and say that “his way works, and I ain’t changin’”???

6. The Blues WILL make the playoffs this year, but that doesn’t mean they’ll go any farther.

It’s a young team, but the talent level is there. I agree with everyone but Strickland; this team is still in the building (as opposed to REbuilding) stage.

People are just riding out the doom and gloom of StL sports now that the Cards lost. Cards lost, Rams suck again and the only hope they had in the blues arent winning every game 10-1. Its hockey, the season is barely getting started. If I only had a crystal ball like some people do I wouldnt be wasting it on making predictions about the blues. For all those who are making predictions, did your crystal ball tell you at this time last year that the pens would beat the wings? If so how come nobody was talking about it?

Blues are on pace for 82 points, which wouldn’t make the playoffs.

Win the next game, and they are on pace for 96, which should easily make the playoffs.

Heck, if they would have just picked up the extra point in OT last night, they’d be on pace for 98.

Bottom line, 5 games doesn’t tell you much.

with a different coach, they would meet expectations. The Blues sat back and allowed a team they had dominated come back and win. That philosophy is not the players its the coach. They can’t start a game with focus and passion, that’s a coaching problem. I wonder what the pre-game sounds like….Murray to team, “Remember don’t be aggressive, don’t forget to back skate and don’t take chances. If we meet em at our Blue line we have a chance to stop em. Mason will stop everything like he did on our playoff run and then will try and turn it on late in the game when we’re down 2 goals”. Let’s go get em

everyone listen to math major, this man/woman is thinking straight.

do you think after the wings lost two to the blues in sweden there was a forum of detroit sportswriters asking if the fans’ expectations were too high?

laughable.

I do expect the Blues to beat non playoff teams. I don’t think that is expecting too much. I wouldn’t have expected them to sweep Detroit but they did so they set the expectations.

Did anyone else notice that they came out swinging in I think the 2nd period but pretty much laid down the rest of the time? Why do they sometimes come out playing like they are in the last two minutes of a playoff game, but most of the time they are skating like a bunch of little girls.

Learn how to skate FAST, STAY ON THE PUCK, ALL 60 MINUTES OF EVERY GAME. Is that asking too much? You can’t rely on your goaltender to win the game for you. You can’t win of you can’t score.

OK, I feel better now. GO BLUES!!

How much longer are the Blues going to play the…”we’re young, we’re rebuilding” card? This is what…year 3 of this song and dance? If Andy Murray can’t get these guys moving into a position to contend for a playoff spot…I’m not talking the eight and final in the very last week of the season…then JD needs to start interviewing for someone who can.

the blues are a cursed organization. this team will never win the cup in stl.

Come ON! Do you people BLEED BLUE or is it just a catch phrase for you? It is October and this is a long season. But even at the beginning they have to look to the end … you have to believe that you are gonna be in it come playoff time!

Two things stand out to me early on here. And yes, it is wayyyy to early to judge. But, every game counts. Effort matters. That’s my lead in. The effort isn’t there so far. They are slow to the puck, outhustled and lacking smart decision making. That falls on the coach. Andy Murray may be wearing on this team, especially the younger guys. I don’t know that for sure. But, he has a history. He knows the game very well, and was probably the right guy to lead this team out of a mess. But, perhaps his style has run its course. Second, there are other teams out there, in my opinion that are vastly improved, in addition to those that are already fairly strong. If this team has a hard time making the playoffs, it will also very much have to do with the fact quite a few other teams could fit into the top 8 to make the playoffs. The Blues, just because the finished strong and have a strong young talent base, isn’t an all of the sudden ticket into the playoffs this year. Karyia, Johnson, Sydor, etc. may not be enough. In fact, I agree with another poster. The goaltending may not be enough. Right now though, the goal tending doesn’t concern me as much as the effort (lack thereof). If I were the Blues, I’d be willing to look over their assets this year, and be willing to make a move or two toward blending veteran talent help, with some of the youth. Trades could be in the works this year. The Penguins mixed veterans in within their rebuilding process. Others have too. You have to have a mix. Our mix may not be enough.

Now all of a sudden the expectations are too high. The team is ’still’ rebuilding! wow you sound like Blues fans from the 80’s and 90’s. The Blues arent a talented team they have made some FA nightmares in the last few years. And finally I’m a firm believer that no one knows hockey in this town.

I can’t believe I agree with Strickland but he is totally right. Great post! In fact post of the week.

Jeff Gordon going with the politician answer. Babbling on and on and not answering the question.

Are we really lowering expectations already? If making the playoffs is expecting too much then what’s the point of playing?

Sydor was terrible signing, wait and see