QUESTION: The Blues are really struggling to win games and coach Andy Murray got the dreaded “vote of confidence” from owner Dave Checketts last week. Murray obviously did a great job getting this team to play well down the stretch last year to make a run to the playoffs, but do you believe he can take this current team to the next level?

JEREMY RUTHERFORD

Andy Murray proved last season that he could be a successful coach with this roster, taking the Blues from 15th place in the West to sixth place in two months time. However, what management wants to see is a “complete” season from a Murray-coached team.

It’s unfair to look back at the 2006-07 season because Murray didn’t arrive until Dec. 12, 2006. But let’s look at the last three seasons:

2007-08: 22-14-5 (49 points) in first half of season . . . 11-22-8 (30 points) in second half

2008-09: 16-22-3 (35 points) in first half of season . . . 25-9-7 (57 points) in second half.

2009-10: 6-8-4 (16 points) through 18 games . . .

There is no rhyme or reason as to why Murray’s teams are good for a half and bad for a half. Before he can coach the Blues to the “next level,” there has to be more consistency throughout the regular season.

JEFF GORDON

Right now Murray’s program has stalled out. So, at the moment, he doesn’t look like the right coach to move the program forward. He has to change that perception ASAP. This is one of those critical points that pop up from time to time in a coaching regime. If this team doesn’t produce a nice five- or six-game winning streak pretty soon, John Davidson will have to change things up. The veteran players are failing Murray at the offensive end — and such players are almost impossible to move in the salary cap era of the NHL. With rosters so difficult to overhaul these days, that really puts the pressure on coaches. That’s not fair, but that’s the way it is.

DAN O’NEILL

I don’t think Andy Murray will have any trouble taking this team to the next level, as long as David Backes (31 goals last season) scores more than once this season, as long as T. J. Oshie scores more than twice, as long as Paul Kariya gets another point – he hasn’t in 10 games, as long as Brad Boyes gets back the pace he’s shown the past couple of seasons, as long as Erik Johnson contributes more than one goal this season.

According to the most recent NHL stats, Murray hasn’t had a shot on goal all season. Only four teams in the league have a smaller goals-against average per game than the Blues’ average of 2.5. Coaching isn’t the problem.

ANDY STRICKLAND (Hockeybuzz.com, KFNS)

At times Andy Murray can be his own worst enemy. If Murray is going to have a chance to take this team to the next level he’s going to have to make some adjustments, most importantly how he runs his bench. A wise hockey man once told me every coach has a shelf life and it doesn’t take long before fatigue and illness sets in with a coach. Fatigue and illness kicks in when management gets sick and tired of the coach. Are we there yet? Coaches get fired, it’s a way of life. Maybe the biggest issue with Murray is that he focuses way too much on the opposition during a hockey game. Sometimes it’s just best to pay more attention to your own team and force the opponent to react to what you do. At the end of the day you have to win to keep your job and if Dave Checketts is serious with the words he said last week, then Murray better kick it in high gear before it’s too late. Same goes with the players who most definitely have yet to live up to their end of the bargain. The fact the Blues picked up Murray’s option certainly works in his favor. The Blues do not want to be in a position where they’re paying two coaches. If the teams doesn’t start winning they may not have a choice. The Blues will let this thing breathe for a few more weeks before they rush into any major shakeup.

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: Brett Hull will enter the Hockey Hall of Fame next week. There are a lot of great names and great players in the long history of the St. Louis Blues. If you had to pick one person historically as the face of the franchise, would that person be Brett Hull?

JEFF GORDON
Brett Hull made the Blues a mainstream attraction during his days here. Scottrade is the House that Brett built. But I would consider Bernie Federko the face of the franchise. His brilliant play kept this franchise going forward through really dark times. Save for a cameo with the Red Wings, he spent his career with the Blues. He has remained heavily involved with the franchise in his retirement. He has old-school ties to the Plagers.

DERRICK GOOLD
I would like to say Al MacInnis, the gentleman from Port Hood with his exceptional play and understated presence, but the face of the Blues was, is and probably always should be Brett Hull. Grinning, of course. Not only is Hull the most charismatic player ever to where the Note, he changed what hockey means to St. Louis. I wish I could remember the exact number: Before Hull arrived there were less than five rinks in the greater St. Louis area. His goal-scoring binges and his panache inspired an exponential proliferation of rinks. Hockey was in because Hull was here. All around the area, you can still find rinks that Hull built. What that meant was hockey took hold in the area as more than just a spectator sport. Couple the increase in rinks with the Blues alumni who became coaches and managers of hockey teams, and suddenly St. Louis was on the map as a source for hockey talent. Starting a few years ago, St. Louis natives started going in the NHL draft. Blues’ Cam Janssen and Ben Bishop are both part products of the rink rage, and they are from an era of young St. Louis-native players that can be considered the Hull Generation. Heck, even Mr. Hockey Andy Strickland, I bet, is a chronic puckhead with an incurable case of mullet envy because of Hull. The Golden Brett didn’t just make watching the game popular with his flamboyant scoring. He made playing the game popular, and for that he’s the face of hockey in St. Louis, Blues and otherwise.

DAN O’NEILL
“Face of the Franchise” is a term that is a little hard to get your arms around. Certainly, there has been no one more dynamic or important to the franchise than Hull. He is the leading goal scorer (527) in Blues history, he is the most colorful/controversial player in Blues history and he is the person most responsible for the team building the Kiel Center (now Scotttrade). Two years before Hull came to the Blues, they were drawing 13,000-14,000. By the time he left, they were drawing 19,000. I have my personal favorites — Red Berenson, Brian Sutter, Mike Liut, Barclay Plager … but there is no question Brett Hull has been the most influential player in the team’s history.

DAVE LUECKING
It’s a tough call because the team has had some great players over the years — guys like Bernie Federko, Brian Sutter, the Plagers and Al MacInnis — but I’d go with Hull. He brought pizzazz to the franchise, creating a buzz in town only a few years after the team almost left for Saskatoon. His charisma on and off the ice put butts in the seats, at home and on the road.

ANDY STRICKLAND (Hockeybuzz.com, KFNS)
In a way this is a trick question. Is Brett Hull the greatest player to ever play for the Blues? In my opinion yes, but that doesn’t automatically make him the face of the organization. This organization has a lot of faces for me. No one is more recognizable than Bob Plager. Hall of Famer Bernie Federko played all but one of his prolific years here. Then you have guys like Kelly Chase, Brian Sutter, and Al MacInnis. John Davidson is certainly the current face but he’s closer to being the all-time face of the New York Rangers than he would as a Blue.

But what separates Hull from the rest is the impact he made on the sport of hockey in St. Louis. To this day no one has ever had the star power Brett created. He took over the city when he played here and made several of his teammates household names in the city. He was a one-man show unlike any player that’s ever skated for the Blues and made going to games an event. Just like no Cardinal will ever be bigger than Stan the Man, no Blues player can steal the spotlight from the Golden Brett.

Except maybe T.J. Oshie … he’s got a ways to go still.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
Tough question but I’d have to say no, Hull is not the “historical” face of the franchise. He is certainly the most dynamic scorer and dominating presence the franchise has ever had, but to me the “face” of a franchise has to be more than a guy who lit the lamp a lot while wearing the Blue Note. Hull spent 10-plus seasons here — the best of his career no doubt — but he was also a big part of Stanley Cup winners in Dallas and Detroit, making his legacy a little tougher to read.

The real historical face of the St. Louis Blues franchise is Bernie Federko. He is a homegrown Hall of Famer, he spent 13 of 14 NHL seasons wearing the Blue Note before being traded for Adam Oates and he’s been an integral part of the franchise in the nearly 20 years he’s been retired. He was a great player and has become an ambassador for the team in his retirement. Hull was simply a great player.

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: The Blues kick off their season at 2 p.m. today against the Red Wings. Hockey in St. Louis finally has arrived again. Who or what most intrigues you about the 2009-10 St. Louis Blues?

JEREMY RUTHERFORD
What intrigues me is whether the Blues will be able to stay healthy. Because if they stay healthy, they have a shot to be pretty good. Not only have the Blues suffered a number of injuries the past few seasons, but the injuries seem to happen to their best players. I realize that 20 guys aren’t going to play 82 games each. But the Blues can’t have a situation like last year when Paul Kariya played 11 games, Andy McDonald (46), T.J. Oshie (57), Eric Brewer (28) and D.J. King (1).

BERNIE MIKLASZ
I want to see how much Paul Kariya has left, and whether he’s still an elite offensive player. I want to see how quickly Erik Johnson emerges as the new Scott Stevens. I want to see if Chris Mason was for real. I want to see if David Perron can convert his enormous talent into 30 goals. I want to see if Alex Pietrangelo has the toughness to play in the NHL. I want to see how an ascending team handles the pressure of expectations. The Blues aren’t the scrappy little underdog anymore. They’ll be counted on to get to the playoffs and win a series and that’s a big change from the past few years.

JEFF GORDON
There are a lot of good stories on the Note, but T.J. Oshie is a real catalyst. He scores, he passes, he hits, he stirs it up. Had the Blues had him all last season, they wouldn’t have been half-dead at the holidays. A lot of national experts overlooking the Blues don’t know how good this kid can be.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
I’m most curious about the big picture. Can this team advance in the playoffs facing the likes of San Jose, Detroit, Vancouver, Chicago, etc. in the 1st round? That’s what I’m focusing on. I’d be shocked if this team isn’t in the playoffs but once there, what will they do? A lot of that, of course, will depend on what they do throughout the course of the season. If they’re reasonably healthy all season long they will be a dangerous team regardless of the opponent and if the young guys continue their rapid improvement they could make a run in the playoffs. None of that will be known, however, until the end of the regular season.

ANDY STRICKLAND (Hockeybuzz.com, KFNS)
Can they continue where they left off last spring? Having expectations to win hockey games is new territory for the St. Louis Blues. This will be really interesting to follow this season. No longer can the Blues rest on the idea that they’re in rebuilding mode. People around the NHL are expecting the Blues to not only reach the playoffs but believe they have potential to make a little noise once they arrive. John Davidson recently told me the goal this season is to have home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. In order for this to happen the Blues need consistency in their game from day one. Are the Blues, as an organization, prepared to handle the pressure to win? It’s fair to say they’re slightly ahead of schedule from where they expected to be when Dave Checketts and company took over in 2006. There will be more attention on this hockey club to begin the season than we’ve seen in years. Thanks to the dismal performances football fans are growing accustomed to watching on Sundays, more and more eyes are focused on Andy Murray and his team this fall.

Managing adversity is critical for any team in any year and there will be times when things don’t go in the Blues favor. How they respond when things get tough will tell us whether or not this club is prepared to take a step forward. The Blues have a real chance to even more solidify themselves once again in the sports community and there is little reason to believe they won’t take advantage.

I’m also very intrigued to see if this will, in fact, be Keith Tkachuk’s last season in the NHL. The guy can still score goals and if he snipes 20-25 I can easily see the Blues extending “Big Walt” for another year. Will he accept? It’s never easy to walk away.

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: Gateway Tech’s Sheldon Richardson, ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 4 high school player in the nation, has already committed to Mizzou but reportedly is still considering an official visit to Miami this weekend. Should a player who has already committed still be visiting other schools?

VAHE GREGORIAN
For whatever reason, the college football culture seems permissive of visits after commitments are made, especially for high-level recruits like Richardson. That said, when somebody gives his word, and in fact gives it a second time as he did, it just seems wrong to take another visit. At some point, your commitment should mean you’ve taken everything else off the table and you mean it, even if it’s not written yet.

STU DURANDO
NCAA rules make this possible, so there’s nothing to stop a recruit from doing it. So it should absolutely be allowed. This happens in dozens of instances every year. The problem is that schools and the media hound these kids for decisions for months and many make announcements when they’re not fully equipped to do so. Another problem is that coaches don’t respect a recruit’s committment and continue to call in hopes of getting him to make a visit. It’s just a part of the grimy side of recruiting.

JEFF GORDON
In an ideal world, a commitment is a commitment. It would be nice if kids — and coaches — stood by their word. But they don’t. The recruiting game is too volatile for that. Since coaches renege all the time (and even pull scholarships from struggling players), I can’t blame a top recruit for keeping his options open until he actually signs on the dotted line.

BRYAN BURWELL
As a former mediocre college athlete who was recruited by Division I, mid-major and Division II schools, I am sympathetic to the difficult task that every 18-year-old kid like Sheldon Richardson is dealing with. I think a lot of times there are outside pressures on these kids to commit to the in-state school even if they don’t want to go there. Often the pressure is so great that some kids figure the best way to deal with it is to make a verbal commitment to the local school and that allows them to then investigate the other schools they might have a genuine interest in. I have no problem with a kid exploring other options after a verbal commitment. It’s too critical a decision to handle, a choice that could affect the rest of a young athlete’s life. So if he or she is having second thoughts about a verbal commitment, I say make sure. Take the extra visit.

KATHLEEN NELSON
They are children. Coaches and fans can fall into the trap of treating a huge talent in a super-sized body as an adult. Deep down — well, pretty close to the surface, actually — the big talents betray themselves as 17- or 18-year-olds. These are big decisions, and we shouldn’t expect teenagers to make adult commitments. Even adults — such as COACHES — don’t stick to their university commitments. And we shouldn’t be surprised if youngsters change their minds.

BILL COATS
In an ideal world, no. Your word should be your bond. But that’s not how it works these days. The bottom line is, this is a big decision and kids should strive to identify the best place for them. If that means more visits after making an oral commitment, so be it.

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MIDDAY NEWS AND THOUGHTS

GETTING DEFENSIVE: When Barret Jackman first came up with the St. Louis Blues, I think many fans saw a future superstar. Jackman was tough, aggressive, physical and showed some puck-moving abilities. But he also had a couple of other studs playing along the blue line with him (you know who I’m talking about.) Before you know it, Jackman began struggling with injuries and found himself on a bit of an island as some bigger-name players retired or moved on. And he began to hear it from the fans.

Now a veteran at the ripe old age of 27 and wearing an “A” on his sweater, Jackman has come full circle. His play caught my eye early this season … a rejuvenated pep in his step. And as the defensive corps kept losing one player after another to injury, it seemed to me Jackman elevated his game a little more each time. No, he doesn’t brawl as much as he used to (I think that’s a good thing, actually), but he’s got just enough nastiness in him to keep opponents honest. But most importantly, I think he’s just really stepped us as the leader on the defensive end of the ice.

Testing my theory, I asked Blues reporter Jeremy Rutherford to send along the following inquiry to team president John Davidson:

Many fans are seeing Barret Jackman in an all-new light this season. With so many injuries, he’s really seemed to take control in the defensive zone. Can you comment on Jackman’s play this season?

As usual, JR came through. And here’s what JD had to say:

“This is the best I’ve seen (Jackman) play since I’ve been here . . . the most consistent I’ve seen him play. His puck decisions have been better, he knows how to leverage bigger people along the boards and in the corners. I think he’s had a good year.

“He reminds me of a throwback . . . a player who plays hard, plays bigger than what he is, never complains about anything. Gets banged up, bruised up and never misses time. You don’t see him sitting around a medical room. There’s no maintenance to the man. He just a throwback. He’s one of those character people on and off the ice.

“I’m glad he’s played well . . . he’s been given an opportunity this year to have a lot more ice time, a lot more important ice time, and he’s done his part for us.”

– There you have it. Round Two’s observations are confirmed by the team president himself. I jest. But thanks to JR for gathering the info and to JD for taking the time to address the topic.

“CHUCKY” VOWS TO RETURN: In his first public comments since his firing as Tampa Bay head coach, Jon Gruden tells ESPN that he has no doubt he’ll coach again, whether “it’s the NFL, college, high school or, maybe, I’ll just be the best damn flag football coach in the history of Florida. I’m now head of the FFCA — Fired Florida Coaches Association.”

There’s little doubt Gruden will return to an NFL sideline. Coaches who have won Super Bowls (Tampa, 2003) have a way of finding jobs. Especially someone like Gruden, who in 11 seasons as a head coach (4 with Oakland, 7 with Tampa) has had only three teams finish with sub-.500 records.

His NFL coaching record speaks for itself. His relationships with some players, however, not so much. In the ESPN article linked above, former Buccaneer Simeon Rice says Gruden is a “scumbag” who wasn’t truthful with him. And Gruden has a long history of clashing with his QBs.

Nonetheless, Chucky’s return is guaranteed. So that cute, little visor he wears will become vogue once again on an NFL sideline …. somewhere, someday. Man, I hate that visor.

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TENNIS ANYONE?

SERENA TOPS THE LIST: According to Bloomberg News, Serena Williams passed Annika Sorenstam as the top prize money-earner in womens sports history after securing a place in the Australian Open finals that guarantees her a paycheck of $660,000. That would bring Williams total to $22.7 million for her career if she loses, and even more if she collects the $2 million winner’s check. Here’s a look at the top seven money-winners all-time in women’s sports:

1. Serena Williams: $22.7 million (if she loses in finals.)
2. Annika Sorenstam: $22.6 million
3. Lindsay Davenport $22.1 million
4. Venus Williams $22.0 million
5. Steffi Graf $21.9 million
6. Martina Navratilova $21.6 million
7. Martina Hingis $20.1 million
(Sources: Bloomberg News, WTA, LPGA)

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STAT OF THE DAY

39 — The record for fewest NHL games needed to score 50 goals from the start of the season. Wayne Gretzky did it for the Edmonton Oilers in the 1981-82 season. And he did it in grand style, scoring five goals in his 39th game of the season to reach the 50-goal plateau. Gretzky went on to record an NHL-record 92 goals that season. (SOURCE: “Hockey’s Top 100”)

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: Talent aside, how long does it take for a new coach to instill his personality on an NFL team? And with that in mind, what do you expect to see personality-wise from the 2009 St. Louis Rams?

JIM THOMAS
It takes a a full cycle for a coach to put his imprint on a team - from the offseason conditioning programs through the minicamps, training camp and all the way through the season. It takes time to change a culture, so this isn’t going to happen overnight for Steve Spagnuolo.

BERNIE MIKLASZ
A new coach can immediately influence the personality of a team. That’s one of the most important aspects of his job. Football is a game of passion and emotion, and players take their cue from their head coach. His personality can become their personality — or at least substantial parts of it. All I can do is go by Spagnuolo’s history, and by all accounts he has had tremendous relationships with players, and his character traits seem to rub off on them. So I would expect the 2009 Rams to be feisty, competitive and passionate about what they do.

BILL COATS
It depends on how strong that coach’s personality is — look at the difference between Scott Linehan and Jim Haslett, and how well Haslett connected with the players. By all accounts, Spagnuolo is a charismatic guy, so it shouldn’t take long for him to establish himself. I expect the Rams to be tougher and more strong-willed under Spags.

JEFF GORDON
A new coach — if he is strong enough — can set a new tone right away. He does this by rebuilding with his type of players. Look at what Lovie Smith did as defensive coordinator when he came here. He got his type of guys to play his scheme. The personality of the defense changed. Look at what happened with the Dolphins this year with Bill Parcells at the top. But it does take a forceful man to make this happen. Will Steve Spagnuolo change the environment? He’ll certainly try. Let’s see what happens.

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MIDDAY NEWS AND THOUGHTS

CHECKETTS STICKS TO THE PLAN: I sat in on a meeting last week with Blues owner Dave Checketts and team president John Davidson where we had an open dialogue and discussed many things about the team. At one point, I asked Checketts how long he thought his honeymoon period would last here in St. Louis, afterall, this is his third year at the helm and the team hasn’t gotten so much as a sniff of the playoffs yet. He and J.D. said they’ve asked themselves the same question, but Checketts was resolute about the importance of building this team from the ground up and not trying for quick fixes. He pointed out examples of both the Rangers and Knicks trying to “buy” championships during his time there and how that just doesn’t work.

I found Checketts to be very straightforward and candid in his assessment of the team. Two points he made strongly as keys to this team’s future success: 1) Continuing to build a strong, young core of players that are committed to wearing the Blue Note and committed to St. Louis, and, 2) increasing what he believes is already a strong and knowledgeable fan base here in St. Louis. Bottom line, the team needs to fill those seats to be able to do the things necessary finanicially to continue to improve.

There’s no denying that the Blues have done a good job under Checketts and J.D. in these areas … they’ve found good talent in the draft, traded for youth with skills and made Scottrade Center one of the most affordable tickets in the NHL. And they both believe this team would have been a playoff contender this year if it weren’t for the deluge of injuries they’ve suffered. I can’t say I disagree with them.

Come back tomorrow to Round Two, as I pose a question to our writers on how long they think it will be until this team is not only playoff bound, but strong enough to make some noise when they get there. (Afterall, as I reminded Checketts, he guaranteed he’d bring the Cup to St. Louis one day.)

SPEAKING OF FRONT OFFICES: Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak will host a live chat with our readers at 1 p.m. this Wednesday. There’s been a lot of sniping in Cardinals Nation about the team’s lack of movement this offseason … this is your chance to ask Mo about it. You can go to STLtoday.com now to post your questions, then remember to tune in Wednesday afternoon to see what Mo has to say.

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THINGS TO PONDER

A TRUE FAIRY TALE: The Arizona Cardinals are now all the rage and who would’ve seen it coming? This is a team that lost four of its last six regular season games and seemed to be backing into the playoffs simply based on the fact they won the weakest division in football — the NFC West. But something happened on the way to the Cardinals getting bounced early from the playoffs. First, they knocked off an Atlanta team that went 11-5 in the regular season. Next up, they traveled to Carolina and beat a Panthers team that went 12-4 in the regular season. Then it was a stunning win in the NFC Championship game over the Eagles, who went 9-6-1 in the regular season. I’ve got to fess up and say I didn’t expect the Cardinals to win any of those postseason games. I’m truly shocked. And furthermore, that Kurt Warner-Larry Fitzgerald combo is a sight to behold. I know the oddsmakers will favor the Steelers in the Super Bowl, but I simply can no longer discount the possibility that Ol’ Kurt’s got one more big game in him.

CLOSING THOUGHTS: It was good to hear Chris Carpenter’s optimistic outlook on his health, as told to Joe Strauss in Sunday’s Post-Dispatch. But I just kept hearing this nagging voice in the back of my head saying we’ve heard all this before with Carpenter, and Mark Mulder, too. Carp’s a warrior — we all saw how hard he fought to come back last year and what he brought to the mound in his few brief appearances. But it’s a scary proposition to count on him again this season. Here’s wishing for Carp’s return to health … and Mo’s backup plan in case it doesn’t work out.

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STATS OF THE DAY

21 of 28, 279, 4, 0 — That’s Warner’s completions, passing yards, passing TDs and interceptions, respectively, in Sunday’s game vs. Philly.