a smell of green grass wrote: ↑09 Jan 2026 18:57 pm
I posted often prior to this season that the chances that the mediocre Blues team in October 1 2025 would look a lot like the Blues of February 1 2025 was very likely.
I posted that the problem of our best players being outplayed and outscored by the best players on the other team would likely return. I noted that that problem showed itself in the playoffs already.
I posted often that the Blues win-streak was not to be trusted while it was happening. It was a false hope because the regular season was essentially over for most teams. Montgomery echoed that that is what happened.
I posted that the "culture problem" that bubbled up in Feb 2025 would very likely return this season.
I posted that we lack elite talent, and there will be no easy getting around that limitation.
I was pretty close to correct I think.
This is as insufferable as it gets.
It is hell to be so correct. I say "correct" not "smart" because my superpower is that I am plugged into common sense.
o
Take a gander at all that I said above. Do you see anything that doesn't reek of common sense?
N
Nah. You always have all the right answers so really no point. I don't disagree with everything you say but even IF everything you said were correct, the delivery is still insufferable.
There were many attempts to kill the messenger. My personality tends to be one that shoots back.
You be you man but:
"It is always the secure who are humble." - G.K. Chesterton.
Any post that has 6 paragraphs that start with "I" is not humble.
That's just me.
Enough of that, almost game time and we can move on to complaining about 89 constantly fumbling passes.
Let's go Blues...I think...like you I am very much intrigued with the idea of getting a top 5 pick. That could change a lot quickly.
a smell of green grass wrote: ↑09 Jan 2026 18:57 pm
I posted often prior to this season that the chances that the mediocre Blues team in October 1 2025 would look a lot like the Blues of February 1 2025 was very likely.
I posted that the problem of our best players being outplayed and outscored by the best players on the other team would likely return. I noted that that problem showed itself in the playoffs already.
I posted often that the Blues win-streak was not to be trusted while it was happening. It was a false hope because the regular season was essentially over for most teams. Montgomery echoed that that is what happened.
I posted that the "culture problem" that bubbled up in Feb 2025 would very likely return this season.
I posted that we lack elite talent, and there will be no easy getting around that limitation.
I was pretty close to correct I think.
This is as insufferable as it gets.
It is hell to be so correct. I say "correct" not "smart" because my superpower is that I am plugged into common sense.
o
Take a gander at all that I said above. Do you see anything that doesn't reek of common sense?
N
Nah. You always have all the right answers so really no point. I don't disagree with everything you say but even IF everything you said were correct, the delivery is still insufferable.
There were many attempts to kill the messenger. My personality tends to be one that shoots back.
You be you man but:
"It is always the secure who are humble." - G.K. Chesterton.
Any post that has 6 paragraphs that start with "I" is not humble.
That's just me.
Enough of that, almost game time and we can move on to complaining about 89 constantly fumbling passes.
Let's go Blues...I think...like you I am very much intrigued with the idea of getting a top 5 pick. That could change a lot quickly.
I thought they would be similar to last season — making the playoffs as either a wild card or distant 3rd in the Central. Also thought they might upset and win one round, but that’s about it.
I didn’t think they’d be THIS bad.
My frustration is not only that they are worse than predicted, but even worse, they are playing fundamentally stupid hockey.
Then superimpose the situation with letting John Kelly go (yeah, I know he doesn’t play, but he’s a lot better than Kerber who’s painful to listen to) and it just snowballs for me.
How could you not think this was a going to be a good team. The way they played the last half of last year. A nearly identical roster to last year. Certainly disappointing.
Now if they hadn't gone on that run. If they hadn't made the playoffs. What would you think about this season?
I thought they were a bubble team and that's exactly what they've been until this little two game tailspin pushed them back a few more points from the playoffs. It took an amazing run to get in last year.
I thought their offseason adds were fine, but I didn't like their footspeed. I thought Suter or someone of that ilk should be re-signed.
What has been surprising is the way it looks. Yes, they've hovered a few points back but getting blown out in many losses and barely winning when they do, I didn't think it would be this bad. Not a single key player is producing at their past level. Who knew Kyrou would take a major step back. I thought he had an excellent season last year. Even when the team was struggling last year, he was finally backchecking and looked as if he'd finally developed something resembling a 200-ft game. Parayko having 0 goals, Fowler looking nothing like last season, and Thomas struggling. Just a collective failure all the way around.
I don't know what the hell these guys do in the offseason, but every year we seem to limp out of the gate.
When assessing where the Blues are as a team....
trust more how the team stacks up in the first month than how it stacks up in the last month.
Never forget that Florida lost 7 of their last 10 regular season games last season.
My next prediction:
I have predicted that Army will do anything/everything in his power to repeat the late regular season "success" of last year.
1. Army for the last 20 years has fought hard to stay out of the high draft slots, and he is exceptionally good at it. We have not drafted anywhere near high level for 20 years.
2. Army is leaving his old desk. The VERY LAST THING that Army wants this year is a bad ugly exit for himself. That would stain his career.
The Blues will be finishing the regular season strong. BANK IT!
theograce wrote: ↑09 Jan 2026 17:24 pm
Through to the beginning of December the Blues had the 2nd fewest man games lost in the entire NHL.
Look at jersey, Vegas Vancouver on and on. Talking about injuries for the Blues is ridiculous in comparison
No, it is not. No.
The Blues have had a number of key players banged up and out for long stretches. Injuries to key players, five of their top-6 and at least six of the top-9. Top scorers. Plus key gronders. Guys are clearly playing hurt. Look at Thomas, Kyrou, Parayko. Where is Holloway?
Other teams, like Vegas, have been scuffling too. They are "all talking about it" [Google, boards].
Injuries are certainly not the only factor in the Blues performance. But they are a factor. They have destroyed the overall plan and line combination continuity. The roster is thin in top-emd talent, they were perhaps more vulnerable.
I thought the Blues would miss the playoffs - but I didn't think they'd have a chance at #1 overall pick. I thought then, and still think now, that the Blues were 2-3 years away from consistent playoff appearances. Admittedly, the winning streak gave me some hope that I was wrong.
What has been surprising to me though is HOW the Blues are losing games this season. I didn't expect every loss to be a 5-2 blowout, where the performance on the ice isn't even close to the final score (where the other team lets up because the Blues are putting up no account, feckless efforts).
So while the overall record is probably about what I expected, its the journey to how they got here that I wasn't expecting.
I was thinking they would be be in the playoffs earlier than the last game of the season. No expectations for 2nd round but would have been nice.
I expected more consistency with maybe 8 more points than last season overall. I still think two years from now is when or window will be more open. Need some more games from the the youth group to graduate.
Krug/Faulk/Schenn money going towards the contracts of the youth and strategic FA signings to me would indicate they thought they were ready. Bringing in Bjudstad/Suter made me believe they were hedging this season a bit.
I had us going whichever way our goalies took us. And I didn't think they would be taking us over the bubble this year.
What sucks is each year Army and crew go after a extra 1.6mil. in playoff money. It makes it that much harder, that much longer, that much more painful and that much more expensive to get back to being real competitors.
We are 7 years After Cup and every year since has been worse then the year before. At this moment we are still tripled down on hitch hockey.
What makes that worse is taking out those 6 months where all bought in. We've gotten worse, and worse every year that Armstrong's been here.
Last year, I thought this organization could possibly be real cup contenders again before Thomas turned 30.
Now I'm thinking He might be moved for a first in a couple of years. That's if he is still second line center quality.
Tony Palazzolo wrote: ↑10 Jan 2026 00:54 am
How could you not think this was a going to be a good team. The way they played the last half of last year. A nearly identical roster to last year. Certainly disappointing.
Now if they hadn't gone on that run. If they hadn't made the playoffs. What would you think about this season?
Exactly. They look good on paper and all that. Being perfectly truthful and honest, I had them as a playoff team with a decent chance of finishing pretty well in the playoffs. I did not nit-pick every player or aspect of the team. I simply looked at the commn sense aspect. Sure, they got a bit of a boost with my Blues colored glasses. But nowhere near enough to not be honest. This is my honest response to this question, and I am absolutely dumbfounded by what's happening.
