Who Are The St. Louis Blues?
Posted 10:40 PM ET | Comments 11
Over the past several seasons, we have seen an enormous amount of transition in the Blues franchise. Since 2004, the Blues have seen 2 owners, 3 Head Coaches, and 2 GM's and now the franchise is for sale yet again. How has this affected the team?
Well, beginning in 05-06, the Blues have wound up with 57, 81, 79, 92, 90, and 89 points in each season respectively, which would indicate a strong pattern of growth over the past 6 years, but not quite strong enough to get the team consistently into the dance.
That being said, considering the almost endless turmoil the team has experienced in recent history, it really speaks to the character of the players and the organization as a whole that they have been able to ice what is, at worst, a reasonably competitive team.
The organization has focused on putting together a well rounded roster for this season, and while the roster may lack truly elite players at any position, there is a tremendous amount of all around depth on the team. The additions of Jason Arnott, Scott Nichol and Jamie Langenbrunner bring a ton of experience and grit to an already gritty, yet youthful squad. With Jaroslav Halak between the pipes and Brian Elliot and Ben Bishop battling for the backup role, this is a team that looks on the verge of becoming a consistent playoff presence in the NHL's Western Conference for the foreseeable future.
My Prediction? 6th or 7th in the West, with 94-98 points.
I know that 6th spot was 99 points in the West last season, but I don't expect the same level of disparity between the Western clubs as what we saw last season.
So, what say you? Are the Blues finally ready to take that next step into the post season? Or are they just another bubble team, without the pieces necessary to make a real impact on the tough Western conference?
Well, beginning in 05-06, the Blues have wound up with 57, 81, 79, 92, 90, and 89 points in each season respectively, which would indicate a strong pattern of growth over the past 6 years, but not quite strong enough to get the team consistently into the dance.
That being said, considering the almost endless turmoil the team has experienced in recent history, it really speaks to the character of the players and the organization as a whole that they have been able to ice what is, at worst, a reasonably competitive team.
The organization has focused on putting together a well rounded roster for this season, and while the roster may lack truly elite players at any position, there is a tremendous amount of all around depth on the team. The additions of Jason Arnott, Scott Nichol and Jamie Langenbrunner bring a ton of experience and grit to an already gritty, yet youthful squad. With Jaroslav Halak between the pipes and Brian Elliot and Ben Bishop battling for the backup role, this is a team that looks on the verge of becoming a consistent playoff presence in the NHL's Western Conference for the foreseeable future.
My Prediction? 6th or 7th in the West, with 94-98 points.
I know that 6th spot was 99 points in the West last season, but I don't expect the same level of disparity between the Western clubs as what we saw last season.
So, what say you? Are the Blues finally ready to take that next step into the post season? Or are they just another bubble team, without the pieces necessary to make a real impact on the tough Western conference?
This almost made me think the Blues could be good...
Well done, Bingo! If I am not mistaken, the Blues have one of the longest playoff streaks in all of professional sports. I believe that they made the playoffs for a straight 25 years until relatively recently. In my opinion, the NHL is a better team when the Blues are a good team and a organization that needs it's well deserved recognition. I look forward to reading more of your blogs....
bingo!!all joking aside my friend,excellent blog
Thank you, Gents. And yes, they do have ONE OF the longest playoff streaks in pro sports, the longest belongs to the Edmonton Eskimos of the CFL, who made the playoffs 34 years in a row, from 1972 to 2005.
Kudos bingo! Well done.
good stuff bingo!
This blog has the quality that of an official blogger. Involving the readers with hypothetical questions that spearhead quality discussion.Nice job.
As for the Blues: They need to play simple hockey and be crisp in their own end, Halak should be able to take care of the rest. Of course they will need some scoring, guys like Oshie are going to have to step up and mature into the next phase of their development. The addition of Stewart will help immensely in that department and Backes should improve even more.The Blues have some things to work with, now they just have to prove it.
Bingo, you should be a blogger on HB.Do I get paid now??
Bingo nice job . You should be the blues blogger. not too many mybuzz blogs get positive responces from the other posters
Good blog Bingo!