The Blues need to shape up, or someone’s shipping out.

Walt doing his best impression of this year's season. Herkie/Wikimedia Commons

I’m not entirely sure what happened Friday night.  I was fortunate enough to be at a karaoke bar hearing people butcher “Black Velvet” instead of the Blues butchering their own win.

I’m not happy with us blowing a three goal lead, and I would be significantly less so if they would have taken the next practice off and been shiftless.  Thankfully, someone knows that something’s going on – our alternate captain, Barrett Jackman.  He’s stepping up during Eric Brewer’s absence, and while not calling out players in the press (hi, coach – learn things from how your players handle things), he’s alerting them to the fact that some of them need to “be slapped upside the head.”  Murray believes that it’d have more impact coming from other players than the coaching staff.  Yes, sometimes it means a lot coming from other players – no one wants to be yelled at by a teacher, but you feel even dumber when the whole class of your peers reams you.  But the teacher’s the one who gives the grade.

Jackman and the other vets are leading by example at practice, letting their frustrations show.  It doesn’t seem like theother guys aren’t noticing, but it’s a matter of seeing if it sticks.  I don’t want to chalk this up to a lack of maturity, because the youth have so much potential, talent, and skill, but a lot of Blues fans have been thinking that they “believed the hype” about themselves a little too much.  Well, they should be down to earth now.  God knows that the Blues fans and our expectations are.

Lee Stempniak, the last victim of a "butt in gear" trade. Herkie/Wikimedia Commons

Right now we’re looking at coaching leadership not being enough to get these guys on track, and the player leaders are taking over.  If this doesn’t stick, then I don’t know what the next step needs to be within the locker room. Ownership, though, might have a different approach.  Rumors are floating around about the Blues going for Eric Staal. While probably next to impossible, would a big trade be what we needed to get our butts in gear?  And, if so, who’s expendable?

Posted by Laura Astorian on Dec 14 2009. Filed under Central, St. Louis Blues, Western Conference. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.