Dr.Sens(e)
Registered User
To quote the immortal Yogi Berra, “It's déjà vu all over again.â€
From the ill-conceived “Blues Clues†themed opening ceremonies right down to the on-ice performance of the Blues top players, it can be described as nothing short of a disastrous playoff performance for the entire St. Louis Blues organization, from the players and coaches, right down to the scouting department and top brass.
Yes, this team has hit a new playoff bottom.
In what is undoubtedly the most crushing collapse in a long line of successive post-season underachievement’s, the Blues once again gave critics the fuel to turn up their most heated fires and proved perhaps once and for all, this group truly lacks what is required to win the Stanley Cup.
Call-in shows ran through the night, as irate Blues fans called for everyone’s head associated with the organization, most clamouring for the cranium of goalie Marty Turco, but fans didn’t stop there. Also targeted were Blues players such as Joe Thornton, Dany Heatley and Zdeno Chara, right up to the Head Coach and General Manager. And while there were no shortage of theories and opinions, it remains unclear what exactly this organization had done wrong in their attempts to build a Stanley Cup champion.
The most popular theory to date is that Turco simply must go. While it was a tightly played series against the Colorado Avalanche who matched Blues period for period, the numbers simply can’t be ignored. The Blues defence gave up just over 25 shots per game in their six games – just above their gaudy league leading regular season average. Offensively, the Blues scored averaged 3.5 goals per game, actually better than their regular season average.
Unfortunately, Turco gave up 4 goals per game, twice his regular season average (0.850% SVG). He has now led the HFNHL in GAA for three consecutive President’s Trophy teams during the regular season (the first with Boston and the last two with St. Louis), but for the third playoff in a row, he has underachieved in dramatic fashion.
Goaltending aside, rumours began to circulate immediately following the loss of massive changes to an organization that has at times, been regarded as the model HFNHL franchise, but more often than not, been used as the punch line to another post-season joke.
Some rumours went so far as to suggest this would be the last season for long-time General Manager Nick Quain, the architect of this Blues team, but these rumblings were quickly shot down.
“Changes will be made.†said Quain. “But one change that won’t happen is at the top.â€
For several months, it has been rumoured there is a new ownership group in place with the Blues, a mysterious consortium of investors from various circles and the latest word is this group is controlled by none other than the General Manager himself.
His confidence over his future with the team will most certainly add to this belief.
“This organization will pick itself up off the floor and we will fight on.†said Quain when asked about what happens next. “Next season begins now.â€
With a steely resolve that belies his typically calm demeanour, Quain added an ominous quip at the end of the ad lib press gathering.
“We will be back next year– and this team will be better than ever.â€
From the ill-conceived “Blues Clues†themed opening ceremonies right down to the on-ice performance of the Blues top players, it can be described as nothing short of a disastrous playoff performance for the entire St. Louis Blues organization, from the players and coaches, right down to the scouting department and top brass.
Yes, this team has hit a new playoff bottom.
In what is undoubtedly the most crushing collapse in a long line of successive post-season underachievement’s, the Blues once again gave critics the fuel to turn up their most heated fires and proved perhaps once and for all, this group truly lacks what is required to win the Stanley Cup.
Call-in shows ran through the night, as irate Blues fans called for everyone’s head associated with the organization, most clamouring for the cranium of goalie Marty Turco, but fans didn’t stop there. Also targeted were Blues players such as Joe Thornton, Dany Heatley and Zdeno Chara, right up to the Head Coach and General Manager. And while there were no shortage of theories and opinions, it remains unclear what exactly this organization had done wrong in their attempts to build a Stanley Cup champion.
The most popular theory to date is that Turco simply must go. While it was a tightly played series against the Colorado Avalanche who matched Blues period for period, the numbers simply can’t be ignored. The Blues defence gave up just over 25 shots per game in their six games – just above their gaudy league leading regular season average. Offensively, the Blues scored averaged 3.5 goals per game, actually better than their regular season average.
Unfortunately, Turco gave up 4 goals per game, twice his regular season average (0.850% SVG). He has now led the HFNHL in GAA for three consecutive President’s Trophy teams during the regular season (the first with Boston and the last two with St. Louis), but for the third playoff in a row, he has underachieved in dramatic fashion.
Goaltending aside, rumours began to circulate immediately following the loss of massive changes to an organization that has at times, been regarded as the model HFNHL franchise, but more often than not, been used as the punch line to another post-season joke.
Some rumours went so far as to suggest this would be the last season for long-time General Manager Nick Quain, the architect of this Blues team, but these rumblings were quickly shot down.
“Changes will be made.†said Quain. “But one change that won’t happen is at the top.â€
For several months, it has been rumoured there is a new ownership group in place with the Blues, a mysterious consortium of investors from various circles and the latest word is this group is controlled by none other than the General Manager himself.
His confidence over his future with the team will most certainly add to this belief.
“This organization will pick itself up off the floor and we will fight on.†said Quain when asked about what happens next. “Next season begins now.â€
With a steely resolve that belies his typically calm demeanour, Quain added an ominous quip at the end of the ad lib press gathering.
“We will be back next year– and this team will be better than ever.â€
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