Rutherford: Allen Taking a Different Approach to Summer

[Ranksu]

If Allen can't show up I know who is the guy who gets opportunity to play NHL level. Husso's style fits perfectly on Blues defense, you could say he isn't that good level yet compare to Allen, but stylistically it makes Husso better then Allen.

 

[Evocable Manager]

Umm, no. One game doesn't make a season. I can go back and cherry pick two dozen other games where a defenseman or forward screwed up and failed to pot a goal, or got beaten for a goal, etc. Jake was part of the overall problem last season, not THE problem.

Given the circumstances and putting everything into context, it's hardly cherry picking.

We had three games remaining and needed 3 points to clinch a spot. We go into the 80th game of the year and had a 3-1 lead in the THIRD period only for Allen to piss it away and then with 8.5 seconds left, it's gone. In a game that was as close to must win as it can get, that's inexcusable.

That's a much different circumstance than any other game from like February or November or something.

 

[Renard]

Given the circumstances and putting everything into context, it's hardly cherry picking.

We had three games remaining and needed 3 points to clinch a spot. We go into the 80th game of the year and had a 3-1 lead in the THIRD period only for Allen to piss it away and then with 8.5 seconds left, it's gone. In a game that was as close to must win as it can get, that's inexcusable.

That's a much different circumstance than any other game from like February or November or something.

You have lost your perspective on this. The Blues weren't contenders last season. Even if we had made the playoffs, we would likely have been pounded in the first round.

Allen didn't have a good season in 2017-2018, but neither did a lot of St. Louis Blues players. He is still under contract with the Blues, and there probably wasn't much interest in him by other teams in the offseason. He's our goalie for better or worse, and I hope Jake was able to learn from his mistakes. If he is seeking professional help, good for him.

 

[Chief Steele]

The one thing that stuck out to me from last year was there where games that it seemed the team gave up on Allen, when he was in goal. You could see the disappointment on their faces when he let in a softy... I hope he can bounce back without him we may struggle or Husso may step up and say its my team now not later we will not know until camp...

 

[TruBlu]

I don't think the team gave up on Allen. I think it was just a flawed roster in transition. When Backes' contract demands were made, DA made the decision to transition to the new core. I think he even said in an interview somewhere that there were going to be some road bumps in the immediate future because of it. Just go back and look at last year's roster. I'm surprised we were anywhere near a playoff spot with one game left to play. The truth is that the team overachieved early on in the year, and that the was the only reason we were even in the running come mid February.

 

[Stealth JD]

The one thing that stuck out to me from last year was there where games that it seemed the team gave up on Allen, when he was in goal. You could see the disappointment on their faces when he let in a softy... I hope he can bounce back without him we may struggle or Husso may step up and say its my team now not later we will not know until camp...

Yep, I don't know that the team played any harder for Carter Hutton but they sure played more confident. When the Blues fell behind with Hutton in net, the demeanor of the team didn't go right into the toilet. It's like the offense became snake-bit when Jake let in a bad goal. That needs to change but there are still a lot of the same guys, especially on the defensive side, that "know" Allen by now. If the team can't play mentally-tough in front of their goalie, then the only solution may be to replace that goalie. Coaches can lose a room...I'd be surprised if teammates can't as well.

 

[pawnjohn]

This article leads me to believe it could be one of two things. The first and mostly likely scenario is that Jake is seeing a psychologist or some kind of mentality coach. The second could be that Army pushed him to train a specific way this off-season (a different coach, attend a certain camp, maintaining a routine/certain schedule).

I would imagine it involves some sort of mentality coach and believe that could make a big difference. Although the summer isn't long enough to fix any and all of Jake's issues, it does provide time to learn a few strategies/tactics that may help with maintaining his composure when he does hit those rough patches that would normally shake his confidence. There is also a chance that his psychologist is in St. Louis and he will be able to continue seeing him throughout the season or is available via phone/video chat in the event that Jake needed to talk.

The fact that Jake is saying that it is going better than he expected is a positive sign. If he continue's to "buy in" to whatever he is doing, it could pay off huge for both him and the team.

It is going to be interesting to see what happens from mid-December through Janurary...

 

[Chief Steele]

Yep, I don't know that the team played any harder for Carter Hutton but they sure played more confident. When the Blues fell behind with Hutton in net, the demeanor of the team didn't go right into the toilet. It's like the offense became snake-bit when Jake let in a bad goal. That needs to change but there are still a lot of the same guys, especially on the defensive side, that "know" Allen by now. If the team can't play mentally-tough in front of their goalie, then the only solution may be to replace that goalie. Coaches can lose a room...I'd be surprised if teammates can't as well.

I would disagree a little on the Hutton take, And its JMO but they played a lot harder with Hutton in net most of the time, because he didn't let in some of the soft goals Jake did. Jake has his moments but there where games last year were he would let a soft goal in and then it went to hell... and a 1-0 game became a 4-0 game fast. the game that sticks out most in my mind was against the Sharks in SJ right before Hutts went on a tear. I know there are others, there was a home game Jake let one in from just inside the blue line and Petro was shaking his head and the bench was looking like what the hell...

 

[Majorityof1]

Nobody likes to be called a head case. No matter how much or how little you make. Also, I’m sure most people do not like to openly admit they are seeing a psychiatrist as it can be used against them for going out and seeking help. Sports head issues typically lie within confisdence issues. A lot of the best athletes you will find are very very good at trusting their instincts and acting on their instincts coupled with the skill that they have developed. Seeing as how Jake has a tremndous amount of skill as a goalie, and inconsistency is essentially the issue. I think it is fairly to say that it is either confidence or focus that he is lacking. A sports psych is a good place to start with that. I don’t think it’s right that we speculate on his decision to hide what he would like to hide in his own personal life, regardless if he makes $25,000 a year or 5 million.

Dealing with the media and fans is part of a professional athletes job. It can be tough, but that is part of the reason they are so well compensated. So the amount of money he makes doesn't matter except that it is part of the trade off his job entails. When you sign a multi-million dollar contract, it comes with the expectation of increased scrutiny. If you don't want the scrutiny, don't sign the contract. The fans are paying for a product and they want to make sure the product they are paying for is of as high quality as possible. But yes, there are limits to what a fan/customer should be able to ask. Many take it way too far. Saying a player has a weak mental game is not taking it to far.

Nor is going too far to speculate on what changes he made in his off-season program when he specifically mentions he made changes. That's the weird thing. How he mentioned it. If he said "You are always looking to improve, and changing some things up is a natural part of that, but for the most part my routine will be the same." Nobody thinks twice about a comment like that. Instead he said "’I'm not going to get into it too much, but there’s definitely a different mantra for me this summer...I'm definitely trying a new approach this summer..." and then didn't give any more info at all. He starts very defensively "I'm not going to get into it" which immediately peaks interest, then talks about a whole new approach, not merely a tweak. He said this to a reporter for an article knowing it was going to be reported. If he didn't want people speculating, don't lay it out there like that. You are just encouraging speculation.

Also, this was not speculation about his personal life. It was something, the seems to have been recommended by the blues. So its effecting his job performance, which we are the customers for. If he was seeing a shrink because he can't be intimate with his wife or girlfriend, then yea, that's personal. But the question was if he is doing anything different to prepare for the upcoming year at his very public job.

Finally, if you all want to take up a pool to pay me $4 million a year, you can call me a headcase or whatever name you so choose, and you can speculate what I would talk about with my shrink to your hearts content. Hell, if you are paying me $4M a year to play a game, I'll rehash every childhood trauma in great detail if you want.

 

[BleedBlue14]

Dealing with the media and fans is part of a professional athletes job. It can be tough, but that is part of the reason they are so well compensated. So the amount of money he makes doesn't matter except that it is part of the trade off his job entails. When you sign a multi-million dollar contract, it comes with the expectation of increased scrutiny. If you don't want the scrutiny, don't sign the contract. The fans are paying for a product and they want to make sure the product they are paying for is of as high quality as possible. But yes, there are limits to what a fan/customer should be able to ask. Many take it way too far. Saying a player has a weak mental game is not taking it to far.

Nor is going too far to speculate on what changes he made in his off-season program when he specifically mentions he made changes. That's the weird thing. How he mentioned it. If he said "You are always looking to improve, and changing some things up is a natural part of that, but for the most part my routine will be the same." Nobody thinks twice about a comment like that. Instead he said "’I'm not going to get into it too much, but there’s definitely a different mantra for me this summer...I'm definitely trying a new approach this summer..." and then didn't give any more info at all. He starts very defensively "I'm not going to get into it" which immediately peaks interest, then talks about a whole new approach, not merely a tweak. He said this to a reporter for an article knowing it was going to be reported. If he didn't want people speculating, don't lay it out there like that. You are just encouraging speculation.

Also, this was not speculation about his personal life. It was something, the seems to have been recommended by the blues. So its effecting his job performance, which we are the customers for. If he was seeing a shrink because he can't be intimate with his wife or girlfriend, then yea, that's personal. But the question was if he is doing anything different to prepare for the upcoming year at his very public job.

Finally, if you all want to take up a pool to pay me $4 million a year, you can call me a headcase or whatever name you so choose, and you can speculate what I would talk about with my shrink to your hearts content. Hell, if you are paying me $4M a year to play a game, I'll rehash every childhood trauma in great detail if you want.

Headcase

 

[Brian39]

I have no idea what new thing he is doing. I wouldn't be surprised if it is some type of psychologist or mental coach, but I also wouldn't be surprised if it is a change in physical training. In past summers we have seen articles about him and Elliott fishing together and they definitely painted the picture of an athlete who prefers a hard re-set in the off season. I always got the impression that his routine was to get the hell out of civilization, social media, etc for a while and completely wipe the slate clean.

That works for some people but not for others. I could see the team telling him that they don't feel it works for him and they want to see him on the ice more in the summer. That type of change would fit the comments we have as much as him seeing a psychologist. The team asking him to work with a specific coach to change an element of his style would also fit. Personally, I think he needs to train his eyes. He loses pucks through traffic too often and seems to struggle reading shots off the blade from distance. The last decade has seen huge advancements in techniques for goalies to train their eyes, but embracing that type of non-traditional training for the first time isn't always comfortable.

In the article, he mentioned how his desire is to play 65 games but there is nothing in there about Army's thoughts on that. Hopefully that isn't the team's stance. I'm perpetually baffled about how this team has trotted him out like an elite level goalie for the first 3 months of the year in each of the last 2 years. Very few goalies start 65 games in today's NHL. 3 guys did it last year. Only 9 got to 60. Allen doesn't need to be part of that group. Despite having a bad year and losing his starting job for over a month last season, he was still 14th in the NHL in starts. He also relieved Hutton 3 times, which is tied for the most among goalies who started 50+ games.

If consistency is the known issue, the workload should be on the lower end of the starter spectrum, not the high end. Hopefully part of that exit meeting was about preparing for a 50-55 game workload instead of a 65 game workload. In the past, we've heard that he likes to play a lot of games and his comment in this article further supports it. The team has backed that preference for a while, but shouldn't be willing to do that any more. Maybe that is why neither side wants to talk about the changes being made.

 

[Reality Czech]

He singlehandedly cost us the playoffs last year. All he had to do was stop a Duncan Keith muffin from the blue line with NO screen in front.

I said it.

Cause it's the god damn truth.

So I don't give a **** what he does in the summer. He better not collapse mid season again. I'm sick of his ****.

I have zero faith in him as a goalie. He's never showed any true signs of being a competent #1 and has been average or slightly below average for all but 1 season. So until he legitimately takes on 55+ games where he's consistent and puts at least .915 I have no reason to have any hope he's capable of being the guy.

Absurd statement, but I guess it's easier to just blame one guy for the entire season. We could point to so many things that "could have gone differently." Yeah, Allen has been disappointing but fans are overthinking this way too much. Lots of goalies have ups and downs, and very few are truly "elite." The Blues averaged 2.72 goals per game, good for 24th in the entire league. No playoff team was higher than 19th place (the Ducks). I dare say if the Blues had managed just one extra goal every week or two, it would have been good enough to make the playoffs. Some people are so biased against Allen it's getting tiresome. Yeah, we get it....he had a rough season. But the way the team is playing has such a big effect on goalie stats, it's silly to put all the blame on Allen. but do as you will.

I'm not at all surprised that he wasn't moved. First of all, you don't trade a guy when his value is low if you don't have to. Secondly, I'm sure that Brodeur, Army and their staff have a reason to think Allen deserves another shot. I'm not the biggest Allen fan around, but I trust their judgment more than bitter online fans.

 

[NYBlues]

I usually just read the posts on here and don't post. But as a therapist myself, I thought I'd chime in. I've seen mandated therapy help a lot of people. It is true people have to want to change and be engaged, but while they often times may start off not engaged, they can become so, and it sounds like Allen is more in favor of whatever they suggested he do now than he was at first. And his issues seem to be some combination of confidence, anxiety, and focus. There are things that can be done about all of those issues, particularly the latter two (which of course could influence the first). So I hope he is seeing someone and that it is helping. It is clear he plays great if his head is in the right place, but he gets deflated so easily. So let's keep our fingers crossed that whatever he's doing works!

 

[TruBlu]

Given the circumstances and putting everything into context, it's hardly cherry picking.

We had three games remaining and needed 3 points to clinch a spot. We go into the 80th game of the year and had a 3-1 lead in the THIRD period only for Allen to piss it away and then with 8.5 seconds left, it's gone. In a game that was as close to must win as it can get, that's inexcusable.

That's a much different circumstance than any other game from like February or November or something.

I know it's easier to blame the entire season on one guy, but I urge you to go back and watch the game. Sobotka and Barbashev both missed great scoring opportunities, Edmundson got beat on one of those goals, and Butler, who completely shit his pants, was on the third pairing.

 

[GoldenSeal]

Can we at least agree that Jake Allen is a 1B and not the Starter Golden Boy that many expected?

 

[TruBlu]

I don't think Jake's role has been written yet.

 

[CaliforniaBlues310]

I don’t care what he does, as long as he just stays straightened out this season. I do think he’ll post a .920 save % this year and will win around 35 games. It’s just a gut feeling.

 

[DoubleK81]

I don't know what he has been doing over the summer, nor do I care. Allen has all the talent in the world, but if he can't put it together for a season ( which he has shown that he can't, be it through lower pro leagues and tournaments or NHL) he needs to go. I don't care if he is bought out, traded, or LTIR ala Chicago or LA, i want him gone. he is going to disappoint this year, just like every god damned year prior. Goaltending has LONG been the Blues biggest issue, and management has continually made the wrong decision on which goaltender to keep/play for 30+ years. How a team f***s up the most important position for so long despite different management boggles my mind.

 

[TruBlu]

I don't know what he has been doing over the summer, nor do I care. Allen has all the talent in the world, but if he can't put it together for a season ( which he has shown that he can't, be it through lower pro leagues and tournaments or NHL) he needs to go. I don't care if he is bought out, traded, or LTIR ala Chicago or LA, i want him gone. he is going to disappoint this year, just like every god damned year prior. Goaltending has LONG been the Blues biggest issue, and management has continually made the wrong decision on which goaltender to keep/play for 30+ years. How a team ****s up the most important position for so long despite different management boggles my mind.

I'm going to hold on to this post for a year end analysis lol

 

[Robb_K]

This article leads me to believe it could be one of two things. The first and mostly likely scenario is that Jake is seeing a psychologist or some kind of mentality coach. The second could be that Army pushed him to train a specific way this off-season (a different coach, attend a certain camp, maintaining a routine/certain schedule).

I would imagine it involves some sort of mentality coach and believe that could make a big difference. Although the summer isn't long enough to fix any and all of Jake's issues, it does provide time to learn a few strategies/tactics that may help with maintaining his composure when he does hit those rough patches that would normally shake his confidence. There is also a chance that his psychologist is in St. Louis and he will be able to continue seeing him throughout the season or is available via phone/video chat in the event that Jake needed to talk.

The fact that Jake is saying that it is going better than he expected is a positive sign. If he continue's to "buy in" to whatever he is doing, it could pay off huge for both him and the team.

It is going to be interesting to see what happens from mid-December through Janurary...

I'm glad to hear this report. I hope it will make a real difference in how he performs this season. The Blues' added firepower and depth should, at least, make it easier on Allen, so that he'll be less likely to tire physically and mentally. So, I look for substantial improvement from him EVEN if the different preparation has little effect.

 

[thedustman]

Jeremy Rutherford posted an article a few days ago that I found fascinating, as much for what it didn't say as what it did. Here is the link for those with an athletic subscription.

To summarize for those without a subscription. Jake Allen was not worried at all he would be traded this off-season. “I don’t know if I should get into that,” Allen said. “I knew I was coming back." Rutherford thinks there was an implication that Armstrong gave him this assurance. However, the Blues straight up told him he needed to be more consistent.

Initially after the season Allen told reporters that he wouldn't make any changes to his summer routine. Now he told JR, he did make a change. But here is the weird thing, he would not say what that change was. He even indicated it wasn't his idea, and he didn't think it would work. Although now he is happy about it. JR, and myself, think he is talking to a sports shrink.

The rest of the article is making excuses for him, talking about the lack of goal-scoring and how he is only bad for a few weeks a year.

I think there is a lot here to unpack and discuss, hence why I made its own thread.

1) It seems Armstrong didn't even kick the tires on a different goalie. Is that the right move?
2) Do you think Allen's seeing a psychologist? If not, then what? If so, is that what he needs?
3) Why the big secrecy?
4) Allen makes some quotes about what he needs to do to be successful, are those reassuring to you?
5) Can Allen be a good goalie? What does he need?

Thanks for the summary. This is very interesting indeed. Seeing a psychologist doesn't seem like something to make this big of a fuss about. I wonder if the "secret change" is more related to physical activity or mental. It could even be something like a diet change. Maybe the snake is no longer a carnivore.

Either way, I think we'll find out whether it worked when Laine lines up on a pass at the dot and either:

A) Rips it over Allen's glove as the snake is sliding the other way, out of position.
B) Gets all of the puck headed for top cheese only to be snagged by Allen, King Cobra style.

 

[BlueOil]

Jeremy Rutherford posted an article a few days ago that I found fascinating, as much for what it didn't say as what it did. Here is the link for those with an athletic subscription.

To summarize for those without a subscription. Jake Allen was not worried at all he would be traded this off-season. “I don’t know if I should get into that,” Allen said. “I knew I was coming back." Rutherford thinks there was an implication that Armstrong gave him this assurance. However, the Blues straight up told him he needed to be more consistent.

Initially after the season Allen told reporters that he wouldn't make any changes to his summer routine. Now he told JR, he did make a change. But here is the weird thing, he would not say what that change was. He even indicated it wasn't his idea, and he didn't think it would work. Although now he is happy about it. JR, and myself, think he is talking to a sports shrink.

The rest of the article is making excuses for him, talking about the lack of goal-scoring and how he is only bad for a few weeks a year.

I think there is a lot here to unpack and discuss, hence why I made its own thread.

1) It seems Armstrong didn't even kick the tires on a different goalie. Is that the right move?
2) Do you think Allen's seeing a psychologist? If not, then what? If so, is that what he needs?
3) Why the big secrecy?
4) Allen makes some quotes about what he needs to do to be successful, are those reassuring to you?
5) Can Allen be a good goalie? What does he need?

1) not much available, standing pat wasn't necessarily right, but there wasn't much else to do
2) i hope he's seeing the person who turned fleury around
3) it's private stuff and admitting you need help is uncommon - not to mention he's perceived as mentally fragile already
4) not paying to read jr scribble, can't answer though i'm more concerned with his play than his interviews
5) allen can be a good goalie and allen has been a good goalie, allen just can't keep being a good goalie for too long so far at the nhl level. he needs to find a way to be more consistent and lose with dignity. it turns into a disaster far too quickly with him. in multiple games (even some 1 goal ones for the apologist crowd), allen sunk too fast for anyone on the team to do anything about it. with allen, it can often rain then pour. he needs to find a way to be okay with it raining and stop causing it to pour with his play.

 

[Dbrownss]

This is relevant to the topic....but if Allen isnt a fit for the system...why not just alter the system. I'm sure the skaters wont mind not having to try to block everything.

 

[Falco Lombardi]

Can we at least agree that Jake Allen is a 1B and not the Starter Golden Boy that many expected?

If we can also agree that he still could be in the future and to totally write him off would be dumb

 

[TK 421]

If we can also agree that he still could be in the future and to totally write him off would be dumb

I'm not a fan of Allen myself and I 100% agree with this. Jake has lots of athleticism and has shown stretches of dominant play so the ability is certainly there.

My impression is that he's a guy whose instincts sometimes directly conflict with what coaches are trying to get him to do from a technique standpoint. Especially in regards to his movement. He finds himself out of position far too often and most of it is him drifting several feet beyond where he should be on his own. I've seen him display more awareness and control his movements better and it's no coincidence that came on the heels of working with a certain HOF goaltender. So maybe his summer workout should have been watching like 600 Martin Brodeur starts.