The Blues' Bad Habit

[BluesAL]

I think it's very interesting that Stastny, who is fresh from leaving another NHL club, has noticed this mentality within the Blues' locker room. Maybe it's something the current leadership core has just been around for so long they're blind to it.

I understand the work like mentality when it comes to winning but it doesn't really seem like the Blues enjoy their wins. Then on the reverse side, when the Blues drop a bad game, it seems like the players really get down on theirselves.

Maybe this is the cause for our playoff woes as well. We have the talent but not the mindset. We win 2 games in a series, drop a bad game, and then suddenly everyone's overthinking their moves and the team doesn't play their game.

It's like they say, championship teams have to have a bad memory. Lose a game, tweak a few things then forget about it. You're on to the next. Look at recent SuperBowl champs the New England Patriots. They had an awful loss on prime time television to a subpar team and everyone was questioning whether their QB still had it, whether this was the end of a dynasty, blah blah but what did their coach say in post game interviews? "We're on to the next team. We're on to the next team." Then they go on a win streak and eventually make history.

I feel like Hitch blames the players after each bad game though. "Not enough buy in [from the players]" "Guys weren't playing the right way" "Not enough energy". The mentality starts from the top.

Is this the thing that's holding the Blues back? Does our leadership core need a shakeup? Is Hitch to blame? What do you think?

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[ManyIdeas]

Strip the C, give it to the person with the worst English.

Everyone will be forced to listen extra hard to the captain and the results will show.

 

[Celtic Note]

Strip the C, give it to the person with the worst English.

Everyone will be forced to listen extra hard to the captain and the results will show.

Captains don't have the impact they once had. I am not sure a new captain makes much of a difference

 

[PitchDoug]

This is the psychology of the team/locker room that I think many of us have feared and suspected. We have "paper" confidence.

In the playoffs, you can't let a bad loss become 2 etc. Since this mentality is still present apparently, I think its positive that Stastny is stepping up and saying something about it. Maybe that's the first needed (public) step to overcoming the problem/bad habit. This team needs real confidence, a la LA/Chicago.

 

[anlongo13]

Stastny just came out and said what most fans believed to be the case. When it comes down to it, the Blues just haven't figured out the mental part of the game yet. The players get rattled way too easily.

It's pretty obvious what is wrong when you drop four straight playoff games, three times in a row.

 

[Falco Lombardi]

Huh.

Sounds like a lot of us.

 

[ManyIdeas]

Guys I figured it out, PocketNines is Paul Stastny. Lived in Colorado, stopped posting before his signing, acting like one of us when it comes to thoughts on the attitude of the team, etc

 

[Twisted Blue]

Captains don't have the impact they once had. I am not sure a new captain makes much of a difference

Not trying to argue, but I would like to know why you believe captains don't have the same impact on teammates they once did. I am ignorant of the team/player/coach dynamic in the NHL and want to learn.

Thanks!

 

[Art Lippo]

I think it's very interesting that Stastny, who is fresh from leaving another NHL club, has noticed this mentality within the Blues' locker room. Maybe it's something the current leadership core has just been around for so long they're blind to it.

I understand the work like mentality when it comes to winning but it doesn't really seem like the Blues enjoy their wins. Then on the reverse side, when the Blues drop a bad game, it seems like the players really get down on theirselves.

Maybe this is the cause for our playoff woes as well. We have the talent but not the mindset. We win 2 games in a series, drop a bad game, and then suddenly everyone's overthinking their moves and the team doesn't play their game.

It's like they say, championship teams have to have a bad memory. Lose a game, tweak a few things then forget about it. You're on to the next. Look at recent SuperBowl champs the New England Patriots. They had an awful loss on prime time television to a subpar team and everyone was questioning whether their QB still had it, whether this was the end of a dynasty, blah blah but what did their coach say in post game interviews? "We're on to the next team. We're on to the next team." Then they go on a win streak and eventually make history.

I feel like Hitch blames the players after each bad game though. "Not enough buy in [from the players]" "Guys weren't playing the right way" "Not enough energy". The mentality starts from the top.

Is this the thing that's holding the Blues back? Does our leadership core need a shakeup? Is Hitch to blame? What do you think?

At some point the finger has to be pointed at the Head Coach. The past 3 years the team has been bounced in the playoffs after losing 4 straight and blowing leads in the last 2 years. He complains when they win and complains when they lose. It has to get very stale having a guy constantly *****!ng like that.

 

[Lord Helix]

At some point the finger has to be pointed at the Head Coach. The past 3 years the team has been bounced in the playoffs after losing 4 straight and blowing leads in the last 2 years. He complains when they win and complains when they lose. It has to get very stale having a guy constantly *****!ng like that.

A coach's job is to fix (complain about) mistakes...Not coddle players. Look, I'm not a huge Hitch fan either, but he's not the one playing the games.

 

[bleedblue1223]

This had been said before, maybe Steen talked about it, he just wasn't as blunt about it. The locker room atmosphere is the biggest difference in the true contenders, just look at how the Cardinals are and how they are always in the hunt for a World Series.

Kirk Muller relates to today's player better, so I think when he takes over for Hitch, he will help in this area.

 

[BluesAL]

A coach's job is to fix (complain about) mistakes...Not coddle players. Look, I'm not a huge Hitch fan either, but he's not the one playing the games.

But it IS a coach's job to motivate players and set a mentality. It doesn't necessarily take coddling to do so.

 

[Lord Helix]

But it IS a coach's job to motivate players and set a mentality. It doesn't necessarily take coddling to do so.

Yes, and that mentality is to play they system to your fullest ability. If you don't, you get yelled at because you failed at a given task. Motivation? You want to win/not lose. You're making millions to play a game despite people starving, dying, etc. in other countries. Shouldn't that be enough?

 

[BluesAL]

Yes, and that mentality is to play they system to your fullest ability. If you don't, you get yelled at because you failed at a given task. Motivation? You want to win/not lose. You're making millions to play a game despite people starving, dying, etc. in other countries. Shouldn't that be enough?

Should it be? Yes. It it though? Unfortunately no. Look at good/winning coaches in sports. If you watch reactions from Daryl Sutter, Bill Belichick in the NFL, Greg Popovich in the NBA they're not always ragging on their guys. They understand their personnel, their limitations, and the effects of a long season and adjust accordingly.

 

[byfuglien]

This is the main reason why we wont win until Hitch is sacked. Great coach and he has done magnificent in St Louis, for god sakes we are a top team now, but to win in a knockout stage takes a different kind of approach and it seems that "gear" are not installed in this team. Its not a lack of quality or effort, its defo a subtil mental thing. We need fresh blood, in my eyes not just the coach, but also a slight shakeup in the teams core.

 

[BlueOil]

I don't feel like this problem is specific to Hitchcock. As much as I don't like hearing this, I think this is indicative of some core issues, which have been going on since before Hitch.

 

[EastonBlues22]

Love how many people are acting like they know what's going on "in the room."

It's Hitch's job to make sure the team is prepared to play from an Xs-and-Os standpoint, and to put his players in positions where they can succeed.

It's on the players to make sure they are ready physically and mentally, and to execute what they are instructed to do.

Stastny said it himself, in the very same article these quotes came from:

The Blues will be back on the ice Friday against Boston, and Stastny said that the onus will be on the players to eliminate that line of thinking, and it will be much-needed in order for the team to be successful.

 

[Note Worthy]

This had been said before, maybe Steen talked about it, he just wasn't as blunt about it. The locker room atmosphere is the biggest difference in the true contenders, just look at how the Cardinals are and how they are always in the hunt for a World Series.

Kirk Muller relates to today's player better, so I think when he takes over for Hitch, he will help in this area.

True and not to mention the great comebacks they've made in the playoffs. They don't falter or get down on themselves after being down.

The Cardinals always put it behind them and move on to the next game. This is something that I feel is preached from the top down and needs to happen with the Blues.

 

[Dbrownss]

Love how many people are acting like they know what's going on "in the room."

It's Hitch's job to make sure the team is prepared to play from an Xs-and-Os standpoint, and to put his players in positions where they can succeed.

It's on the players to make sure they are ready physically and mentally, and to execute what they are instructed to do.

Stastny said it himself, in the very same article these quotes came from:

Let's not act like they are adults.

The teams average age is now 27.5yrs old. "Energy" and mentality is solely on the players as Stastny said.

 

[bleedblue1223]

Ultimately it's on the players, but it's still an organizational issue. A coach needs to determine how to properly motivate and prepare his players. Some respond to yelling and some respond to more nurturing. The leadership core really needs to take the lead though. The coaches should be tough and the leadership core should follow up by calming everyone down and getting the right mentality.

 

[Ranksu]

If I'm not wrong Hitch is quiet guy in locker room. He says if its needed, but mainly players can speak up on locker what they should do on ice. So maybe it's our captain Backes who is tearing up everybody. Idk.

Blame coach is so funny. They are pro players they know what to do and speak up together if something isnt working. Coach isn't kindergarden worker.

Maybe I got wrong 'picture' what Hitch really is in locker room.

I could refer those what Stastny has sayed its like what happends here forum. We are winning but it doesnt feel like we are winning. When we loose its end of world and everybody dies. So stop whining

 

[Alklha]

I could refer those what Stastny has sayed its like what happends here forum. We are winning but it doesnt feel like we are winning. When we loose its end of world and everybody dies. So stop whining

This was my immediate thought as well

 

[EastonBlues22]

I remember a time not that far back when a common complaint was that the Blues needed more passion and fire because they were too even keel to win it all.

It amuses me that we've now reached a point where it can be argued that the Blues aren't capable of winning because they care too much.

Shouldn't the Blues have won something while they were moving from one place to the other?

 

[KirkOut]

The truth is that somebody who is looking to blame the entire failure of the team on one undeserving body (be it any particular player or coach) will do so, even though any failure is the sum of many things going wrong.

 

[2 Minute Minor]

I don't see any big extrapolations from Stastny's comments. I'm baffled that some on here think they can generalize so much when we have such a limited insight into the private conversations.

All I take from this is that Stastny is starting to fill a leadership role for the team, which is great.