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A recent mini-slide has the St. Louis Blues clocking in at 16-8-2, a respectable yet moderately disappointing record for a team that is widely viewed as one of the Western Conference’s elite. Vladimir Tarasenko has become one of the league’s most productive forwards and is the dynamic offensive player that the Blues have been missing for years. Jori Lehtera has been as good as advertised, picking up 21 points in 25 games and showing significant chemistry with Tarasenko.
On the less positive side of things, Paul Stastny has been a disaster. The high-priced center, signed to pivot St. Louis’ first line, has just eight points in 18 games and has been conspicuously ineffective at both ends of the rink all season long. Known as a great possession player during his years with the Colorado Avalanche, Stastny has been entirely average in that regard with the Blues. He goes missing for several games at a time and isn’t contributing anywhere near the level St. Louis envisioned when it signed him to a four-year, $28 million deal in July.
An injury to Brian Elliott has exposed the Blues’ complete lack of depth at the goaltender position. Jake Allen and Martin Brodeur are an ugly contingency plan. Also of note is the fact that St. Louis has been mediocre possession-wise in 2014-15. Opponents have controlled the puck about as often as the Blues have, a stark departure from the 2013-14 Blues team that dominated in this respect.
The “STL line” — Jaden Schwartz, Tarasenko, and Lehtera — has been brilliant, keeping an otherwise moribund offense afloat. St. Louis will need more from the likes of Stastny and David Backes if it is to seriously compete with the West’s best teams in the postseason. The Blues’ forward depth is prematurely celebrated almost every year, but its offense’s actual production is following in the footsteps of disappointing St. Louis squads of the past.
The early signs point to the 2014-15 group being the same old Blues: a strong regular season team that doesn’t have what it takes to do serious damage in the playoffs. St. Louis no longer has the benefit of the doubt, and the existence of so many problem signs makes it hard to give the team higher than a C- even taking into account its good record.
Sean Sarcu is a Chicago Blackhawks writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter or add him to your network on Google.
