Better Know a Contender?

The St. Louis Blues have never won a Stanley Cup title in their 42-year existence and that sucks.  The Blues is easily one of the coolest team names in all of sports (much better than The Jazz because a) it ends with an "s" and b) because they're not located in Utah) and merely as a result of that, this team should have reached the promised land by now.  Unfortunately, this team has got a serious case of the blue balls for Lord Stanley's annual vagina spread.

And this condition is not the result for want of effort.  From 1980-2004, the Blues made the dance each and every year.  However, it is certainly worth noting that the Blues never once made the Finals during that 25-year stretch.  And since that run, things have gone from competitive to downright ineffective, only having made the playoffs once in the last four years.  They of course made the playoffs last year, but were swept in the first round by the 'Nucks.

And the Blues do not appear to be primed for another playoff run based on the first quarter of the 2008-2009 season.  At the moment, the Blues are sporting the worst offense in the league, having scored only 43 goals through 20 games for 2.4 G/G average.  And while the defense/goaltending (goaltender Chris Mason is easily the best player on the team) has been fantastic up to this point (Top five in GAA along with an impressive penalty kill), it seems that the major problem facing the Blues will be pointing points on the board, especially when in the same division as the high-powered offenses of the Hawks, Wings, and Jackets.  And if the Blues hope to have any hope of duplicating their implausible run from last year, then they better step up when on the Power Play, because 12% is not going to scare anyone meaning that teams will not be afraid to play more aggressive when faced with such a feeble assault.

At the moment, the Blues are a team caught between two generations.  Their roster displays former (and current) all-stars such as Paul Kariya, Darryl Sydor, and Keith Tkachuk as well as future hopefuls in Patrik Berglund and TJ Oshie.  Fun fact: Did you know that no one has played more games for four worse franchises than Keith Tkachuk has (Winnipeg, Phoenix, St. Louis, and Atlanta)?  The ultimate question facing the Blues is whether or not the veterans can impress the necessary hockey knowledge onto the young guns, while at the same time allowing them to fly when the time comes. 

Players to Watch:

Erik Johnson - The current points leader for the Blues (who happens to be a defenseman) appears to be the complete package.  He has taken the 6th most shots on the team, but being offensive-minded has not had a negative impact on his ability to protect his own end of the ice as demonstrated not only by the Blues stellar GAA, but also his +7 rating.

David Perron - Perron, now in his third year in the NHL, is only 21 years old, but currently leads the team in goals scored with 9 (he only had 15 through 80 games last year).  Having shown improvement in each year of his short career, Perron appears ready to breakout and not a moment too soon for the anemic Blues offense.

Brad Boyes - Boyes is currently the closest thing that the Blues have to a superstar.  Having come off of back-to-back 30+ goal season, St. Louis looks to Boyes as the focal point for their offensive production.  The biggest problem with Boyes, however, is not his production, but his poor +/-.  Having an offensive threat is important, but only if it leads to points for the good guys, and not the other way around, which is so often the case when Boyes is on the ice.