The St. Louis Blues are statistically still in the thick of the playoff chase in the NHL’s Western Conference. However, after rattling off a 3-6-1 record in their last 10 games and struggling to score more than a goal or two each night, the Blues are receiving some jeers from their fans.
After a 4-0 shutout loss at home to the Winnipeg Jets on Friday night, Blues fans let their team have it. Most of those frustrations came out on Twitter, but the crowd in attendance also let goaltender Jake Allen have it by razzing him after he made some easy saves.
This apparently rubbed the Blues the wrong way.
Just finished with Tarasenko. May be as pissed as I've seen him in a post game interview. Really upset that fans jeering #stlblues goalies, especially Allen tonight. Feels it's unfair to blame them. Says it's on players in front of them.
— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) February 24, 2018
Pietrangelo on getting booed off the ice: "We don't like that, especially me." #stlblues
— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) February 24, 2018
Pietrangelo also not happy with the mock cheering of Allen: “I don’t like it. It’s been bothering me. I’m not going to say anything about the fans but it’s disappointing to hear that. We got his back.” #stlblues
— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) February 24, 2018
In summary, Vladimir Tarasenko and captain Alex Pietrangelo expressed their disappointment in fans booing Allen. Pietrangelo also noted that he “especially” didn’t like the fans booing the team off the ice. Ironic, perhaps, as Pietrangelo was a legitimate Norris Trophy candidate and has since slumped out of the conversation.
Yes, the Blues do have a point. It is silly for fans to place the team’s struggles squarely on Allen. Allen hasn’t been good. There’s really no case to make that he has been good. But, the whole team has been bad, including Allen. The booing and jeering should fall on the entire roster, the coaching and the management that assembled the team.
All of that being said, Blues fans have every right to express their frustrations. The Blues have played like garbage at home. Dating back to January 1st, the Blues have the 28th offense in the NHL. This is all coming from a team that was one of the best in the league to start the season.
The Blues are a team full of third-line talent. Unfortunately, some of that third-line talent is being asked to play on the higher scoring lines. That’s a recipe for disaster and is a major problem the team likely can’t address at the trade deadline. GM Doug Armstrong has already admitted that a rental player isn’t the answer. That’s true, but it’s also a damning statement. This is Armstrong’s team. The fact they look like a bunch of third-line players is his responsibility.
The Blues are looking more like a team that needs an overhaul than a team that’s a piece or two away from being a Stanley Cup contender. Until that’s corrected, or at least partially addressed, the Blues should get used to their fans booing bad efforts.