Blues Weekly: Inconsistent Play, Vrana, Special Teams & More

In this edition of Blues Weekly, I’ll discuss the Blues’ recent performances, the benching of an important player, the week of games ahead, and more.

Blues’ Lack of Consistency Reminiscent of Last Season

Since last week’s edition, the Blues played two games and went 1-1-0 with wildly different performances in each matchup. In their game against the Calgary Flames on Oct. 26, the Blues looked dominant and won 3-0. They got a shutout from goaltender Joel Hofer and looked good in just about every facet of the game. However, I think it’s safe to say a lot of the reason for their dominance came from just how bad the Flames are.

Following up the win over the Flames, the Blues got destroyed from start to finish in a 5-0 loss to the Vancouver Canucks. Even though the Blues were in the second half of a back-to-back in this game, they looked awful throughout and provided nothing defensively in front of goaltender Jordan Binnington. I believe this season’s version of the Blues is somewhere in between their performances in Calgary and Vancouver. They aren’t as good as they played against the Flames, but they also aren’t as bad as they looked against the Canucks. They are 3-3-1 on the season and it seems like consistency is once again an issue for the Blues. I’d be surprised if they find consistency in either direction after their inconsistent play for the vast majority of 82 games last season.

Jakub Vrana Benched for Two Games

Though it appears that Jakub Vrana will make his return in the game against the Avalanche, it doesn’t change the fact that he was benched in the last two games. While he’s had some off-ice issues, it seems like this was fully an on-ice issue. Head coach Craig Berube said as much, “We need more from him. It’s all honest play on the ice, and he’s got to be better.” The Blues could definitely use Vrana’s offensive ability in the lineup, even if his defensive play isn’t up to the standard of Berube and his staff.

I don’t know if it’s in the best interest of the team to put Vrana on the third line with Kevin Hayes and Jake Neighbours, but at least he’s back in the mix. I don’t think it was the right move to scapegoat him over other potential options. In five games this season, he has three points and all of them have come at even strength. I understand that Berube wants all forwards to play solid defense, but it’s tough to see a skilled player like Vrana get benched when they’ve struggled to score goals all season. It’s going to be very interesting to see how he responds after two games in the press box against a terrific team like the Avalanche.

Blues’ Special Teams Aren’t Good Enough

Most of the real issues come from the power play, but the penalty kill hasn’t been elite either. Similarly to their inconsistent play over the last two seasons, the Blues’ special teams units remain a pressing issue. The Blues power play ranks last in the league at 4.8 percent, while their penalty kill is 14th at 80 percent. The penalty kill has improved over the last few games, which is good, but I don’t know how sustainable that is. On the other hand, the power play has been as bad as possible.

One of the biggest issues with the Blues’ power play is the coaching decisions on how to construct the two units. Leaving players like Kasperi Kapanen and Scott Perunovich out of the mix is a huge mistake. There’s little to no creativity from either unit and a total lack of continuity. It’s difficult to be 1-for-21 in power play opportunities, but that’s where the Blues are right now.

The Blues have not had a competent power play since 2021-22 when current Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery was running the show . In that season, they finished second behind just the Toronto Maple Leafs. It all comes back to approach and coaching decisions on who to put where, and the Blues are failing at both of those things right now.

Blues’ Week Ahead

The Blues have four games over the next seven days, including their second back-to-back of the season to finish this week. Their game against the Avalanche will be interesting, given the fact that the Avalanche have scored zero goals in their last two games. These matchups will say a lot about what this Blues team is, especially against the Avalanche and Devils, who are Stanley Cup contenders. They already got handled by the Jets and the Canadiens have wildly overachieved early in the season. This is a big week to get back on track.