Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009

Upcoming home games give Blues chance for momentum

On the day Brett Hull was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, his former team back in St. Louis may want to put in a special request.

Send us some goals.

Now.

Hull scored 527 of his 741 goals while wearing the Blue Note. His old team could use a heaping helping of the scoring magic he helped create in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Now 45 and a vice president of the Dallas Stars, Hull won't be lacing up his skates again at Scottrade Center unless posing for a statue.

At this point it may take a GPS system and the crew of History's Mysteries for the Blues (5-6-4) to find a way to get some pucks past goaltenders again.

Not every dilemma in the hockey world can be solved by working harder. Every pro athlete should already be working hard based on the incredible skill, drive and work ethic that helped them get where they are.

Struggling players are said to be "squeezing their sticks," "thinking too much," and "not getting bounces."

At this point, anything will do. The Blues -- fresh off a 3-2 shutout loss at Atlanta on Sunday where they couldn't hold a 2-0 lead in the third period --will gladly take an ugly goal, an overturned disallowed goal, a deflection or a rebound.

They will also take a penalty shot, an opponent scoring a goal against his own team and the puck bouncing in off both goalposts and the crossbar while trickling across at 1 mph.

While it's true that it's still early, and the Blues have that vaunted second-half march to the playoffs last season to fall back on, there are some puzzling trends that don't seem to be reversing themselves.

They are 1-6 at home and have scored a total of eight goals during those games. They were shut out in back to back home games by Florida and Phoenix, neither of which will be mistaken for a Stanley Cup contender.

They have lost five straight games that have gone into overtime or shootouts, including all four this season. It's happened in each of their last three games.

In the past two seasons, the Blues have won only 10 of 25 games reaching overtime or shootouts.

Are they burdened by unrealistically high expectations that came with a young team reaching the playoffs against all odds last spring?

Are they suffering through some bizarre post-Sweden hangover after seemingly creating some unlimited momentum by beating the hated Red Wings twice in a row in Scandinavia?

At this point, Blues fans are clamoring for some answers.

Why is the power play just 1-for-28 at Scottrade Center this season -- and that goal coming when Erik Johnson shot a puck off the side of Blues rookie Lars Eller?

Why has this team scored just 33 goals in 15 games, the third-lowest total in the league?

An easy answer can be found when checking the stats of the players considered to be the Blues' top forwards headed into this season.

David Backes had 31 goals a year ago, but through 15 games has one goal and one assist. He is mired in a nine-game pointless streak.

Paul Kariya (four goals, seven points) is pointless in seven games with no goals in his last eight. Coming off two hip surgeries, the former all-star has been shifted from line to line and at one point found himself off the power play unit.

Former sniper Brad Boyes has one goal in his last 13 games and two this season. This from a guy with 43 goals and 33 goals the past two seasons.

Keith Tkachuk has three goals and nine points in 15 games, but no goals since Oct. 8 and just one assist in his last six contests.

Tkachuk still leads the Blues with nine points, but his production has dropped. Andy McDonald (five goals, eight points) and David Perron (four goals, eight points) are picking up some of the slack, but much more is needed.

Youngsters T.J. Oshie, Patrik Berglund and newcomer Lars Eller are promising offensive players but also are inconsistent. They flash signs of greatness at times while making the mistakes of youth at others.

This is a team with a lot more offensive potential than it has shown, a team that some felt had enough offensive firepower to finish in the upper half of the Western Conference.

That still could happen and there are plenty of games remaining. With three homes games this week and a stretch of six in a row at Scottrade, this is a great place to start.