After firing Craig Berube, the St. Louis Blues have gone 2-1-0 under the guidance of interim head coach Drew Bannister. They responded pretty well to the move, but it would also be a bit of a surprise if they didn’t respond in some way to the move.
In this edition of Blues’ 3 Up, 3 Down, I will discuss the response of a star player amid fan criticism, a rough game on the road, the start under Bannister, and more.
Plus One: 2-0-0 Start Under Drew Bannister
The Blues got off to a 2-0-0 start under interim Bannister with wins over the Ottawa Senators and Dallas Stars. They responded to the firing of Berube by outplaying their opponents for the majority of both games. The performance in their first two games with a new coach was solid, but I don’t expect them to sustain this level of play over the next several months of the season given the personnel they have.
Minus One: Dominated in Tampa
After two wins to start the Bannister era, the Blues got destroyed by the Tampa Bay Lightning. The score was 6-1 and the game may not have been that close. The Blues gave up six goals before Justin Faulk netted a late one. It was a bad overall game from the start and was not what they needed to begin a road trip.
Related: 3 St. Louis Blues Head Coach Options Not Named Drew Bannister
They have a chance to redeem themselves with a game against the Florida Panthers, but that won’t change the consistency narrative surrounding this team over the past two seasons.
Plus Two: Jordan Kyrou
When asked about the departure of Berube, Jordan Kyrou responded “I’ve got no comment. He’s not my coach anymore.” This sparked anger within a sector of the fan base and led to him being booed throughout the majority of the game against the Senators. After the game, Kyrou was emotional and didn’t mean any harm with what he said. He continued by saying he loves playing in St. Louis. I don’t think he deserved the level of criticism that he received after making these comments, but I understand the passion from a fan base who loved Berube. However, things got better for him shortly after this game.
He redeemed himself with an elite performance against the Stars on Saturday, Dec. 16. He was loudly cheered on by the fans after a three-point performance and a big overtime win against a quality opponent. He had a breakaway goal in the second period and drove the net to set up Colton Parayko for the game-winner. The Blues are a better team when Kyrou is playing well, so this performance was great to see.
Minus Two: Blais & Perunovich in the Press Box
The Blues recently sent forward Hugh McGing back to the American Hockey League (AHL) after getting into the lineup for the last several games. This move could open the door for Sammy Blais to return to the lineup after being a healthy scratch since Dec. 12. I don’t think he should be sitting in the press box for this long, but he could continue to stay up there if Nikita Alexandrov is inserted back into the lineup.
The same can be said for Scott Perunovich, who has been in the press box as a healthy scratch since Dec. 12. Clearly, both Blais and Perunovich struggled a lot before the Berube dismissal, but that shouldn’t keep them out of the lineup for the rest of the season. They’re both still fairly young and have room to grow under a new head coach with a new approach.
Plus Three: Kevin Hayes
After a slow start with the Blues, forward Kevin Hayes has found his way in St. Louis. He was traded from the Philadelphia Flyers over the summer and it’s been a good change of scenery for him. He’s taken his play up a notch over the past month or so.
He has three goals in the past five games and 17 points in 31 games overall. He’s also won 57.9 percent of faceoffs, which ranks first among Blues centers. He’s done the majority of damage at even strength, which isn’t a surprise given the team’s power play and overall special teams issues. One of the most reliable lines for Bannister through three games has been the Hayes line with Jake Neighbours and Alexey Toropchenko.
So far, the acquisition of Hayes has been a good move by general manager Doug Armstrong. He didn’t give up much and the Flyers retained half of his salary cap hit, which makes things far more manageable.
Minus Three: Armstrong’s Roster Building
I just wanted to throw this thought in there after the firing of Berube. It’s become clear that the majority of the Blues issues on the ice are due to a lack of roster strength. Since winning the Stanley Cup in 2019, Armstrong has made several tough moves. He let Alex Pietrangelo and David Perron walk in free agency and then made a poor trade for Nick Leddy. Overall, he’s done a bad job at keeping the Cup window open.
The Blues have two games before Christmas against the Panthers on Thursday, Dec. 21 and the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday, Dec. 23. It would be good for the club to go into a quick holiday break with back-to-back wins, but that’s probably asking too much of them.
