Observations From The Couch

As the Blues have beaten the Coyotes 4-0 tonight, there are several things that must be cleaned up if the Yotes expect to reach the playoffs.

Second Line Must Contribute. Without Shane patrolling in front of the net and Vrbata sniping from the outside, this team must get second line production. When the second line does their job, the Yotes get points. When they don’t, you get tonight’s game. I’ve excused Raffi Torres and Daymond Langkow. They play every shift like it was their last and are always around the puck and the net. The rest, I’ve got my eye on you.

Power play must improve. Being 30th in the league for four straight years is hard to accomplish. There must be changes. Personnel, attitude, players, schemes. Nothing should remain. Everything is on the table.

Turnovers and blind passes will kill you every time.It is the playoff push, when players go all out. A turnover in your zone will end up in the back of your net.

Goaltending will get 3 days to work on cleaning up their mistakes. Too many were made in the past 26 hours. Missing on covering the puck, letting in the soft goals. Mental and technique can get some work.

Vermette and Bulduc need to find the back of the net or find the press box.

Schlemko or Stone over Rozsival. Rozsival hasn’t shown the play he had earlier this year. Perhaps he is hurt. Perhaps there is something else going on. But he is not the player that he can be. Five million is too much to pay for blown defensive assignments  and not finishing your checks.

Derek deserved better for his 1000th game. He is one of 288 players in the NHL to get to 1000 games. The average career is 42 games.