The road to the top of the NHL is long and rocky. Even the teams in the Central Division are feeling it right now. For teams in the reigning Stanley Cup Winners’ Division, it is evident that a lack of consistency makes it difficult to leap into the top spots. Only two of the eight teams have seven or more wins in their last ten games, five of the teams have five or fewer wins, and with the Arizona Coyotes and the Chicago Blackhawks, there are two groups that have won only once in ten games.
The two counterexamples collided Thursday as the Winnipeg Jets and the St. Louis Blues dueled. While Winnipeg is developing positively, the Blues are munching on some local issues.
It looks like the Jets have found their consistency. After three straight wins, the Canadians are at the top of the division and are also number one in the conference in points average. In the direct duel in the division against the Blues, the Jets managed a 5-2 victory and underlined their development. In the last ten games he has collected seven hits and only three times has he had to admit defeat.
Video: WPG@STL: Scheifele and Dubois in interaction
“The last few games have been the best I’ve played,” said Jets head coach Rick Bowness Pierre-Luc Dubois in focus, which has played a decisive role in the consistency of the last few games. “His line has been outstanding for us. It’s the best I’ve seen from him so far and we will continue to push him because he can be a dominant center in this league.” Dubois extended his point streak to seven games (5 goals, 7 assists) with two goals and one assist.
The Blues reacted much more negatively to the seventh defeat in the last ten games. The team slipped to sixth place in the division and coach Craig Berube vented his anger: “If nobody comes into the room and is ready to make a real effort, move their legs, do things right and be caring and detail oriented , So we’re not going to get anywhere. That’s the bottom line. As a coaching team, we train them. We tell them what to do against this team. The players need to come out as a team and that’s not happening at the moment . “
At the end of his angry speech, Berube stuck his finger even more clearly into the wound. “We’re not doing enough and we’re not consistent enough. That’s how you lose in this league. It’s not just one or two players, it’s a lot. If the players don’t come to the room and think about the team and put them first, then we won’t go over and I don’t see it at the moment. Our attitude is not good at the moment.”
The Blues are a real roller coaster team and they are emphasizing this particularly clearly at the current stage. Seven defeats have accumulated in the last nine games. The 2:5 was the 15th loss after regular playing time in 27 completed appearances this season. Since the start of the 2022/23 season, the Blues have struggled with a lack of reliability. A failed 3-8-0 start to the season was followed by a seven-game hitting streak. It seemed like St. Louis bounced back only to fall back into a hole.
The main reason for the inconsistent performance of the Azzurri is to be found in their own area. Only two other teams have conceded more goals than St. Louis (105). A significant deterioration from last season when they were able to provide a top ten defense. They conceded five or more goals on Thursday for the 11th time of the season. This has only happened to them 13 times in the last year.
Josh Leivo he has goals in two games in a row!!! #stlblues pic.twitter.com/KMIyy1mbcC
– St.Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) December 9, 2022
In the 2018/19 season, which looked like a sporting miracle, the Blues managed to turn things around after being penultimate at the turn of the year. They worked their way up the ladder, qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs, and finally won the title. But even if the road to the final stage is not as far away as in fairy tale season, such a path seems very unlikely.
In order to turn things around however, the players need to realize that the current effort is not at the level necessary for success in the league. “We were a couple of goals down at the start of the third period, but then we did things right. They were lucky with their fourth goal. It certainly took our breath away, but we stuck around and kept giving our all.” “. Ryan O’Reilly rather the positive in the foreground.
Berube has seen some improvements in the New York trip recently and was hoping these too would solidify. On Thursday he then had to experience another downhill ride on the roller coaster.
