For years, fans have blamed the Blues’ early struggles on “slow starts.” But after four seasons of tracking early results and final stats, the truth is clear: the Blues aren’t slow starters. They’re inconsistent, streaky, and fundamentally misbuilt.
The current 6–9–6 start this season is just the latest chapter. Coaching changes—from Berube to Bannister to Montgomery—haven’t fixed the team’s core issues. The problem is bigger than systems; it’s the roster and the way the team plays from day one.
2022–23: Defensive Chaos and Streaky Scoring
The Blues opened the season 11–10–0, a record that superficially looks fine but hides serious issues:
- Goals For per game: 2.90 (22nd in NHL)
- Goals Against per game: 3.52 (27th)
- Power Play: 22.4% (14th)
- Penalty Kill: 68.8% (30th)
- Goaltending (Binnington + Greiss): .901 / .903 SV%
- Key Player Early Stats:
- Kyrou: 9G, 18P, -12
- Thomas: 4G, 19P, -7
- Buchnevich: 6G, 16P (+2 in 16GP)
- Schenn: 6G, 17P, -7
Bottom line: Even with Kyrou’s scoring and Buchnevich’s two-way play, the team allowed far too many goals, showing that poor defensive structure manifested immediately.
By the end of the season, the Blues finished 37–38–7, but the early-season weaknesses — especially defensive lapses and poor possession.
2023–24: Goaltending Masked Weaknesses
The next season opened 11–9–1, again exposing defensive and possession issues:
- Goals For per game: 2.91 (25th)
- Goals Against per game: 3.05 (14th)
- Power Play: 9.2% (31st)
- Penalty Kill: 79.3% (16th)
- Goaltending (Binnington + Hofer): .910 / .905 SV%
- Key Player Early Stats:
- Thomas: 8G, 22P, +6
- Kyrou: 4G, 13P, +3
- Buchnevich: 8G, 16P (+3 in 19GP)
- Schenn: 6G, 11P, -10
The team relied heavily on goaltending to compensate for poor possession (45.9% 5-on-5 CF in the full season) and a lack of early-season scoring depth. Despite the slightly better record at the end of the season (43–33–6), the early struggles mirrored systemic problems rather than temporary slow starts.
2024–25: Early Chaos vs. Late Opportunism
In 2024–25, the Blues started 9–11–1. Early-season metrics showed:
- Goals For per game: 2.43 (29th)
- Goals Against per game: 3.38 (26th)
- Power Play: 14.9% (28th)
- Penalty Kill: 76.8% (23rd)
- Goaltending (Binnington + Hofer): .888 / .893 SV%
- Key Player Early Stats:
- Kyrou: 6G, 18P, +3
- Buchnevich: 5G, 12P, -5
- Parayko: 4G, 11P, -9
- Neighbours: 6G, 9P, -10
Even after a coaching change, the Blues were leaking goals and struggling offensively in the first 21 games. By season’s end, some regression in GA (231) and improvement in GF (250) masked the structural deficiencies, but early-season trends predicted where weaknesses would resurface in critical moments.
2025–26: Structural Flaws Exposed Early
Through 21 games, the Blues are 6–9–5 — already a problematic start.
- Goals For per game: 2.75 (26th)
- Goals Against per game: 3.80 (32nd)
- Power Play: 23.5% (bright spot)
- Penalty Kill: 72.6% (27th)
- Shots For / GA / 5-on-5 metrics: all bottom-third
- Key Player Early Stats:
- Thomas: 3G, 13P (+1)
- Kyrou: 6G, 11P, -10
- Snuggerud: 5G, 11P, -2
- Holloway: 5G, 9P, -10
The early-season trends are stark: poor defense, inconsistent scoring depth, and weak possession. When the goaltending and shooting don’t spike, the roster flaws are immediately exposed.
The Pattern: Early Struggles Aren’t Related to Luck
Across four seasons, the Blues’ first 21 games reveal the same patterns:
- Bottom-third possession metrics
- Weak penalty kill and inconsistent power play
- Early defensive lapses lead to negative goal differential
- Reliance on a few streaky forwards for scoring
Coaching changes haven’t fixed these issues because they’re rooted in roster construction, not systems. The team’s mid-season surges are typically the result of hot goaltending or shooting, not sustainable play-driving depth.
The Blues are not a slow-start team. They are a structurally flawed team whose weaknesses appear immediately. The first 21 games of each season have consistently predicted the team’s trajectory: without a hot streak or goaltending surge, the flaws are glaring.
Until the roster is rebuilt with more defensive stability, possession-driving forwards, and two-way depth, the pattern of early-season struggles, mid-season correction, and eventual playoff disappointment is unlikely to change.