So, after only catching bits and pieces of games and missing some altogether, over the past 3-4 weeks, due to work travel and chaos at home (had wife's family over for Thanksgiving and she decided it was time for a whole house makeover = 3-4 weeks of hell), I got to watch 2/3 of the Wed night and most of last night's game. I just have one question for about 80% of the Blues players: What the fork is so hard to understand that you are in the NHL and as such have to play at 100% effort and with an edge every stride of every shift of every period of every game? You see the results as clearly as the nose on your face. Why does a coach have to get fired and you have to drop below .500 to bring that out in you?

If the Blues played every game with the execution, speed, fire and grit they played with last night, they would be in a race for the top of the standings. Why is it so hard for this group to get their collective chit together? My current theory is that Pietro is too soft to be a "C" and there are too many veterans that are not owning this and getting in the faces of the players that need to step it up (in part because some of them need to step it up themselves).

Last night was impressive. If and that is a huge "if", the Blues can play like that for the next few months, they will be right back in the hunt. "I'll believe it when I see it... The talent is there.