Firing Craig Berube wasn’t necessary and will change little for the Blues

Doug Armstrong made a bed and will sleep in it himself soon without improvement.

Fuck this move.

Firing head coaches in the middle of the season may seem like an effort-boosting, “tired of it” rallying type move, but it’s really just a white flag being waved that what you did has failed. The St. Louis Blues have gotten off to a predictable start in 2023-24, but the front office had seen enough after the team’s fourth straight loss on Tuesday night to make a visibly drastic move.

The Blues have lost five of six games in December, following a 9-6 November where hope didn’t exactly put on a coat and take a walk, but the season didn’t seem as dire. It proves a lot can happen between Thanksgiving and Christmas, but it’s not the presents you like when it’s a box of hockey coal.

For Berube, his six year tenure in St. Louis (two partial seasons, four full ones) produced a record of 206-131-44. He collected 24 playoff wins in 51 contests, including that shiny Stanley Cup in 2019. He departs his desk with the third most wins in Blues history. In an odd shape of unfortunate history, he departs in the same way his predecessor, Mike Yeo, did: less than two months into a potentially lost season.

Now, many will pipe up and say that Berube took that embattled team to the Cup-but they won’t understand that was a different team. Very different. Petro, O’Reilly, Perron, Maroon, and Schenn led that charge along with an out of nowhere Jordan Binnington performance. Only the latter two players remain on a team that carries poor defense, feeble special teams, and a lack of consistency. But who didn’t broadcast this before the season began?

Let’s say it again. Doug Armstrong made very few changes to the roster, either via players declining trades or him being unable to navigate a tricky salary cap impasse. His hands may be tied, but his contract problems (and the no trade clause frenzy) has gotten tired to fans who are hungry for Cup #2. Armstrong was the guy who couldn’t find a way to keep Alex Pietrangelo in St. Louis because of a no move clause, and he turned around and gave Colton Parayko and Torey Krug long term deals. How’s that working out?

Firing the head coach in a tough season is such an old and tired move. Predictable but still shitty, it’ll change little on this team when it comes to a big picture. The roster and tactics are the same, and I doubt interim coach Drew Bannister can implant a winning strategy. He’s just here to paint a different picture on a dried turd.

Armstrong knows that the only way to change the course is to find better players, but he locked himself out of that house. The pandemic helped that issue take shape, but the fault in Army’s moves is beginning to show. It would have been better to let him finish the year, and take a glance in the summer. It’s not like Armstrong can make deadline moves that will make a difference.

What most likely pushed this move ahead was the former head coach’s blunt approach to coaching. As in, he didn’t hold an adult hockey player’s hand and didn’t mind being honest about a lack of play with the media. He cut the shit like fans would want a coach to, but the locker room may have whined and gotten their way. Players will always speak louder than head coaches to a front office. Defenders of the move will say that it’ll boost effort and spark a turnaround. They’re playing with fool’s gold there.

This move wasn’t necessary.

This move won’t change anything.

This move is unfortunately standard practice for a struggling team. I only wish the Blues had went marching through a different route to rebuilding their team. This comes off as sudden, confusing, and not at all inspiring.

Berube is a solid coach, and shouldn’t have to change his ways for a decaying roster. A good part of me hates this move because I like his style and way of leading a team. He also owns a great record and will be scooped up by another team, possibly as soon as next year or the season after. If it was a matter of his way wasn’t the Blues’ way, I’d like to see how they get more out of their overpaid defense and lazy special teams. See if Drew can get more out of Jordan Kyrou. Can he install that in half a season, or will he eventually be replaced?

If anyone should have been fired, it’s the defense. Take a lap, kids.