One thing we know for sure is that fans can be harsh. They pay good money to attend hockey games and therefore have the right to be critical and voice their opinions.
At what point do they cross the line though?
Did fans go overboard by cheering when Barret Jackman was announced as a scratch prior to the Blues, Stars game Saturday night?
After all this is the same Jackman who the Blues once selected in the first round, won a Calder trophy wearing a Blues uniform, and has played countless games through injury over the years.
We can all admit Jackman has had a rough stretch of hockey over the last five or so games. The game in Nashville was one of his toughest games I’ve ever seen him have. Right Now Jackman is going through a stretch where it seems like every mistake he makes ends up in the back of the net. To me I think Jackman is seeing too much ice and it might not hurt to see his minutes cut down a bit. It's fair to wonder if fatigue is setting in?
Remember when this was the case with Eric Brewer?
Jackman suffered a pretty significant upper body injury early in the game vs. Nashville when he was on the opposite end of a pretty nasty hit by Predators forward Patric Hornqvist.
Off topic real quick I like this Hornqvist kid more and more every time I see him play. It’s never a bad thing when a 7th round pick not only plays in the NHL but also hammers home 30 goals. He reminds me of a European version of Scott Mellanby.
Back to Jackman…
It’s one thing disrespect a player when you’re unhappy with his play, but to do that to a player who’s injured is wrong. This guy is fully entrenched in this city and does more charity work than most people realize. I’m not going to go on a public campaign on why you should like Barret Jackman but the treatment on this guy Saturday night was foolish. The fact that he couldn’t play Saturday night absolutely killed this guy. In an era of sports when we have many athletes just out to collect a paycheck it took me by surprise to see an athlete who truly cares about the fans not receive the same treatment in return.
Then again it wasn’t too long ago New York Rangers fans booed Wade Redden when his name was announced after scoring a goal.
This isn’t New York.
Mase in your face?
It’s not uncommon for many Blues players to get Mased in between periods.
There’s been a lot made out of Chris Mason sharing his thoughts with the media following the Blues loss in Nashville last Thursday.
Several people have been trying to speculate as to who the veteran goaltender was directing his frustration towards when explaining how he didn’t think some players gave a full effort in a game that required nothing less.
I’ll put it this way. Mason’s frustration is completely geared towards a few forwards who he felt didn’t bring the necessary desperation to the ice when you consider what was at stake.
People who follow this team are fully aware that not only is Mason one of the most popular players in the Blues dressing room but he may be the most competitive player as well.
The bottom line is this guy wants to win and he’s not afraid to get into a teammates face and let him know if he’s not pulling his share. Mason comes to the rink and gives 100% everyday in both games and practice and expects the same from each of his teammates.
How would you like to face shots from Shea Weber all night while watching a few of you teammates not giving a full effort?
Mason’s comments had everything to do with effort as opposed to players making mistakes. Sure Barret Jackman had a tough go in Nashville but you think Mason is going to question his effort? How many pucks has Jackman gotten in front of since Mason arrived in St. Louis?
The goalie is the on ice captain, they see everything. They know who’s ducking the shooting lanes, who’s dogging it on the back check, and who’s afraid to go in the corners. He’s not mentioning names but he knows there’s an issue and he’s calling it the way it is. The bottom line is the players know who they are
What’s wrong with that?
These comments are made just after a game when things are heated, should he just stand there and pretend like it’s ok?
I realize sometimes this can be a dangerous road to go down especially for a goaltender. Sometimes it can be best to either name names or simply leave it in the dressing room.
It’s not important that fans and media know who these comments were directed towards as opposed to the players in the dressing room knowing where they stand.
Word is following the second period of the game in Nashville Mason didn’t hold back in letting a few guys know what he thought about the effort they were giving. Apparently Keith Tkachuk addressed the same players after the game.
We hear different people from the organization tell us all the time how you have to be patient and the re-building process takes time. Don’t tell guys like Chris Mason, Paul Kariya, and Keith Tkachuk that. These guys want to win now and aren’t thinking about a year or two down the road.
Rink Rats!
Interesting comments by Larry Brooks in the NY Post in regards to a few GM’s indicating Chris Pronger is an issue in the Flyers dressing room. Now this is interesting, nothing like a NHL GM popping off about another team’s player and unwilling to put their name behind it. I can think of about 28 other NHL GM’s who would raise their hand and volunteer to have Pronger come divide their locker room. He’s only one the best D-men in the history of the game. Let’s look at the history of the former Norris and Hart Trophy winner. Let’s see, the Blues fell apart after he left, as did an average Edmonton team who he led to game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals, before helping Anaheim win a Stanley cup. Now in his first year in Philly he has nearly 55 points and is a +20. I believe Brooks wrote a similar story about Pronger back in the day when he was in St. Louis. There are issues in the Philly dressing room that go beyond Chris Pronger and those closer to the situation would be able to shed more light. Can Pronger be hard on his teammates? Absolutely, but he backs it up with his play on the ice and has never cheated an organization. Maybe if they had a goaltender we wouldn’t be having this conversation.
More to come,
Andy Strickland
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St Louis Blues Blogger •1380 ESPN • 
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