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TowerBrook Capital Partners, L.P.2/21/2008 Post-Dispatch article: The Blues and St. Louis: A love affair rekindled? by Bernie Miklasz
Reprinted with permission of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, copyright 2008.
Energized by fans, Blues go on a mission
By Bernie Miklasz
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
February 21, 2008
As the Blues soared to Los Angeles on Wednesday to begin a three-game trip, they were seeking to hold steady in the race for a Western Conference playoff spot. If there's turbulence up ahead, the Blues are determined to make their way through it.
Tuesday, in front of the 15th sellout crowd of the season at Scottrade Center, the Blues enjoyed one of the most triumphant hockey nights of the 2007-08 campaign. With crazed fans pushing them on, the Blues won the physical engagements, pounced on power-play opportunities and thrashed rival Chicago 5-1.
The resurgence continued, with the Blues having won four of their last five. And now they were off to Los Angeles for tonight's game, followed by games at Anaheim and Phoenix. The road hasn't been kind to the Blues. They're 25th among the 30 NHL teams in road winning percentage, and that must improve.
And 15 of the final 23 games will be played away from 14th and Clark, the home of the Blues. Obviously, the Blues still have a long way to go in this quest to return to the postseason for the first time since 2004. And for a franchise that hasn't won a playoff series since 2002, this is an important mission.
"This experience of what we're going through is really healthy for our hockey club," Blues President John Davidson said. "We have a number of young players, and think about how beneficial this will be for them. They're going to learn a lot about what it takes to succeed.
"The players and (coach) Andy Murray and his staff are good people, and they work hard. Last season when we got into a situation where we had to win some games to reach the playoffs, we didn't play very well. And I think that's what Andy was talking about three or four weeks ago about how we needed to change the culture. That's what we've been doing. I think we can handle it better this time."
Even if the Blues fall short in the standings, they are achieving a broader and more important goal this season: They've re-established a strong and meaningful presence in the St. Louis sports culture.
Fifteen is a huge number of sellouts considering that the Blues had only three home sellouts, combined, in the previous two seasons. In 2005-06, the Blues were 27th in the NHL in average home attendance (14,213). The team's on-ice performance improved last season, but the crowds were slow to return. The 2006-07 Blues were last in the NHL in average home attendance (12,250) and sold only 59.6 percent of available tickets.
This season, the Blues are selling 83 percent of their seats, and their average home attendance of 17,456 ranks 13th in the NHL. Tuesday's victory over the Blackhawks had the feel of a homecoming celebration. In the second season of the Dave Checketts regime, the revival is real.
"When you come into a situation like we did, you don't know how long it's going to take to turn it around," Davidson said. "You don't know if the moves you make are the right ones. You're trying to feel your way through it. Even with the best intentions, there are potholes along the way and you try to avoid them. But every once in a while you step in one.
"But as an organization we were so excited (Tuesday). To see all the fans there, it was unbelievable. They're back, and they're great and they make it fun. After the game, our players talked about the adrenaline inside the building. Who knows where this is going to go? I can tell you we're going in the right direction. Everybody had to be a little bit gratified. That was fun to be a part of."
As the Blues headed to LA, they were tied for 10th place in the Western Conference and within reach of the eighth and final playoff spot. That may seem to be a rather modest place. But there is cause for jubilation: After being so down for so long, the Blues are winning back the hearts.
