[DaFace]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Kyrou was pretty much the Berube litmus test over the last couple of years. He was the guy who wasn't buying in, who wasn't showing game to game (or shift to shift) effort. And worst of all, he looks like a guy who got paid (his big extension starts this year) and then quit. Guy's owed $60 million over the next 8 years and seems on the surface to be content cashing checks.

For the last two seasons when the veterans and staff would say "We have to stop worrying about ourselves and sacrifice for the team; do the hard work to get the wins" and stuff like that, the unspoken element of that was that they were pretty much talking about Tarasenko, Kyrou and probably Krug. And this year Kyrou has been absolutely awful. With Tank gone and Kyrou seemingly improving, it was Kyrou who was the focus of that ire because he's regressed.

Ultimately I see Berube as Kyrou's first scalp. He'll probably get another before his time in STL is done. He has the talent to be a 40-50 goal scorer but just won't play hard (and yes, Berube's was too stubborn as well). When Berube comes out and says "Our best players don't play with passion or inspiration" he's talking to Jordan Kyrou directly and Kyrou seemingly never gave a damn about it.

And then when asked about the Berube firing his response wasn't just "No comment" it was "I've got no comment - he's not my coach anymore..."

From a guy who had an icy relationship with a local hero (STL loves Berube) to respond that flippantly after being one of the most obvious reasons the guy was fired, it did not sit well. And to contrast that with Schenn's remarks and especially Binnington (who's been an immature knucklehead himself at times) it made it really jarring. So the fans were understandably pissed and let him know it.

And more incredibly, the message hit home. Hard. Kyrou was crying in the post-game interview because of the boos. Honestly, if he didn't expect that and was that unprepared for it, it does say something to me about the bubble he was living in. He HAD to know that was going to happen if he had any self-awareness at all.

Maybe this will provide that. Because a lack of self-awareness may well explain how he missed 2 seasons worth of criticism for uneven play. Maybe now he'll take some of it to heart. Honestly, I don't care if he becomes a 2-way player. Not everyone has to be that guy. If he's just a goal-scorer and playmaker who uses his speed and hands to drive the play, that's fine. But play hard. Andy McDonald was a shite defensive player and didn't always put his body on the line in his own zone, but he NEVER jaked it when driving the play. Kyrou should be a better version of McDonald.

Got it - appreciate the context. I knew it had to be more complex than redditors shitting on the Blues for a simple comment.