Half-Assed GDT: Blues @ Ducks

[Linkens Mastery]

Schwartz-Schenn-Tarasenko
Steen-Brodziak-Berglund
Soshnikov-Sobotka-Jaskin
Thompson-Barbashev-Thorburn

Gunnersson-Pietrangelo
Dunn-Parayko
Bortuzzo-Schmaltz

Allen
Hutton?

Ducks when available

(If the Blues win I'll make the GDTs until the end of Reg Season)

Click to read more...

 

[simon IC]

I'm still waiving the tattered remnants of the "Playoffs at all costs!" flag. Go Bluessssss!!!!!

 

[LetsGoBooze]

I can't life without playoffs.

 

[Ranksu]

(If the Blues win I'll make the GDTs until the end of Reg Season)

Why you wanna make us win?

 

[Ranksu]

I can't life without playoffs.

mee too, its great feeling get sweep out 1st round.

 

[Linkens Mastery]

Why you wanna make us win?

Yes, Because I kinda don't want to lose a top 15 pick.

 

[Ranksu]

I believe that missing playoffs will push Army to re-evaluate more of our vet players and make changes at off-season. Getting playoffs just would give positive note we're fine and maybe not need bigger upgrade.

 

[AjaxManifesto]

I think tanking and getting a better draft pick rather than making the playoffs and getting blown out by the Jets or Preds is the more calculated moved. However, this is professional sports and you can’t start telling players to tank. No matter how bad the slump, they are competitors and they will always try to win.

 

[wannabebluesplayer]

I believe that missing playoffs will push Army to re-evaluate more of our vet players and make changes at off-season. Getting playoffs just would give positive note we're fine and maybe not need bigger upgrade.

I think he understand the need for upgrades and for certain players to be gone. I don't think barely creeping into the playoffs this year changes that.

 

[Novacain]

I think tanking and getting a better draft pick rather than making the playoffs and getting blown out by the Jets or Preds is the more calculated moved. However, this is professional sports and you can’t start telling players to tank. No matter how bad the slump, they are competitors and they will always try to win.

Also, with Carolina seemingly joining tbe "Bottoming out" teams list, our odds of actually finishing bottom 10 is less then 5% now. We would almost have to lose out.

 

[Zamadoo]

The playoffs have already started for the Blues. This makes the games that much more exciting! LGB!

 

[BangarangxRufio]

F west coast games... I gotta be up to get ready for work at 5:30am.

 

[Thallis]

I think tanking and getting a better draft pick rather than making the playoffs and getting blown out by the Jets or Preds is the more calculated moved. However, this is professional sports and you can’t start telling players to tank. No matter how bad the slump, they are competitors and they will always try to win.

We won't make the top 10 at this point, so it's a moot point. We should be trying to hit that 7 seed and beat the Pacific division/whatevrwha left of Nashville/Winnepeg. The opportunity is there now that Dallas is sliding and we have 2 games against Colorado left.

 

[Reality Czech]

I believe that missing playoffs will push Army to re-evaluate more of our vet players and make changes at off-season. Getting playoffs just would give positive note we're fine and maybe not need bigger upgrade.

You really think that? If we get into the playoffs that they will think the team is fine as it is? I am starting to think you might not be objective, sir.

 

[Brian39]

I've posted numerous lengthy comments about how unlikely it will be for us top finish either 9th or 10th to last, so I'm not going to repeat them. I will leave this link to Sports Club Stats, which gives us a 2.269% chance of finishing 9th or 10th to last (1.732% chance to finish 10th to last and .537% chance of 9th to last). So pretty long odds just to finish there and then we have to worry about the 30ish% chance that a team behind us wins the lottery and bumps us out if we only finish 10th to last. By the way, that same site has us at 31.4% to make the playoffs (which could be as high as 45% if we win tonight and get some help).

National Hockey League Lottery - Sports Club Stats

Even the hardest tank job possible gives us no more than a 15% chance of keeping our 1st round pick and realistically we're talking about under 10%.

As for Army's vision of the team, I don't think there is any chance that Army would be content with this team moving forward if we scrape our way into a playoff team. He traded a top 6 center at the deadline for futures. I'm not sure what more he could do to signal that he doesn't believe this roster is good enough.

 

[Bobby Orrtuzzo]

At the bare minimum I'm happy that we'll have a first round pick regardless (assuming we're not using the WPG pick to get a player). If anything maybe DA can package that pick plus a sobotka/bergy to move up a few spots.

 

[PiggySmalls]

Husso got recalled back from Rampage. He got a shutout in Ontario, California last night. So maybe tonight is the night that Blues get lit up early in the 1st and Husso comes in.

 

[AjaxManifesto]

I hate all of these California teams. So let's light 'em up.

 

[Dbrownss]

I believe that missing playoffs will push Army to re-evaluate more of our vet players and make changes at off-season. Getting playoffs just would give positive note we're fine and maybe not need bigger upgrade.

Do you listen to anything Armstrong says?

 

[GoldenSeal]

Channeling Oddball's "Positive Vibes" once again, I'm going to say that we win, but not by much:

Blues will stumble about in the first period against the faster Ducks, but will come out on top, I'm forseeing victory in OT. Berglund shows up again and gets another point. Jake Allen stays dialed in.

Blues 2
Ducks 1

 

[GoldenSeal]

I think tanking and getting a better draft pick rather than making the playoffs and getting blown out by the Jets or Preds is the more calculated moved. However, this is professional sports and you can’t start telling players to tank. No matter how bad the slump, they are competitors and they will always try to win.

Seeing how they are and if they do make the playoffs, I can see the Blues somehow blowing out either team in the first round just so the Blues get the tag of Spoilers this year. It just feels like that kind of year.

 

[The Note]

Everyone was sure the Wild were gonna roll the Blues last year and we saw how that turned out. I’m not saying I expect that this year, but I’m still hopeful they make the postseason. I’m just looking forward to the draft at this point so the more games they play, the shorter that gap is.

 

[Brian39]

Everyone was sure the Wild were gonna roll the Blues last year and we saw how that turned out. I’m not saying I expect that this year, but I’m still hopeful they make the postseason. I’m just looking forward to the draft at this point so the more games they play, the shorter that gap is.

I don't think every team that makes the playoffs can win a Cup, but the "anything can happen once you're in the playoffs" statement is true in regards to winning a round or two.

I've been wrong about Vegas repeatedly. With that said, the NHL has proven time and time again that the standard of officiating drastically changes in the playoffs and that regular season powerhouses often don't see that translate to the playoffs. While we would be obvious underdogs, I'm not calling any team with 0 playoff games in franchise history a lock against anyone. We don't have the horses to win several playoff rounds, but anything can happen in just one 7 games series. For as much as this fanbase bemoans Hitch for his inability to adjust in a 7 game series, we should know that regular season success doesn't ensure playoff success.

To pile on to your statement about the Minnesota series last year, the overwhelming consensus around here in 2016 was that we were going to get killed by Chicago in round one.

If we make the playoffs, we will probably lose in round 1, but acting like it is set in stone is ridiculous. Even the worst record over the next 4 weeks can only increase the odds of keeping our 1st rounder by about 5%, so I really don't understand rooting against this team. We're not a very good team and have a better chance of missing the playoff than making them at this point. But why not cheer for wins?

 

[Novacain]

I will say, the lower my expectations for the Blues going into the playoffs are, usually coresponds with them getting further in the playoffs. Each of the last 2 seasons I wrote off their playoff odds early, and in each season they surprised me.

Basically though, if we win this game things start looking pretty decent for us. If we lose this game, things start getting really difficult really fast, and there is no good scenario in terms of our draft pick save lottery miracle. So lets just win and see were things go.

 

[Note Worthy]

At least it's not a 9:30pm start.

LGB.