Honestly this break is coming at a good time. There have been some bad habits sneaking into the Blues game lately and hopefully a few days off followed by a couple of hard days of practice under Berube to get their structure back in line.
This is a sloppy hockey team. And you can’t just chalk it up to an off night because as it’s been pointed out, our underlying numbers are BAD. We have way too much talent to be outplayed this often. It really doesn’t make any sense to me but something just isn’t gelling. I know our record is still good but that’s because we have the skill to get away with it in the regular season. Playoffs will be a whole new animal.
Our team defense is horrible. And it’s not the fault of just the d-men. I don’t see enough forwards playing hard and helping out.
I no longer want to trade for Chychrun or any defenseman. This is a team problem, not a problem with the defensive core. There’s no realistic guy we can acquire that would fix our issues. It’s bigger than one player.
Agree completely. The whole is not equaling the sum of the parts. The missing ingredient is grit and between now and playoff time it better show up.
Edmundson, Marroon, Steen, Blais all played a hard game that we don't have. Huge problem.
Buch brings more everything than Blais didTBH I think Buchnevich brings more grit than Blais did.
I don’t think you can draw too many inferences from random game against middling team.Me after the Toronto loss: pissed for many days
Me after the blowout in Calgary: okay, a clunker...it happens
Me after the half-assed loss to a broken down Jets team: I don't think this team has what it takes to go deep into the playoffs
I mean, hockey teams lose games sometimes. It's okay.
I don’t think you can draw too many inferences from random game against middling team.
i knew when i saw it scheduled at 2pm they were going to lose. it's blues tradition to have a rough outing midday. considering the blues' home record, this isn't that concerning.
that said, i'm still in the same spot i was prior to the start of the season: forwards look good, defense looks just okay, goaltending is good enough.
7-3-0 in the last ten. just have to keep that up
According to advance metrics. The opponent xga is the highest in the league when he starts vs any other goalie. Despite people saying thebteam plays worse for binny, the metrics have say the defense has been zlightly worse for husso(its still been near worst for binny) Im not saying hes the best goalie in the league but hes played like it during this hot streak. The blues are in for a rude awakening when he cools off. Hes been carrying the teamGoaltending is good enough? You realize that Husso lead the league in save percentage and GAA right? I know I say that those 2 aren't just a function of goaltending alone, but it's definitely not the defense that is doing him many favors lately.
well i was referencing the tandem overall, not just husso, so yes i think our goaltending is good enough. is the tandem elite? no. challenging for the jennings? no. we have a decent starter who can play better and an emerging back up who might be able to tandem. husso hasn't played many playoff-bound teams so i'm less excited by his results than some, but he's exceeded expectations, which was for him to settle in as a back up.Goaltending is good enough? You realize that Husso lead the league in save percentage and GAA right? I know I say that those 2 aren't just a function of goaltending alone, but it's definitely not the defense that is doing him many favors lately.
This is absolutely the key as far as I'm concerned. I see Husso as a better goalie than Binnington from a technical standpoint, maybe even to the point of calling him "significantly" better from a technical standpoint. With Binnington, it has always been about compensating with the mental part of the game, and the fire that made him one of the best a couple of years ago (not to mention winning a Cup) seems to be lacking lately, which leaves him just a guy. If Husso can develop a mental edge similar to Binnington's from his first couple of years, he will absolutely steal the starter's job and be one of the best goalies in the league.The other issue with Husso is that there is a big difference psychologically with playing as 'the man' and knowing everyone is counting on you vs playing to try and redeem yourself. I'm not taking away from his tremendous season so far, but I think he still has a lot to prove in showing how he handles a bigger role, the focus of opponents, etc. He faltered badly last year, and I view all of that to have been mental. I'm less convinced he won't struggle mentally under a more challenging scenario going forward.
well i was referencing the tandem overall, not just husso, so yes i think our goaltending is good enough. is the tandem elite? no. challenging for the jennings? no. we have a decent starter who can play better and an emerging back up who might be able to tandem. husso hasn't played many playoff-bound teams so i'm less excited by his results than some, but he's exceeded expectations, which was for him to settle in as a back up.
the duo can't be propped up by husso's limited, but stellar stats. binnington's cup has zero to do with his current play and performance, which is far from elite. husso overachieving and binnington underachieving = good enough, not eliteIf Binnington/Husso isn't elite, name a more elite tandem in the league. We're talking about a cup winning goaltender with a backup posting 94% save percentage and a 1.90 GAA.
cup is a team victory and has nothing to do with binnys current play. he has statistically been a league average goalie for 3 years now and arguably below this year(advanced metrics say hes closer to average because we have a bad defense which are why his stats are way below average this year)If Binnington/Husso isn't elite, name a more elite tandem in the league. We're talking about a cup winning goaltender with a backup posting 94% save percentage and a 1.90 GAA.