Post-Game Talk: Game #1 Blues vs. Pens Post Game Talk Thread

[Brian39]

I thought Brodziak did really well on the PK, especially on the 5-on-3. The Pens ended up scoring on it but Brodziak did a solid job at killing a good portion of it.

Completely agree. PK is by far his biggest strength and it is certainly something to consider. I'm not suggesting that he should be healthy scratched next game. My point was just that I won't be surprised if his job is a little more up for grabs than a lot of us probably assume.

 

[Stealth JD]

Jaskin drew two penalties on Crosby and his hit on the Pens defender was the reason we scored the first goal. Definitely faded as the game progressed but some shining moments for him.

I thought Brodziak did really well on the PK, especially on the 5-on-3. The Pens ended up scoring on it but Brodziak did a solid job at killing a good portion of it.

I'm pretty bland on Paajarvi. I get that he's fast and all, but he doesn't utilize it effectively and he doesn't have much of a presence in either end of the rink. I'd rather see Barbashev or Megan in his spot.

Also, Thorburn sucks.

Brodziak was the highlight of the 4th line. Upshall had a couple of gaffes that fortunately didn't cost the team, and a couple of stick infractions that luckily also didn't get spotted...but if he plays like that moving forward, he'll end up doing more harm than good. Thorburn...well...don't think there's anything that can be said about him that hasn't already been stated. He reminds me of this guy, playing trying to play hockey:

I suspect we're going to see a lot of different combinations for that 4th line. Hopefully Upshall-Brodziak-Thorburn isn't one of them for quite some time.

 

[ManyIdeas]

I'd like to see Sundquist take Thorburns spot and barby in that 3rd line spot.

Megan can rotate with upshall/brodz or maybe even top 9, then when Steen returns, Paajarvi or jaskin down to 4th line

 

[JoshFromMO]

I'm not great at reading rookies, but I thought Dunn and Sundqvist looked mostly good. Dunn had a few little moves from behind our net that got him out of a tight space, so that was cool to see him get more comfortable at the NHL level.
Also Upshall looked like he had some wheels on him.

 

[BlueDream]

Uggh i hate that everyone wants Tara on the Schwartz and Schenn line. I personally like having 2 lines that pose a threat, just plug and play other teammates with Vladdy till someone clicks that can get him the puck in space. We just beat the defending Stanley Cup Champs without our best player scoring, cause we had multipul lines contribute.

Exactly.

Schwartz and Schenn just showed they look like an extremely formidable duo that can create offense - even when they had Jaskin flanking them. It makes no sense to me why anyone would watch that and say "yeah we need to put Tarasenko with them." No we don't. They can score on their own. In fact, keep Tarasenko with Sobotka and Stastny. They are two good playmakers who played well last night, and it's only a matter of time before Tarasenko starts scoring.

We play one game and people think Tarasenko needs help. I don't get it. He's going to put home plenty of feeds from Stastny and Sobotka. It's not a concern.

Then Steen can anchor the 3rd line when he gets back with hopefully Barbashev.

We've seen Backes do some pretty dumb stuff too, so it's really not that big of a deal. I have a problem with low hockey IQ, when players are missing assignments, like Yakupov would do.

Yep.

I view Schenn as a similar player to Backes. And with a player like that, they are going to help you way more than they hurt you so I can live with some of their bonehead decisions. It doesn't really matter.

 

[542365]

I would treat this Tarasenko situation the way the Pens treat the Malkin/Crosby combo and Chicago used to treat Kane/Toews back when Toews was good. Keep them separated so you have some scoring depth in your lineup that can't be neutralized by one good checking line, and then if you're down a goal late maybe think about putting the Schwartz-Schenn/Stastny-Tarasenko just to take a swing at it. I love Schwartz with Tarasenko as they work incredibly well together, but Schwartz works well with pretty much everyone. He works on any line. Tarasenko benefits from having someone do the dirty work down low for him so he can find soft spots to rip from. Tarasenko is the last guy I'd worry about. He's going to score his 35+ goals again. He's just too talented not to.

 

[Oberyn]

I want to see more of Sobotka-Stastny-Tarasenko before we pull the plug on it. I've always liked the Sobotka/Tarasenko duo and Stastny is the logical person to put in the middle of that line. Similarly, I want to see more of Schwartz-Schenn-Jaskin as well. Mentioned it earlier, but Jaskin had some bright moments last night and am willing to give him a shot with those two to see if he's a fit.

 

[wannabebluesplayer]

I want to see more of Sobotka-Stastny-Tarasenko before we pull the plug on it. I've always liked the Sobotka/Tarasenko duo and Stastny is the logical person to put in the middle of that line. Similarly, I want to see more of Schwartz-Schenn-Jaskin as well. Mentioned it earlier, but Jaskin had some bright moments last night and am willing to give him a shot with those two to see if he's a fit.

Sorry, I think Thompson would be better. Jaskin has had MANY chances on this team and squandered all of them.

 

[Chojin]

Some observations, looking at the numbers:

- Pitt's third line totally dominated the Dunn/Bortuzzo pairing and the Paajarvi/Sundqvist/Thompson line. I imagine this will improve with time, but it goes to show how badly injuries have undermined our depth.
- Holy crap, Petro/Edmundson totally crushed it. Only Pitt's scoring line gave them any trouble, and they spanked Pitt's top pairing head-to-head.
- Similarly, Jaskin/Schenn/Schwartz destroyed everyone.
- Jaskin got almost no special teams time. I'm not surprised about PP time, but I had assumed they'd put him out on the PK.
- Either Yeo sucks at line matching, or he actually wanted our fourth line out against Crosby. Granted, the Pens had the last change, but our fourth line saw a lot of their top 6, whereas their fourth line only really played against ours.
- Almost all of our shots came from the left side. I wish we had more balance.

 

[bleedblue1223]

If Schwartz and Schenn consistently play at that level, then Jaskin could very well be a good passenger on that line. There are certain things that he does well, and those fit with what Schwartz and Schenn want to do. He could have a season much closer to the one he had with Stastny and Berglund in 14/15. And while that's not overly productive, it's still solid numbers.

 

[LetsGoBooze]

I can't help but think Blais woulda looked really good on that Scheen-Schwartz line...

 

[bleedblue1223]

I can't help but think Blais woulda looked really good on that Scheen-Schwartz line...

I think even Yakupov would've looked good with them with the way they played last night.

 

[Davimir Tarablad]

I think even Yakupov would've looked good with them with the way they played last night.

I agree, I feel like Jaskin is a good fit for the time being with all the injuries as it allows for more scoring depth.

Sobotka-Stastny-Tarasenko
Schwartz-Schenn-Jaskin
Paajarvi-Barbashev-Thompson

That's the top 9 I'd go with, then when Steen gets back, slot him at 3LW and run a Paajarvi-Brodziak-Sundqvist 4th line.

 

[Oberyn]

I think even Yakupov would've looked good with them with the way they played last night.

Ok let's not get ahead of ourselves here

 

[AjaxManifesto]

Wow. Lots of hate for Thorburn. One missed chance to clear the puck and people are calling him "garbage". I'll wait to see how he does over a series of games before I write him off. He doesn't make a whole lot of money. He has a defined role that may be scaled back as the season goes on. I guess when Lahtera left the haters needed someone new to hate. My view is that he's a cheap insurance policy and that our 4th line is in a state of transition from last season, thru this season, and extending to the beginning of next season. At that point Uppy, Brodz, and Thorburn will be gone. Then our new kids will be ready.

 

[AjaxManifesto]

I can't help but think Blais woulda looked really good on that Scheen-Schwartz line...

He gets called up the next chance that opens up.

 

[BleedBlue14]

Schwartz's celebration while falling when Pietrangelo scored the OT winner was hilarious as well. I like how he just chucked his stick at Murray's head.

Someone for the love of god please make a gif of schenn tossing the puck but change the puck into a bowling ball and then clip to this of the ball taking down Schwartz I would die.. If I knew how to do that at all I would.

Either that or have Schenn tossing a grenade that could work too with Schwartz getting hit by it

 

[Majorityof1]

Sorry, I think Thompson would be better. Jaskin has had MANY chances on this team and squandered all of them.

Gawd I hope it's Thorburn, but I'd also be ok with Jaskin or Paajarvi. Megan, Blais, and Thompson deserve to be playing. Steen would be perfect to pair with Barbashev and Blais and bump Thompson up with Schenn and Schwartz. Or, you should put Blais with Schenn and Schwartz, and keep Thompson with Barbashev and Steen.

What has Megan, Thompson and Blias done to earn his spot that Jaskin hasn't? Jaskin had as many points in less games than any of the guys you mentioned this pre-season. Jaskin had a very solid game last night and, even if he didn't get a point, directly contributed to goals. Jaskin has shown to be better defensively and at possession than any of the above. Jaskin is well-suited to fit a role the coaches think is useful on that line (and was proven right over last night's small sample size). So why do the other guys who have proven nothing deserve it more?

Don't get me wrong, I totally balked when I saw Jaskin on the 2nd line, and I am a big Jaskin proponent. But I think that experiment worked given our diminished scoring threats, by utilizing that spot for a plyer who can help the scorers rather than score himself. At the very least, Jaskin deserves a bottom-6 role, not to be sent to the AHL.

 

[Bluesnatic27]

Wow. Lots of hate for Thorburn. One missed chance to clear the puck and people are calling him "garbage". I'll wait to see how he does over a series of games before I write him off. He doesn't make a whole lot of money. He has a defined role that may be scaled back as the season goes on. I guess when Lahtera left the haters needed someone new to hate. My view is that he's a cheap insurance policy and that our 4th line is in a state of transition from last season, thru this season, and extending to the beginning of next season. At that point Uppy, Brodz, and Thorburn will be gone. Then our new kids will be ready.

People have been saying Thorburn has looked bad all through preseason. This isn't some new phenomenon because he couldn't clear a puck.

 

[Evocable Manager]

Too clarify, when I said Schenn has low IQ or lacks in that area, it wasn't in correlation to the penalty. I was mostly referring to his decisions with the puck, I noticed he specifically had some questionable passes and decisions with the puck, where he skated with it and when he chooses to shoot (at times) can be put in to question. He is not someone who excels at 5v5 defending and looked rather weak at reading defensive schemes. I'd need more examples to put this theory to the test, but his skill level is certainly there.

I'm not trying to downplay Schenn, he's a solid player, but he isn't some kind of superstar. He's mostly a support player who plays with some juice.

 

[67Blues]

Wow. Lots of hate for Thorburn. One missed chance to clear the puck and people are calling him "garbage". I'll wait to see how he does over a series of games before I write him off. He doesn't make a whole lot of money. He has a defined role that may be scaled back as the season goes on. I guess when Lahtera left the haters needed someone new to hate. My view is that he's a cheap insurance policy and that our 4th line is in a state of transition from last season, thru this season, and extending to the beginning of next season. At that point Uppy, Brodz, and Thorburn will be gone. Then our new kids will be ready.

Thorburn doesn't fit our faster style of play. With Reaves, he could skate and had speed and when he was on the ice, you watched to see what energy he could provide the Blues. With Thorburn on the ice so far in his short time, he is slow, can't run someone down to generate the hit, and I've been watching to see what energy he could provide the OTHER team. I would not be shocked at all to see him as a throw in at this year's TDL after starting less than 35 games.

 

[Klank Loves You]

Too clarify, when I said Schenn has low IQ or lacks in that area, it wasn't in correlation to the penalty. I was mostly referring to his decisions with the puck, I noticed he specifically had some questionable passes and decisions with the puck, where he skated with it and when he chooses to shoot (at times) can be put in to question. He is not someone who excels at 5v5 defending and looked rather weak at reading defensive schemes. I'd need more examples to put this theory to the test, but his skill level is certainly there.

I'm not trying to downplay Schenn, he's a solid player, but he isn't some kind of superstar. He's mostly a support player who plays with some juice.

I want a larger sample size before i cast judgement, but Schenn and Schwartz looked like Peanut Butter and Jelly. This duo could be greater than the sum of their parts.

 

[Majorityof1]

Wow. Lots of hate for Thorburn. One missed chance to clear the puck and people are calling him "garbage". I'll wait to see how he does over a series of games before I write him off. He doesn't make a whole lot of money. He has a defined role that may be scaled back as the season goes on. I guess when Lahtera left the haters needed someone new to hate. My view is that he's a cheap insurance policy and that our 4th line is in a state of transition from last season, thru this season, and extending to the beginning of next season. At that point Uppy, Brodz, and Thorburn will be gone. Then our new kids will be ready.

People have been saying Thorburn has looked bad all through his entire career. This isn't some new phenomenon because he couldn't clear a puck.

There, fixed for you. People on this board love hockey and while the Blues may be their favorite team, they probably watch a lot of other teams too. Thorburn has been around the league for around a dozen years. Even if we only watch Blues games, we have seen a lot more of Thorburn than that one play. While there is always a chance that a player may respond well to a new coach/situation, Thorburn has been the player he is across multiple coaches in those dozen years. This pre-season and the one game with the one play is only reinforcing what we have seen in Winnepeg/Atlanta (yes, he was playing there when they were Atlanta). Armstrong had a very specific reason to sign him, and it had nothing to do with wanting to shore up the 4th line or be insurance. He couldn't move on from the idea of needing an enforcer. And it seems Yeo can't either. Its that mentality that annoys people with Thorburn, as he provides nothing else, and never has.

 

[Vladys Gumption]

Wow. Lots of hate for Thorburn. One missed chance to clear the puck and people are calling him "garbage". I'll wait to see how he does over a series of games before I write him off. He doesn't make a whole lot of money. He has a defined role that may be scaled back as the season goes on. I guess when Lahtera left the haters needed someone new to hate. My view is that he's a cheap insurance policy and that our 4th line is in a state of transition from last season, thru this season, and extending to the beginning of next season. At that point Uppy, Brodz, and Thorburn will be gone. Then our new kids will be ready.

He's getting all this hate because he's genuinely a terrible hockey player. We play the Jets a lot every single year so we've all seen him enough over the last few years to know exactly the quality of player he is.

 

[rumrokh]

Wow. Lots of hate for Thorburn. One missed chance to clear the puck and people are calling him "garbage". I'll wait to see how he does over a series of games before I write him off. He doesn't make a whole lot of money. He has a defined role that may be scaled back as the season goes on. I guess when Lahtera left the haters needed someone new to hate. My view is that he's a cheap insurance policy and that our 4th line is in a state of transition from last season, thru this season, and extending to the beginning of next season. At that point Uppy, Brodz, and Thorburn will be gone. Then our new kids will be ready.

My problem with Thorburn is far from one mistake that some talented players capitalized on. It's his whole game. The fourth line was repeatedly caught in their own end and Thorburn was a definite part of it.

Another thing is that Thorburn didn't just screw up once on that goal against. After the failed clear, he coasted through the middle of the ice and didn't pick up anybody. He's lucky that he actually got to the puck carrier because that puck could have gone to multiple different, uncovered players, especially if Parayko didn't make a nice pickpocket play. I realize that Yeo's fond of collapsing, but, rather than that, I just saw a player who looks lost and a step behind the play. I often thought the same about Reaves, but he's always been better at forechecking and causing good havoc, so there's a bit of a positive trade-off.

I get that it's a long season and you have to accept your depth when there are injuries, but Thorburn actually contributes to the depth problem. They can take that "defined role" and shove it if it means he plays over Barbashev, Megan, or Blais. Hell, the Blues could have snagged Agostino or Rychel off waivers, too.