GDT: Game #1: Sharks @ Blues

[PerryTurnbullfan]

Saw these two posts on the Sharks page. I don't comment on other pages, especially if we are playing them, but I went to read what they thought of the game.
Is this true? Do we really get away with things often? I was thinking we were getting bad calls. Maybe it's a psychological thing. You're watching the other team get away with things, but ignore your team? Plus it's the playoffs, so things will be let go as series' go on. Maybe all fans look at other teams and say they get away and teams that are in the spotlight get picked on more. I even say oh my god how do they not call that and then serious we get called for THAT??
I don't know how our team is "bad" for hockey. We play a hard old school gritty game. Ain't nothin wrong with dat.


Hey Sharks fans. I didn't watch the game, but can someone tell me if the Blues got away with as much uncalled interference/holding as they usually do?

I am not one to complain about refs much, honestly. But with the Blues, it is completely ridiculous how much that team gets away with. It was apparent ALL throughout the series with the Blackhawks, and also in every game I watched of the Blues against Dallas.
The blues are bad for hockey. Hitchcock hockey needs to die.

I'm not going to lie. When the guy passes the puck and gets hit by Backes 5 strides later...little late. Reminds of Patrick Ewing dunking the basketball and taking 4 steps to do it....travelling...maybe..????

 

[LGB51]

Saw these two posts on the Sharks page. I don't comment on other pages, especially if we are playing them, but I went to read what they thought of the game.
Is this true? Do we really get away with things often? I was thinking we were getting bad calls. Maybe it's a psychological thing. You're watching the other team get away with things, but ignore your team? Plus it's the playoffs, so things will be let go as series' go on. Maybe all fans look at other teams and say they get away and teams that are in the spotlight get picked on more. I even say oh my god how do they not call that and then serious we get called for THAT??
I don't know how our team is "bad" for hockey. We play a hard old school gritty game. Ain't nothin wrong with dat.


Hey Sharks fans. I didn't watch the game, but can someone tell me if the Blues got away with as much uncalled interference/holding as they usually do?

I am not one to complain about refs much, honestly. But with the Blues, it is completely ridiculous how much that team gets away with. It was apparent ALL throughout the series with the Blackhawks, and also in every game I watched of the Blues against Dallas.
The blues are bad for hockey. Hitchcock hockey needs to die.

I maybe missed 5 minutes of actual game play, and the only somewhat dirty plays I saw was a somewhat late hit by Backes, and that knee on knee that we scored the PP goal on. The rest is just playoff hockey, but if I remember correctly HF Sharks regulars have a somewhat notorious reputation for overly complaining about most things against their team.

 

[Dbrownss]

The vast majority of the GDTs I read through (including the ones on this forum) have fans that think their team is getting screwed in some way by the refs, that the other team is getting away with too much/plays dirty, etc.

It's more prevalent when a team is losing, but hardly exclusive to that condition. Every fanbase does it.

This, plus their team doesn't have "puck luck". Even when their only goal was a double deflection off body parts

 

[ManyIdeas]

I thought jbo was great last night.

 

[2 Minute Minor]

The Sharks dominated the face offs for much of the game. I can't remember there being so many whistled face offs with a redrop, and it was almost always after the Blues won it. It made me think that San Jose had complained about something that Stastny and others do that they think is cheating the face off. Was there some new point of emphasis last night?

 

[542365]

I maybe missed 5 minutes of actual game play, and the only somewhat dirty plays I saw was a somewhat late hit by Backes, and that knee on knee that we scored the PP goal on. The rest is just playoff hockey, but if I remember correctly HF Sharks regulars have a somewhat notorious reputation for overly complaining about most things against their team.

They're also the same group that argued Thornton on Perron was clean(you know, the hit that knocked Perron out of the NHL for over a year after Thornton threw a flying elbow to his head). I wouldn't take anything they say too seriously.

 

[Stealth JD]

Disagree, we have been poor in both game ones, and I think we controlled this game. 2nd period we did what we do, after that we played strong in the third and then held the lead. The guys have answered time and time again though when they needed offense.

We also have been dominant on the road all playoffs long. It's truly seems to be at the point where the teams need to win their 4 in our barn

This is a huge overreaction.

Sure I want to win it but the "stealing of home ice" is insanely overrated. It goes back to being moot if the Blues do the same thing and win just one game on the road.

Nice to get the lead. Decent game, but could play better.

I'm not trying to say Game 2 is a must win....but it would be huge going back to San Jose up 2-0 with a chance to go up 3-0 or 3-1...series changes drastically if the Sharks take game 2. Both times this year the Blues have split the first 2 games, and both series have gone 7 games. Plus, if San Jose wins on Tuesday night, that doesn't mean the Blues road dominance will continue. San Jose is 5-1 on home ice this year in the playoffs...so there's a chance that the Blues never regain home ice if they lose it now. They Blues played 82-games of high-level hockey for the right to get game 7 at home, and if they win the rest of their playoff games at home, they win the Cup. Every home game should be considered crucial from this point forward, if they're realistically going to be Champs. If Tuesday's game isn't the biggest in club history, it's 2nd behind only the Game-7 loss to the Flames in '86.

 

[Dbrownss]

They're also the same group that argued Thornton on Perron was clean(you know, the hit that knocked Perron out of the NHL for over a year after Thornton threw a flying elbow to his head). I wouldn't take anything they say too seriously.

I thought it was more of a shoulder.... either way, thanks for reminding me why I never care when our guys crush theirs

 

[TheOrganist]

I'm not trying to say Game 2 is a must win....but it would be huge going back to San Jose up 2-0 with a chance to go up 3-0 or 3-1...series changes drastically if the Sharks take game 2. Both times this year the Blues have split the first 2 games, and both series have gone 7 games. Plus, if San Jose wins on Tuesday night, that doesn't mean the Blues road dominance will continue. San Jose is 5-1 on home ice this year in the playoffs...so there's a chance that the Blues never regain home ice if they lose it now. They Blues played 82-games of high-level hockey for the right to get game 7 at home, and if they win the rest of their playoff games at home, they win the Cup. Every home game should be considered crucial from this point forward, if they're realistically going to be Champs. If Tuesday's game isn't the biggest in club history, it's 2nd behind only the Game-7 loss to the Flames in '86.

Seriously? This is dramatic. It's Game 2. The Sharks are a good team. I would be more surprised if the series didn't go 7. Frankly, I'm almost more comfortable when the Blues are on the road at this point. They play a more direct offensive game and don't overhandle the puck in prime scoring areas. Their team defense and goaltending will keep them in every game by default. Sure, Game 2 is the most important game in 15 years. Until Game 3.

 

[Stealth JD]

Seriously? This is dramatic. It's Game 2. The Sharks are a good team. I would be more surprised if the series didn't go 7. Frankly, I'm almost more comfortable when the Blues are on the road at this point. They play a more direct offensive game and don't overhandle the puck in prime scoring areas. Their team defense and goaltending will keep them in every game by default. Sure, Game 2 is the most important game in 15 years. Until Game 3.

I guess we can agree to disagree. I HATE hearing the team say "it's going to be a long series"...because that implies that they expect to lose some games along the way. Rather than expect a 6 or 7 game battle, I wish they'd just say "we're focused on the next game". Frankly there are some games that the Blues come out looking like they've got the attitude of "meh...if we lose it's still early in the series...no biggie", and it's infuriating. A four or five game series at this point would be ideal, and there's no reason that shouldn't be the goal.

 

[TheOrganist]

I guess we can agree to disagree. I HATE hearing the team say "it's going to be a long series"...because that implies that they expect to lose some games along the way. Rather than expect a 6 or 7 game battle, I wish they'd just say "we're focused on the next game". Frankly there are some games that the Blues come out looking like they've got the attitude of "meh...if we lose it's still early in the series...no biggie", and it's infuriating. A four or five game series at this point would be ideal, and there's no reason that shouldn't be the goal.

The Blues came out hot last night. They were unreal in the first period. Beautiful breakouts. One rush attack chance after the next. Definitely not a "meh" start. San Jose had a strong push back. They're a good team. I guess I'm just realistic at this point. All the upper tier teams in the West are so good I would never expect a short series. The difference is that since the Chicago series and especially after their performance in Game 7 against Dallas after the Game 6 debacle I never feel like any non-game 7 is do or die anymore. Certainly not Game 2. That's the beauty of a long run. You start to believe in your team. If they lose Game 2 I'm fully confident they can win a game out West and regain home ice. This team has overcome a lot of **** this postseason.

 

[LGB51]

They're also the same group that argued Thornton on Perron was clean(you know, the hit that knocked Perron out of the NHL for over a year after Thornton threw a flying elbow to his head). I wouldn't take anything they say too seriously.

Oh **** that's right.

 

[Lakebum]

Dbrownss technically they scored 2 goals but one was on their own team it just got taken back .

 

[Veneficus]

I seem to remember some team complaining about the sharks cheating on faceoffs a few years back. I could be making that up.

 

[KingBran]

I'm not trying to say Game 2 is a must win....but it would be huge going back to San Jose up 2-0 with a chance to go up 3-0 or 3-1...series changes drastically if the Sharks take game 2. Both times this year the Blues have split the first 2 games, and both series have gone 7 games. Plus, if San Jose wins on Tuesday night, that doesn't mean the Blues road dominance will continue. San Jose is 5-1 on home ice this year in the playoffs...so there's a chance that the Blues never regain home ice if they lose it now. They Blues played 82-games of high-level hockey for the right to get game 7 at home, and if they win the rest of their playoff games at home, they win the Cup. Every home game should be considered crucial from this point forward, if they're realistically going to be Champs. If Tuesday's game isn't the biggest in club history, it's 2nd behind only the Game-7 loss to the Flames in '86.

They were also the worst team in the regular season at home for any team that made the playoffs: 18-20-3

To put that in perspective only Columbus, Toronto and Buffalo had worse home records. Yes, the Edmonton Oilers won more games at home this season than the Sharks.

Sharks were 3rd in their conference. Basically, anything can happen in the playoffs. But records at home / away IMO should be thrown out the window. They have no real substance only 2 rounds in my opinion.

 

[2 Minute Minor]

I seem to remember some team complaining about the sharks cheating on faceoffs a few years back. I could be making that up.

I got the sense that San Jose complained about something St Louis did, and that it was policed. It was weird, because guys weren't getting kicked out of the dot, just redropping. Just seemed to happen so many times.

 

[2 Minute Minor]

They were also the worst team in the regular season at home for any team that made the playoffs: 18-20-3

To put that in perspective only Columbus, Toronto and Buffalo had worse home records. Yes, the Edmonton Oilers won more games at home this season than the Sharks.

Sharks were 3rd in their conference. Basically, anything can happen in the playoffs. But records at home / away IMO should be thrown out the window. They have no real substance only 2 rounds in my opinion.

Weird because for a few years San Jose was probably the hardest place in the league to win a road game (not just for the Blues).

 

[Majorityof1]

Saw these two posts on the Sharks page. I don't comment on other pages, especially if we are playing them, but I went to read what they thought of the game.
Is this true? Do we really get away with things often? I was thinking we were getting bad calls. Maybe it's a psychological thing. You're watching the other team get away with things, but ignore your team? Plus it's the playoffs, so things will be let go as series' go on. Maybe all fans look at other teams and say they get away and teams that are in the spotlight get picked on more. I even say oh my god how do they not call that and then serious we get called for THAT??
I don't know how our team is "bad" for hockey. We play a hard old school gritty game. Ain't nothin wrong with dat.


Hey Sharks fans. I didn't watch the game, but can someone tell me if the Blues got away with as much uncalled interference/holding as they usually do?

I am not one to complain about refs much, honestly. But with the Blues, it is completely ridiculous how much that team gets away with. It was apparent ALL throughout the series with the Blackhawks, and also in every game I watched of the Blues against Dallas.
The blues are bad for hockey. Hitchcock hockey needs to die.

The Blues have a very physical style of play, one that many teams don't see all that often. And a lot of the physicality is from our forwards. They hit on the forecheck. Even if the puck is already gone, they finish their checks. You don't lead the playoffs in hits as a forward (Backes) if you pull up short after the D passes it. But its all within the bounds of fair play. You have a second or two to hit a player after he passes the puck. The Blues use that to punish. I think Ott is the only one I'd say may push that few seconds a little far sometimes when he is out there chasing hits. Backes used to push it more but he has played really disciplined this playoffs. As for holding, I assume they mean how we grind it out on the boards. Nobody is hugging anyone, they are just pinning them to the boards and fighting for the puck. Nothing illegal about it.

That said, the Sharks do have a very legitimate complaint against the refs on the early whistle where Elliott misplayed the cover and it slipped into/close to the goal. But that was not in anyway favoritism. The ref just assumed that Ells was going to cover that and blew the whistle out of reflex. Still, I'd be pissed if the situation were reversed as it was the difference in the game.

 

[pricer502]

Blues did what they needed to do to win last night and that is all that matters. The nature of the playoffs is the team that is losing usually looks better for the remainder of the game. The team winning has to dig deep and hang on for the win. I don't put too much stock into the 2nd and 3rd periods last night. If we get ahead early in game 2 I think the Sharks will have a similar desperation to their game in an attempt to get back in it and vice versa.

 

[TheOrganist]

The Blues have a very physical style of play, one that many teams don't see all that often. And a lot of the physicality is from our forwards. They hit on the forecheck. Even if the puck is already gone, they finish their checks. You don't lead the playoffs in hits as a forward (Backes) if you pull up short after the D passes it. But its all within the bounds of fair play. You have a second or two to hit a player after he passes the puck. The Blues use that to punish. I think Ott is the only one I'd say may push that few seconds a little far sometimes when he is out there chasing hits. Backes used to push it more but he has played really disciplined this playoffs. As for holding, I assume they mean how we grind it out on the boards. Nobody is hugging anyone, they are just pinning them to the boards and fighting for the puck. Nothing illegal about it.

You'd never know it from incessant whining from other fanbases about our style but in aggregate during the regular season, the Blues are in the bottom half of the NHL in hooking, interference and holding minors...or better known as the penalties that are associated with a slow, plodding, clutching and grabbing type of team. The Blues have evolved in many of ways of the years but as long as Hitch is coach that is how they will be universally viewed by the opposition.

 

[The Note]

Honestly it seems like Sharks fans are the only ones that have held on to this idea that the Blues are some sort of trap team. They've been whining about it for 4 years now.

 

[Majorityof1]

You'd never know it from incessant whining from other fanbases about our style but in aggregate during the regular season, the Blues are in the bottom half of the NHL in hooking, interference and holding minors...or better known as the penalties that are associated with a slow, plodding, clutching and grabbing type of team. The Blues have evolved in many of ways of the years but as long as Hitch is coach that is how they will be universally viewed by the opposition.

We are still a puck possession team, but we have definitely slowly moved away from That old school type of game many people still characterize us as. We do regress to the turtle when we have a lead though. And that is a slow boring style, so maybe people judge us by that. But yea, as the stats point out, we don't hold, interfere, hook more than other teams. The penalties bear that out and the NHL/refs would have no reason to favor a mid-market Midwest team with universally favorable calls that support slower play.

Speaking of possession, does anyone know of a site that tracks time of possession or time on attack, preferably broken down by periods? More than any game this playoffs, I felt like we got destroyed in possession time. I am curious if I am just thinking that due to the horrible second period, the last 2 minutes of 6-on-5 and holding my breath every SJ PP due to hype the announcer's gave it. Or did we really get out-possessed? Because if we did, that scares me. We won't win this series if they have the puck in our zone more than we have it in theirs.

 

[carter333167]

What was the deal with the linesman? Every time we won a faceoff in the second and third periods they called it back for dropped unfairly......what the hell?

Also, congrats!

Particularly that clear draw win to Tarasenko for a 20 foot wrister. He was picking his spot when they blew the whistle.

 

[Brian39]

I got the sense that San Jose complained about something St Louis did, and that it was policed. It was weird, because guys weren't getting kicked out of the dot, just redropping. Just seemed to happen so many times.

It was weird. You would think that if it were something specific, the ref would warn the player at the first re-drop and then toss them for it every time after that. I'd like someone to ask our centers what the linesmen were saying to them, because I don't think I've ever seen that many re-drops.

 

[BlueDream]

I want to destroy San Jose. And if we lose, I hope the East team destroys them. Their fanbase is among the worst in the NHL. They complain constantly about the refs which is the #1 sign that a person knows nothing about hockey, and a lot of them are STILL mad about Lapierre's hit on Boyle 3 years ago even though neither player is on the roster now. Furthermore, when Raffi Torres threw his dirty hits, it was certainly the other team's fault.

Whining fanbase and no surprise that Pete DeBoer may be following suit.