To all those calling for another first round exit: I get why you would predict this outcome. It has happened all too often in recent history with the same coach and a lot of the same leadership group. However, I think if you were to take a step back and objectively assess this team you would come to a different conclusion.
The Blues this year have shown a lot more mental resiliency in the face of some pretty serious adversity (i.e. injuries) than they have in years past. Most notably for me, I can't recall a time this season when the Blues seemed to give up after falling behind in a game. The bench has stayed calm, stuck to the game plan, and kept fighting in such games this year. Also, the way players are sticking up for one another feels different than past years to me. This is not the same roster as last year or the year before with younger players developing and improving and certain veterans leaving the team.
I suppose time will tell who is correct. Maybe I'm just a foolish optimist
This team has taken a huge step back offensively and defensively, even if they have shown more resiliency. While the overall record is fine, the process by which we've gotten there is pretty damn concerning. I'll be rooting as hard as ever for them in the playoffs, but they haven't shown me anything to make me believe this year will be any different than years past. I hope they prove me wrong.
Lol. Mental resiliency.To all those calling for another first round exit: I get why you would predict this outcome. It has happened all too often in recent history with the same coach and a lot of the same leadership group. However, I think if you were to take a step back and objectively assess this team you would come to a different conclusion.
The Blues this year have shown a lot more mental resiliency in the face of some pretty serious adversity (i.e. injuries) than they have in years past. Most notably for me, I can't recall a time this season when the Blues seemed to give up after falling behind in a game. The bench has stayed calm, stuck to the game plan, and kept fighting in such games this year. Also, the way players are sticking up for one another feels different than past years to me. This is not the same roster as last year or the year before with younger players developing and improving and certain veterans leaving the team.
I suppose time will tell who is correct. Maybe I'm just a foolish optimist
Not disagreeing regarding offense, they're now averaging over half a goal less offensively per game (2.46) than last year (3.02).This team has taken a huge step back offensively and defensively, even if they have shown more resiliency. While the overall record is fine, the process by which we've gotten there is pretty damn concerning. I'll be rooting as hard as ever for them in the playoffs, but they haven't shown me anything to make me believe this year will be any different than years past. I hope they prove me wrong.
Not disagreeing regarding offense, they're now averaging over half a goal less offensively per game (2.46) than last year (3.02).
Defensively, I disagree. They're allowing 2.37 goals against per game this season vs 2.45 last season. So, at the very least, I think they're at least on par with last season's defense.
To all those calling for another first round exit: I get why you would predict this outcome. It has happened all too often in recent history with the same coach and a lot of the same leadership group. However, I think if you were to take a step back and objectively assess this team you would come to a different conclusion.
The Blues this year have shown a lot more mental resiliency in the face of some pretty serious adversity (i.e. injuries) than they have in years past. Most notably for me, I can't recall a time this season when the Blues seemed to give up after falling behind in a game. The bench has stayed calm, stuck to the game plan, and kept fighting in such games this year. Also, the way players are sticking up for one another feels different than past years to me. This is not the same roster as last year or the year before with younger players developing and improving and certain veterans leaving the team.
I suppose time will tell who is correct. Maybe I'm just a foolish optimist
This team has taken a huge step back offensively and defensively, even if they have shown more resiliency. While the overall record is fine, the process by which we've gotten there is pretty damn concerning. I'll be rooting as hard as ever for them in the playoffs, but they haven't shown me anything to make me believe this year will be any different than years past. I hope they prove me wrong.
It's interesting that you bring up objectivity and then provide rather subjective reasoning to support that conclusion. Sure, the Blues came back and beat the Hawks in Chicago. That was a great victory, but the bottom line is, this team lacks serious leadership in Backes, and the playoffs will always be a different game than the reagular season. Stastistically, there is no reason to believe anything else will happen because the common, fundamental issues still reside on this team (lack of leadership and coaching adjustments).
Curious what measures you are using when you say the team has taken a huge step back offensively and defensively? Obviously this team has struggled with offense this season, but defensively I don't think it is accurate to say they have taken a huge step back. I am willing to cut the team a bit of slack on offense with all the injuries, but it is probably fair to say they have taken a huge step back there.
It's not just the injuries on the offensive front. There is no cohesive game plan. We used to be a team that despite our limited offensive talent was constantly buzzing around the net and generating a lot of sustained offensive zone pressure. These days, all i see is a "one and done" type of offensive approach. We don't get sustained zone pressure. We don't generate much on the counter attack. We don't even appear to have a plan.
Defensively, this team has definitely taken a step back. Much like the offense, we used to be relentless on the backcheck and would apply a lot of pressure. We were rarely hemmed into our zone for long periods. This year? I've seen us play entire games in our own zone. Our transition game is a mess, which I attributed to terrible coaching. Very few teams in the league have a defensive core as well suited to the transition game as we do. We should have a huge advantage there and yet, we rarely use it.
In addition, we're giving up way more high quality chances than we used to. We get outshot on a fairly regular basis and just overall don't look good. I'll fully admit that I'm not the most well versed hockey fan at all the minutia and intricacies of in game strategy, so when even I start to notice thinks like a lack of successful transition and offensive zone strategy, it's a problem.
Curious what measures you are using when you say the team has taken a huge step back offensively and defensively? Obviously this team has struggled with offense this season, but defensively I don't think it is accurate to say they have taken a huge step back. I am willing to cut the team a bit of slack on offense with all the injuries, but it is probably fair to say they have taken a huge step back there.
I should have been more clear in my use of "objectively." The point I was trying to get across was that if you just viewed this season in a vacuum, ignoring all our past first round exits and playoff failures, I think there is plenty of reason to believe the Blues can/will advance beyond the first round.
FWIW tho, it's not just a roarbacon win over Chicago I am referring to when I speak subjectively about "resiliency" and "things feeling different than past years." Nevermind the hilarious and lighthearted reaction by team members to the whole #roarbacon thing (poop in Hitch's office anyone?) being very different than past years. For example, the first game we played the Rangers this season they were on a serious hot streak. They came out and put up a couple quick ones on the Blues and Allen was pulled (he was pissed you may remember). Instead of the game turning into a blow out tho, the Blues stayed calm and fought back into the game - IIRC cutting the lead to 1 goal before giving up a late empty netter. This is just one anecdote but it is illustrative of a larger point, and instances where the team could have given up/panicked but instead stayed together and fought as a group like this have happened a lot more this year than I can remember in the past.