Blues Discussion Thread 2018-2019 - Part VI

[ScratchCatFever]

TSN says Blais has been called up. Injury or do they just want another extra body for some reason?

Certainly hope the latter. As Dbrownss stated above, being able to rotate guys in for maintenance purposes as well as to keep our depth sharp will be key down the stretch. I wouldn't be surprised to see Kyrou up before all is said and done either.

 

[Blueston]

Certainly hope the latter. As Dbrownss stated above, being able to rotate guys in for maintenance purposes as well as to keep our depth sharp will be key down the stretch. I wouldn't be surprised to see Kyrou up before all is said and done either.

Gunnar to IR to make room. Presumably Steen not there tomorrow and someone maybe banged up?

 

[Blueston]

Gunnar to IR to make room. Presumably Steen not there tomorrow and someone maybe banged up?

Or they just can’t bear to play Fabbri again.

 

[JoshFromMO]

Fun fact: since January 12, Tarasenko has been .87 gpg which would be about 71 goals over 82 games

 

[Ted Hoffman]

Depending on how we finish the final 26 games, we could roll into the playoffs like the Kings in 2012.

I'm going to pick on this, because I hear it lobbed constantly and I seriously think this story has been wildly romanticized and continues to grow in legend over time.

People act like the Kings went on some miracle run back in 2012 to get into the playoffs, and it was that hot streak that propelled them through the postseason that year. In reality, that "hot" streak was a 9-2-0 run from their "low water" mark late in the season on February 27, when they were 28-23-12 and "all the way back" in 10th in the West, a whopping two (2) points behind 8th-place Dallas, to 37-25-12 and all the way up to 6th in the West ... or just 1 point ahead of 9th-place Colorado. It pretty much coincides with the Jeff Carter trade and the post-trade bump followed by a fall-off back to the usual level of play that season. So ... good winning streak, but a net improvement of three (3) points. Certainly, it wasn't crawling out of some hole.

But they were playing playoff hockey, they were outshooting everyone! Great, that didn't translate into wins when they needed it for positioning - or even just to secure a playoff spot. The last 8 games, they only went 3-2-3; they outscored the opposition 21-19 [heavily influenced by 3-goal wins over eventual 9th-place Calgary and 14th-place Edmonton]. They closed the season falling from 6th to 8th in the West with a SO loss to non-playoff team Minnesota, a win over Edmonton, a SO loss to San Jose, and an OT loss to San Jose [which put the Sharks ahead of the Kings in the final standings]. As late as April 4, the Kings still didn't have a playoff spot clinched; despite leading Dallas by 4 and the Stars only having 2 games to play, the Stars led on ROWs and could have won out while the Kings lost out to clinch a playoff spot; it took a Kings OTL combined with a Stars loss to finally lock down a spot - and even then, seeding wasn't assured [and they pissed it away].

I look back at predictions for that Kings-Canucks series, I see lots of people taking the Canucks. I found very few people taking the Kings, and one (1) used "the Kings have been outshooting their opponents down the stretch" as the justification but still conceded that the Kings needed Quick to stand on his head because the team couldn't be trusted to score, and even then they still needed a little luck. More of the Kings picks had to do with "Canucks may be tired from pressing for the President's Trophy, post-Finals lull to start off, etc. than "you know what, the Kings are playing fantastic hockey, they're really rolling into this postseason." There were more people tabbing the Sharks to beat the Blues that year than the Kings to take out the Canucks, and the Blues' playoff inexperience + the Sharks "yeah, they haven't put the pieces together but they've got talent and experience, they could easily take advantage" made San Jose a trendy upset pick.

The idea that the Kings had been playing "playoff hockey" for a few months and that's the sign they were a real Cup threat? Folks, I don't see it. I didn't see it then. I saw a team that was streaky, not putting pieces together, and stumbling down the stretch and fell down the standings and kicked away decent chances to take points and relying on Quick to carry them to 2-1 kind of wins most nights. The thought was that Quick wasn't going to be able to do that forever, and lack of scoring would eventually doom the Kings; they had pieces, on paper they look like they should be really difficult in the postseason, but no one expected them to do that for much over a round; they sure as hell weren't doing it for more than one.

 

[ItsOnlytheRiver]

Or they just can’t bear to play Fabbri again.

Berube was asked twice about Fabbri after the game and he said the things you’d expect but reading between the lines he didn’t seem impressed by him.

That said, we know you’d like to use this to talk up a reason to trade him for a bag of pucks... don’t let me stop you.

 

[Blueston]

Berube was asked twice about Fabbri after the game and he said the things you’d expect but reading between the lines he didn’t seem impressed by him.

That said, we know you’d like to use this to talk up a reason to trade him for a bag of pucks... don’t let me stop you.

I actually don't want to trade him. I would trade him for value (such as another young player with untapped potential), but given how he has played and injury history he likely wouldn't return much. I just don't want to play him now. I totally agree he should be at SA getting consistent minutes but unfortunately would have to clear waivers and don't think that is likely. Hopefully he will be better next year.

 

[Default]

Have this weird feeling Blais will play over Fabbri tomorrow and it makes me sad

 

[ItsOnlytheRiver]

Have this weird feeling Blais will play over Fabbri tomorrow and it makes me sad

He’s going to.

 

[Blueston]

Have this weird feeling Blais will play over Fabbri tomorrow and it makes me sad

Are you sad bc injuries have robbed Fabbri of the player he looked like he was going to be or bc you think he should play tomorrow instead of Blais?

 

[Default]

Are you sad bc injuries have robbed Fabbri of the player he looked like he was going to be or bc you think he should play tomorrow instead of Blais?

Can I pick both answers?

 

[ItsOnlytheRiver]

I mean, let’s not get that emotional about it. He hasn’t played in a while so they probably don’t want to play him back to back considering the entire situation. Also, they don’t seem that impressed by him which is fine. It isn’t a death knell for his career yet.

 

[Ted Hoffman]

Anyone being realistic with Fabbri understood anything you got it out him this season was a bonus. After a year and a half of not playing anything meaningful and barely playing anything at all, this was basically a year to get back in the flow, play some games, try to get comfortable and get ready for next year.

 

[execwrite1]

I know it's crazy to talk next year while the Blues are red-hot right now ....

Next year, the goalies are set, the D is all back hopefully and there will be a glorious abundance of forwards.

First, second and fourth lines are set. The battle will be on the third line where six forwards will compete for three jobs.

Steen, Sanford, Bozak, Sundqvist, Kyrou, Fabbri.

 

[CaliforniaBlues310]

Fabbri was much better today.

I’d still roll this lineup down the stretch

Schenn-O’Reilly-Tarasenko
Schwartz-Thomas-Perron
Fabbri-Bozak-Steen
Maroon-Barbashev-Sundqvist
MacEachern, Sanford

I like MacMac’s game, same with Sanford..so I’d have a bit of a rotation with Fabs and Maroon if we’re fully healthy.

 

[Celtic Note]

Fabbri was much better today.

I’d still roll this lineup down the stretch

Schenn-O’Reilly-Tarasenko
Schwartz-Thomas-Perron
Fabbri-Bozak-Steen
Maroon-Barbashev-Sundqvist
MacEachern, Sanford

I like MacMac’s game, same with Sanford..so I’d have a bit of a rotation with Fabs and Maroon if we’re fully healthy.

Fabbri looked much better today. Still a long way to go, but it is progress.

 

[Mike Liut]

It’s going to be a lot easier extending Schenn and Petro with the playing well and making the playoffs.

 

[Blueston]

It’s going to be a lot easier extending Schenn and Petro with the playing well and making the playoffs.

It likely won't be cheaper though, which is the issue.

 

[Mike Liut]

It likely won't be cheaper though, which is the issue.

They won’t come cheap. 6x6.5mil for Schenn and 6x9mil for Petro?

 

[Blueston]

They won’t come cheap. 6x6.5mil for Schenn and 6x9mil for Petro?

Not sure I would do either of those. Maybe Schenn. Definitely not at that price for Petro.

 

[Mike Liut]

Not sure I would do either of those. Maybe Schenn. Definitely not at that price for Petro.

Maybe 6x8 for Petro?

 

[Blueston]

Maybe 6x8 for Petro?

That seems more reasonable.

 

[Dbrownss]

This team's swing is rediculous. Last week we were a minus team....and now we're +12 .


Also it's very possible Tarasenko passes ROR in pts.....through no fault of O'Reilly, Vladi is now only 9pts behind him when O'Reilly had a sizable gap on everyone. Those 2 should never...ever be seperated. Vladi has gone from being a 50pt pace guy to may close in on PPG....unreal 2nd half

 

[execwrite1]

Attention all Armstrong haters - your next monthly meeting is scheduled for Thursday in a phone booth.

 

[Novacain]

Attention all Armstrong haters - your next monthly meeting is scheduled for Thursday in a phone booth.

I take some pride in that I never called for Army's head during the down steak, other then frustration on keeping Yeo around so long. I thought he had almost perfect off-season and was just confounded why it wasn't working.