GDT: Blues @ Oilers 9 PM ET

[Vincenzo Arelliti]

That interview was great. Can someone post it?

 

[Dbrownss]

Brouwer is like an energizer bunny....you have no option but to be in a good mood around him

 

[Robb_K]

If Jaskin would wake up/gain some nerve, that would really be helpful for tomorrow

He was one of the few Blues who DIDN'T raise his game to help pull out a tough win.

 

[BadgersandBlues]

Nice game by the boys. Elliott has made all the stops we've needed this year, glad to see him rewarded.

Gunnarsson got better as the game went along. I want to be patient, b/c we're going to have injuries and rookies generally don't make it through the entire regular season without hitting a wall of some sort. Lindbohm will be up when serious injuries strike, and him getting top pair minutes in the AHL isn't killing his development. I'd think the return for Gunnarsson would be a 2nd at best, I'd personally rather keep him and let him heal and work his way back to form.

Speaking of form, God it's good to see Jay-Bo back into it. Simply a totally different player then what we saw after the injury last year. Him and AP are looking like that dominant top pairing we saw two years ago, and now their chemistry looks much better on retrieval, transition, and offensive zone cycling.

I'd really like to see Jaskin score a goal. He looked much better in this game then in previous games. Wouldn't mind seeing him play with Lehtera and Schwartz.

Same goes for Backes. Really would like to see those two guys generate a bit more crashing and banging in the offensive zone. Get away from the wall and drive to the middle and funnel like crazy. You're two of the biggest and strongest guys on our team, keep the other team honest on your shifts to help generate space down the road for guys like Tarasenko and Schwartz.

 

[rumrokh]

There's no doubt Jaskin isn't making things happen in the offensive zone, but he's had good hits and has provided very good defensive support. He's not playing bad hockey, but he needs some faster players who are better at getting the puck to him in dangerous areas. I'd like to see Jaskin-Stastny-Tarasenko, Schwartz-Lehtera-Rattie/Upshall/Brouwer, Steen-Backes-Rattie/Upshall/Brouwer. Brouwer seems to work on any of those lines and Jaskin-Stastny meshed last season.

 

[Total Bender]

Oshie is not here... Brouwer is. For the sake of enjoyment I see no problem with hyping Brouwer right now. For the sake of accuracy I understand the hesitancy.

I certainly don't miss Oshie even if he is a more skilled player than Brouwer though.

 

[Vladys Gumption]

There's no doubt Jaskin isn't making things happen in the offensive zone, but he's had good hits and has provided very good defensive support. He's not playing bad hockey, but he needs some faster players who are better at getting the puck to him in dangerous areas. I'd like to see Jaskin-Stastny-Tarasenko, Schwartz-Lehtera-Rattie/Upshall/Brouwer, Steen-Backes-Rattie/Upshall/Brouwer. Brouwer seems to work on any of those lines and Jaskin-Stastny meshed last season.

I wouldn't mind seeing Jaskin with Stastny either. They played very well together last year. The problem becomes, can you justify breaking up that Stastny line as currently contstructed.

 

[rumrokh]

I wouldn't mind seeing Jaskin with Stastny either. They played very well together last year. The problem becomes, can you justify breaking up that Stastny line as currently contstructed.

Because Steen, while very good, isn't the soul of that line and the other lines need a little love. Iunno, maybe they don't. They're putting up goals and winning games, I just don't see lines 2 and 3, as they are, cranking into a much higher gear. And with Steen and Backes together as a threat, that might take even more pressure off the Schwartz-Lehtera line so that Jaden can get some room to shoot.

 

[Blanick]

I just realized that not only did we get spoil McDavids NHL debut but his home debut as well. I don't know why but this makes me smile.

 

[Vladys Gumption]

Because Steen, while very good, isn't the soul of that line and the other lines need a little love. Iunno, maybe they don't. They're putting up goals and winning games, I just don't see lines 2 and 3, as they are, cranking into a much higher gear. And with Steen and Backes together as a threat, that might take even more pressure off the Schwartz-Lehtera line so that Jaden can get some room to shoot.

I think there's some sound logic behind what you're saying here. I'm not opposed in the slightest to giving it a try. I just don't know that Hitch will actually do it.

I'm very much liking Lehtera's game so far. Hopefully he doesn't fade down the stretch.

 

[Dbrownss]

Tonight was a very good example of hitch tweaking the lines well. The lines weren't bad but not much was happening so we saw Tarasenko slide down and score. We saw Brouwer and Upshall move around too.

I know we moan about it...but good coaches do it. He's obviously still committed to the set lines too

 

[Robb_K]

Nice game by the boys. Elliott has made all the stops we've needed this year, glad to see him rewarded.

Gunnarsson got better as the game went along. I want to be patient, b/c we're going to have injuries and rookies generally don't make it through the entire regular season without hitting a wall of some sort. Lindbohm will be up when serious injuries strike, and him getting top pair minutes in the AHL isn't killing his development. I'd think the return for Gunnarsson would be a 2nd at best, I'd personally rather keep him and let him heal and work his way back to form.

Gunnarsson played over 20 minutes this game, with Shattenkirk out. It would be a mistake to trade him off for just a 2nd Rounder, as there are always injuries to defencemen, and I don't want to see a Bortuzzo - Butler or Bortuzzo - Harrold pairing in a late-season game, or (perish the thought) in a playoff game.

I want to see Lindbohm up, but i don't really want to see Bortuzzo play a regular shift (although, he DID raise his game tonight to help the team win, by making up for his being a defensive liability by playing aggressively, hustling all game long. He couldn't keep that up on a regular basis. A rested Bortuzzo is enough of a liability. If he were to play tired, -well, i don't even want to think about that. Actually, he made several really good plays tonight, and that helped The Blues win. Gunnarsson did that as well, showing up more in the last half of the game.

 

[Ranksu]

I just realized that not only did we get spoil McDavids NHL debut but his home debut as well. I don't know why but this makes me smile.

Let me quote Hitch or was it Army,â€you are sick, you are nasty human like Edâ€

I read Rdmonton Hfboard, they are overeacting everything, jesus they have gold power house full of teenages, like I have said couple tweeks, one good dmen + fatherish 2-way forward will make that team totally different pace. They are full of speed, skill but no good 2-way guys or real dmen.

 

[Vladdy the Impaler]

Brouwer is like an energizer bunny....you have no option but to be in a good mood around him

Which could be a huge influence on the locker room come playoff time. Completely different attitude than Oshie...

 

[jura]

I just realized that not only did we get spoil McDavids NHL debut but his home debut as well. I don't know why but this makes me smile.

97	C. McDavid	C	0	0	0	-3	0	0	1	0	0	0	40%	4:57	0:32	20:17

poor kid

 

[BlueOil]

Personally, so far, I just like Brouwer more because he drives the play to the front of the net, which the Blues need more of.

Oshie is more talented, but it's much harder to generate scoring chances being cute in the corner corner.

 

[Robb_K]

Tonight was a very good example of hitch tweaking the lines well. The lines weren't bad but not much was happening so we saw Tarasenko slide down and score. We saw Brouwer and Upshall move around too.

I know we moan about it...but good coaches do it. He's obviously still committed to the set lines too

Hitch had to move players around to keep the minutes as even as possible on this long road trip within a short period. Notice how Steen and Backes are getting many less minutes than they got last season, and we all know that Brouwer can't play the minutes that Oshie did. All that has to be accomplished with a different mix of special teams play. So the regular lines are mostly two alternative PAIRINGS for each line, with a different (ad hoc) 3rd linemate, rather than one single regular trio.

Steen and Backes had really short even-strength minutes, as they play so much on special teams. And they only played about 17 inutes each of TOTAL minutes, when they both were playing over 20 last season. I think Hitch (after 3 years of needing it) has finally realised one of his major strategy errors, leading up to The Blues key players being exhausted going into the playoffs.

 

[BlueOil]

I just realized that not only did we get spoil McDavids NHL debut but his home debut as well. I don't know why but this makes me smile.

McDavid is far less NHL ready than hyped in my opinion. He'll be a great player in a couple years, but he's got a lot of polishing to do. The raw skills are there, some aspects of his game are close, others aren't. Would not be surprised to see him score less than 15 goals in his rookie campaign.

 

[Robb_K]

Personally, so far, I just like Brouwer more because he drives the play to the front of the net, which the Blues need more of.

Oshie is more talented, but it's much harder to generate scoring chances being cute in the corner corner.

TJ got his 1st goal of this season, tonight, by having held his ground right directly in front of the net, and slamming it home. He also drove the net and gave a great feed to Ovechkin for another great chance. I don't think he'll be a perimeter player on offence for Washington. I think a lot of that problem came from his trying to not cause a breakdown in Hitch's 2-way system.

 

[Dbrownss]

I hope both Brouwer and Oshie are successful.....

 

[Ranksu]

That Blues fan is also fan of cross-country skiing.

 

[BlueDream]

I hope both Brouwer and Oshie are successful.....

I hope Brouwer is successful since he plays for the Blues. Oshie doesn't so I don't root or care for him.

 

[Meatball]

It's still early, so I'm not fretting over Gunnarson right now. However, I think I'll become more concerned if we don't see Lindbohm by the time the halfway point of the season passes.

 

[LGB51]

This next one is the game I really want, please for the love of all that is righteous beat those damn dirty Canucks!

Lets Go Blues!

 

[Dbrownss]

I hope Brouwer is successful since he plays for the Blues. Oshie doesn't so I don't root or care for him.

That's semi my point. Too many are still worried about the trade.