Half-Assed GDT: Blues @ Stars Game 2

[Burynai]

I just think this team frustrates Vladi. Their speed is giving him fits and I think he is done with Hitch. He'd better wake up or we are done. I almost wonder if it is common knowledge that Hitch is gone the second we are out. I don't think they were told...maybe it was somehow leaked. Something isn't right this series. The team acts completely different and they are having a harder time producing against a much inferior defense than that of Chicago.

Eh I think people are reading too much into this. Blues controlled most of the 1st and 2nd periods. They did their typical lay back with the lead crap and found themselves in trouble against the highest scoring team in the league. This is nothing new......

 

[Edgar Carrow]

So the players are the idiots.



But they realize it's not working.

 

[Venthon]

So the players are the idiots.



But they realize it's not working.

Sounds like a typical canned response to me.

 

[Burynai]

So the players are the idiots.



But they realize it's not working.

4 goals are better than 3. I don't understand this team sometimes. Had completely control and momentum going into the 3rd and you have the opportunity to end it or at least make it easier on yourself.

 

[fishsandwichpatrol]

So the players are the idiots.



But they realize it's not working.

So it's the players calling the line changes?

 

[Venthon]

So it's the players calling the line changes?

Bingo, that's where nobody in their right mind believes that at face value.

 

[Overkamp]

What a weak question. He doesn't ask about the poor coaching decision to go into shell-mode; he asks about the people who complain about it.

Exactly. He's such a pansy. I don't follow the turd for that reason.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

Is it not something that an assistant coach should bring to his attention? I refuse to believe Hitch is a total and complete moron, but why try play a dump and change strategy for the ENTIRE 3rd PERIOD??? If we had a two goal lead with 3 minutes left, maybe, but playing a 1/3 of the game consistently in your own zone seems mental.

It's a great point that's been on my mind also. Why isn't Shaw doing something about this? Who knows, but maybe Shaw doesn't want to rock the boat too hard before he takes over?

 

[Robb_K]

So the players are the idiots.



But they realize it's not working.

IF THAT'S the case, Hitch should have called his time out early and told them to start attacking again. He claims that a team can't skate with The Stars, ans shouldn't try (meaning that the defencemen shouldn't pinch into the O-zone. But IF they DON'T send the defencemen in to help keep the puck in that zone, most of the time, they lose possession after a couple seconds, and The stars are racing back to The Blues' zone again. It's a fine line to have everyone skating hard in the neutral zone and not joining the rush, and avoiding spending the whole time on your heels.

The only answer is to have The Blues try hard to score on every shift, and risk having breakaway goals scored against when being caught pinching.

 

[PiggySmalls]

Hitch's pressed is exactly the reason why I can't stand his ****ing ass. Blames the prevent D on the players yet he short shifts them. If that's the case he did absolutely ****ing nothing to stop them game after game. I can wait u till we have a different bench boss.

 

[Borderbluesfan]

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?....302971059811023.72909.100002943944764&type=3

My oldest, stationed at Ft. Hood attended the game and had a great time. He said that there was a fair amount of Blues fans. He wore his Blues gear surrounded by Dallas season ticket holders and said that they were pretty good sports.

 

[Borderbluesfan]

We came out and played really well the first two periods, I still want to know why we can't hold a lead. Third period, we stopped playing the style that had us winning the first two periods. Good thing is in OT we came back out and pressing like we did in the first two periods.

 

[Bobby Orrtuzzo]

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?....302971059811023.72909.100002943944764&type=3

My oldest, stationed at Ft. Hood attended the game and had a great time. He said that there was a fair amount of Blues fans. He wore his Blues gear surrounded by Dallas season ticket holders and said that they were pretty good sports.

It says the photo isn't available, but seeing that you mentioned they're stationed at Ft. Hood, a big thank you to your son/daughter is in order for their service.

That being said, it's always refreshing to hear their fans are good sports.

 

[2 Minute Minor]

You could hear a fair amount of Blues fans in attendance.

This thread is on one track right now, but I like the response after that lackluster first game. When the Blues were playing their game, Dallas had no answer. And will Niemi start the next game? I think that's a good thing for St Louis.

Elliott deserved the win big time. If they'd lost that game, I'd feel really bad for him and that great effort.

I can't figure out what the deal is with Tarsenko.

I feel pretty confident about winning the series, probably in 6 games. But I think the Sharks look like the favorite to make it out of the West.

 

[Lakas]

So the players are the idiots.



But they realize it's not working.

I dont believe this. I'd understand if it was something that happens every now and then. But what you see is that all lines are systematically taking short shifts, gaining the red-line, dump-in with little to no forecheck, virtually every time there's a lead. It has got to be a coach-mandated strategy.

 

[Borderbluesfan]

It says the photo isn't available, but seeing that you mentioned they're stationed at Ft. Hood, a big thank you to your son/daughter is in order for their service.

That being said, it's always refreshing to hear their fans are good sports.

Told him to send me a photo to prove he was there, but all I got was some weak Twitter/FB posts, lol.

 

[Bobby Orrtuzzo]

Told him to send me a photo to prove he was there, but all I got was some weak Twitter/FB posts, lol.

Damn kids and their social media! Lol

 

[hullderko]

This thread is on one track right now, but I like the response after that lackluster first game. When the Blues were playing their game, Dallas had no answer.

It was nice to see them respond with their first goal quickly after going down 1-0. At least they stepped up early and didn't wait until 20 min into the game to respond.

 

[EastonBlues22]

I don't get who on the team really drives the turtle mentality. Both the coach and the players should know not to turtle against these teams. I doubt that the coach is the driving factor. Don't you think if the players had enough drive and confidence they would say F*** YOU COACH and not listen?

Just very frustrating....

It's the players' job to do what the coach tells them to do. It's the coach's job to tell them to do the right thing at the right time.

If some players decide to go rogue because they think a different strategy is better, then everything just breaks down because nobody is where anyone else expects them to be. Having a bunch of individuals running around out there is even worse than sitting back as a team.

 

[Note Worthy]

JR just asked hitch what he thinks of people who say the collapse was on the coach. Hitch: "everybody plays the score when you're winning." Go home Hitch, you're drunk.

So JR just asked about people who complain about turtling instead of just asking about it.

I always liked JR but he never asks the hard questions.

Honestly, I can't stand Bernie Miklasz but I could see him asking Hitch about turtling.

 

[Borderbluesfan]

Blues once again failed to play their game for the full 60 minutes. They looked good for the first two periods, but seemed to relax in the third. Their style of play seems to be hard to keep up for an entire game. OT they came out hard again. Niemi did a good job after coming in to start the second period, we could easily have put up a couple of goals in the 2nd.

 

[Stealth JD]

But I think the Sharks look like the favorite to make it out of the West.

If the Blues don't abandon this 'shell'-tactic, the Sharks are going to wax the Blues next round, if that's indeed the match-up. San Jose was really the only team I feared on the Pacific side of the bracket. Anaheim and LA both had fatal flaws. Still hoping Nashville can pull off another upset.

 

[EastonBlues22]

So the players are the idiots.



But they realize it's not working.

Don't believe that for a second. The players don't decide what structure the team is playing.

They might encourage shorter shifts from the bench, or fail to push forward as much when they have the puck as they could, but the coach is setting that stage for them with the structure that he wants them to play. When the structure is passive and the message is no risks/no mistakes, you're fostering exactly the sort of play that we've seen time and again in these situations.

 

[bleedblue1223]

We won a game in the 2nd round, isn't that enough?

 

[carter333167]

Here is a paraphrased summary of Hitch's comments on JR's question:

Hitch on playing that way with a 2 goal lead:

1. The players aren;t told to play that way but it's a natural reaction--
2. It's the way many teams play when ahead--worst lead in hockey is a 2 goal lead--we've come back on some of those leads as well when the other team plays that way
3. we don't want them to play that way as a team but the coaches are not instructing them to play that way
4. The other team gets very aggressive--pushing, pinching, pressing etc.
5. When we go to forecheck, there is only one guy to forecheck b/c the rest of their team is behind us.