GDT: Blues vs. Kings| 'Tis But A Scratch| 8:30pm, NBCSN|

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The Note

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Mar 13, 2011
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When: Wednesday, Feb. 24 at 8:30 p.m. CT
Where: Enterprise Center
Watch: NBCSN
Listen: 101 ESPN, NHL App


giphy_s.gif

Projected lineups
Kyrou-O’Reilly-Perron
Blais-Schenn-Hoffman
Sanford-Sundqvist-Poganski
Clifford-de la Rose-MacEachern

Krug-Faulk
Scandella-Dunn
Mikkola(?)-Bortuzzo

Binnington

VS.
:kings

Iafallo-Kopitar-Brown
Kempe-Vilardi-Carter
Wagner-Amadio-Athanasiou
Grundstrom-Lizotte-Moore

Anderson-Doughty
Bjornfoot-Roy
Maata-Strand

Quick


tenor.gif

 

Reality Czech

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Apr 17, 2017
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I see no reason why Mikkola wouldn't be in tonight, though I would personally keep Dunn and Bortuzzo together since they have good chemistry together. Time to dig deep and come up with a big win! The Kings are playing well, so it won't be easy.

I also feel like Husso is due a start though I guess that could be Saturday vs. the Sharks instead of tonight.
 

MissouriMook

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Looking at the standings, we are currently in 4th in the (Honda) West Division by points percentage. If we don't win tonight, the Kings will pass us and we will likely be sitting out of a playoff spot.

For perspective, we're in this position despite having played a total of 3 games against Colorado, Minnesota and Vegas and a total of 19 games against Anaheim, Arizona, LA and San Jose. We either need to get some guys healthy or the ones we have need to start playing with more urgency. Preferably both.
 

simon IC

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I see no reason why Mikkola wouldn't be in tonight, though I would personally keep Dunn and Bortuzzo together since they have good chemistry together. Time to dig deep and come up with a big win! The Kings are playing well, so it won't be easy.

I also feel like Husso is due a start though I guess that could be Saturday vs. the Sharks instead of tonight.
I agree completely! I would pair Dunn with Bortuzzo and put Mikkola on his offside with Scandella.
  • Krug-Faulk
  • Scandella-Mikkola
  • Dunn-Bortuzzo
 

Brian39

Registered User
Apr 24, 2014
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Looking at the standings, we are currently in 4th in the (Honda) West Division by points percentage. If we don't win tonight, the Kings will pass us and we will likely be sitting out of a playoff spot.

For perspective, we're in this position despite having played a total of 3 games against Colorado, Minnesota and Vegas and a total of 19 games against Anaheim, Arizona, LA and San Jose. We either need to get some guys healthy or the ones we have need to start playing with more urgency. Preferably both.
Worth noting that in the last 2 years (not including this year) we are 4-0-2 vs Vegas, 6-2 vs Colorado. Meanwhile, we are 1-3-1 vs Arizona. That trend has continued this season, although it is a small sample size for CO and Vegas so far this year. We are 4-2-1 against Minnesota in the last couple years.

We have a several-year trend of this team consistently playing down to bad teams and playing up to good teams. Some people have viewed this s a failure of leadership, some people view it as a big problem, and others haven't had much/any problem with it. I count myself in the latter camp and (assuming we get vaguely healthy) I expect us to do fine in April when we hit the hard part of the schedule. I'd like to have a better record against the California teams, but the current record isn't something that concerns me.

My opinion right now is not that we need to turn things around ASAP. I'm pretty comfortable if we enter April sitting on the playoff bubble (again, assuming we have gotten vaguely healthy).
 

BlueDream

Registered User
Aug 30, 2011
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I know it’s still early but tonight feels like it’s close to a must win. We gotta bank some points and stay afloat. The Kings aren’t bad but they’re also not a team we can afford to lose to back to back.
 
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DeuceNine

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We have a several-year trend of this team consistently playing down to bad teams and playing up to good teams. Some people have viewed this s a failure of leadership, some people view it as a big problem, and others haven't had much/any problem with it. I count myself in the latter camp and (assuming we get vaguely healthy) I expect us to do fine in April when we hit the hard part of the schedule. I'd like to have a better record against the California teams, but the current record isn't something that concerns me.

My opinion right now is not that we need to turn things around ASAP. I'm pretty comfortable if we enter April sitting on the playoff bubble (again, assuming we have gotten vaguely healthy).
I guess the good news about this is you generally don't meet bad teams in the playoffs, rare exceptions of course.
 
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Ted Hoffman

The other Rick Zombo
Dec 15, 2002
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We have a several-year trend of this team consistently playing down to bad teams and playing up to good teams. Some people have viewed this s a failure of leadership, some people view it as a big problem, and others haven't had much/any problem with it. I count myself in the latter camp and (assuming we get vaguely healthy) I expect us to do fine in April when we hit the hard part of the schedule. I'd like to have a better record against the California teams, but the current record isn't something that concerns me.

My opinion right now is not that we need to turn things around ASAP. I'm pretty comfortable if we enter April sitting on the playoff bubble (again, assuming we have gotten vaguely healthy).
The point about playing up/down to teams is spot on, and saying it's a several-year trend understates things. I can recall us doing this as far back as the late 80s. The last season or two and even a stretch under Hitchcock where we kind of put the boot on the throat of bad teams has been more the exception than the rule. Arizona continues to give us fits regardless, and I can't explain that.

If we get healthy, might we be OK? Of course. Would I prefer we bank our points now and not have to exert lots of energy late in the season trying to make a playoff push and end up facing the prospect of having to play 3-4 months of playoff-style hockey for us to make another Cup run? Hell yes. We waltzed through the 13-in-22 stretch in 2019, so it's not like we couldn't do something like that again. Always expecting that kind of run through a schedule is tempting things; at some point, it goes the other way and the margin for error disappears and we're relying on near-perfection and help from others to take care of that which we didn't do ourselves.

Take care of business. Get the 2 points tonight. Quit giving other teams hope and a reason to build confidence.
 
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brokeu91

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Jul 4, 2017
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Is it bad that with all of the injuries that we've had and as well as the Kings have played, that I've pretty much already given up on this game?

It's bad right?

I hope my lack of faith propels them
 
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542365

2018-19 Cup Champs!
Mar 22, 2012
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JR tweeted an hour ago that the Blues were listed as TBA on the COVID list rather than the usual “None”. That can’t be good.
 
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