Nah. We won Cup so every bad trade prior no longer counts bc was all part of what led to Cup.
GDT: Blues vs. Penguins| Erin Go Blues| 7pm, BSMW|
- Thread starter The Note
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That 3rd period was entertaining. Felt like playoff hockey.
The Blues have to make some kind of move, even if it’s nit for a top pairing guy that we want. The defense needs a bit of help.
The Blues have to make some kind of move, even if it’s nit for a top pairing guy that we want. The defense needs a bit of help.
Reality Czech
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Can't help but notice that the 3rd pair of Bortuzzo/Mikkola was on the ice for both Penguins goals despite only getting 12-14 minutes of ice time. I still maintain that the biggest need is not finding a partner for Parayko, but rather shoring up the 3rd pairing. It's tough to beat good teams when you only have confidence in 3 forward lines and 2 defense pairings.
Over 70 shot attempts by Pens and just above over 30 in Blues?
I will beat dead horse, but Krug isn't fit in this team and Scandella gets burned in top2 minutes.
I will beat dead horse, but Krug isn't fit in this team and Scandella gets burned in top2 minutes.
You saw the goals how it happened? 3rd pair fault? Eh.... Watch it again can you blame them? Or did you just watch +/- stats on NHL.com?
TheOrganist
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First game in a while. Not scoring on the 5 on 3 a minute in set the tone and Pittsburgh played a terrific first two periods. They may not have major household names on their blueline but that is a well structured team that is aggressive and gets their sticks on everything (reminiscent of the powerhouse Red Wing teams) and makes transition hockey difficult for the opposition. Stating the obvious but Blues need D help badly if they want to make a run this year. The reason our possession numbers aren't what they should be with the talent we have up front is strictly because of our blue line. And that issue is really illuminated when you watch a team like Pittsburgh in person.
I’d like to see us add 2 defensemen. Right now I only have full confidence in Faulk and Parayko. Krug less so but he is great on pp so I am good with him. And I think any of remaining 3 would be fine in 3rd pair with stronger partner.
mw2noobbuster
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joe galiba
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whatever genius at the NHL that came up with the idea of having afternoon games should be beaten regularly until this insanity stopsnow another afternoon game
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So let me get this straight...
Krug was on the ice for over 22 minutes last night and neither team scored during that entire time. Bortuzzo and Mikkola were on the ice for 12 and 13 minutes, respectively, when the Penguins scored twice and the Blues didn't score, but you are challenging someone to "watch it again" if they don't see that this loss was on Krug?
I was there last night. Krug was fine. Bortuzzo and (particularly) Mikkola were not. I'm not sure Mikkola completed a pass all night that wasn't right in a teammates skate or on the stick of a Penguin.
Reality Czech
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I just wonder if switching 1/3 of our defense is too much turnover. Not only because of chemistry on the ice, but these guys are pretty close off the ice. But we need to have someone on that 3rd pairing that can be trusted at 5-on-5 in most/all situations at the very least. I think Giordano would be ideal depending on what he costs.
Brian39
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I have zero problem with turning over 2 spots when the current group is unquestionably the team's glaring weakness. Their chemistry is not translating to on-ice performance and Parayko has had a rotating door of partners that he hasn't found on-ice chemistry with. Bortz is going to remain in the locker room and will likely still draw in to a number of playoff games if he is ousted from the everyday 6. He signed an extension that saw him take a 30% pay cut as a sub-$1M player. He knows his role in this organization and shouldn't be a problem in the room if he becomes a scratch. Mikkola and Scandella have combined for 189 career games with the Blues and neither were here on the Cup run that bonded half the team. None of us know the real dynamics of the locker room, but nothing suggests that those two are critical to the off-ice chemistry that keeps the guys close. I haven't seen anything to suggest that trading Scandella and scratching one of Mikkola/Bortz would destroy chemistry in a tangible way.
We're 5th in goals per game, 7th in 5 on 5 goals per 60, 6th in team SV%, 5th in team SV% at 5 on 5, 3rd in PP%, and 6th in PK%. Everything except team defense is good enough to be a genuine contender. But the 5 on 5 defensive numbers are ugly. 24th in shots against per 60 minutes of 5 on 5 play. 16th in shot attempts against per 60. 31st in scoring chances against per 60. 23rd in high danger chances against per 60. We're a bottom 10 team in the league defensively and we're very unlikely to improve that by shaking up the offensive group.
Adding 2 D instead of just 1 shouldn't be avoided over chemistry concerns. The well-known locker room guy in Bortz will still be in the room and I don't think moving/scratching Scandella/Mikkola is going to damage the locker room. Neither are leaders, neither have been here for a huge amount of time, and the guys in the room know that they aren't getting it done on the ice. If the team D just needed a slight improvement, I'd agree. But it needs to get much more than just slightly better. Defensively, an improvement that leap frogs 10 teams still leaves us as one of the worst defensive teams among playoff teams. The group needs an overhaul. That could be accomplished with the right guy to partner with Parayko (and sliding Mikko/Scandella/Bortz down the depth chart) but it is more likely to be successful if you also add a second upgrade.
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Reality Czech
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Despite all the Scandella hate, I'm pretty confident in saying that he's a better defenseman (at this point) compared to Mikkola and his recent usage shows that the coaching staff feel the same. Scandella went through a slump earlier this season, but Mikkola has been in a slump the past couple of weeks so that's a wash as far as I'm concerned.
And anyone acting like Krug is the reason for our defensive struggles is just parroting a narrative that has no basis in reality. He's been fine this year defensively and above average offensively. Team defense and coverage is our biggest issue, it's not the sole responsibility of the 6 defensemen to prevent shots. We need all 5 guys playing together to be an effective defensive team and we aren't getting that done very well right now. It's simple-minded and flat out wrong to blame Krug or any one player for our defensive issues.
execwrite1
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Reality Czech
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The only one of those I miss is Bouwmeester, and perhaps Gunnarsson. Captain Greedypants can get bent!
Linkens Mastery
Conductor of the TankTown Express
Bouwmeester and Eddy yes. Watching Pietrangelo the past few games he looks like he's given up. Or he's Regressed.
Feel like our forwards also suck in the D Zone. They run around like headless chickens and don't seem to get open to receive passes.
