GDT: CDF #7: St. Louis Blues @ Dallas Stars ★ 7 PM CST ★ NBCSN / CBC ★

[Magic Mittens]

Wonder if this is it for Ruff... not a terrible coach, but I think we need a better one. Need to get rid of one of our goalies or both lol. Let Goligoski go and start from there

 

[serp]

\Ruff isn't going anywhere. Who would we even replace him with thats even in his wheelhouse? He did a great job with what he's been given . Sure he has his problems but he's the best coach the Stars had in ages.

Most people thought this was going to be a transitional year including Nill and Ruff himself. This game sucked and we're down because of it but calling for the coaches head right now is just dumb.

 

[ZeHockeyFan]

Season was good.

Won the West and far outpaced any expectations I had for the regular season. Hats off to the boys for that.

I expected them to make it to the second round. They did. Again, props to them.

They should be embarrassed, though. Biggest game of the year, and its just a piss-poor effort all across the board. I don't know what it is about this team and their last games, but this is the third time in the last six years where its been a heartbreaker.

Only 4 playoff series wins since we moved to AAC in 2001-02. Someone nuke that cursed building with plasma missiles from LEO.

 

[aevans0001]

Just because we we hold the Stars accountable does not make us any less of a fan.

Our needs in the off-season is 1. Defense 2. Goalies 3. Shot and passing practice


Yeah goligoski, got to go. Jordie has to go. Trade Oleksiak and some good forward to get a GOOD defenseman. Resign Russell, Eaves, Nichuskin (at discount), Sceviour.

The most disappointing part of tonights game wasnt that we lost, its how our goalies came to play. Kari really gave up 4 goals (3 weak ones) and Nemi gave up weak goals also.

It's like we had a game plan in Game 1, the plan worked perfectly, so we never changed the plan again. The Blues sealed off the boards, yet we just kept trying to send the puck up the boards.

 

[ZeHockeyFan]

IMO, the problem is systemic (i.e. the coaching staff). If it was one or two guys playing poor defense then that's one thing but when it's you're entire blue line, not to mention most of the forwards doing it then that's coaching. If that doesn't change its not gonna matter who we sign.

The blue line was playing just fine the last month heading into the playoffs. If indeed there's a coaching issue, then it's Patrick/Fraser who will be let go, not Ruff.

 

[Benneguin]

Yeah, he's not going to get fired after this season, but that doesn't mean Nill shouldnt make some change in the coaching staff or at least strongly emphasize adjusting how we go about scoring goals.

The only real tangible difference between this year's result and last year's is we got better offensively (i.e Sharp, full season of Klingberg, etc.) and as a result we played less in our own zone. Our defense and goaltending didn't improve at all. One could argue the team that lost to the Ducks was better defensively. In that series, the defense and goaltending got better as the series went, except of course the 3 minutes late in game 6. You can't say that about this year's crop in the first or second rounds.

 

[Benneguin]

The blue line was playing just fine the last month heading into the playoffs. If indeed there's a coaching issue, then it's Patrick/Fraser who will be let go, not Ruff.

Agreed.

 

[Satan]

 

[northstars]

Blocked shots were 34-5 St Louis. That says it all.

I believe the entire team deflated after that 3rd goal went in late in the first. That was the game right there.

 

[serp]

Probably end of the road for Fiddler . Don't think he wants to move his family again and i don't think the Stars give him a new contract. I mean i wouldn't be against him returning but his role needs to be what Moen was this year. Spare forward who can come in when needed.

 

[spaps]

Well, Blues was ultimately the better and deserving team and winner, no doubt about that. Still I wonder: why do you play a goalie that has zero evidence of handling the ultimate challenge?

I mean you can laugh and mock Niemi as much as you like, but the truth is that he's a proven Stanley Cup winner. He's been there, done that and bought the Zamboni.

Why you not play a guy like that when it matters the most?

 

[LT]

Well, Blues was ultimately the better and deserving team and winner, no doubt about that. Still I wonder: why do you play a goalie that has zero evidence of handling the ultimate challenge?

I mean you can laugh and mock Niemi as much as you like, but the truth is that he's a proven Stanley Cup winner. He's been there, done that and bought the Zamboni.

Why you not play a guy like that when it matters the most?

Did you not watch him at all in these playoffs?

 

[serp]

Well, Blues was ultimately the better and deserving team and winner, no doubt about that. Still I wonder: why do you play a goalie that has zero evidence of handling the ultimate challenge?

I mean you can laugh and mock Niemi as much as you like, but the truth is that he's a proven Stanley Cup winner. He's been there, done that and bought the Zamboni.

Why you not play a guy like that when it matters the most?

Lehtonen just won us game 6 . The **** would we change to Niemi for game 7 ? Not to mention he was worse than Kari and has been since March.

 

[ZeHockeyFan]

Well, Blues was ultimately the better and deserving team and winner, no doubt about that. Still I wonder: why do you play a goalie that has zero evidence of handling the ultimate challenge?

I mean you can laugh and mock Niemi as much as you like, but the truth is that he's a proven Stanley Cup winner. He's been there, done that and bought the Zamboni.

Why you not play a guy like that when it matters the most?

Yes, he did all that six years ago. He has won one playoff series in in the past 5 years (since his trip to the WCF).

 

[spaps]

Lehtonen just won us game 6 . The **** would we change to Niemi for game 7 ? Not to mention he was worse than Kari and has been since March.

Yes, I hear you, and damn, I understand very well that a goalie change might not have a mattered a thing. I guess I'm just depressed about the loss.

There you go. I still love Texas, and there´s always the next year. Right?

 

[99wasthebest]

Imagine if Nichushkin hit the empty net in the first

That's probably the only part of the game that ticked me off the most. I'm used to shaky defense and goaltending but if Nichushkin actually converts for once, the building would have exploded and who knows where the game goes from there.

The outcome might have been the same, but it would have been nice to actually hang with the Blues on the scoreboard. Oh well, onto next season.

 

[WhoahNow]

Hell of a year boys, definitely didn't expect us to finish 1st in the West. Would've loved to see what we could do in the playoffs with Seguin, but the defence and goaltending was an issue as we knew it would be. Onto retooling the d, seeing if we can work something out with the goalies.

 

[CarverLee]

As much as I dislike the Blues right now, I can't think of a more worthy foe to fall to. The Blues and the city truly deserve one. I'm pulling for them to finally get theirs this year while ours is next year and many more after.

 

[Indianation65]

Yes, the 3rd goal, umm 4th goal, whichever, right with 3.4 seconds left in period 1, killed the team, and not just Kari, and not just the fans. I stayed through the handshake, and clapped for my team, but missing Sequin who would have put more pucks in the net, would have helped. I know the D needs help, and certainly the goalies, but scoring was down, and we missed a major part of it without Tyler.

 

[spaps]

As much as I dislike the Blues right now, I can't think of a more worthy foe to fall to. The Blues and the city truly deserve one. I'm pulling for them to finally get theirs this year while ours is next year and many more after.

This.
By the way, is Saint Louis Northern or Southern?
Not that is matters, I'm just curious.

Was in Houston the other summer, and boy, was it hot! Nothing like the hot in Finland, twas much more steamy. The hottest place in numbers was Bakersfield (sic), but that was dry hot, much easier to handle than the dripping windows in south.

It was, by the way, very peculiar to find an ice rink there and learn about the Bakersfield Condors! You travel to the other side of the world and still find mother****ers playing hockey.

And that, in some silly way makes this loss a little bit easier to accept.

 

[GigaChad]

The goalies played poorly.
But can you think yourself in the same position? You have to bail your defense out almost every game? I can tell you, I could not take it, it would drive me down mentally. On top of that you have everyone saying how bad YOU are.
Feel sorry for both goalies who have to play behind that atrocious D.
You could have Crawford, Lundqvist, Rinne, Rask, everyone but maybe Price and the result would be the same in my opinion.

 

[Metalcommand]

Well, Blues was ultimately the better and deserving team and winner, no doubt about that. Still I wonder: why do you play a goalie that has zero evidence of handling the ultimate challenge?

I mean you can laugh and mock Niemi as much as you like, but the truth is that he's a proven Stanley Cup winner. He's been there, done that and bought the Zamboni.

Why you not play a guy like that when it matters the most?

To be honest Niemi sucked when the Blackhawks won the Cup, Niemi vs Leighton worst goalie duo in the SCF atleast in the modern era.

 

[Indianation65]

Game 2, we were there, the Stars had that game, especially in OT, but two penalties helped the Blues big time...

Excuses? Well, so be it. That game cost the series as much as game 7. Actually, we may not have even needed 7.

Good things are coming...right or wrong, and many will say wrong, I would probably have chosen Antti throughout the playoffs. None of it matters now...Go Stars!

 

[21]

How come Nemeth were scratched the entire serious?

Looks like the Stars would have needed a big strong stay at home d-man in this series.

I assume Nemeth will go to another NHL team next season, how is his contract looking?

 

[ZeHockeyFan]

How come Nemeth were scratched the entire serious?

Looks like the Stars would have needed a big strong stay at home d-man in this series.

I assume Nemeth will go to another team next season, how is his contract looking?

Nemeth is still signed to another year at $0.9M. Before his season-ending injury in 2014-15, he looked very good and fans here had very high hopes from him this year and had him penciled in the top 4 in the off-season. Unfortunately, he struggled for large stretches of the season (as did Oleksiak) for reasons I can't figure and that's why he didn't play in this series.