GDT: CDF Game #3 - Dallas Stars @ St. Louis Blues, 8:30 PM CST (NBCSN)

[cowboys5xsbs]

Seriously Roussel is killing this team

 

[Ghost of Kyiv]

I'm having a lot of fun

 

[serp]

At least it still only counts as 1 lost game.

 

[Benneguin]

At least it still only counts as 1 lost game.

We'll see what happens in game 4 but I'm thinking this demolishing job has all but ended the series.

 

[cowboys5xsbs]

Any Chance we get Seguin back at least?

 

[Indianation65]

This is the first time Dallas has truly been up against the wall, and they will have to show what they are truly about. I still see Dallas as the best team in the west, and they will come out on Thursday full throttle.

 

[Indianation65]

Addendum: There are still more games to be played, and as bad as this one was, you've got to believe. I'm sure the team does!

 

[StLAvsFan]

If the Stars think they're gonna beat the Blues by playing minimally physical hockey they're sadly mistaken. This series is gonna be over real quickly unless the Stars pick up the pace & start hitting Blues players as often as the Blues are hitting them. This ain't the regular season folks. Fancy isn't gonna get the job done here, especially with the Stars soft D & mediocre goaltending.

 

[brighteststars]

Wow glad I missed this one. Hope we turn it around.

 

[Hockey Dad]

Hopefully ruff will put Ritchie on the 4th line and let him take eaves spot on the top pp. he has shown the ability to be a net front guy. If he played the 4th line then ruff could limit his minutes.

 

[Benneguin]

If the Stars think they're gonna beat the Blues by playing minimally physical hockey they're sadly mistaken. This series is gonna be over real quickly unless the Stars pick up the pace & start hitting Blues players as often as the Blues are hitting them. This ain't the regular season folks. Fancy isn't gonna get the job done here, especially with the Stars soft D & mediocre goaltending.

That's not how the team was built though. They have to play to their strength. Last night was by far their weakest most lethargic effort I have seen from them this year. The only way they'll beat the Blues is with superior quickness and precision and dominate time of possession.

 

[FirstRowUpperDeck]

Interesting that Heika even mentioned the size of our D (small) and how they may wear down.

It makes me wonder what Nil has up his sleeve for the off season. Usually, when he sees a problem, he fixes it, and has already remade the D for handedness. He could do it again for size.

Of course, Johns is in. Lindell is fairly big, although not tough. Nemeth is big, but no one has showed much confidence. Ditto Oleksiak.

None of our UFA guys - Golkgoski, Demers and Jo Benn are tremendously big, some are small. Russell is small, but plays a bit bigger.

I don't think AG has had the type of playoffs so far that warrant a big contract. Benn hasn't played.

If we lose big time (in 5 or 6) to the Blues, I bet all those things will factor into what D Nill keeps and who he goes after or brings up.

 

[Ghost of Kyiv]

If the Stars think they're gonna beat the Blues by playing minimally physical hockey they're sadly mistaken. This series is gonna be over real quickly unless the Stars pick up the pace & start hitting Blues players as often as the Blues are hitting them. This ain't the regular season folks. Fancy isn't gonna get the job done here, especially with the Stars soft D & mediocre goaltending.

Physical in the sense of winning puck battles, absolutely. In terms of hitting, that should be fairly low on our priority list.

Skate, skate, skate and skate some more. Play smart, win the neutral zone, improve our defensive layering and keep tight gaps. But if Dallas tries to play Blues style hockey, they'll lose, guaranteed.

Hopefully ruff will put Ritchie on the 4th line and let him take eaves spot on the top pp. he has shown the ability to be a net front guy. If he played the 4th line then ruff could limit his minutes.

I wouldn't say Ritchie has shown much net front ability at the NHL level, potential maybe, but his production hasn't really been anything special. He doesn't yet have a goal and only has 1 assist in his 79 minutes with the man advantage thus far into his young career.

 

[Hockey Dad]

When I say net front I mean a willingness to block the goalie and not worry about being hit. He is also a big body that has the ability to stay in front and not be pushed out.

 

[Hockey Dad]

I think the only defenseman I resign would be Russell. Depending on price. I am ready to move on from goose. Demers has fallen off since the first of the year and will probably get too much money.

 

[StLAvsFan]

Physical in the sense of winning puck battles, absolutely. In terms of hitting, that should be fairly low on our priority list.

Skate, skate, skate and skate some more. Play smart, win the neutral zone, improve our defensive layering and keep tight gaps. But if Dallas tries to play Blues style hockey, they'll lose, guaranteed.



I wouldn't say Ritchie has shown much net front ability at the NHL level, potential maybe, but his production hasn't really been anything special. He doesn't yet have a goal and only has 1 assist in his 79 minutes with the man advantage thus far into his young career.

I'm not saying that the Stars need to try to out-physical/out-muscle the Blues. You're correct, that'd be playing right into the Blues hands. But the Stars MUST start finishing checks on guys like Pietrangelo, Shattenkirk, Tarasenko, Stastny, etc...so they start hearing footsteps everytime they touch the puck, instead of having all the time & space in the world to pick apart the Stars struggling D. And the Stars must start winning more of those one-on-one positioning battles in front of both nets as well. Coz letting guys like Backes & Brouwer stand unmolested in front of Niemi/Lehtonen (especially on the Blues PP) is another guaranteed way to lose this series in 5 games. The Stars are unquestionably a team built on speed & puck control, but that alone is not gonna stop a talented group of bruisers like the Blues. It's gonna take every player on the Dallas bench playing their a^^^^ off (including physically) to get the job done in this series. The Blues are a VERY determined bunch this postseason, and the Stars must match that level of intensity if they hope to get to the next round.