GDT: Defending Stanley Cup Champs St. Louis Blues @ Avs| Starting 2020 on the Right...Note|

[The Note]

When: Thursday, January 2nd at 8:30 p.m.
Watch: NBCSN, NBC Sports App
Listen: 101 ESPN, NHL App

Sundqvist - O'Reilly - Perron
Schwartz - Schenn - Kyrou
Steen - Thomas - Bozak
MacEachern - de la Rose - Barbashev

Faulk - Pietrangelo
Bouwmeester - Parayko
Dunn - Bortuzzo

Binnington/Allen

VS.



92 Gabriel Landeskog - 29 Nathan MacKinnon - 72 Joonas Donskoi
13 Valeri Nichushkin - 91 Nazem Kadri - 11 Matt Calvert
83 Matt Nieto - 37 J.T. Compher - 96 Mikko Rantanen
17 Tyson Jost - 41 Pierre-Edouard Bellemare - 95 Andre Burakovsky

27 Ryan Graves - 8 Cale Makar
49 Samuel Girard - 6 Erik Johnson
28 Ian Cole - 16 Nikita Zadorov

Grubauer/Francouz

​

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[AjaxManifesto]

Let's snap the 1 game loosing streak.

 

[Stealth JD]

Avs are reeling lately. Blues know they're the hunted in this situation, and typically respond well to such challenges. Would be nice to go up by 10 points in the standings with half a season remaining.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

It’s a bigger game for Colorado than it is for St Louis. Would be nice to keep that separation. The schedule gets tough for a little while.

 

[Brian39]

I'll be watching this one with my boss, who is very big Avs fan. This one feels like more than just a 4 point in-division game for me.

 

[The Note]

I'll be watching this one with my boss, who is very big Avs fan. This one feels like more than just a 4 point in-division game for me.

Because you might get fired if it doesn't go well ? Joking aside, I agree. I think if the Blues can go in there and handle the Avs again, going up by 10 points and owning 3 H2H wins, they could create some serious doubt in the Avs.

 

[KingBran]

KILL THE AVALANCHE!

 

[Oberyn]

Hopefully the Blues recent domination of the Avs continues.

 

[Brian39]

Because you might get fired if it doesn't go well ? Joking aside, I agree. I think if the Blues can go in there and handle the Avs again, going up by 10 points and owning 3 H2H wins, they could create some serious doubt in the Avs.

Haha, no concern about getting fired, but he will be insufferable until the 1/18/20 game if the Avs win.

 

[Bobby Orrtuzzo]

KILL THE AVALANCHE!

How does one kill an avalanche? It’s not like you can just shoot it or anything.

 

[Ranksu]

No Kyrou you have to be f***ing kidding me???

Sundqvist-O’Reilly-Perron
Schwartz-Schenn-Barbashev
Steen-Thomas-Bozak
MacEachern-de la Rose-Sanford

Faulk-Pietrangelo
Bouwmeester-Parayko
Dunn-Bortuzzo

Binnington in starter’s net

 

[Blanick]

No Kyrou you have to be ****ing kidding me???

Sundqvist-O’Reilly-Perron
Schwartz-Schenn-Barbashev
Steen-Thomas-Bozak
MacEachern-de la Rose-Sanford

Faulk-Pietrangelo
Bouwmeester-Parayko
Dunn-Bortuzzo

Binnington in starter’s net

But why?? Why take Kyrou out when he has meshing so well with Schwartz and Schenn?

 

[Ranksu]

But why?? Why take Kyrou out when he has meshing so well with Schwartz and Schenn?

Well, I guess Chief feels safer with Barbashev in that line and Kyrou hasn't produce in that line + Kyrou isn't good enough for 4th line duty? Sanford give more for team.

 

[Stealth JD]

I figured as soon as the Blues lost that would signal the opportunity for Sanford to return to the lineup. It should come as a surprise to nobody that it's a rookie that's coming out.

 

[President Skroob]

Better not come out as flat as they did against the Coyotes. Also, lets not do the whole 38 shots straight at the goalies chest again.

 

[Ranksu]

I don't know whos balls Sanford is cleaning up, but looks like Chief has soft spot on him. That kiddo has get more opportunity what I can remember knowing how mediocre he's. Compare to Fabbri for example.

 

[MissouriMook]

How does one kill an avalanche? It’s not like you can just shoot it or anything.

 

[MissouriMook]

But why?? Why take Kyrou out when he has meshing so well with Schwartz and Schenn?

That's a head scratcher, especially given that Kyrou is by far the fastest skater on the team and Colorado is one of the fastest teams in the league. Just seems silly.

I would also like to see MacMac and Steen flipped. Steen is just a shell of himself offensively and has no place on a line with Thomas. MacMac has enough speed to be able to mesh well with Thomas off the rush, and enough physicality to open us space for him if needed.

 

[execwrite1]

I figured as soon as the Blues lost that would signal the opportunity for Sanford to return to the lineup. It should come as a surprise to nobody that it's a rookie that's coming out.

"Kyrou has done a good job. We've got extra players and we're going to use them," Blues Head Coach Craig Berube said. "Sanford sat out quite awhile. We were on a winning streak and it's hard to change a lineup (in that case), but Jordan Kyrou has done a good job coming in here, he's produced for us a little bit and he's learning. He's a good player."

 

[Brian39]

Kyrou would be in my lineup if I were the head coach of this team.

With that said, Berube undeniably has his finger on the pulse of this locker room and has earned the benefit of the doubt from me about decisions regarding the last 1 or 2 forward spots in the lineup. Tonight is a road game against a division rival who is also 2nd place in the Conference. We could open up a 10 point lead on them tonight, move to 3-0 against them on the year and firmly take away any voice in their head that wants to say "yeah well we were undermanned and you haven't beaten us in our building yet." Or the division lead could slip to "just" 6 points and suddenly their room is able to say "we're undefeated against you at home so maybe this matchup is closer than you think."

Tonight is as big as an early January game gets when you are a top 5 team in the NHL.

Tonight is about winning a game, not doing the best thing for the long term development of a young player. If Berube thinks this lineup gives us the best chance to win this game, then I'm all for it.

 

[Celtic Note]

Sanford is probably in to help defend.

I am not a fan of removing Kyrou though.

 

[Honeycutt]

Did people really believe that kyrou would play every game this season once he was called up?

He is not great defensively and we are playing one of the most offensively dangerous teams. It is not rocket science, he has not been producing enough to offset the defensively liability that he is. Next year will be his chance to solidify his spot as an everyday player.

I would imagine come playoff time there will be alot of upset "blues" fans since kyrou wont be an everyday player if we are healthy.

 

[tkenney65]

Did people really believe that kyrou would play every game this season once he was called up?

Yes they did.....once he scored that beautiful wrap around goal his permanent spot was solidified in the eyes of many on this forum.

 

[Brian39]

Did people really believe that kyrou would play every game this season once he was called up?

He is not great defensively and we are playing one of the most offensively dangerous teams. It is not rocket science, he has not been producing enough to offset the defensively liability that he is. Next year will be his chance to solidify his spot as an everyday player.

I would imagine come playoff time there will be alot of upset "blues" fans since kyrou wont be an everyday player if we are healthy.

I don't disagree with the overall sentiment, but I can't agree with the bolded at all. He is currently sitting at +2 for the year with an expected +/- of +1.4, which suggests that he is doing a decent job limiting chances against and isn't just getting bailed out by our goaltending. His defensive points share is positive and his possession numbers are incredibly good. Finally he has 5 takeaways and just 1 giveaway.

We are talking about a small sample size and he definitely has room for improvement defensively. But he has been playing pretty decent defensively through his 10 games and I absolutely wouldn't say he has been a liability. However, even if you say he has been a defensive liability and has put up these stats by excelling offensively, then his offensive play has been enough to offset his defensive play.

 

[simon IC]

Yes they did.....once he scored that beautiful wrap around goal his permanent spot was solidified in the eyes of many on this forum.

Well that is just ... naive. I would like to see more of Kyrou too, but it is not surprising that he misses some games. In any case, Happy New Year! Go Blues!!!