GDT: Defending Stanley Cup Champs vs. Islanders |Going for 6 Totally Rad Wins|

[mike1320]

I'm here to eat my first period crow and to apologize to our throwbacks.

NEVER apologize for the clown throwbacks

 

[i aint Dunn yet]

even bernie is trashing their style of play

 

[Blueston]

While I totally understand why everyone calls it boring, it’s an oddity to see another team play a game similar to ours as well as we do. And we still do it better than them

Nothing but respect for Isles. They have a few top players but nowhere near depth of talent as top teams but commit to defensive style and are in heat if playoff race.

 

[AjaxManifesto]

Holy shit the Isles are boring to watch

I hope they surprise the East in the playoffs.

 

[simon IC]

Yeah, the game they played in Chicago may have been more entertaining. At least to some. Good luck going into the playoffs playing that style.

 

[Robb_K]

Great, gutsy, comeback win. The Blues are peaking at the right time. Even when they start games not ready to play they are clawing their way back in and winning. Let's hope they can play this way all the way until thelast game of the playoffs. But I hope they don't start off any more games as sloppily, and out of it, as they did this game. Good thing it was the low-scoring islanders, who got only 2 goals before The Blues woke up. If it had been Colorado, it might have been 4-0 at the start, and a LOT tougher to come back.

 

[Anthony5967]

Just told the Rangers board how great the hospitality has been from you guys.

 

[i aint Dunn yet]

i dig dunner and colts cellys

 

[Fitrix]

Nothing but respect for Isles. They have a few top players but nowhere near depth of talent as top teams but commit to defensive style and are in heat if playoff race.

If anything it goes to show how Lou and Trotz are two of the smartest hockey minds, probably ever. But yep, agree. The Isles are kind of where they are because of that extended hot streak in the season. Where I feel like we’ve been good even when we don’t play our best hockey. Love our guys and our system again. Big D*ck Doug again makes the smart move to stand pat at the deadline and the boys look like they’ll pay him back for it.

 

[simon IC]

Just told the Rangers board how great the hospitality has been from you guys.

You're welcome any time!

 

[TK 421]

Every time we play the Isles I'm once again reminded that Barry Trotz being out East is a beautiful thing. So nice having him not only out of division, but out of Conference too.

Great come from behind victory, on to the next one.

 

[m1a2lt]

I came at the right time. Wow!

Welcome! Glad to have ya!

 

[Bluesnatic27]

Yeah, the game they played in Chicago may have been more entertaining. At least to some. Good luck going into the playoffs playing that style.

Eh, the Islanders style hasn't gotten far in the playoffs for the last decade.

 

[i aint Dunn yet]

lulz the blues outshot the isle 23-5 after the first ...... what a pile of shit

 

[Blanick]

Am I the only one who likes the Islanders? They kind of play like the Blues.

They remind me of the Hitchcock Blues. I think they still need to find the right balance between offense and defense. A little too defensive minded.

 

[i aint Dunn yet]

f*** a turtle mode team

 

[simon IC]

Eh, the Islanders style hasn't gotten far in the playoffs for the last decade.

I'm not sure about that. Our own style is similar. How about Ottawa 3 yrs ago?

 

[Bluesnatic27]

They remind me of the Hitchcock Blues. I think they still need to find the right balance between offense and defense. A little too defensive minded.

Agreed. Their defensive positioning makes it hard for them to establish any forecheck and move the team, as a whole, up ice into the offensive zone. I don't like their transition game as it relies to heavily on creating chances on the rush.

 

[simon IC]

I don't care, I will always stand by defense wins championships. You can hate and call it boring (or worse, lol!), but it works.

 

[Robb_K]

In about 70 years of watching and playing hockey I've NEVER seen an Overtime STALL! What kind of strategy is that? If you win the initial faceoff, play "keepaway" till the last 20 seconds, and then try to score??? If the other team NEVER gets possession they can't beat you??? Did they think they were a LOT better off in a shootout than OT on the ice???

 

[simon IC]

In about 70 years of watching and playing hockey I've NEVER seen an Overtime STALL! What kind of strategy is that? If you win the initial faceoff, play "keepaway" till the last 20 seconds, and then try to score??? If the other team NEVER gets possession they can't beat you??? Did they think they were a LOT better off in a shootout than OT on the ice???

Really! I thought the 3 on 3 OT format was designed to prevent that.

 

[Anthony5967]

I feel like there's a difference between playing defensive hockey vs. turtling for the next 40 because your coach deep down knows his team isn't that good, which they aren't. Take the 16-3-1 dream run and they're a 19-17-7. Again, and they're all on their thread Tuesday night talking about how my club, a team barely two years into a full rebuild with the youngest roster in the league, is brutal? LOL. 23-5 outshot after the first.

 

[Bluesnatic27]

I'm not sure about that. Our own style is similar. How about Ottawa 3 yrs ago?

The Blues are much quicker on the transition to establish their cycle game. It's more-so how Chicago implemented their style during the early 2010s. The defensive game was designed to be fluid in order to move the whole unit up ice. The Islanders don't do that. It's on the rush or try and catch the other team sleeping with dump-ins. Sure, the Islanders system is great at playing defense because of player positioning. But it comes at the cost of establishing good forechecks, moving the team up ice as a unit with any speed, playing a physical style of hockey to create turnovers, etc.

There is a reason teams like Chicago, Washington, Pittsburgh, LA, and even the current St. Louis Blues are/were able to beat teams like the Islanders, Mike Yeo Wild, or even the Hitchcock Blues. It wasn't just talent, it was a good system that knew how to move the puck with speed on the transition game. Something the "defense only" teams couldn't match.

 

[Kaapo Hollweg]

Just told the Rangers board how great the hospitality has been from you guys.

Yeah the Blues are great! My second favorite team after Rangers since they beat that abomination of a team in the SC final. And they keep going strong.

 

[Stlblue50]

lulz the blues outshot the isle 23-5 after the first ...... what a pile of shit

Yeah to the few posts that said the Isles style is like the Blues are wrong. Don’t confuse a good defensive structured team like the Blues, that are filled with great 2-way forwards. With that pathetic 5 guys back and dump it out every time crap.

What I love about Berube coached Blues is that they don’t sit on leads. Hitchcock/Yeo Blues teams would sit back similar to the Isles.