GDT: Game #19 St. Louis Blues @ Washington Capitals

[illninofan*]

The stupid high price that Buffalo wants, perhaps?

Not that high, actually.

The real issue is capspace on our end.

 

[LGB51]

Sens fan coming here in peace. You guys need to get Miller and in a hurry. You don't want to become the old Ottawa teams that could have won a cup with better goaltending. People talk about the blues as cup contenders just like they did about those early 2000s sens teams. I could be wrong but goaltending was a big reason why your team has lost the past 2 years more than scoring drying up right?

Couldn't agree more that we need to go get Miller before someone beats us to it.

 

[Tryblot]

Not that high, actually.

The real issue is capspace on our end.

Isn't it something like 2 firsts and a second? Seems pretty high for a UFA goalie.

 

[Vladys Gumption]

Not that high, actually.

The real issue is capspace on our end.

Two firsts and a second for a UFA to be is stupid high. Plus, in all likelihood Halak would be going the other way for cap reasons.

 

[illninofan*]

The "two firsts" thing was the initial asking price set by management that's no longer in Buffalo. With negotiation, that price would inevitably come down. It's not like it was set in stone.

 

[Vladys Gumption]

The "two firsts" thing was the initial asking price set by management that's no longer in Buffalo. With negotiation, that price would inevitably come down. It's not like it was set in stone.

Sure it's not set in stone, but i doubt they come off of it much. They are a terrible team and they know they are going to be rebuilding through the draft. Chances are, they hold on to him until closer to the deadline and then deal him to a team that is desperate for a goaltender.

 

[LGB51]

1. Halak has been pretty good all season up until tonight. No reason to take a 1 game sample size in the season and conclude that Halak, out of all goaltenders, can't perform in the playoffs when he has proven in the past that he can.

2. Elliott played good tonight and adequate during last year's playoffs. Halak has played less than a full series of playoffs for the Blues. Let's wait and see after this year's until we really decide what he can or can't do for us.

Halak hasn't "been pretty good" since October. Since his first game of November against Tampa he has a save % of .867 and a GAA of 3.01.

 

[LGB51]

I am surprised by all the negativity. Was a rough night for sure but no team can win all games, every goalie has bad nights. Halak didnt play well, but one bad game in a strong start doesnt mean ship him. Blues were never going to win every game. they put up a decent showing after a very short gap between games. They looked slow all night and i don't blame them. Lets see how they recover from this game.

November average SV% .867 GAA 3.01

That's not one bad game, that's a fairly wretched 6 game stretch.

 

[trevorftw]

Abandon ship!

 

[Mike Liut]

Halak + 2014 1st and 2nd

For Miller

 

[The Note in MI]

LOL at the Caps GDT. Some pretty blind homerism there. Basically they think the Caps dominated the game. "They hunkered down to protect the lead." No, the blues had the Caps on their heels from the start of the second onward. Capitals had maybe 4 scoring chances the entire 2nd and 3rd periods put together.

Blues had 47 shots on goal, but they were "mostly weak shots" give me friggin break haha. I'm assuming they are referring to the empty net that Tarasenko missed, or maybe the 25 other primo scoring chances we straight up failed on...because only a blind man would say that the Blues didn't give themselves the chances to take this game back.

Whatever, I am butthurt, but rightfully so. It's a tough loss, and I would love to blame Halak for those goals but sometimes its not always the goalie. Yeah it would have been nice to have him make a couple saves there at the beginning, but we really shouldn't have given them the opportunity to score in the first place.

Bottom line caps took care of their chances and we couldn't hit an empty net for ****

We'll never know what the outcome would have been were we not on 3 of 4 and back to back nights with a ridiculously early start time. Can't help but think the NHL dropped the ball a little on that one. Would it have made a difference? I think so but hey, my glasses are homer tinted.

Wonder what the total turnaround time was for the guys today though. I would imagine there was no skate this morning. Figure they probably left St. Louis around 12:00 am CT, and arrived in Washington around 3/4:00 am ET. Then have a game at 6:00 pm ET. Talk about a crappy day.

Big game coming up on Tuesday I think. Chance to see what Ryan Miller is really made of, almost like a scouting opportunity haha. If he has a game like Holtby did today and keeps the Sabres in the game, I'm going to jump fully on the bandwagon for trading for Miller, because although Elliott looked fine, Halak has lapses and they are killer for us (don't forget Elliott's brain farts last night either). When was the last time we had a team take it to us and our netminder was "standing on his head" to get us a win. Yeah I can't remember either...

Game pissed me off so much I felt the need to just vent.

On a side note, I just want to apologize for Tank not breaking out just yet. I know it's because I haven't yet gotten his jersey, but I will do all in my power to rectify this tragic problem.
/

 

[Daley Tarasenkshow]

November average SV% .867 GAA 3.01

That's not one bad game, that's a fairly wretched 6 game stretch.

Yet this team has still won a majority of those games, and the backup goalie (Elliot) has played great. I find it funny how people always panic after a loss. It really bugs me how 1 game can immediately change the perspective people have on this team. No NHL team can win all 82 games. Every NHL team will lose. I mean come on, this team has been very busy lately. Halak had an off night; I'd give him a couple more starts to really see if he can bounce back or not. But if not, this team needs scoring more than goaltending. The blues have found a way to win this season even if Halak is only playing okay. If this team can get a scorer, we can rely on that to take pressure off of whatever goaltender is carrying us through the playoffs.

 

[LGB51]

Yet this team has still won a majority of those games, and the backup goalie (Elliot) has played great. I find it funny how people always panic after a loss. It really bugs me how 1 game can immediately change the perspective people have on this team. No NHL team can win all 82 games. Every NHL team will lose. I mean come on, this team has been very busy lately. Halak had an off night; I'd give him a couple more starts to really see if he can bounce back or not. But if not, this team needs scoring more than goaltending. The blues have found a way to win this season even if Halak is only playing okay. If this team can get a scorer, we can rely on that to take pressure off of whatever goaltender is carrying us through the playoffs.

More then a couple of us have been talking about this for a lot longer then one game. The difference is after this afternoons fiasco, there are a few more regular posters that agree he isn't cutting it. One off night? He hasn't been on all month long. They need to put Elloit back in the #1 spot until Halak figures out what the <blank> is wrong.

 

[LGB51]

Halak + 2014 1st and 2nd

For Miller

I'd take it and run, laughing the whole way to the cup finals.

 

[Carlzner]

LOL at the Caps GDT. Some pretty blind homerism there. Basically they think the Caps dominated the game. "They hunkered down to protect the lead." No, the blues had the Caps on their heels from the start of the second onward. Capitals had maybe 4 scoring chances the entire 2nd and 3rd periods put together.

Yeah... I'm 90% sure that poster said that in a completely different way than you are perceiving it. We are one of the most negative boards on here. He was sarcastically criticizing our play by saying that.

 

[Mike Liut]

I'd take it and run, laughing the whole way to the cup finals.

Probably have to throw in a decent prospect not named Allen, Jaskin or Rattie

 

[LGB51]

Probably have to throw in a decent prospect not named Allen, Jaskin or Rattie

No take backs lol, no I was just saying the 1st, 2nd + Halak proposal you came up with was too easy to say yes too. I'm not comfortable enough with my knowledge of our prospects to be willing to add them on. As far as I know, there was no mention of prospects in Buffalo's actual proposal.

This is just my way of thinking but if we want the cup this year, we give them whatever draft picks they ask for, for a upgrade like Miller.

Being that his next contract will probably be his final one, what do you think the chances are of Miller being interested in signing with STL for the remainder of his career?

 

[Mike Liut]

No take backs lol, no I was just saying the 1st, 2nd + Halak proposal you came up with was too easy to say yes too. I'm not comfortable enough with my knowledge of our prospects to be willing to add them on. As far as I know, there was no mention of prospects in Buffalo's actual proposal.

This is just my way of thinking but if we want the cup this year, we give them whatever draft picks they ask for, for a upgrade like Miller.

Being that his next contract will probably be his final one, what do you think the chances are of Miller being interested in signing with STL for the remainder of his career?

Who wouldn't want to play in front of a stacked Blues team? Imagine a Miller / Allen combo. wow, insane.

 

[TK 421]

Halak allows 3 goals on 6 shots, getting pulled at 15:41 of the 1st. Blues come out and out-shoot the Caps 37-12 the rest of the way and still find a way to lose. Awesome display of suckage there and showcases both of this teams main flaws in one evening.

Read through some of the posts and I can't believe there are still Blues fans that want to go forward with Halak/Elliott as the tandem. Nothing against you guys, but I already didn't trust Elliott to be the starter and I have zero faith left in Halak to both remain healthy and play well. Quite frankly, I've had this opinion for a while and have held off voicing it until now. I completely understand if you think scoring is the bigger issue, but both are problems that need to be addressed. I just feel like we'll be missing a great opportunity(maybe the best we've ever had) to win a Cup if we don't get a better starter in here. PO games are high intensity and typically low scoring. So if the games are going to be tight most of the time anyway, I'd feel better spending assets to get a guy that can do his part to hold us in those games. Please understand, I'd like a scoring and/or center upgrade as well, just feel Halak isn't the guy to get us that Cup.

 

[LGB51]

Who wouldn't want to play in front of a stacked Blues team? Imagine a Miller / Allen combo. wow, insane.

I'm actually getting kinda excited thinking about it lol, oh well nothing we can do but hope Army pulls the trigger.

 

[Mike Liut]

Halak allows 3 goals on 6 shots, getting pulled at 15:41 of the 1st. Blues come out and out-shoot the Caps 37-12 the rest of the way and still find a way to lose. Awesome display of suckage there and showcases both of this teams main flaws in one evening.

Read through some of the posts and I can't believe there are still Blues fans that want to go forward with Halak/Elliott as the tandem. Nothing against you guys, but I already didn't trust Elliott to be the starter and I have zero faith left in Halak to both remain healthy and play well. Quite frankly, I've had this opinion for a while and have held off voicing it until now. I completely understand if you think scoring is the bigger issue, but both are problems that need to be addressed. I just feel like we'll be missing a great opportunity(maybe the best we've ever had) to win a Cup if we don't get a better starter in here. PO games are high intensity and typically low scoring. So if the games are going to be tight most of the time anyway, I'd feel better spending assets to get a guy that can do his part to hold us in those games. Please understand, I'd like a scoring and/or center upgrade as well, just feel Halak isn't the guy to get us that Cup.

agree. The Blues have been winning in spite of Halak and Elliott. Elliott is a fine backup, but the Blues will never win a cup with him. I remember him being so bad last year that he was sent down and Allen had to save us for a decent stretch. Halak isn't the answer either.

 

[LGB51]

Halak allows 3 goals on 6 shots, getting pulled at 15:41 of the 1st. Blues come out and out-shoot the Caps 37-12 the rest of the way and still find a way to lose. Awesome display of suckage there and showcases both of this teams main flaws in one evening.

Read through some of the posts and I can't believe there are still Blues fans that want to go forward with Halak/Elliott as the tandem. Nothing against you guys, but I already didn't trust Elliott to be the starter and I have zero faith left in Halak to both remain healthy and play well. Quite frankly, I've had this opinion for a while and have held off voicing it until now. I completely understand if you think scoring is the bigger issue, but both are problems that need to be addressed. I just feel like we'll be missing a great opportunity(maybe the best we've ever had) to win a Cup if we don't get a better starter in here. PO games are high intensity and typically low scoring. So if the games are going to be tight most of the time anyway, I'd feel better spending assets to get a guy that can do his part to hold us in those games. Please understand, I'd like a scoring and/or center upgrade as well, just feel Halak isn't the guy to get us that Cup.

As well said as it gets

 

[Celtic Note]

The "two firsts" thing was the initial asking price set by management that's no longer in Buffalo. With negotiation, that price would inevitably come down. It's not like it was set in stone.

If that is the price they are asking and they don't come down to earth, then they will loose Miller to UFA and not get any picks to help their rebuild. I cannot see that happening.

 

[Mike Liut]

I want a goalie that can steal games, not just a goalie who is adequate. We have 2 goalies who look great at time and poop the bed at other times. I don't trust either, especially in the playoffs. I remember a couple years ago in the playoffs, one of them kept letting in softies that were totally demoralizing to the team.

 

[Vladys Gumption]

I want a goalie that can steal games, not just a goalie who is adequate. We have 2 goalies who look great at time and poop the bed at other times. I don't trust either, especially in the playoffs. I remember a couple years ago in the playoffs, one of them kept letting in softies that were totally demoralizing to the team.

If Corey friggin Crawford is good enough to win a cup, then Halak is capable of doing the same.