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

[Vladys Gumption]

Backes has 8 goals and 20 points. That projects to about 35 goals and 85 points for the season. So, we can't say that NO ONE else is stepping up. Tarasenko has 6 goals, and has been lokking much better lately. He should be piling up goals when Steen slows down, especially when opponents will be shadowing Steen on the PP. Tarasenko, Roy, Backes, Oshie and others will have operating room. So will his own linemates (Oshie and Backes) at even strength.

I was really referring to nobody outside the top line producing.

 

[BlueDream]

Yeah, it's one line. Backes and Oshie are playing well but of course they are going to have a lot of assists right now when Steen is on their line.

 

[PocketNines]

Couple things to remember. If you've got two guys (Steen and Backes) who finish the season at some kind of .85PPG pace you know you're scoring ahead of prior year average provided the rest are performing about the same. The defensive scoring production is up, guys like Stewart, Berglund and the Perron LW replacement are down. (Schwartz really didn't take Perron's minutes; he took McDonald's, and Tarasenko simply glided past Stewart the essential scoring leader on the depth chart in terms of minutes.)

If Steen goes through a drought and nobody steps up and the team slumps, the anger at Stewart and Berglund is going to become pointed.

 

[Daley Tarasenkshow]

If Steen and Backes slow down, I think players will step up to an extent, but not to fully recover the scoring lost. That's why I still think this team needs to acquire a scorer.

Some players are going to slow down and some will hit hotsteaks, that's part of the game.