GDT: Game #2 of 82: Blues @ Coyotes - 10pm ET

[JoernAZ]

"Early" GDT for this one.

A must win against a team where a loss is "unacceptable". We will be tested tonight!

Btw, @BlueDream is still the MVP.

Click to read more...

 

[TheDizee]

they are always terrible and they always seem to beat us

this is a big statement game, believe it or not.

 

[BlueDream]

Appreciate the love.

We got a tougher game on Wednesday so we definitely need to bank these 2 points tonight.

 

[Moose and Squirrel]

they are always terrible and they always seem to beat us

this is a big statement game, believe it or not.

yup...not sure why but we have WAY more trouble with them than we should

kinda baffling honestly

 

[tomin]

Monday night Blues game... huge.
LGB.

Can't wait to see Jaskin play.

 

[542365]

Monday night Blues game... huge.
LGB.

Can't wait to see Jaskin play.

You MIGHT get to see him play. He’s been a healthy scratch the first two games.

EDIT:Never mind. Was only scratched once. I thought I read he was scratched in both games. He did not play in their most recent game against Buffalo, though.

 

[JoernAZ]

If Husso get the start, he'd better show up.

Also hoping that the 3rd line clicks, and Berube not making any changes. Comparing with other teams, injuries will come. Kostin is going to get his chance, sooner rather than later. Just make it a needed change, and not for "funsies".

Calling goals from Krug and Tarasenko tonight...

 

[BlueOil]

can either robert thomas or rob thomas please show up?

 

[Xerloris]

If Husso get the start, he'd better show up.

Also hoping that the 3rd line clicks, and Berube not making any changes. Comparing with other teams, injuries will come. Kostin is going to get his chance, sooner rather than later. Just make it a needed change, and not for "funsies".

Calling goals from Krug and Tarasenko tonight...

Why would Husso get the start?

 

[Brian39]

I'd start Binner and I'm probably the biggest proponent on this board for workload management.

We have a nicely spaced out schedule to start the year and no one should be fresher than they are right now. I don't think Binner needs 3 nights off after his 1st start, especially because he will get 2 nights off between Vegas and the home opener. Give Binner the first 4 starts and then make a decision about Monday's game vs LA on Sunday. Ideally, we are off to a 2-1-1 start or better after 4 games and give him the night off next Monday vs the Kings. If not, then you start him on Monday and ask Binner to play 7 games in 15 days to start the year. Without a back-to-back, that is a reasonable request where he is going every other night with two additional rest days sprinkled in. That's a manageable workload and then the schedule provides a great chance for rest. He could get 3 days of rest after the 10/30 Hawks game, play in LA on 11/3, and let Husso start on 11/4. That gives Binner 3 more days of rest before playing the Ducks on 11/7. That's 6 days of rest in a 7 day window which should be more than enough to recover from going 7 nights in 15 days to start the year. After that week, he'd be at 8 starts in his last 22 days.

I get the urge to play Husso every time you play a bad team like the Coyotes, but this early in the year I'd like to give our team the best chance possible to jump out to a good start. That means Binner in net. This team has question marks around its ability to defend and I want to smother the life out of a bad Yotes organization that had our number last year. I want to roll into Vegas 2-0. I think the confidence and momentum boost of a decisive victory tonight outweighs workload management concerns this early in the year. I won't be surprised to see Husso, but I'd like to see Binner.

 

[Brian39]

Why would Husso get the start?

I want to see Binner for the reasons outlined above, but the reason to play Husso is that the Yotes are awful this year and you want to play your backup against teams that you should beat. Sheltering your backup gives you the best chance to bank points without wearing out your starter. We should be aiming to play Binner fewer than 60 times this year. He's probably getting on the Olympic roster for Canada and workload management should be a concern every year. That means trying to play Husso 23+ times. That's at least 10 games in addition to back to back situations and you almost certainly won't find 10 games on the calendar that are easier matchups than tonight's game vs the Yotes.

I think the team would be best served finding those games deeper into the schedule, but that would be the reason to play him tonight.

 

[Reagans Blues]

At least the bad man is gone. Felt like Garland killed us last year

 

[JoernAZ]

Why would Husso get the start?

I dont expect Husso to start, but I will not be surprised if he does. Match-up, getting all players going, build confidence etc. I surely would like to see Binny in net. As @Brian39 pointed out with good arguments.

I did not like Hussos preseason a lot, which was the reason for the "show up" comment. Especially when we may look at a game where we outshoot Coyotes 40-20ish, and still struggle to win comfortably.

I fear that Vejmelka may look to steal the game, which mean we have to have a netminder who is fully alert when he needs to be.

 

[Canuck Luck]

I have Kostin in a keeper league. Is he playing tonight?

 

[Brian39]

I have Kostin in a keeper league. Is he playing tonight?

Lineup hasn't been announced yet, so who knows. Based on our result Saturday I would doubt that we change the forward group. If he does get in, I'd expect him to get limited usage on either the 4th or 3rd line.

If you are deciding between him and anyone else for fantasy purposes, you should probably play the other guy. Kostin might become fantasy relevant throughout the season, but it is unlikely to be in the first few weeks of the season.

 

[JoshFromMO]

"Early" GDT for this one.

A must win against a team where a loss is "unacceptable". We will be tested tonight!

Btw, @BlueDream is still the MVP.

We should keep stats on who's GDT's get the most wins and use them for the playoffs. If we clinch and all that I mean.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

they are always terrible and they always seem to beat us

this is a big statement game, believe it or not.

At least it won’t be because Kemper looked like a Vezina winner.

 

[jura]

I have Kostin in a keeper league. Is he playing tonight?

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

I actually really like that 4th line. What a blessing to have a guy like Bozak centering that line.

 

[67Blues]

I could see at some point flipping Barby and Bozak. Nice to have interchangeable pieces.

 

[Brian39]

Piling on the praise for the bottom 6...

It looks like the plan is to lock Thomas/Tarasenko into the 3rd line and then rotate guys around the 3LW and 4th line as play/situation/streaks dictate. I really like that. Barby provieded a spark when he swapped into the 3LW slot and I'm excited that he gets to start off there again tonight. It's very nice to have multiple centers sprinkled throughout the bottom 6.

 

[joe galiba]

You would think guys like Thomas and Barby would improve at faceoffs going against Bozak and ROR everyday in practice

 

[Stealth JD]

no Garland, no Dvorak...no problem with these desert dogs. Blues cruise tonight and win 7-3.

unfortunately, a 10pm EST start is no bueno for my beauty sleep, so i'll be catching the highlights tomorrow.
hopeful that Doug Armstrong has dinner with Bill Armstrong after the game and can get him shitty enough drunk that we find Chychrun in a Blues uniform as soon as tomorrow morning.

Let's go Blues!

 

[Mike Liut]

I’m predicting the Blues score 5 tonight


It worked for game 1

 

[Ranksu]

Yes. Berube on fire. Neal is out and Kostin in.

Neal was terrible. Really good move by Army.