I totally knew the Blues could do it

[GrandPapillon*]

Ok, so the doom and gloom predictions look like they were premature. Watching the team win 2 games back to back on the road without 2 key players, I'm impressed. Times like this, I will gladly admit when I am wrong. Watching Gunner step in and stabalize the D, Schwartz take the next step, and Tarasenko take a flying leap, it's a good time to be a Blues fan. Was totally right about Allen though

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[Robb_K]

Remember when everyone said that "The Blues will never be able to take the next step no matter that they have so much depth that they can ice 3 scoring (2-way) lines, until they get an "elite" scorer that can create his own offence that can carry a team when they are playing poorly" ?

Well, I think The Blues have finally got that player. And his name is Vladimir Tarasenko. Watch out, NHL!!!

 

[HockeyGuy73]

I wasnt too worried the first handful of games when things wasnt looking good. I'm not getting too pumped now that we have a nice streak. There is reason for optimism, sure. But we all know this team will be judged on what it does after game 82. I'm just going to enjoy the ride until then.

 

[Burynai]

Hopefully Frank can get a little help on the scoring side......

 

[GrandPapillon*]

Hopefully Frank can get a little help on the scoring side......

Schwartz

He started hot and cooled off. However, he cooled off around the time Tarasenko went off. If Tarasenko cools off, maybe Schwartz gets going again. There is also the matter of Stastny coming back. If our goaltending keeps doing what Allen did tonight, it's not like we will need a ton of goals.

 

[Note Worthy]

Schwartz

He started hot and cooled off. However, he cooled off around the time Tarasenko went off. If Tarasenko cools off, maybe Schwartz gets going again. There is also the matter of Stastny coming back. If our goaltending keeps doing what Allen did tonight, it's not like we will need a ton of goals.

I personally think Stastny will be back Thursday. If not, he better be back Saturday because I'll be in attendance wearing my Stastny jersey.

 

[LGB51]

Ya'll need to get over to NHL.com right now and vote for Frank's goal being better than Malkin's lol.

 

[2 Minute Minor]

Backes doesn't look like himself yet. Hopefully its just part of fully recovering from his injury.

Oshie, who knows. I hope he takes his time and comes back healthy.

I'm not sure who you put between Tarasenko and Schwartz, Lehtera or Stastny. could the SOB line reunite and be effective? If so, either Stastny or Lehtera center the other line with...Berglund and Lindstrom? I think Jaskin has looked better than Lindstrom. But I still expect him to be sent down when the team is healthy.

The Blues are in the strange position of having a quality center who is probably not going to have line mates of similar skill.

It has to be said, but I think the best near term lines would look like:
Steen Stastny Oshie (MAYBE Lindstrom)
Schwartz Lehtera Tarasenko
Berglund Backes Lindstrom (or Oshie)
You can put Jaskin in for Oshie for now.

Backes would have more limited minutes and be used to match up defensively. The Blues can have two excellent lines or three good lines with flaws.

Finally, I'd like to see Pietro and Bouwmeester have less minutes without too much drop off. Gunnarson and Shattenkirk need time to grow chemistry. You can play Pietro longer in the playoffs, but let's not wear him into the ground.

Goal....solid. We knew it would be even if the fans around the league hold onto old perceptions of Elliott.

 

[shpongle falls]

Ya'll need to get over to NHL.com right now and vote for Frank's goal being better than Malkin's lol.

Voted for Tarasenko. He was leading the poll last time I checked.

 

[BlueDream]

I like our goaltending as well. Allen has a confidence in net that I haven't seen in a Blues netminder in a while.

Lindstrom doesn't really seem to fit our style too much - I'd prefer Jaskin but it's still early.

 

[2 Minute Minor]

Allen tracks the puck better than any goalie the Blues have had in the last decade. I have no complaints about Elliott, and I'm glad he got a chance as the starter. I think they're a great tandem, and I also think goalies play better when they're rested (statistically that's born out when you look at back-to-back starts....teams win more when the back-up plays one of the games). So I think the 2 man platoon is just fine. The place where it gets tricky is the post-season. You really kind of want to have a starter by then who will get all the games.

 

[WalterSobchak]

I might have suggested this team had quit on Hitch. of course, they weren't advertising that the team showers were teeming with bacteria so I only was seeing lethargic play.

Our "Russian Rocket" has me believing.

 

[Kshahdoo]

I wasnt too worried the first handful of games when things wasnt looking good. I'm not getting too pumped now that we have a nice streak. There is reason for optimism, sure. But we all know this team will be judged on what it does after game 82. I'm just going to enjoy the ride until then.

Yeah, optimism... How many of the team's last goals were scored by the same player? 7 out of 10?

 

[WalterSobchak]

It has to be said, but I think the best near term lines would look like:
Steen Stastny Oshie (MAYBE Lindstrom)
Schwartz Lehtera Tarasenko
Berglund Backes Lindstrom (or Oshie)
You can put Jaskin in for Oshie for now.

I think flip Steen and Schwartz and I like it. Backes will see more time/switch lines as the game dictates (and I'd still like to see a few shifts of a Bergie - Stastny - Backes line) but over-all the chemistry of Lehtera - Tarasenko gives us a legit 2nd First line that we haven't had in a very long time.

we are also more noticeably smaller down the middle than in past seasons, which also seems to benefit our transition game nicely.

 

[Falco Lombardi]

I'm encouraged that we've been winning while being so short handed.

I'm concerned about the play I've seen this year though from a couple of guys - namely Backes and Oshie. Backes has been pretty good on the PP but doesn't seem to be as effective on the offensive side at 5 on 5 and Oshie has looked pretty bad all year.

I'm optimistic that Backes will turn it around and Oshie will as well when he comes back, but I do hope someone steps up to lighten the load on the STL line.

 

[BlueDream]

This team has always been carried by one line so it's nothing new.

Stastny should help out though.

 

[WalterSobchak]

This team has always been carried by one line so it's nothing new.

Stastny should help out though.

what is new is the line doing the carrying. So since we have the players from the line formerly doing the carrying, if we can get both lines firing - we are in business.

 

[Note Worthy]

This team has always been carried by one line so it's nothing new.

Stastny should help out though.

A lot of teams are carried by one line. Some teams have scoring more spread out than others but generally every team has their one line.

 

[DangledUpinBlues]

This isn't even our final form.

 

[BlueDream]

A lot of teams are carried by one line. Some teams have scoring more spread out than others but generally every team has their one line.

That's pretty much what I was trying to say. It's not a big deal, in other words.