GDT: St. Louis Blues at LA Kings

[ExJbeck]

Stepping back and thinking about this game, this was so especially disappointing because we could all see a statement third period of effort like the first two would have been a MAJOR building block for this team, almost the exact elixir it needed. And still the team spit the bit. And we were all aware that there was a clear possibility they'd have a third period letdown before it happened. I don't think anyone was particularly surprised. Having that letdown was a statement by the Blues to themselves about their identity. They're pretenders. There has to be massive sustained improvement before I or most fans would change their mind about that now. We have a borderline 7-10 range team in the conference until further notice.

2 points separate the Blues in the 9th seed from the Kings at 4 in the West. The last two seasons we have relied heavily on smacking the Eastern Conference teams and we don't have that opportunity now. The West is tougher this year because some of the teams are just better than last season and the Blues just happen to be worse. You wont catch me saying we have a borderline 7-10 team. Right now the Blues are not a team, if they were we would be a Top 3 team in the conference. Letting in 5 goals in a little over 20min should never happen to a team.

 

[illninofan*]

Pretty much exactly this. Not a bad thing, he just shouldn't be our full time 2nd line center.

Totally called this a few weeks ago.

 

[PerryTurnbullfan]

Berglund is Michal Handzus.

Thank you for clearing that up. Wish he was a defensively sound as Handzus...but very good comparison. These guys are what they are. Oshie, Backes, Perron, Stewart, Berglund, Steen, etc. are a large flock of 20 goal scorers. You have a team full of 2nd to 3rd line guys. I think the only elite future talent they have upfront is Tarasenko. You have 2 elite defensemen along with a bunch of 5 to 8 d-men. If they can stay healthy, then they will be tough. If they don't, then they will be a borderline playoff team lacking enough punch to win games.

Last night, some things that stood out to me. Cole had a rough night. Polak cannot fight, why Kyle Clifford again? You lost your manhood the last time you dropped the mits with him. Russell...good game. He played well. Schwartz...Please cover your point man and if you don't, then you better block his shot. Perron...sometimes I wonder what team you are actually on. I'd bring up some other names of the Blues, but I'm not sure they even dressed last night.

 

[superblues]

2 points separate the Blues in the 9th seed from the Kings at 4 in the West. The last two seasons we have relied heavily on smacking the Eastern Conference teams and we don't have that opportunity now. The West is tougher this year because some of the teams are just better than last season and the Blues just happen to be worse. You wont catch me saying we have a borderline 7-10 team. Right now the Blues are not a team, if they were we would be a Top 3 team in the conference. Letting in 5 goals in a little over 20min should never happen to a team.

This is a good point, a point many of us (myself included) may have forgotten.

 

[pricer502]

I think the biggest difference between this year and last year is the new interfernce call the refs are making when the opposing team dumps the puck. Last year Jackman or Polak would stand the guy up at the blueline while Shatty or one of the others would go retrieve the puck and quickly turn it back up the other way. It seemed like last year we spent 90 percent of the game in the neutral zone or in the offensive zone. This year teams are dumping with speed running around our D men and gaining puck control. This is causing big problems for our team. Just my opinion and i know if effects all teams but i beleive it hurts the blues more than most due to their style of play. The league is trying to turn the league into a finesse-skill league and the blues are a tough-physical team.

 

[Sushiko]

I had been thinking about how most of our points came from winning against the East, and that is why I was feeling we might not finish as high this season. Then of course last night, even when we are doing well and up high, we just crap it away, and even if we don't, the refs come in and cheat us, so what's even the point? Hard to not feel negative after last night. Would be nice if at some point I could get proven wrong. I just think about how long ago it was when the Blues were in the SCF! After that long, you begin to just get used to it not being any different. I am so disappointed in this game last night though. 3-1 lead, I hadn't been that excited in a game in so long and then it was gone... not a fan of all the new calls and the inconsistencies, that's for sure.

 

[moolah3i4]

I just wanted to say, Polak didn't get KO'd, it was a body shot.

 

[Vladys Gumption]

This team desperately needs Alex Steen back in the lineup.

 

[Vladys Gumption]

Even amid all the chaos in the third, Halak getting pulled felt significant at the time. I think Hitchcock views Jaro as soft. Soft mentally. Bad body language after goals. Soft physically. Injury prone. He finally reached the tipping point with him after goals 4 and 5.

What does that make Elliott then? I thought it was a decision to try to kick the team in the ass.

 

[TheOrganist]

What does that make Elliott then? I thought it was a decision to try to kick the team in the ass.

Hitchcock revealed his disdain for Elliott's play long ago...when he put him in the pressbox for two games in February when all three goalies were healthy.

Last night was most assuredly not a "shake the team up" yanking. It was a Keenan-esque "you just crapped the bed in a huge moment and you're the scapegoat" type of yanking.

It was almost to embarrass Halak considering the magnitude of what happened in the third. I was stunned when Elliott came in. That's why it felt significant.

When you factor in issues that have happened during just this current season with Halak, like Hitchcock's comments about his poor body language after goals against (Nashville game earlier this year) and Hitchcock trying to contain his disgust (during post-game presser) for Jaro coming up gimp before the first LA game at home when the team needed his presence desperately with Elliott in the trough of his tailspin, I think Hitchcock thinks Jaro is a p****, basically.

 

[brendan]

I'm not worried about Halak, but I'd give him a 2 game break and then let him take 80-90% of the games again

 

[JustOneB4IDie]

This team desperately needs Alex Steen back in the lineup.

This. Outstanding. Thank you.

 

[RonSwanson*]

Thank you for clearing that up. Wish he was a defensively sound as Handzus...but very good comparison. These guys are what they are. Oshie, Backes, Perron, Stewart, Berglund, Steen, etc. are a large flock of 20 goal scorers. You have a team full of 2nd to 3rd line guys. I think the only elite future talent they have upfront is Tarasenko. You have 2 elite defensemen along with a bunch of 5 to 8 d-men. If they can stay healthy, then they will be tough. If they don't, then they will be a borderline playoff team lacking enough punch to win games.

Last night, some things that stood out to me. Cole had a rough night. Polak cannot fight, why Kyle Clifford again? You lost your manhood the last time you dropped the mits with him. Russell...good game. He played well. Schwartz...Please cover your point man and if you don't, then you better block his shot. Perron...sometimes I wonder what team you are actually on. I'd bring up some other names of the Blues, but I'm not sure they even dressed last night.

But McDonald is a difference maker, right?

 

[RonSwanson*]

I had been thinking about how most of our points came from winning against the East, and that is why I was feeling we might not finish as high this season. Then of course last night, even when we are doing well and up high, we just crap it away, and even if we don't, the refs come in and cheat us, so what's even the point? Hard to not feel negative after last night. Would be nice if at some point I could get proven wrong. I just think about how long ago it was when the Blues were in the SCF! After that long, you begin to just get used to it not being any different. I am so disappointed in this game last night though. 3-1 lead, I hadn't been that excited in a game in so long and then it was gone... not a fan of all the new calls and the inconsistencies, that's for sure.

I'm curious what calls you are referring to. It certainly didn't seem lopsided in favor of either team. I felt the Kings had some poor calls go against them (like Kopitar getting a penalty after being pushed into Elliott), but neither team stood out as having a distinct penalty advantage.

 

[RonSwanson*]

I'm honestly wondering where McDonald fits into that list of players according to Blues fans.

 

[Lord Helix]

I'm honestly wondering where McDonald fits into that list of players according to Blues fans.

I'll admit that your posts so far have been decently tame, but I've seen much worse.

Personal stuff aside, McDonald has struggled when the team has struggled. Not many Blues don't fit that category. I think he's a top 6 threat when put in the right situations, but those are slowly disappearing. He likely won't be re-signed because of the cost.

 

[RonSwanson*]

I'll admit that your posts so far have been decently tame, but I've seen much worse.

Personal stuff aside, McDonald has struggled when the team has struggled. Not many Blues don't fit that category. I think he's a top 6 threat when put in the right situations, but those are slowly disappearing. He likely won't be re-signed because of the cost.

You all had a heartbreak game last night. I don't need to rub it in even more.

My thoughts on McDonald are that he's not well-suited for Western Conference play. He scores in bunches vs the smaller Eastern teams, but disappears when the games turn physical. Hence why I was so adamant last year that he wouldn't be a factor in the playoff series vs LA.

 

[ExJbeck]

I just wanted to say, Polak didn't get KO'd, it was a body shot.

I didnt watch the replay, but I would put my money on Polak getting KO'd via uppercut. He clearly crumbled and was unconscious temporarily.

 

[Oberyn]

But McDonald is a difference maker, right?

We get it, you don't like McDonald. You've made this clear in your 1000 other posts about him.

 

[Frenzy31]

Stepping back and thinking about this game, this was so especially disappointing because we could all see a statement third period of effort like the first two would have been a MAJOR building block for this team, almost the exact elixir it needed. And still the team spit the bit. And we were all aware that there was a clear possibility they'd have a third period letdown before it happened. I don't think anyone was particularly surprised. Having that letdown was a statement by the Blues to themselves about their identity. They're pretenders. There has to be massive sustained improvement before I or most fans would change their mind about that now. We have a borderline 7-10 range team in the conference until further notice.

WITH THE TEAM BEING ICED LAST NIGHT.

Tired of this chicken little BS. This board used to be a place of rational discussion, now it seems to have turned into the StLtoday. (Not you P9 - just quoted the 7-10 Range). Trade everyone, we stink... blah, blah, blah....

We are missing 3 key players on offense. You just cant get past that. This is a team built on depth not elite offensive tallent and we can be successful with that. (last year and this year) and now we are missing an entire line. (Last year this team was not solid until we got Andy and DP back from the concussions) and then our depth kicked in and we made a playoff push.

We have 3 2nd lines. Always have and no matter who winds up playing against the oppositions top line and d, one of those lines winds up overmatching the oppotitions last line. Creates match up problems.

Finally, it begins and ends with Goaltending and the complete lack of faith the team seems to have in Halak and Elliot. (Halak has been very up and down - Elliot has been down - and it stems from both not playing overseas and have a slow start). Last season, Halak was terrible at the beginning of the year and Elliott played great and got us through the first 2 months. With Elliott having given up 24 goals in the list 6 starts, more pressure on Halak to carry the load. (Keep in mind, he may not be 100% yet, but with Elliot looking like crap, they may have brought him back too soon, still nursing an injury).

You can't judge a team unless you have all of the pieces. For everyone talking about the lack of scoring tallent, well we HAVE A BETTER TEAM ON PAPER THEN LAST YEAR. DOES ANYONE REALLY THINK THAT COLA (when he was healthy) IS BETTER THEN COLE? THE ROSTER ON PAPER IS BETTER THEN LAST YEARS.

 

[Vladys Gumption]

This. Outstanding. Thank you.

I feel like a lot of us, me included, can easily forget just how important to this team he is.

 

[Falco Lombardi]

I feel like a lot of us, me included, can easily forget just how important to this team he is.

I am one of those people for certain.

 

[Evgeny Oliker]

I agree

WITH THE TEAM BEING ICED LAST NIGHT.

Tired of this chicken little BS. This board used to be a place of rational discussion, now it seems to have turned into the StLtoday. (Not you P9 - just quoted the 7-10 Range). Trade everyone, we stink... blah, blah, blah....

We are missing 3 key players on offense. You just cant get past that. This is a team built on depth not elite offensive tallent and we can be successful with that. (last year and this year) and now we are missing an entire line. (Last year this team was not solid until we got Andy and DP back from the concussions) and then our depth kicked in and we made a playoff push.

We have 3 2nd lines. Always have and no matter who winds up playing against the oppositions top line and d, one of those lines winds up overmatching the oppotitions last line. Creates match up problems.

Finally, it begins and ends with Goaltending and the complete lack of faith the team seems to have in Halak and Elliot. (Halak has been very up and down - Elliot has been down - and it stems from both not playing overseas and have a slow start). Last season, Halak was terrible at the beginning of the year and Elliott played great and got us through the first 2 months. With Elliott having given up 24 goals in the list 6 starts, more pressure on Halak to carry the load. (Keep in mind, he may not be 100% yet, but with Elliot looking like crap, they may have brought him back too soon, still nursing an injury).

You can't judge a team unless you have all of the pieces. For everyone talking about the lack of scoring tallent, well we HAVE A BETTER TEAM ON PAPER THEN LAST YEAR. DOES ANYONE REALLY THINK THAT COLA (when he was healthy) IS BETTER THEN COLE? THE ROSTER ON PAPER IS BETTER THEN LAST YEARS.

Very good points.

Halak also was a slow starter last season and then turned it on. No Pre-season and not playing overseas and then the injury..none of that helps.

He does not seem 100% comfortable out there. I would give him a few games off just to get some practice in. I think he will rebound.

 

[JustOneB4IDie]

I am one of those people for certain.

Correct.

 

[Falco Lombardi]

Correct.

You didn't have to call me on it