GDT: stl @ chi

[ManyIdeas]

so is tarasenko injured from that elbow or not?

 

[DeuceNine]

Would be nice is Stastny actually started earning his dough. That's a start.

 

[Vladys Gumption]

I was glad to see Backes take a swing at Seabrook. Its better than just pretending nothing happened.

The Blackhawks PK made a big difference tonight.

I hope the notion of playing Berglund at center and Backes at wing will end soon. I believe it's meant to improve Berglunds trade chances (a showcase move). The Lindstrom experiment is a dud, and at least one dangerous winter that can play with Stastny needs to be found. I'm starting to think Armstrong will make a move sooner than later.

I loved Ott's game tonight. Frankly, I'd prefer him up on the third line over Lindstrom at this time.

I miss Bouwmeester.

2MM you pretty much summed up all my thoughts. I'm really starting to think we need to make a move for a winger soon. Lindstrom just isn't good enough.

 

[Thallis]

Would be nice is Stastny actually started earning his dough. That's a start.

It's not like he's hot garbage. He's just not scoring.

 

[Dbrownss]

It's not like he's hot garbage. He's just not scoring.

I'd say lukewarm garbage. He's the highest paid Blue and he's not producing at any level. He's shown how good he is so it's not a lost cause. He just needs to figure it out. He's been largely invisible on the ice, it's not like he's sending amazing passes that aren't being finished, he's simply not much of a factor. I'm not buying into him NEEDING a winger, he was credited with turning scrubs into goal scorers.


I'm more concerned with coaching. Hawks adjusted and STL didn't, they never seem to.

 

[LGB51]

Boy I'm sure glad we decided not to show up for the third. For god's sake pull you heads out of your *****.

Allen played that pitifully.

He has proven to me at least, that he's not ready to be the starter yet, if not for those b2b shutouts he's be hovering around the .900-.905 Sv% line right now. That's not gonna cut it. If it was Elliot letting in 3 to 4 goals in half his starts, this board, Twitter, The Asylum, everywhere would be calling for his head.

 

[PowerPlaymaker42]

Wouldn't say he necessarily "needs a winger" he needs a consistent line however. It seems like his line is constantly fiddled with. Even during the game last night Hitch put OTT up there and put Schwartz with Lehtera and Tarasenko. Hitch needs to decide who he is going to put on that line and let them stay for a while before he messes with it. He gave the STL line time to gel and look what happened.

 

[LGB51]

I'd say lukewarm garbage. He's the highest paid Blue and he's not producing at any level. He's shown how good he is so it's not a lost cause. He just needs to figure it out. He's been largely invisible on the ice, it's not like he's sending amazing passes that aren't being finished, he's simply not much of a factor. I'm not buying into him NEEDING a winger, he was credited with turning scrubs into goal scorers.


I'm more concerned with coaching. Hawks adjusted and STL didn't, they never seem to.

This for me to, every time we play a top team, and things aren't working it's like Hitch is just telling them to keep at it, instead of trying to switch the game plan to something that works.

 

[Dbrownss]

Wouldn't say he necessarily "needs a winger" he needs a consistent line however. It seems like his line is constantly fiddled with. Even during the game last night Hitch put OTT up there and put Schwartz with Lehtera and Tarasenko. Hitch needs to decide who he is going to put on that line and let them stay for a while before he messes with it. He gave the STL line time to gel and look what happened.

He had Steen consistently and nothing happened. I'm going to be patient with him, I'm really just tired of Hitch "catering" to him. We know the SOB line works and the STL line works. Stastny can have the whipping boy line, he's on a path to being strung up too.

 

[Thallis]

I'd say lukewarm garbage. He's the highest paid Blue and he's not producing at any level. He's shown how good he is so it's not a lost cause. He just needs to figure it out. He's been largely invisible on the ice, it's not like he's sending amazing passes that aren't being finished, he's simply not much of a factor. I'm not buying into him NEEDING a winger, he was credited with turning scrubs into goal scorers.


I'm more concerned with coaching. Hawks adjusted and STL didn't, they never seem to.

What? No. Not at all. It was well noted that he needed solid wingers to produce at the 60-80 point clip and his worst years in Colorado happened largely because he was stuck with scrubs who couldn't help him out. For example, 2 years ago he didn't have a good season. His linemates were primarily David Jones, Jamie McGinn, and Matt Hunwick. Last year, he started scoring again. His linemates were mostly Landeskog and MacKinnon. We knew going into the season that his scoring and offensive effectiveness would be impacted by his linemates, we just figured we'd put the right guys in place for him to be successful.

 

[Dbrownss]

What? No. Not at all. It was well noted that he needed solid wingers to produce at the 60-80 point clip and his worst years in Colorado happened largely because he was stuck with scrubs who couldn't help him out. For example, 2 years ago he didn't have a good season. His linemates were primarily David Jones, Jamie McGinn, and Matt Hunwick. Last year, he started scoring again. His linemates were mostly Landeskog and MacKinnon. We knew going into the season that his scoring and offensive effectiveness would be impacted by his linemates, we just figured we'd put the right guys in place for him to be successful.

He still produced 50+pts without solid wingers is what I was getting at. He's had Steen, Oshie and Backes as wingers and it just isn't clicking. Again....it's not like his passes aren't being finished. They are non existent.

 

[mtxed]

Go brodeur go

 

[Freyj]

I wouldn't mind seeing Stas centering Schwartz and Tarasenko for a game or two against a weaker opponent. Florida maybe?

Long term, the STL line needs to stay intact, but if we're trying things out it would be educational at the least.

 

[Thallis]

He still produced 50+pts without solid wingers is what I was getting at. He's had Steen, Oshie and Backes as wingers and it just isn't clicking. Again....it's not like his passes aren't being finished. They are non existent.

When he's out there, players generally aren't getting open when he has the puck, especially in scoring positions. Many times over the past few games he has sent a pass to a guy in the low slot only to have them miss the puck and have it cleared by a defenseman or roll across the slot into the corner. It's a problem every line other than STL has run into (and they have too recently since as Schwartz has lost some effectiveness in the corners that made that line continue to get sustained zone time); there's no puck support from the forwards.

 

[Dbrownss]

When he's out there, players generally aren't getting open when he has the puck, especially in scoring positions. Many times over the past few games he has sent a pass to a guy in the low slot only to have them miss the puck and have it cleared by a defenseman or roll across the slot into the corner. It's a problem every line other than STL has run into (and they have too recently since as Schwartz has lost some effectiveness in the corners that made that line continue to get sustained zone time); there's no puck support from the forwards.

I guess I've been missing them. I just remember the first couple games his abilities were obvious. It might just be blending in with the general fecal discharge play the Blues have had now is why I havnt noticed him as much. As I said, I'm patient with him since we're stuck with him lol.

 

[PowerPlaymaker42]

Steen has looked bad lately and I think he needs to be with Backes and stay away from Lehtera/Tarasenko. That line barely got any time in the Hawks zone last night. Pair him with Backes or Berglund. I think last night was evident that we need one more quality winger so we can roll three really good lines. Ott is good but he's no threat on offense and belongs on a 4th line IMO.

 

[BluesTraveller]

Steen was omnipresent, and not doing his best at the same time.
Cole has two goals this year, we are 0-2 when he scores.
Put Schwartz back with Lehtera and Tarasenko
Give Stastny a consistent line with Steen and Oshie. See if he can build up some sort of chemistry with someone.

 

[BlueDream]

Stastny really has been invisible. He's not shooting much and not setting up many plays. He's not winning a ton of puck battles and he hasn't even been a factor defensively (which surprises me). He isn't doing much of anything. It's not because he's just not scoring. Sure, he needs a better winger, but to blame his wingers for how poor he's performing is a bit bold. If you think he's playing fine and his wingers are just missing chances, we must be watching different games. He has gotta pick it up fast.

 

[Thallis]

Stastny really has been invisible. He's not shooting much and not setting up many plays. He's not winning a ton of puck battles and he hasn't even been a factor defensively (which surprises me). He isn't doing much of anything. It's not because he's just not scoring. Sure, he needs a better winger, but to blame his wingers for how poor he's performing is a bit bold. If you think he's playing fine and his wingers are just missing chances, we must be watching different games. He has gotta pick it up fast.

It sure does seem like it. I've been looking for Stastny and paying special attention to him these past few games. To me, he hasn't looked bad at all. I truly think that puck support and players not making themselves an option are the #1 and 2 issues with this team right now. It makes the only option going 1 on 1 and 1 on 2 in the corners or a percentage pass where you throw it into a scoring area and hope for the best the only options in the offensive zone, which Stastny has had happen a lot.

 

[Blues88]

It's probably as simple as Hitchcock not liking the line matchups he anticipated from Quenneville if he kept the line intact. On home ice when he has last change, he might not have changed the lines at all.

He must have not liked the match ups in Minnesota either, or Edmonton at home from what I can recall.

Too much line juggling in my opinion. Lessening the effect of your most productive line in an attempt to get other lines going is crazy at this point, especially when the personnel on the other lines are extremely familiar with one another.

One bad game, but this team really needs to show that they can hang consistently with the best in the league.

 

[JustOneB4IDie]

Yet another regulation loss in a division foe's building 48 years and counting is all I have ti say about that.