Three Stars Game 24 at Minnesota

[Vladys Gumption]

Tarasenko 35
Schwartz 18
Elliott 13
Lehtera 12
Pietrangelo 11
Shattenkirk 9
Allen 7
Lindstrom 5
Steen 4
Backes 3
Stastny 3
Lindbohm 3
Berglund 3
Cole 3
Oshie 3
Gunnarsson 2
Jaskin 2
Lapierre 2

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[WalterSobchak]

Allen
Tarasenko
Pietrangelo

 

[Excellence9]

1) Allen
2) Tank
3) Backes

 

[Ranksu]

1. Allen
2. Oshie
3. Reaves

 

[TheDizee]

allen
tarasenko
butler

 

[KirkOut]

34
91
27

 

[Mike Liut]

Allen
Frank
Oshie

HM- Backes, Gunner

 

[Vladys Gumption]

I had Allen, Tarsenko and Steen in that order. I thought Butler played a nice game tonight. Maybe as a third pairing guy he's not as bad as we thought.

 

[Robb_K]

Allen
Tarasenko
Gunnarsson (played an absolutely GREAT game!)

Backes, Oshie, Steen, Shattenkirk (before getting the gate), Cole all played very well, too.

 

[Dbrownss]

I went

Allen
Tarasenko
Oshie

Oshie was abused all game and kept on trucking. Constantly tried to drive the offense.


Just about everyone a good gut game

 

[AVictoryDive]

Snake & Frank are definites I thought Schwartz played a hell of a game even if he didn't get on the score sheet.

 

[uncommonsense52]

Tarasenko
Allen
Shattenkirk
HM: Backes

Tarasenko has one goal, and a SO goal to win it. When he wasn't scoring, he was causing havoc in Minnesota's zone.

Allen played phenomenally. Kept us in it despite our defense letting way too many shots, and quality ones at that, on.

Shattenkirk's hit that got him ejected, legal or not, is what needed to happen. Minnesota was running around cheapshotting players, most notably, Oshie. Putting one of their guys on the ice sent a message. Intentional or not. It set a tone of "we can do that **** too. Let's just play hockey," and that ultimately is what freed up the ice later in the game. And not only did that pay off tonight, but by not letting anyone end up on the IR, it's gonna pay off in the future. Sometimes you gotta get dirty to have a clean game.

HM: Backes. Truculent (copyright Brian Burke) all night, also had a nose for the goal that equalized the game.

 

[LGB51]

1.) Tarasenko
2.) Allen
3.) Backes

HM: Butler, Cole, Gunnar, Bergy

 

[kagei]

1. Allen
2. Tarasenko
3. Anyone who hit Scandella, take your choice

 

[542365]

Backes, Tarasenko, Allen for me. I liked Schwartz, Gunnar, and Berglund's game as well.

EDIT: And Reaves.

 

[TK 421]

Allen
Tarasenko
Gunnarsson (played an absolutely GREAT game!)

Backes, Oshie, Steen, Shattenkirk (before getting the gate), Cole all played very well, too.

Gunnarsson was fantastic and he seems ridiculously consistent from game to game. He's had the impact on the d group I hoped he would. Love his game.

 

[Robb_K]

Gunnarsson was fantastic and he seems ridiculously consistent from game to game. He's had the impact on the d group I hoped he would. Love his game.

He's really great at the fundamentals of the position. He plays very well positionally, knows where the play is going, and most importantly, takes out his man, leaving the puck to be picked up by a teammate (unlike Pietrangelo, Cole and Shattenkirk, who leave their men too quickly after a hit, and allow them to fight for the puck).

He's more like Jackman, keeping the man out of the play (against the boards or knocked in the opposite direction of the puck), so his own teammate will be the closest, and only one to be able to pick it up.

Of course, you have to know when it is safe to do that, and make a different choice of play if an opponent is nearby (e.g. tie up the puck along with your man on the boards until one of your teammates can get back into the play. Most of The blues' other D-men seem to be afraid to take their man out of the play and leave the puck. In one's own zone, usually the D-man's shift partner is the closest, and able to swoop in and pick it up. Also. as The Blues' forwards usually backcheck well, as soon as they see pressure on one of their D-men, the forward on that side should be skating behind, ready to pick up the puck.

Gunnarsson has really brought some extra solid, consistent play to our defence, more than the erratic Polak, who succumbed often to a strong forecheck, and had a tendency to lose the puck or make inadvisable passes, of fail at clearing attempts. Gunnarsson skates the puck out of the defensive zone himself, or gets a safe, quick pass out to a forward, or sends a safe pass to his defensive partner, or takes his man out, allowing a teammate to pick up the puck.

He also has joined the rush and joined the offence in the offensive zone, driving in on net, pinching in to keep the flurry going, taking decent shots now and then. He's doing just what I thought he'd do to solidify The Blues' defence (when healthy-and integrated into The Blues' system). With Cole and Butler also improving, The Blues look to be a lot less shaky later this season, especially when Backes, Steen, Oshie, Stastny and Berglund start getting back to doing what they can do, and a replacement for Lindström is found.

If The Blues are one point off The NHL lead while playing inconsistently and poor at times, imagine how they'll do when the defence, offence and goaltending are working on all cylindars (Allen has benefitted from a lot more experience-Elliott back) replacement for Lindström - and the rust is off the others.

 

[PeterAngelo]

He's really great at the fundamentals of the position. He plays very well positionally, knows where the play is going, and most importantly, takes out his man, leaving the puck to be picked up by a teammate (unlike Pietrangelo, Cole and Shattenkirk, who leave their men too quickly after a hit, and allow them to fight for the puck).

He's more like Jackman, keeping the man out of the play (against the boards or knocked in the opposite direction of the puck), so his own teammate will be the closest, and only one to be able to pick it up.

Of course, you have to know when it is safe to do that, and make a different choice of play if an opponent is nearby (e.g. tie up the puck along with your man on the boards until one of your teammates can get back into the play. Most of The blues' other D-men seem to be afraid to take their man out of the play and leave the puck. In one's own zone, usually the D-man's shift partner is the closest, and able to swoop in and pick it up. Also. as The Blues' forwards usually backcheck well, as soon as they see pressure on one of their D-men, the forward on that side should be skating behind, ready to pick up the puck.

Gunnarsson has really brought some extra solid, consistent play to our defence, more than the erratic Polak, who succumbed often to a strong forecheck, and had a tendency to lose the puck or make inadvisable passes, of fail at clearing attempts. Gunnarsson skates the puck out of the defensive zone himself, or gets a safe, quick pass out to a forward, or sends a safe pass to his defensive partner, or takes his man out, allowing a teammate to pick up the puck.

He also has joined the rush and joined the offence in the offensive zone, driving in on net, pinching in to keep the flurry going, taking decent shots now and then. He's doing just what I thought he'd do to solidify The Blues' defence (when healthy-and integrated into The Blues' system). With Cole and Butler also improving, The Blues look to be a lot less shaky later this season, especially when Backes, Steen, Oshie, Stastny and Berglund start getting back to doing what they can do, and a replacement for Lindström is found.

If The Blues are one point off The NHL lead while playing inconsistently and poor at times, imagine how they'll do when the defence, offence and goaltending are working on all cylindars (Allen has benefitted from a lot more experience-Elliott back) replacement for Lindström - and the rust is off the others.

This is a fantastically insightful post Robb. The kind of things I haven't noticed but appreciate having pointed out. Going to watch Gunnar closely vs the Hawks, with these things in mind.

 

[Falco Lombardi]

Allen
Tarasenko
Backes

HM: Reaves