True Believers Roll Call

[Stupendous Yappi]

They’ve lost a couple games where the Blues looked like the better team. No margin for that kind of thing.

 

[Itsnotatrap]

They’ve lost a couple games where the Blues looked like the better team. No margin for that kind of thing.

That’s a testament to how badly we buried ourselves out of the gate. A lot of 3 point games, and always have a few of those games where you control the ice but lose because you run into a hot goalie, or because your goalie doesn’t have it. In our case, the latter applies more often, and there is always the risk that our goalie won’t have it for the entirety of January and parts of February, based off past history.

In our favor, the west looks much softer than I was anticipating. I have been holding some hope from that, and because our level of play has improved overall. Yesterday helped properly calibrate my expectations tremendously.

 

[TruBlu]

My expectations have been calibrated by the fact that we are sitting in last place in the west, two games from the midpoint of the season, and have only won two games in a row four times in 39 games. A record of 24-13-6 still gives us less than a 50% chance of making the playoffs. I'm not sure why we expect a team that has yet to win 50% of their games at the midpoint of the season is expected to win two out of every three for the entirety of the rest of the season.

 

[Bluesguru]

Armstrong still waiting for a clue from his players on which direction to take

 

[Vladys Gumption]

We're at the point where I've given up on the playoffs. This team is what it is for this year. We shouldn't be making any major moves. Well, it's more that I don't trust Armstrong at this point to make good moves. This year falls squarely on his shoulders. We have multiple issues but I remain convinced that with even average goaltending we would be sitting in a playoff spot or just outside of one. That is 100% on Armstrong. He's let this Allen situation play out for entirely too long. I've never seen a GM so married to so mediocre a goalie and I have no idea why.

 

[Robb_K]

The only suspense now is who will be traded away, and whether or not The Blues will lose their top draft choice this year. I'm very afraid that they WILL lose that choice, and that their few relatively young real core players will want to leave this team.

 

[Stealth JD]

They’ve lost a couple games where the Blues looked like the better team. No margin for that kind of thing.

Fortunately the Blues have all those wins when they were outplayed to fall back on. Oh wait...

 

[Ted Hoffman]

Armstrong still waiting for a clue from his players on which direction to take

 

[AjaxManifesto]

This is 100% about team culture.

It needs to be fixed

 

[topshelf331]

Yep. This is the most frustrating Blues team we've ever had.

 

[Bluesguru]

Perfect!!

 

[WeWentBlues]

Even after another disappointing loss on Saturday, the Blues are still in the mix with the least amount of points in the Western Conference. 9 points back with 4 games in hand against Anaheim doesn't feel like a insurmountable lead.

Team	GP	W	L	OT	PTS
DAL	43	22	17	4	48
ANA	43	19	17	7	45
VAN	45	20	21	4	44
MIN	40	20	17	3	43
EDM	42	20	19	3	43
ARI	42	18	21	3	39
CHI	44	16	21	7	39
LAK	43	17	23	3	37
STL	39	16	19	4	36

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

​

 

[MissouriMook]

Even after another disappointing loss on Saturday, the Blues are still in the mix with the least amount of points in the Western Conference. 9 points back with 4 games in hand against Anaheim doesn't feel like a insurmountable lead.

Team	GP	W	L	OT	PTS
DAL	43	22	17	4	48
ANA	43	19	17	7	45
VAN	45	20	21	4	44
MIN	40	20	17	3	43
EDM	42	20	19	3	43
ARI	42	18	21	3	39
CHI	44	16	21	7	39
LAK	43	17	23	3	37
STL	39	16	19	4	36

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

​

If you go by points percentage, we are actually chasing MIN and are 7 points back of them with only 1 game in hand. Still not insurmountable, but what have you seen from this team so far this year that tells you they can start winning consistently and make a push?

 

[WeWentBlues]

If you go by points percentage, we are actually chasing MIN and are 7 points back of them with only 1 game in hand. Still not insurmountable, but what have you seen from this team so far this year that tells you they can start winning consistently and make a push?

I haven't seen anything. Anything at all. And you are right that Minnesota would be harder to catch.

I'm just wondering if that's the reason we have seen any drastic measures taken by Armstrong yet since the season isn't fully out of reach.

 

[bleedblue1223]

I haven't seen anything. Anything at all. And you are right that Minnesota would be harder to catch.

I'm just wondering if that's the reason we have seen any drastic measures taken by Armstrong yet since the season isn't fully out of reach.

It takes 2 sides to make moves. Same reason why teams like LA haven't made big moves, the buyers need to determine how much they are willing to spend.

 

[Zamadoo]

I haven't seen anything. Anything at all. And you are right that Minnesota would be harder to catch.

I'm just wondering if that's the reason we have seen any drastic measures taken by Armstrong yet since the season isn't fully out of reach.

Binnington provided the spark. Tarasenko sniped one. Petro looks better. Parayko is beasting it. Sunny and Barbs are focused. Schwartz is buzzing. Thomas is silky smooth and playing better all over the ice. Perron is da man. Bo is playing as well as when we got him. Gunnarsson heals from the worst injuries and doesn't miss a beat.

I'm fine with riding it through January (or possibly up to the TDL) before trading vets. After Jake blows it tomorrow, Binnington will help us go 8-4, putting us at a .530 pt% before a week long break and the All-Star game. Minnesota is at .549 right now. If we aren't within .014 by February or within .009 by the TDL, we should sell.

 

[ScratchCatFever]

Binnington's calmness and thus far sound positioning is giving me hope. If we can somehow manage to claim 50 of the possible 80 points left on our schedule after tonight's win and capitalize on the four point swings within our division with a little help from the bubble teams we just might have a shot at playing into the second week of April.

 

[Ted Hoffman]

We're on, were off, we're back on, we're back off, ... it's the relationship from hell. Does she want me, or is she just trying to keep me from finding someone else and make me miserable to boot?

 

[Brian39]

Binnington's calmness and thus far sound positioning is giving me hope. If we can somehow manage to claim 50 of the possible 80 points left on our schedule after tonight's win and capitalize on the four point swings within our division with a little help from the bubble teams we just might have a shot at playing into the second week of April.

WC1 and WC2 are currently on pace for 89 points. Both those teams are in our division. If we earn 50 more points AND do that with winning records against Dallas/Minnesota/Colorado, it is very likely that we make the playoffs. We need to play at about 102 point pace from here on out to get 50 points though. It's a hell of an uphill battle, but it is doable if we can get average to above average goaltending for the next 40 games.

 

[Stealth JD]

I'll echo @Brian39's sentiments above...and simplify it even further...if they can beat Dallas & Minny on the season series, they'll probably make it. Unfortunately, the division owns the Blues thus far this year. Binnington at least gives the team hope/confidence.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

I would enjoy watching Binnington's emergence and the team scrapping together a decent second half to make it interesting. I'd also really love giving Buffalo a later draft pick after the public fantasies about a top 5 pick next year and predictions of the Blues blowing it up. Even if the Blues fall short, I would find the season more compelling if they're in realistic striking distance. And it would be fun to be in a series vs Nashville or Winnipeg where all the pressure is on them.

 

[simon IC]

Still here! I think it is still possible to sneak into a wildcard spot.

 

[Thallis]

Still here! I think it is still possible to sneak into a wildcard spot.

If the team continues this level of play and Binnington doesn't deteriorate, I can see it. The Blues have been very good the past month or so.

 

[Ted Hoffman]

WC1 and WC2 are currently on pace for 89 points. Both those teams are in our division. If we earn 50 more points AND do that with winning records against Dallas/Minnesota/Colorado, it is very likely that we make the playoffs. We need to play at about 102 point pace from here on out to get 50 points though. It's a hell of an uphill battle, but it is doable if we can get average to above average goaltending for the next 40 games.

We've been saying this for like 20 games, though. They've been on pace for ... 82. The last 16 games we're 9-7-0 and have made up two (2) points, and that's largely because Anaheim (5-8-2 in last 15) and Edmonton (3-8-0 in last 11) went into the sewer, and Colorado (5-10-4 in last 19) isn't any better. If any two of them had gone even .500 we wouldn't have gained any ground at all.

Yes, the rest of the conference from about 7th down hasn't been much better and on paper were still in the hunt, but at some point you gotta start taking points and making progress. Someone is eventually going to get their shit together and go on a 7-2-1 run to put some separation between themselves and the pack for that 2WC spot, and if it's not us were gonna have one hell of a time trying to keep up.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

We've been saying this for like 20 games, though. They've been on pace for ... 82. The last 16 games we're 9-7-0 and have made up two (2) points, and that's largely because Anaheim (5-8-2 in last 15) and Edmonton (3-8-0 in last 11) went into the sewer, and Colorado (5-10-4 in last 19) isn't any better. If any two of them had gone even .500 we wouldn't have gained any ground at all.

Yes, the rest of the conference from about 7th down hasn't been much better and on paper were still in the hunt, but at some point you gotta start taking points and making progress. Someone is eventually going to get their **** together and go on a 7-2-1 run to put some separation between themselves and the pack for that 2WC spot, and if it's not us were gonna have one hell of a time trying to keep up.

It really depends on whether Binnington is an NHL goalie over an extended period or not. If he is, then we have a chance for the team to put together a run like they need to catch up.