True Believers Roll Call

[Itsnotatrap]

First 3 game win streak, I am in.

I am in.

 

[AjaxManifesto]

Now that we are playing better, I rather win than tank. Tanking is depressing.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

All Aboard!

 

[Meatball]

I totally forgot about our injuries, also.

No need for moves. This team can make a run as long as we play to our capability and stay healthy/get healthy again.

f*** the pick. Go Blues!

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

Here’s my chart, but from the top down for the division and WC.

Winnipeg +15
Nashville +11
Dallas +4
Colorado +4
Minnesota +2
___________
Edmonton +1
Anaheim +1
Vancouver E
St Louis E

Arizona -2
Chicago -7
LAK -7

The three Pacific division spots look pretty solid for Calgary, San Jose and Vegas. It’s extremely unlikely that another Pacific team can catch up with any of the three.

And in terms of the draft lottery:
St Louis E
Vancouver E
Arizona-2
New Jersey-2
NYR -2
Florida -2
Detroit -6
Philadelphia-6
Chicago -7
LA -7
Ottawa -7

Maybe looking at it like this will put an end to the notion of tanking for a top5 pick. It’s going to be a lot harder to do than to pass Vancouver, Anaheim, Edmonton and Minnesota (or Dallas or Colorado).

Just using the eye test, the Blues are playing winning hockey right now. They won’t win them all, but I feel pretty comfortable with the chances they can win more than the teams they’re chasing there.

 

[bleedblue1223]

I'm thinking the 95 point mark won't be true this season, current projections are way under that, and that makes playoffs very realistic.

The West basically has 5 top teams, and then a bunch of others and then actual crap. We are in the middle group. Decent goaltending and I think we get the playoffs. Tarasenko is starting to produce, Schwartz is just inevitable at this point.

Hopefully I get to eat some crow on this one.

 

[Falco Lombardi]

Who else can say they still haven’t thought we’d miss the playoffs yet?

I honestly think playoffs are still possible

Me!

But I’m not one who lives in reality when it comes to the Blues. I still think the Blues are one of the five best teams in the West despite what the stats say.

It’s taken far longer to come together than I would have expected, but fortunately the West is the gong show that it is.

 

[bleedblue1223]

I'm going to just laugh if Binnington becomes our Jeff Carter and we go on a Kings run.

 

[StLHokie]

Choo Choo mfers

 

[Default]

Me!

But I’m not one who lives in reality when it comes to the Blues. I still think the Blues are one of the five best teams in the West despite what the stats say.

It’s taken far longer to come together than I would have expected, but fortunately the West is the gong show that it is.

Agreed. It was uhhhhhhhhhh... all the new additions and the guys just needed time to mesh together :^)

 

[BlueDream]

It's all about how you finish, not how you start. Blues got off to a very hot start last year and shit the bed. I'd rather heat up towards the end and finish strong.

Who the hell knows if we can go anywhere this year. A lot depends on the goaltending but it's going to help if 2 guys can help split the load.

I think I prefer this team being an underdog than favored anyways.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

It's all about how you finish, not how you start. Blues got off to a very hot start last year and **** the bed. I'd rather heat up towards the end and finish strong.

Who the hell knows if we can go anywhere this year. A lot depends on the goaltending but it's going to help if 2 guys can help split the load.

I think I prefer this team being an underdog than favored anyways.

If they make the playoffs, it will feel like the Blues are playing with house money. But there is enough talent and experience on the team, that they won't be intimidated by anyone in the West. There's no team I'd be afraid to face in the playoffs. Its just a matter of whether the Blues play their best and can score. But I don't think there is any team that would blow them out. I wouldn't be shocked to see an 8 over 1 type of series, and after that the sky is the limit.

I realize its not likely and a lot can go wrong, but I prefer cheering for them to win. I also believe any team can get hot at the right time, once they're IN the playoffs. One of these years it has to be the Blues, dammit.

 

[BlueDream]

If they make the playoffs, it will feel like the Blues are playing with house money. But there is enough talent and experience on the team, that they won't be intimidated by anyone in the West. There's no team I'd be afraid to face in the playoffs. Its just a matter of whether the Blues play their best and can score. But I don't think there is any team that would blow them out. I wouldn't be shocked to see an 8 over 1 type of series, and after that the sky is the limit.

I realize its not likely and a lot can go wrong, but I prefer cheering for them to win. I also believe any team can get hot at the right time, once they're IN the playoffs. One of these years it has to be the Blues, dammit.

Yup.

Getting into the Pacific bracket would be nice. Calgary doesn't scare me. Vegas doesn't either. If we get in there, sky could be the limit.

Heck, even staying in the Central might not be that bad. Winnipeg and Nashville are hyped up as Cup contenders, all the pressure on them. What if the Blues walk in with nothing to lose and just leave it all on the line.

I'll definitely back this team no matter what. It sucked missing the playoffs last year (even though I'm kinda glad they did because they really would have gotten destroyed by Nashville. They just had no depth.) But this year they have talent. I want playoff hockey.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

Yup.

Getting into the Pacific bracket would be nice. Calgary doesn't scare me. Vegas doesn't either. If we get in there, sky could be the limit.

Heck, even staying in the Central might not be that bad. Winnipeg and Nashville are hyped up as Cup contenders, all the pressure on them. What if the Blues walk in with nothing to lose and just leave it all on the line.

I'll definitely back this team no matter what. It sucked missing the playoffs last year (even though I'm kinda glad they did because they really would have gotten destroyed by Nashville. They just had no depth.) But this year they have talent. I want playoff hockey.

Calgary actually looks pretty good right now.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

Dom's model has upgraded the Blues playoff chances from 7% (I think that was the lowest) to 25% before tonight's game.

 

[ScratchCatFever]

 

[stl76]

 

[shpongle falls]

Holy **** that's brilliant haha.

 

[PiggySmalls]

I know The Hockey News is very hit or miss on a lot of their articles. But I was surprised about some of the numbers the team has put up since Chief took over the bench. This was a good read, even if I'm not fully ready to abandon my tank.

Don't look now, but the St. Louis Blues are climbing back into wild-card contention - TheHockeyNews

 

[WeWentBlues]

I know The Hockey News is very hit or miss on a lot of their articles. But I was surprised about some of the numbers the team has put up since Chief took over the bench. This was a good read, even if I'm not fully ready to abandon my tank.

Don't look now, but the St. Louis Blues are climbing back into wild-card contention - TheHockeyNews

Great read. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

Its 33 games to the end of the season, we've got a hot rookie goalie, 3 points out of a wildcard spot, the West sucks.....and Berube's the interim coach.

I'm still 100% on the playoff wagon. I think there are few teams that are going to get more out of the all-star break than the Blues.

 

[Renard]

What a strange season. Who would have expected Bouwmeester to be looking pretty good at this point. Or Sundqvist having ten goals and being effective all over the ice? Or Binnington coming in and being impressive. Or Gunnerson looking mobile and scoring goals. Or Vladi's resurgence.

Getting Thomas back will help out a lot.

If Schwartz and Schenn come alive in the second half, we could have a good team.

 

[542365]

I'm a proponent of a strictly W/L system as I think it just makes the most sense. Either you win, or you lose regardless how you win or lose. I think the point system is pretty worthless for hockey. In a strict W/L system the West would look:

Calgary(33-18)
Winnipeg(31-17)
Nashville(30-22)
San Jose/Vegas tie(29-23)
Minnesota(26-24)
Dallas(24-25)
Arizona/Edmonton tied(23-27)
Vancouver(23-28)
St. Louis(22-27)
Colorado(22-28)
Anaheim(21-30)
LA(20-30)
Chicago(18-33)

Colorado and Anaheim have been propped up quite a bit by losing at the right time.

The West is so embarrassing. Only 6 teams deserve to make the playoffs at this point. If you can't win at least half of your games you're a below average team. Below average teams have no business making the playoffs.

EDIT: Forgot Minnesota Pretty easy to do. They might be the most forgettable franchise in the league.

 

[Brian39]

I'm a proponent of a strictly W/L system as I think it just makes the most sense. Either you win, or you lose regardless how you win or lose. I think the point system is pretty worthless for hockey. In a strict W/L system the West would look:

Calgary(33-18)
Winnipeg(31-17)
Nashville(30-22)
San Jose/Vegas tie(29-23)
Minnesota(26-24)
Dallas(24-25)
Arizona/Edmonton tied(23-27)
Vancouver(23-28)
St. Louis(22-27)
Colorado(22-28)
Anaheim(21-30)
LA(20-30)
Chicago(18-33)

Colorado and Anaheim have been propped up quite a bit by losing at the right time.

The West is so embarrassing. Only 6 teams deserve to make the playoffs at this point. If you can't win at least half of your games you're a below average team. Below average teams have no business making the playoffs.

EDIT: Forgot Minnesota Pretty easy to do. They might be the most forgettable franchise in the league.

I don't like a pure W/L system when the OT is 3 on 3 sudden death. 3 on 3 is so much different than 5 on 5 and wide open enough that sudden death adds a pretty big element of luck. Losing in a 3 on 3 is vastly different than losing a game in 5 on 5 play (or a PP goal because you took a penalty). Look at the Isles game we lost. A Neutral Zone turnover basically ended the game even though we had 2 players behind the turnover. It didn't end on an odd man rush, it ended because possession is everything and a minute later we were gassed from playing keep away. I get why 3 on 3 is a thing in the regular season and I like it. But it is every bit the gimmick the shootout is and

I like a 3 point system where a regulation W is 3 points and an OT game splits those 3 points with 2 going to the winner and 1 going to the loser. I don't have the time to see how that impacts current standings, but I think it is a better way to weed out the teams who are 'losing at the right time.' It incentives trying to win in regulation and (IMO accurately) recognizes that a win in regulation is more impressive than tying regulation and then winning a mini game with vastly different rules. Every game is worth the same total amount of points, you get something for forcing OT so the NHL can somewhat maintain its pretend parity, and it rewards teams who are better at the game when played at 5 on 5 (the way hockey is played in the playoffs).

With all that said, this is just another thing to demonstrate how terrible this division is. Only 5 of 15 teams at or above true .500 at the 50 game mark. Yikes.

 

[542365]

I don't like a pure W/L system when the OT is 3 on 3 sudden death. 3 on 3 is so much different than 5 on 5 and wide open enough that sudden death adds a pretty big element of luck. Losing in a 3 on 3 is vastly different than losing a game in 5 on 5 play (or a PP goal because you took a penalty). Look at the Isles game we lost. A Neutral Zone turnover basically ended the game even though we had 2 players behind the turnover. It didn't end on an odd man rush, it ended because possession is everything and a minute later we were gassed from playing keep away. I get why 3 on 3 is a thing in the regular season and I like it. But it is every bit the gimmick the shootout is and

I like a 3 point system where a regulation W is 3 points and an OT game splits those 3 points with 2 going to the winner and 1 going to the loser. I don't have the time to see how that impacts current standings, but I think it is a better way to weed out the teams who are 'losing at the right time.' It incentives trying to win in regulation and (IMO accurately) recognizes that a win in regulation is more impressive than tying regulation and then winning a mini game with vastly different rules. Every game is worth the same total amount of points, you get something for forcing OT so the NHL can somewhat maintain its pretend parity, and it rewards teams who are better at the game when played at 5 on 5 (the way hockey is played in the playoffs).

With all that said, this is just another thing to demonstrate how terrible this division is. Only 5 of 15 teams at or above true .500 at the 50 game mark. Yikes.

I'm all for bringing in 5 on 5 OT for 10 minutes(wouldn't be as exhausting as 3 on 3 so it could conceivably be played for 5 extra minutes without too much additional wear and tear on the top players) and calling it a tie if nobody has won at that point. I just hate the point system in general. The goal, to me, is to win the game and a regulation win should be just as important as an overtime win. You won the game, that's the goal. Regardless how long it takes, you won. I agree with you on the 3 v 3 thing that it's not really hockey, but I just hate the idea of teams being rewarded for losing, regardless how long or gimmicky the loss may be.