GDT: WCSF - Game 1| Blues @ Avs| 8:30, TNT|

[JoeSakic13]

This game had Binnington looking more and more like 2019 Binner as it went on. Sure there was puck luck, but he was dialed in and kept St. Louis in it.

I hope that this loss breaks his confidence, but only because as an Avs fan I don’t want him stealing games like he almost did tonight.

If he maintains this though (or even close to this) it’s gonna be a solid series.

 

[LBlues24]

Buch-ROR-Perron
Saad-Thomas-Kyrou
Schenn-Bozak-Tarasenko
Toro-Barby-Walker

Obviously only if we’re healthy enough to run 6 D. Inject some speed on that 4th line. Get Buch going with our best forward right now. Throw 18 and 25 back together.
I don’t know, clearly we need more offence in game 2. Let barby get back to what he does best and create energy we were lacking in game 1

 

[wayninja]

Gud game u guyz

 

[Meatball]

This game had Binnington looking more and more like 2019 Binner as it went on. Sure there was puck luck, but he was dialed in and kept St. Louis in it.

I hope that this loss breaks his confidence, but only because as an Avs fan I don’t want him stealing games like he almost did tonight.

If he maintains this though (or even close to this) it’s gonna be a solid series.

Good game, bro.

 

[CaliforniaBlues310]

Agreed.

We took them to OT, it's not like we got steamrolled.

Eh, we shouldn’t have even made it that far, but Binner was absolutely unreal.

I’d like to see Schenn dropped back down to the third line to balance the depth down the middle a bit more. Loading up the top 6 isn’t an advantage in this series compared to playing the Wild.

 

[Chet Manly]

When did the blues get to denver?

If it wasn't immediately after beating Minnesota, someone needs to get fired.

No. They need to get fired out of a cannon.

 

[JoeSakic13]

Good game, bro.

Likewise. I hope the whole series is like tonight.

Please note that they didn’t play “All The Small Things” tonight even when Colorado was up late in the 3rd. The arena staff knew this game was far from over. As much as I love hearing that song, I love edge of the seat games like tonight more.

 

[AjaxManifesto]

Binny will be good in game 2, but I don't think he will be nearly as good as he was tonight. The Avs will also be in better form by game 2. They looked a little rusty. The Blues wasted their best chance to take a game in Colorado. Our Russians were AWOL for the game. Very sad.

I have a bad feeling we go back to STL down 2 games unless the Russians come alive in game 2.

On a positive note, I thought our D played decent. So there is that.

 

[Davimir Tarablad]

need to stop the 11 / 7 thing ... we need to roll lines

We were able to leverage Perunovich more than we could have a 12th forward versus Minnesota, might not be able to do so against Colorado. Would be interesting to see what defenseman Berube would drop in this case, and how he'd either shelter Perunovich or replace him on the PP depending on the choice of who sits on the backend

 

[Nederlander]

When did the blues get to denver?

If it wasn't immediately after beating Minnesota, someone needs to get fired.

No. They need to get fired out of a cannon.

Jeremy Rutherford said on his Twitter feed that they came out yesterday (Monday).

 

[Chet Manly]

Jeremy Rutherford said on his Twitter feed that they came out yesterday (Monday).

Someone needs to get f***ing fired then.

 

[Robb_K]

Never saw that puck. How it made it through I’m sure. But that was the type of goal it was gonna take to beat him. Super human effort out of him tonight.

It's good that Husso came down to Earth in his last 2 games so that Binner could show what he has. It might well be that it has changed both their career paths. Now, were back to the possibility that they'll lose Husso in free agency. I'm still hoping he'll resign for $2.5-$3 million average per year because he's still unproven (with too small a sample size. Binnington's return to form keeps The Blues from thinking Husso is their #1 of the near future. Binnington has better fundamentals, overall, when he's on his game. And now, it looks like he's back (I hope for the long haul). In any case, we can't dwell on next season's plans, while we're currently playing in an important series THIS season. But nice to see Binnington is back.

 

[A Real Barn Burner]

Someone needs to get f***ing fired then.

There was an interview posted on the series thread or the main board thread with Chief. He said it takes longer than a few days to acclimate according to team doctors or scientist or some other authority figure. That’s the reason he gave, I disagree with them and think wtf it couldn’t hurt.

However, in his defense maybe the benefit is negligible and the morale from a few extra days at home is better….

 

[President Skroob]

damn it ... oh well the avs are not world beaters ... lots of flaws in that team

Doesn’t matter if the goalie is the only one who shows up.

 

[Meatball]

We need more offense.

Good game, ya'll.

Onto Game #2.

 

[i aint Dunn yet]

Let me guess……Nathan Walker is going to save us?

no clue

 

[Robb_K]

When did the blues get to denver?

If it wasn't immediately after beating Minnesota, someone needs to get fired.

No. They need to get fired out of a cannon.

Exactly this! They had NO POSSIBILITY of adjusting to the altitude and low oxygen over such a short time. They should have more energy by late evening, Thursday.

 

[i aint Dunn yet]

just fold the tent and move on ... nothing to see here

 

[WeWentBlues]

That's the type of game we needed to steal. Just totally dominated for 60 minutes.

For the love of christ, can we stop turning the puck over inside the blue line? Our zone exits have been great all year long. Let's get back to that, please!

Forwards need to stop getting pinched off the puck along the boards.

 

[i aint Dunn yet]

Doesn’t matter if the goalie is the only one who shows up.

ror says what ?

 

[Chet Manly]

I just can't believe they'd actually take 5 days off.

ZERO prep for the altitude???

It's just stupid NOT to be up there. The longer you're there, the better it is when you come back down.

 

[i aint Dunn yet]

oh well bring on thursday ... we dont have a chance member .. pepperige farms remembers

 

[Chet Manly]

Clock resets f***ers.

44 hours and counting.

Let's do this shit again.

 

[mk80]

6 Games remaining in this series. Let's hope the rest of the Blues show up on time for the rest of the games. Tonight it seems only Binnington and ROR showed up to the arena

 

[WeWentBlues]

These late games are brutal as I can't just turn it off when its over and go to bed.

Just rewatched OT. The biggest thing the Blues can clean up right away is their decision making with the puck and playing more composed.

Few examples
Blues kill off the PP to start OT. Rather than immediately start thinking about offense and maybe hitting Schenn coming out of the box, Buchnevich rifles it down the ice. Had time and space to otherwise make a play.

Few plays later - where does Perron go with this puck? You guessed it. Right in the middle of three Av players. Puck is turned over and going the other way in a hurry.

Kyrou has the puck here with a chance to clear but is indecisive and lets two Av players collapse on him. Turnover and almost leads to the GWG by MacKinnon.

Any guesses where Saad tries to pass this puck to not once but twice from behind the net?

Bozak overskates the puck behind the net. Another offensive zone turnover where we had some possession.

Nice stretch pass during a line change that almost springs Saad. Johnson gets a piece of the puck. Saad proceeds to lose a puck battle to Makar behind the net that results in the play going the other way.

Potential for a give-and-go here for Rosen but instead he dumps the puck behind the Avalanche net after gaining the blueline instead of hitting a streaking Toropchenko that is driving the net.

Last but not least, there is the defensive zone faceoff that we win but Kyrou turns the puck over again on the boards.

Also, was this puck played with a highstick? Sure looks like it to me. Kadri bats it down with a highstick after Binnington made two saves. Kicks it over to Landeskog who dishes it back to Manson for the game winner.

Backing up a few moments before that, Makar ices the puck at 12:34 (which somehow isn't called), Parayko retrieves it behind the net but turns it over with a lazy play up the boards instead of skating it out of danger like we've seen him do a million times before. MacKinnon gets a shot off that Binnington freezes. Puck ends up in the back of the net after the ensuing faceoff.

A combination of poor execution, poor decision making and poor officiating in OT.