2021 Blues Regular Season multi-purpose thread

[Drubilly]

I think the "up tempo" style fits playoff hockey just fine, you just have to make sure you are playing in straight lines and not abandoning the physicality while you're doing so, especially on your side of center ice and below the opponent's goal line. It makes me choke to give the devil his due, but look at the Blackhawks' Cup teams and you will see an up tempo, counter attacking approach that was still effective in the playoffs for those very reasons.

Funny you say this Mook because after the first several games this season I thought the exact same thing.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

There’s merit in “make the most of what you are” approach. Count me in a group of swayable skeptics that this works in the playoffs. The reason I don’t think it does is exemplified by Colorado’s recent playoff struggles. I think that will continue.

One way or another we are about to get a stern 4 game test when we back to back the Florida teams. Those games will be a good test of the theory

There are two teams that win Championships: the ones that innovate something new, and the ones that successfully imitate the first teams.

Having your veteran players in the prime and playing to that level, leavened with talent like Kyrou and Perunovich on ELC provides a hell of a lot of value up and down the roster. It’s a recipe for good coaching to shine. I think we’ll get a measure of the Blues’ coaching staff these next few weeks.

 

[bleedblue1223]

The problem with trying to play our style of the past, we don't really have the personnel for it. When we won the Cup, size on the backend was a big part. That doesn't mean you have to be big to be good or that simply being big means your physical, but every pairing having someone that was 6'2"+, with some having multiple big guys, played in big part in cutting down passing lanes, stick checking, etc. Even if we add Lindholm, our defense still wouldn't be able to perform like we did on that run, we'd have to adjust to a different style on some level.

Offensively, we'd be more or less fine, as even our skilled guys can play like we did on the Cup run, some of them were on it, there probably is a question of what gets the most out of them. Is Thomas' big jump in production more due to increased ice time and linemates or more from our style becoming more offensive. It's going to be both, along with natural development and health, but it's still a question worth pondering.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

Let’s see how it holds up in four straight against Tampa, Tampa, Florida, Florida. That’s exactly the kind of test the roster needs.

It will be a nice measuring stick. But I don’t see the Blues as having had enough time as this unit, with lines and pairings still in development, to expect them to provide proof of concept at its highest level. I won’t read too much into struggles now and then. It’s hard not to be reminded of the Tampa road game in 2019, though.

 

[bleedblue1223]

I think the "up tempo" style fits playoff hockey just fine, you just have to make sure you are playing in straight lines and not abandoning the physicality while you're doing so, especially on your side of center ice and below the opponent's goal line. It makes me choke to give the devil his due, but look at the Blackhawks' Cup teams and you will see an up tempo, counter attacking approach that was still effective in the playoffs for those very reasons.

The teams that win a Cup playing like that also had higher skilled individual players, and arguably more skill overall. Kane and Keith specifically are better than any of our current forwards and Keith from those teams is better than any of our defensemen.

Same with Pittsburgh/Washington/Tampa.

 

[MissouriMook]

The teams that win a Cup playing like that also had higher skilled individual players, and arguably more skill overall. Kane and Keith specifically are better than any of our current forwards and Keith from those teams is better than any of our defensemen.

Same with Pittsburgh/Washington/Tampa.

Due to cap constraints, they also had a lot of role players who were far less effective at that play style, where we have depth in spades, especially up front, and far more defensemen capable of leading the counter attack rush up the ice or making the break out pass to allow a forward to do so. Time will tell if we stay on that path and if we're good enough to succeed in doing so.

 

[bleedblue1223]

Why aren’t people viewing this as a deliberate choice by the front office? They acquired this roster and have shaped it this way. It’s looked like the plan to me for a good while. I think they’ve been trying to transition to a team that can skate with speed and skill, with dangerous transition D on the ice almost constantly. The Blues as constructed are a threat to score with virtually any line (when healthy) and have the defenders to allow the to not have to give just one or two lines the preferential D support.

They need a little time to play together, establish the lines and pairings, and gel. But I’ll say that brand of hockey last night was certainly entertaining.

Yes, and no. I think it's easy to get forwards to fit specific styles or that have the flexibility to play differently, and Army and his group have certainly done that. On defense, it's a little harder, since on the trade/FA market, you sometimes have to take what is available to you, and when drafting, it's a crapshoot. I'm not sold that Army would've given Krug a big deal if he knew Perunovich was going to develop like he did. I don't think he'd prefer to have 2 guys under 6 foot and 3rd that is under or just at 6 ft in the top 4.

In an ideal world, I think Army would still want a team like we had in 19, where it was built with size and speed.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

Yes, and no. I think it's easy to get forwards to fit specific styles or that have the flexibility to play differently, and Army and his group have certainly done that. On defense, it's a little harder, since on the trade/FA market, you sometimes have to take what is available to you, and when drafting, it's a crapshoot. I'm not sold that Army would've given Krug a big deal if he knew Perunovich was going to develop like he did. I don't think he'd prefer to have 2 guys under 6 foot and 3rd that is under or just at 6 ft in the top 4.

In an ideal world, I think Army would still want a team like we had in 19, where it was built with size and speed.

Since the moment of the draft, the front office has consistently acted and talked like they expected Perunovich to be top 4 good. You never have certainty, but I think this was expected and anticipated.

It’s not about deliberately targeting players with less size. It’s about prioritizing skating and puck skills, even at the expense of size if need be.

 

[bleedblue1223]

Due to cap constraints, they also had a lot of role players who were far less effective at that play style, where we have depth in spades, especially up front, and far more defensemen capable of leading the counter attack rush up the ice or making the break out pass to allow a forward to do so. Time will tell if we stay on that path and if we're good enough to succeed in doing so.

Disagree. Those Hawks teams that won always had a pretty decent bottom 6, Kruger was a really good shutdown center, similar to how Sunny/Barbie/Steen performed on our run. They were able to get their depth by having some legal, but cap circumventing deals that no can no longer be done.

 

[bleedblue1223]

Since the moment of the draft, the front office has consistently acted and talked like they expected Perunovich to be top 4 good. You never have certainty, but I think this was expected and anticipated.

Yes, but you don't not sign someone one because of a prospect, unless they are truly can't miss, especially one that isn't immediately ready for that season.

 

[PocketNines]

It will be a nice measuring stick. But I don’t see the Blues as having had enough time as this unit, with lines and pairings still in development, to expect them to provide proof of concept at its highest level. I won’t read too much into struggles now and then. It’s hard not to be reminded of the Tampa road game in 2019, though.

I think it’s more significant that they get four straight instead of spread out. The team can mentally approach it like the test it still is. Those two teams and Carolina are the Eastern heavyweights.

 

[MissouriMook]

Disagree. Those Hawks teams that won always had a pretty decent bottom 6, Kruger was a really good shutdown center, similar to how Sunny/Barbie/Steen performed on our run. They were able to get their depth by having some legal, but cap circumventing deals that no can no longer be done.

True about their bottom 6, but my point was that we have more forwards that can play that up tempo style while the Hawks were limited in how often they could exploit the other team's inability to defend it based on who they had on the ice. Their bottom 6 was effective, but in more of a defensive structure as opposed to the pace of play and counter attacking style of their top few guys like Towes, Kane, Hossa and Saad. And as I remember, Keith was their only real threat to skate the puck out on the counter attack or make a breakout pass - the other guys were pretty much either/or. We typically have 4 guys (Krug, Faulk, Parayko, and Perunovich/Walman) who are capable of both based on the circumstances.

 

[MissouriMook]

Let’s see how it holds up in four straight against Tampa, Tampa, Florida, Florida. That’s exactly the kind of test the roster needs.

I missed that murderous stretch of our schedule until you just brought it up. Gut check time, though we have consistently played both teams very tough even when they are good.

 

[Celtic Note]

I think the "up tempo" style fits playoff hockey just fine, you just have to make sure you are playing in straight lines and not abandoning the physicality while you're doing so, especially on your side of center ice and below the opponent's goal line. It makes me choke to give the devil his due, but look at the Blackhawks' Cup teams and you will see an up tempo, counter attacking approach that was still effective in the playoffs for those very reasons.

Yeah, but they still had a very solid defensive core. Keith, Seabrook and Hjalmerson(so) were stalwart defensively. Even the Tampa run and gun model only worked when the defense was solidified with Hedman, McDounagh and Sergachev.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

With sending Neighbors down and trading Clifford, the AHL forward depth is looking a little thin. Schenn has stayed on the active roster through his injury and wasn’t announced as a healthy scratch last night (though he skated with the team) but he was the only spare forward. There are 8 D now with Mikkola and Walman.

The next forward call-ups look like MacEachern, Walker or Brown. We’ll probably see Neighbors again after his season, but not a situation where I’d count on him to contribute anything this post-season.

I don’t see Kostin being sent down, and I believe he’s the only waiver exempt option. I don’t think Armstrong wants to lose any of his defensive depth, but I’m starting to think a veteran depth forward is a likely deadline acquisition.

 

[Celtic Note]

With sending Neighbors down and trading Clifford, the AHL forward depth is looking a little thin. Schenn has stayed on the active roster through his injury and wasn’t announced as a healthy scratch last night (though he skated with the team) but he was the only spare forward. There are 8 D now with Mikkola and Walman.

The next forward call-ups look like MacEachern, Walker or Brown. We’ll probably see Neighbors again after his season, but not a situation where I’d count on him to contribute anything this post-season.

I don’t see Kostin being sent down, and I believe he’s the only waiver exempt option. I don’t think Armstrong wants to lose any of his defensive depth, but I’m starting to think a veteran depth forward is a likely deadline acquisition.

I would assume Joshua is in the mix too.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

Did I hear Pang say San Jose has the #1 PK in the NHL. Man, I loved that puck movement on the Blues’ PP last night. I have a hard time squaring what I saw with an elite PK.

Blues coaching deserves a lot of credit for assembling a very dangerous PP. Need better from the PK though.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

I would assume Joshua is in the mix too.

I knew I was forgetting someone!

 

[ChicagoBlues]

There are two teams that win Championships: the ones that innovate something new, and the ones that successfully imitate the first teams.

Having your veteran players in the prime and playing to that level, leavened with talent like Kyrou and Perunovich on ELC provides a hell of a lot of value up and down the roster. It’s a recipe for good coaching to shine. I think we’ll get a measure of the Blues’ coaching staff these next few weeks.

Nice usage of words.

 

[joe galiba]

Nice usage of words.

As an Italian, I need to see the hands to fully understand what people are saying when they start using words like that

 

[StLewis11]

If the Saad-Sundqvist-Barbashev line is the so-called "identity line", then the other fragmented lines could be called, in one simple word, Memento.

I heard a reference to them the other night, but missed hearing why they're being called the "Identity Line?

 

[ChicagoBlues]

I heard a reference to them the other night, but missed hearing why they're being called the "Identity Line?

Identity line

 

[StLewis11]

Identity line

Thanks!

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

I heard a reference to them the other night, but missed hearing why they're being called the "Identity Line?

Saad is replacing Steen, and you have the highly effective 4th line from the Cup run. (Cue my favorite moment where Burns did his Scooby Doo fall behind the net as the puck was going in, as this line started the game. Literally the first shift after the Hand Pass debacle.)

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

Saad is replacing Steen, and you have the highly effective 4th line from the Cup run. (Cue my favorite moment where Burns did his Scooby Doo fall behind the net as the puck was going in, as this line started the game. Literally the first shift after the Hand Pass debacle.)

Interesting that now it’s 3rd line, as Barby and Sunny have grown as players. Not sure where this leaves Schenn in lineup when he returns. Gonna have someone really good on 4th line.