I think we've quickly reached the point where there's no point in trying to diagnose any issue with this team. It's currently broken on every level and we won't be able to answer specific questions on whether guys can be leaders, give consistent effort, play proper defense, coach effective systems, or anything else hockey related until we have the offseason to reset and tackle a massive web of interrelated problems with more level heads.
2022-2023 Blues Multi-Purpose Thread
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Chycrun isn’t capable of shutdown role either. He is very good offensively and has a bit of an edge. Kinda like a Faulk but Chycrun is always hurt.I think all the hand-wringing over Thomas and Kyrou is a little overblown. I think both of them have shown better then what we've seen in the past 4-5 games. No one was complaining about them when we came out of the all-star break and we were putting up 5+ goals a game while going 3-0. During those three games Thomas went 1g 5a for 6p and Kyrou went 2g 4a for 6p. Both played well defensively, with a +3 each in those games.
The team went into a massive funk once ROR/Accari were traded (Kinda shows how important ROR and Accari were compared to Tarasenko). I think the players all felt that they still had a chance to push after the AS break and going 3-0 gave them a lot of confidence - until Army (Rightfully) pulled the rug out from under them.
If this team could win a Cup with Tarasenko, it sure can win a Cup with Kyrou, who is a far more dynamic player then Tarasenko has ever shown. Tarasenko was a one trick pony, (But it was a great trick!) and Kyrou can actually elevate others on his line offensively.
The thing that bugs me about this team is that while I believe Kyrou and Thomas have the ability to play an up-tempo, rushing style of game....the rest of the roster doesn't....yet they still try and play that way. We never seem to generate much of anything of a forecheck anymore, we rarely grind the puck down low, and we never -ever- seem to have second chance attempts. The thing that made us great last season was the ability and confidence to hold the puck in the offensive zone for long stretches at a time - then find a guy who was cutting and open, or once we had suitable traffic towards the middle getting the puck to the net and sniffing for rebounds.
When I watch Boston play, they play a lot the same way as we did last year. We don't play that way anymore, infact, I don't really understand what our plan is at all. I'd like to see lines 2-4 play a harder, chip and chase forechecking/grinding style - and then let the Thomas/Kyrou/whomever line play with a lot more freedom.
And all this goes without saying - but the D is still a mess. I'd like to see Krug AND Faulk moved out - personally I think Faulk is one of the more overrated players we have, and finding a guy who can do what Parayko does is almost impossible in this day and age. But the main issue we keep having is asking Parayko and player X to play literally the hardest defensive minutes in the league. MAYBE Parayko can do that, but he sure can't do it himself, and no one should expect him to. When we were at our best, he had Jay-Bo, a bonafide stud in his own right playing alongside him. Asking Scandella/Mikkola/Leddy/Tucker/whomever to do the same is stupid and has been causing us massive problems. We need far more balance to our defensive pairings in terms of QOC and deployment. This is why I keep banging the drum from Chychrun - a top pairing of him and Parayko would work well imo - we keep giving them the top QOC that Parayko already sees, but we fix the deployment so that Parayko isn't starting every shift trying to defend. Then our second pairing is Leddy/??? (If it's Faulk that's fine I suppose, but I'd rather find a lower cap hit here). I think that pairing will work wonders for Leddy, who's fine as a #4, but being used currently as a #2. The reason I go back to moving Faulk is that imo if we do get Chychrun, that pushes him down to our #3, and I don't think we need to spend 6.5M on our #3 (But if we remove Krug and replace him with Chychrun it becomes reasonable to handle Faulk's caphit until Chychrun needs a raise).
Lots to digest there, bunch of stuff has been banging around in my head these last couple of games.
Oh and one last thing - can we all please dial down the snark around here? I know that's like asking the sun not to rise on an internet board, but let's just try this once. This franchise hasn't been in a position of being legit terrible in almost a decade+. I know it's a new thing for us to lose, but let's do it with some dignity
Cheers.
stl76
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Linkens Mastery
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When I listen to Thomas’s quote about how Berube’s comments couldn’t be further from the truth, using the context of the rest of the convo, he appears to me to specifically be referring to the “they must not care about the team” part.
And if that is specifically what RT is referring to, I can see his point. As I think about it more, I do think Berube went a little over the line with that comment.
The point of comments like that should be to light a fire under someone’s ass. But go too far and you’ll drive a wedge in the relationship between coach and player.
The rest of Berube’s comments, I’ve got no problem with but that one line was a bridge too far IMO and hopefully he and the boys can talk it out and get back to business.
However, if RT is saying ALL of Berube’s comments couldn’t be further from the truth, then he’s simply in denial and out to lunch.
Berube probably needs to walk back that one line and clear the air but the guys also need to bring their A game going forward. Time to end the pouting and get back to work.
And if that is specifically what RT is referring to, I can see his point. As I think about it more, I do think Berube went a little over the line with that comment.
The point of comments like that should be to light a fire under someone’s ass. But go too far and you’ll drive a wedge in the relationship between coach and player.
The rest of Berube’s comments, I’ve got no problem with but that one line was a bridge too far IMO and hopefully he and the boys can talk it out and get back to business.
However, if RT is saying ALL of Berube’s comments couldn’t be further from the truth, then he’s simply in denial and out to lunch.
Berube probably needs to walk back that one line and clear the air but the guys also need to bring their A game going forward. Time to end the pouting and get back to work.
Linkens Mastery
Conductor of the TankTown Express
Here's some tidbits from Berube on ESPN 101
"The challenge is to keep the team going and keep believing."
"It's not all on (Kyrou and Thomas)."
"We need to help them. Everyone needs to work together here."
"Obviously the mood wasn't great when we, the players came in this morning."
He said the players got some stuff off their chest.
"The challenge is to keep the team going and keep believing."
"It's not all on (Kyrou and Thomas)."
"We need to help them. Everyone needs to work together here."
"Obviously the mood wasn't great when we, the players came in this morning."
He said the players got some stuff off their chest.
Linkens Mastery
Conductor of the TankTown Express
I'm less optimistic about the tank to get a higher pick now.
Majorityof1
Registered User
Oops. You know you messed up as coach when the GM has to hold a team meeting and press conference to address your comments. Good on Army for taking some accountablity as well. Its one thing to say "we need to be better" vs "they need to be better". That's the large part of what pissed me off about Berube's comments.
As to Rober Thomas' comments, this sportsnet article gives some context to the interview. He said "that couldn't be further from the truth" specifically in regards to the vets not caring about them team. Here is the article, the video has a clip of Thomas' statement and some analysis on it.
As for my views on what he said, I don't mind it. I don't like that he went public, keeping the dirty laundry aired. But I don't mind him denying it. Now it is up to him to go out there and keep caring and doing his best to show it on the ice and in the room.
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High n Wide
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The comments from last night are this season’s Bortuzzo/Sanford fight in practice.
We’re Cup-bound now, baby!
We’re Cup-bound now, baby!
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Yeah, but did they end up at a random bar where a random song kept getting played over and over and they all drunkingly thought it’s the funniest thing ever?
BrokenFace
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PocketNines
Cutter's Way
Armstrong said he was straight with the players and told them by the 32-33 season a decade from now that 1 or even 2 of the 40 current guys won't be anywhere near the team.
Far more likely that there would just be 1 or 2 guys left at that point.
For reference here's the wheel of injury from six seasons ago (16-17).
Far more likely that there would just be 1 or 2 guys left at that point.
For reference here's the wheel of injury from six seasons ago (16-17).
ChicagoBlues
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I find it remarkable that they were out having an amazing time while playing like dog shit up to that point in the season.
Not saying it is good or bad...just remarkable.
That has to be what he meant and he just misspoke.
ChicagoBlues
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What I liked most was DA acknowledging Toropchenko's limited English skills and that if he was speaking Russian, he would have been more eloquent in his choice of words.
Celtic Note
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Likely true, but it also could be an easy out to take pressure of Toro/grant som foregiveness.
Regardless, people talk shit, say things they wish they didn’t and say things they don’t mean when frustrated.
It hard for me to take anything someone says once as the end all be all.
Berube was pissed and so was Toro. I am not sure why it’s being made into a big deal by some.
I read the Bernie Miklasz article he wrote today and it was pretty funny. The overall summary is Schenn shouldn’t be anywhere near the captain spot. Kyrou is flaky, impertinent and entitled. RT isn’t there yet but is heading in the same direction. Parayko is bad, krug is bad. Faulk is bad but he’s trying his best. Berube is an honorable, hard working, earnest man who is coaching a bunch of snakes and phonies 
Celtic Note
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I mean, I don’t think any of that is too extreme. Berube shouldn’t get a pass though, if your post can allow one to infer what Bernie meant.I read the Bernie Miklasz article he wrote today and it was pretty funny. The overall summary is Schenn shouldn’t be anywhere near the captain spot. Kyrou is flaky, impertinent and entitled. RT isn’t there yet but is heading in the same direction. Parayko is bad, krug is bad. Faulk is bad but he’s trying his best. Berube is an honorable, hard working, earnest man who is coaching a bunch of snakes and phonies
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I’ve come to the realization we are going to be bad for longer than we all hope. I think we should just make all our picks and start the rebuild, instead of trying to bandaid over it to try to be mediocre. This means sell anybody that teams are willing to trade for. I’m keeping Thomas and Kyrou for now. Everybody else is fair game. If somebody wants to give you a haul for Buch, he’s included. I’d lower my price for Parayko too. I’d take only a 1st for him.
ChicagoBlues
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As Chris Farley would say, ABSOTUTLEY!
I was thinking the exact same thing. Toro needed a little grace and he got it from Top.
stl76
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I LOVE this!!!I read the Bernie Miklasz article he wrote today and it was pretty funny. The overall summary is Schenn shouldn’t be anywhere near the captain spot. Kyrou is flaky, impertinent and entitled. RT isn’t there yet but is heading in the same direction. Parayko is bad, krug is bad. Faulk is bad but he’s trying his best. Berube is an honorable, hard working, earnest man who is coaching a bunch of snakes and phonies
I respect the shit out of Bernie. He paid his dues with the crap media and now he tells it the way he sees it.
Berube should not get a full pardon here, but who selected his assistants? Seriously. Who? DA? A committee?
Probably a committee including both DA and Berube. They’re not going to hire a coach without having Berube talk to them and see if they fit his vision and style
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