- Feb 12, 2008
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If we traded Binny to Edm, I’m pretty certain we’d be drafting in the top 5. That’s not a bad thing for our rebuild.
2023-2024 Blues Multi-Purpose Thread
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Majorityof1
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Rush goal differential is goalie dependent too. If the goalie isn't making saves your differential will be worse. Rush goals will generally be from prime scoring area, so xGF/xGA will capture some of that. Back door tap ins will be high danger chances. They aren't giving up a lot of high danger chances. Maybe all the high danger chances are extreme high danger that the goalie can't stop, but that seems unlikely. The eye test from a lot of people also doesn't bear that out. The goalies aren't making the saves they absolutely should, and they definitely aren't making any of the 50/50 saves either. So while I have no doubt advanced stats don't tell the whole story, they do add credence to the fact that goaltending is the biggest issue. It may not be the only issue. And advance stats could miss some of those issues. But goaltending is a gigantic issue for them.
Thallis
No half measures
"Some of" is doing a lot of work here. A shot from on top of the crease with the goalie set is not higher danger than one from the hash marks immediately following an east-west pass. Public models do not capture that or take any kind of passing into account. This is why most goals are scored off the rush in the NHL these days despite the public xG not really assigning those chances as strong or high danger; it's location and shot type dependent basically exclusively. For example, moneypuck has the most generous public Goals saved above expected mark for Campbell at -3.7 while the number private models have him at is -1. It's still a problem, but public models just aren't capturing the true danger of a lot of these shots. There are a lot of back breakers and moments where the goalies should be bailing out the team in front, but there are also major defensive breakdowns on a consistent basis that need to be cleaned up.
To be clear, I'm not saying advanced stats are wrong, I'm saying the ones we have access to are behind the times compared to the ones that journalists and NHL teams have access to and use.
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TheDizee
Trade Jordan Kyrou ASAP | ALWAYS RIGHT
- Apr 5, 2014
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Congrats to Turgeon on making the HOF! My favorite All time Blue!
execwrite1
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- Mar 30, 2018
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Catching up with Bouwmeester. Nice
It's always good seeing old friends.
On Thursday morning, former St. Louis Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester showed up to watch the team's morning skate at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary.
It's always good seeing old friends.
On Thursday morning, former St. Louis Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester showed up to watch the team's morning skate at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary.
Snubbed4Vezina
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- Jul 9, 2022
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It’s great to see turgeon and hitch going into HOF tonight. Brings back fond memories of some really good teams and really good times.
Was surprised to read that Turgeon was also in the Little League Hall of Fame. Only pro hockey player there.
Brian39
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- Apr 24, 2014
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It is a long season, but I have absolutely loved what we've seen from Thomas this season.
He's not shooting a ton more than in the past, but he's over 2 shots per game and he isn't taking many low quality shots. The biggest complaint I had with him in the last couple years was how often he would pass up a really good chance in favor of trying to thread a low percentage pass to create a back door tap in. My eyes are telling me that almost all of the increase in his shots have come from shooting in these situations rather than just settling for low percentage shots. I didn't want him to become a volume shooter, I just wanted to see him stop passing up good looks to force passes and shoot enough to keep goalies and defenders honest. That is exactly what I've seen so far.
He's currently playing the most defensive role of all Blues centers at 5 on 5 (37% O-Zone start rate) and he's our #2 PK center behind Sunny. He's 55.9% at the faceoff dot and despite the defensive usage is by far the team's most productive player so far. His 15 points is 6 up on 2nd place (Schenn with 9). His 12 even strength points is 6 up 2nd place (Schenn and Faulk with 6). He's playing 1:30 a night more than our 2nd most-played forward and 3:02 a night more than our 2nd most-played center.
I don't think I've ever seen a 13 game stretch where Thomas has looked this good. He's had more productive stretches offensively, but the rest of the package hasn't been close to what he's been this year. We'll see if he can keep it up, but this level of play is getting damn close to 'legit 1C you can build a Cup winner around.'
He's not shooting a ton more than in the past, but he's over 2 shots per game and he isn't taking many low quality shots. The biggest complaint I had with him in the last couple years was how often he would pass up a really good chance in favor of trying to thread a low percentage pass to create a back door tap in. My eyes are telling me that almost all of the increase in his shots have come from shooting in these situations rather than just settling for low percentage shots. I didn't want him to become a volume shooter, I just wanted to see him stop passing up good looks to force passes and shoot enough to keep goalies and defenders honest. That is exactly what I've seen so far.
He's currently playing the most defensive role of all Blues centers at 5 on 5 (37% O-Zone start rate) and he's our #2 PK center behind Sunny. He's 55.9% at the faceoff dot and despite the defensive usage is by far the team's most productive player so far. His 15 points is 6 up on 2nd place (Schenn with 9). His 12 even strength points is 6 up 2nd place (Schenn and Faulk with 6). He's playing 1:30 a night more than our 2nd most-played forward and 3:02 a night more than our 2nd most-played center.
I don't think I've ever seen a 13 game stretch where Thomas has looked this good. He's had more productive stretches offensively, but the rest of the package hasn't been close to what he's been this year. We'll see if he can keep it up, but this level of play is getting damn close to 'legit 1C you can build a Cup winner around.'
Reality Czech
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- Apr 17, 2017
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I would mostly agree with you, although I would argue that Thomas hasn't been great this whole season. It took him 5-7 games to truly hit his stride, which is understandable considering how much responsibility goes into being a true 1C in this league. Not that he was horrible, but he wasn't nearly as effective during that first stretch of games. Now he looks better than ever as he seems to be assering himself a lot more. He's the kind of guy whose first instinct is to set up a teammate, but I love the fact that he's focused more on making his own chances.
It's no coincidence that our team looks a lot better when our top players are playing like top players. Now we just need to get Kyrou going, because he's played better than his 7 points in 13 games would suggest. I definitely think it is smart to keep the big 2 split up so defenses can't put most of their focus on one line. Now we have 2 effective scoring lines, a competent 3rd line and a solid, energetic 4th line, which is a heck of a lot better than we looked a couple weeks ago.
Brian39
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- Apr 24, 2014
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I think it was more like a slow 3 games than 5-7 to get there, but I get what you're saying. I thought he was one of our best players in game 4 against the Pens and he hasn't really looked back since. Starting at that game, there isn't a single sample size where he has been below a point per game pace and he's been playing a pretty hefty defensive role since then as well.
I have zero concerns about Kyrou. He'd be at 6 goals instead of 2 if he was just shooting at his career average and I'd wager a ton of money that he hasn't suddenly and permanently forgotten how to beat NHL goalies. No one would be at all concerned with his offense if he had 6 goals and 11 points through 13 games. That's a 37 goal and 69 point pace, which would get him damn close to last year's totals. He's still shooting and generating good chances. I don't see a guy who is getting less chances because he is trying more on defense. The production will come and if he can pair that production with the level of defensive play he's given this year then he will be pretty much exactly what people want out of him.
Totally agree with the lines. We look much better as a team after spreading the talent.
- Jul 4, 2014
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Great event tonight at the season ticket holders picture party.
taylord22
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He has that "magnet" quality along the boards, this year, too. He seems to come away with the puck at a high rate - even in a 2 on 1 battle. His confidence all around the ice of being 'the guy' is just there.
It was poorly reported but he evidently came into camp in incredible shape and I think it's a big factor of why we're seeing this kind of consistency. In 21, he was the straw that stirred the drink for Vladdy. And he did so by weaponizing his skating — so many of Vladdy's chances were off HIGH effort skating plays from Thomas. Last year, he tried to do the same thing -and- shoulder more and more of the O'Reilly defensive load. And if we're being honest — Vladdy's effort went WAY down from 21 to 22, so he was left with some serious heavy lifting. So many plays he looked bonked.
This year, he looks like he's capable of that high effort across all three zones (he's always been a tyrant in NZ), but he just looks comfortable and confident in how he can impact the game for himself and the guys around him. He's jawing at guys from the bench, active in scrums, directing set plays and having extended/animated discussions with the refs. Those are small things, obviously, but it feels like an avalanche of them suddenly that we hadn't really seen from him until this point. He was deferring. Now he's starting to get comfortable with the idea that he's 'the guy'.
Reality Czech
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- Apr 17, 2017
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Is that a picture of the Blues two headed monster in goal? Cool shot!
Brian39
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I just read JR's mailbag from a few days ago and there was a mildly interesting note about the financials of the team through COVID.
"As with a lot of teams in the league, the pandemic took a toll on the Blues’ revenue, and they were forced to take out loans that they’ll be paying back for quite a while. But in terms of potentially missing the playoffs for a few years, I don’t believe that’s something the current ownership group couldn’t withstand."
This doesn't surprise me at all and I'd wager most teams did. But I don't recall seeing it reported before, so I was a bit surprised to just see it as an offhand comment in a mail bag. I'd love to know the terms/amounts on those loans but fully recognize that we are never going to.
"As with a lot of teams in the league, the pandemic took a toll on the Blues’ revenue, and they were forced to take out loans that they’ll be paying back for quite a while. But in terms of potentially missing the playoffs for a few years, I don’t believe that’s something the current ownership group couldn’t withstand."
This doesn't surprise me at all and I'd wager most teams did. But I don't recall seeing it reported before, so I was a bit surprised to just see it as an offhand comment in a mail bag. I'd love to know the terms/amounts on those loans but fully recognize that we are never going to.
joe galiba
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- Apr 16, 2020
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the song peaked at number 2 in 1971 and was number #8 for the year
it was John Denver's first hit
the cowriters with John Denver were a married couple who went on to form the Starland Vocal Band, famous for the song Afternoon Delight
joe galiba
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- Apr 16, 2020
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I seem to recall they were playing it once and stopped the music for play to return and fans kept signing. And the tradition at Enterprise was born.
DoubleK81
It's always something with these pricks.
I've heard it played during other teams games ( not against the Blues ), so its not just a Blues thing.
Thallis
No half measures
Yeah, but the deal where it has to be played every game and cut off early so the fans sing is a Blues thing.
I've never really liked when these sorts of genuine spur of the moment things become basically forced as a part of the in game programming. It takes a feeling was authentic and voluntary and turns it into something that feels robotic and forced. It's the exact opposite of the point where it started.
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