2024-2025 Blues Multi-Purpose Thread.

[BlueDream]

Or just on a longer timeline towards developing.. a lost season does not a bust make

That’s why I said “looking” like one. Obviously it’s not official but he’s not even producing in the AHL games he has played. It’s not a good sign.

 

[Beninnola]

Tomorrow would be the best time to stop Patrick laine from doing whatever he wants against us.

I’m not sure if y’all have looked at his splits but he outperforms his average by the largest amount versus us; better rate metrics vs us than any other team. Feels like kryptonite to me in that laine is long so he nullifies our traditional long lean defenseman’s reach and stride, and he can convert from the places we want opponents to shoot from. It’s a very low % shot for most people. 17 goals in 18 games. I’ve always felt it was because we let him shoot from far out, which he eventually converts, then plays with tons of confidence, and now it’s probably a thing that gets him riled up before the even game starts.

I always kinda thought maybe we’d bring him in, problems and all, since we probably have a good idea of why he’s so effective vs us; we would know how to use him, and we had a big void in the shooting dept, and he was cheap to trade for, maybe not cap hit. But probably a good thing that never happened.

 

[WeWentBlues]

Tomorrow would be the best time to stop Patrick laine from doing whatever he wants against us.

I’m not sure if y’all have looked at his splits but he outperforms his average by the largest amount versus us; better rate metrics vs us than any other team. Feels like kryptonite to me in that laine is long so he nullifies our traditional long lean defenseman’s reach and stride, and he can convert from the places we want opponents to shoot from. It’s a very low % shot for most people. 17 goals in 18 games. I’ve always felt it was because we let him shoot from far out, which he eventually converts, then plays with tons of confidence, and now it’s probably a thing that gets him riled up before the even game starts.

I always kinda thought maybe we’d bring him in, problems and all, since we probably have a good idea of why he’s so effective vs us; we would know how to use him, and we had a big void in the shooting dept, and he was cheap to trade for, maybe not cap hit. But probably a good thing that never happened.

I was intrigued to see him at wing centered by Thomas. Had the Blues moved Buchnevich at the draft instead of extending him, Laine would have fit into our cap structure this season and next.

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

I was intrigued to see him at wing centered by Thomas. Had the Blues moved Buchnevich at the draft instead of extending him, Laine would have fit into our cap structure this season and next.

Laine is not good. He is one trick pony who has never developed his game. We don’t want or need him.

 

[Linkens Mastery]

I was intrigued to see him at wing centered by Thomas. Had the Blues moved Buchnevich at the draft instead of extending him, Laine would have fit into our cap structure this season and next.

I want nothing to do with an often injured one trick pony offensive player who has no drive to make himself better.

 

[Snubbed4Vezina]

I was intrigued to see him at wing centered by Thomas. Had the Blues moved Buchnevich at the draft instead of extending him, Laine would have fit into our cap structure this season and next.

Snuggerud. Doesn't have the goal-scoring upside of Laine but he's got a howitzer and will be much better in the other zones.

 

[Linkens Mastery]

Buch gets concussed and they don't do shit. Bolduc Protects the top player on the team by throwing a couple cross checks and they fine him. Dept of Player Safety is a f***ing joke. The NHL needs to clear house of the useless f***ing refs and DoPS that don't actually f***ing care about these players and will let games get completely out of hand because they want to take money under the table to screw other teams over. Complete and utter f***ing bullshit.

 

[BadgersandBlues]

I see why they gave him the fine, Blankenburg was in a completely defenseless position. I think a fine is justified. That said, I'm glad Bolduc did what he did, b/c at that point in the game, you gotta stand up. The refs are the ones that should be fined though, they 100% let that game get out of hand.

 

[Vladys Gumption]

I see why they gave him the fine, Blankenburg was in a completely defenseless position. I think a fine is justified. That said, I'm glad Bolduc did what he did, b/c at that point in the game, you gotta stand up. The refs are the ones that should be fined though, they 100% let that game get out of hand.

This is pretty much my feeling as well. Although I find it very curious that McCarron wasn’t fined for his blatant interference on Buch. That was just as bad as Bolduc’s cross check

 

[Linkens Mastery]

I see why they gave him the fine, Blankenburg was in a completely defenseless position. I think a fine is justified. That said, I'm glad Bolduc did what he did, b/c at that point in the game, you gotta stand up. The refs are the ones that should be fined though, they 100% let that game get out of hand.

And McCarron should have been suspended 2-3 games for his reckless hit to the head of Buch that ended with him concussed but they didn't do shit. Blankenburg wouldn't have had anything done to him if he didn't throw his f***ing leg out to try to injury Thomas.

Preds are just whiny little f***s because they threw tons of money to players like Stamkos, RoR, Forsberg, and Skjei and they are completely f***ing terrible so they want to start being dirty little cheapshot artists.

 

[Snubbed4Vezina]

Th boys better have their head on a swivel on Thursday night, though if we do make a playoffs, it's probably good prep because teams will be gunning for our top players.

 

[TruBlueFan1970]

Th boys better have their head on a swivel on Thursday night, though if we do make a playoffs, it's probably good prep because teams will be gunning for our top players.

I say to be the aggressor. Come out on the first couple of shifts and lay some hard hits on their top players. Stamkos, ROR, Forsberg and Marchessault won't like it and then see how the game goes. Or have Faksa or Tucker throw down from the opening faceoff with whoever is on the ice from their team.

And then go out and get the two points, which is the most important part of Thursday.

 

[BadgersandBlues]

I'm not sure if March got anything, but I think he should be suspended for at least a couple of games. Bolduc's play was bad, but launching up towards a guy's head AFTER the whistle is completely inexcusable - especially after a slash, a cross check, and an above the shoulder downward 2hnd slash. He completely lost control for that 10 seconds and he should be punished accordingly.

 

[Brian39]

Buch gets concussed and they don't do shit. Bolduc Protects the top player on the team by throwing a couple cross checks and they fine him. Dept of Player Safety is a f***ing joke. The NHL needs to clear house of the useless f***ing refs and DoPS that don't actually f***ing care about these players and will let games get completely out of hand because they want to take money under the table to screw other teams over. Complete and utter f***ing bullshit.

Pretty hard disagree. Bolduc's actions should be fined 100% of the time. He deserved every second of the penalties and every penny of the fine. I also don't have a problem with McCarron not facing supplementary discipline for the Buch hit. He caught Buch high, but that was a hockey play gone wrong and not multiple cross checks to a defenseless player with the only purpose of hurting him. There isn't a GM in the league who feels that multiple crosschecks to the back of a player on the ice is comparable to a straight-on hit through the body that catches too much of a player's head.

That said, I (and I'm sure the other players in our room) have no problem with what Bolduc did. Knowing what I know about this locker room, I'd bet that some of the veterans are going to make sure he doesn't feel $2,300 lighter on this upcoming paycheck. Bolduc got his money's worth and showed the vets that he understands what it takes to win in the playoffs.

 

[Xerloris]

Laine is not good. He is one trick pony who has never developed his game. We don’t want or need him.

For a stretch this year, Laine by himself outscored our entire power play.

Pretty hard disagree. Bolduc's actions should be fined 100% of the time. He deserved every second of the penalties and every penny of the fine. I also don't have a problem with McCarron not facing supplementary discipline for the Buch hit. He caught Buch high, but that was a hockey play gone wrong and not multiple cross checks to a defenseless player with the only purpose of hurting him. There isn't a GM in the league who feels that multiple crosschecks to the back of a player on the ice is comparable to a straight-on hit through the body that catches too much of a player's head.

That said, I (and I'm sure the other players in our room) have no problem with what Bolduc did. Knowing what I know about this locker room, I'd bet that some of the veterans are going to make sure he doesn't feel $2,300 lighter on this upcoming paycheck. Bolduc got his money's worth and showed the vets that he understands what it takes to win in the playoffs.

People still go to prison for accidents.

 

[Linkens Mastery]

Pretty hard disagree. Bolduc's actions should be fined 100% of the time. He deserved every second of the penalties and every penny of the fine. I also don't have a problem with McCarron not facing supplementary discipline for the Buch hit. He caught Buch high, but that was a hockey play gone wrong and not multiple cross checks to a defenseless player with the only purpose of hurting him. There isn't a GM in the league who feels that multiple crosschecks to the back of a player on the ice is comparable to a straight-on hit through the body that catches too much of a player's head.

That said, I (and I'm sure the other players in our room) have no problem with what Bolduc did. Knowing what I know about this locker room, I'd bet that some of the veterans are going to make sure he doesn't feel $2,300 lighter on this upcoming paycheck. Bolduc got his money's worth and showed the vets that he understands what it takes to win in the playoffs.

I'd be fine with the fine if they actually did their f***ing job on the other hits the past two weeks that had Buch and Kyrou hit in the f***ing head by those bozos McCarron and Trouba or Marchessaultt trying to hack the shit out of Toropchenko all to bumrush Broberg from behind and slam him to the boards AFTER THE WHISTLES BLEW THE PLAY DEAD.

 

[Beninnola]

The only thing I can think happened on the Broberg tripping weird marchesseaut rage play is that the ref just didn’t see him mindlessly slashing, was staring at Broberg’s area, and the initial delayed penalty was on Broberg from the tunnel vision. Maybe Toropchenko blocked the view of the lil guy.

Seems like the linesmen or other ref would have been able to see the dude lose his marbles and go full attack mode as his hips were towards to the blue line for a bit. Kinda interesting he didn’t catch a fine too.

Sucks that the situation means Bolduc is fined. Cost of doing business. Glad he didn’t go straight to the face with it. Rest of the league can fafo or not, nice to encourage them to just not.

 

[Brian39]

I'd be fine with the fine if they actually did their f***ing job on the other hits the past two weeks that had Buch and Kyrou hit in the f***ing head by those bozos McCarron and Trouba or Marchessaultt trying to hack the shit out of Toropchenko all to bumrush Broberg from behind and slam him to the boards AFTER THE WHISTLES BLEW THE PLAY DEAD.

Marchessault was being a whiny little piss baby that deserved to get more time in the box, but that play is absolutely not suspension worthy. I take issue with the refs not calling him for an extra 2 on that play, but the DoPS should absolutely not be doling out supplemental discipline on that play, especially without an injury.

I get why Trouba wasn't suspended. Kyrou's awareness and quick response to jerk his head away from contact probably saved himself a concussion and Trouba from a lengthy suspension. While Trouba was lined up for a headshot, Kyrou's reaction caused him to actually get a lot of arm/shoulder. For better or worse, the standard at the DoPS has pretty much forever been 'the thing that actually occurs' and not 'what could have occurred.'

Frankly, while I want the league to discipline head contact, I also still want there to be some responsibility to keep your head up and protect yourself from contact. Kyrou made a really reckless decision to make a backwards/lateral cut through the middle of the has marks without ever looking where he was going. Buch put his head down to ry and find the puck in/behind his feet as he was coming around the net. In both instances, I want the NHL to avoid discipline that removes the defender's ability to deliver a hard hit in that situation. I really, really don't want the NHL to become a league where defenders are letting up in those situations and allowing forwards to functionally prevent themselves from being hit by putting themselves in vulnerable positions.

On both hits, I see arguments that the hitter made a reasonable attempt to deliver a hit through the body of the player. Not enough to avoid penalty. I wouldn't call either completely clean. Trouba should have been penalized in-game and I thought the major to McCarron was justified. But I'm totally fine with neither of those rising to the level of supplemental discipline.

 

[taylord22]

Was originally planning to just attend the Vancouver game, but ended up catching all three games due to a family issue that had me in town for a few extra days. I sat closer to the ice than I normally do - I typically prefer a higher vantage point to watch the play develop, so it was interesting watching some of these guys that closely in a game (vs. camp) environment.

A couple of takeaways I had:

Thomas: Not the best stretch of hockey he's played, but a couple of things stood out. For one, he doesn't get nearly enough credit for his defensive positioning. He's a nuisance to break out against because he can read the play so well. The second, and more noticeable thing is just how strong he is on his edges. He may not be the fastest skater, but he's an incredibly strong skater with elite edgework. The separation he creates off his spins and turns was rivaled only by Hughes. The gaps he creates doesn't come across as much on TV as it does close-up and ice level.

Holloway: We all know the motor is incredible, but I was laughing at how relaxed he looked after sprinting up the ice, crashing into guys with reckless abandon - it seemed like he was barely breaking a sweat. Outside of Thomas, he seemed to be the guy hardest to push off the puck.

Neighbors: Big Neighbors fan, but I don't think I've given him enough credit for how quick he is, nor how big of a motor he has. His game is quietly building/rounding out very well in all areas of the ice. Made a lot of really smart small plays to keep the play going.

Fowler: Knew he was a great player, obviously, but his puck retrieval mechanics really stood out - just ELITE at first touches. He positions his body and leverages his skating to make sure that nearly every time he's retrieving a puck, he's moving it from his forehand/on his toes.

WTF Line: I was very critical of that line prior to 4 Nations. They weren't good despite what some of our media personalities were selling (Kerbs and Rivers, in particular). What a 180. All three of them were impressive -and Walker is just a blast to watch up-close- but Torpo is the straw that stirs that drink. His size, speed and reach busts up opposing possession enough for a secondary player to come in and break the play up. I really hope Monty pushes him to work with a skills coach. Great player as is, but man...if those hands were just a little softer.

Sundqvist: I'm pretty sure he could play any position on the ice -including goaltender- and thrive. The dude is just a small play machine - he understands the game so well.

Those were probably the main things. Obviously, yes, Kyrou is incredibly fast and twitchy - he looks like a nightmare to defend. He's also much stronger and a much bigger shit stirrer than I gave him credit for - he was laughing in guys faces pretty consistently. Broberg - incredible skater. Reminds me a lot more of Bouwmeester in terms of how he moves than I had thought...but is much more comfortable with the puck, and does not give one shit about how much risk he's putting himself in to make a play. Other guys like Schenn, I had seen quite a few times, so no real surprises there. Makes tons of small plays and subtle interferences. Clearly has a good feel for the game. Elephant's memory about what happens over the course of a game. Sherwood whacked Thomas across the back of the ankles, the next period, Schenn two handed him hard across the ankles twice during the same sequence.

Other small moments worth mentioning:

• Thomas and Barile were watching Hughes in warmup and having a conversation. Sherwood caught them and took some sort of issue. Thomas and Ray both started yapping at him pretty hard, which was hilarious to see Ray get that fired up.
• Neighbors said something to Sherwood that was so funny that Bolduc snotted on himself prior to an OZ faceoff. Sherwood was less amused.
• O'Reilly and Dvorsky had a brief conversation in warmup that Dvorsky initiated - got a tap on the shins from O-Reilly when it was over.
• Bedard was seeking out Thomas for questions/discussion during TV timeouts prior to faceoffs.
• I was taken aback, but not really surprised, at how much trash opposing teams throw at Binnington. Vancouver was a constant stream of yapping. I don't think Binnington glanced at them once - he was lasered in. By contrast, our guys did none of it.

 

[stl76]

Pretty hard disagree. Bolduc's actions should be fined 100% of the time. He deserved every second of the penalties and every penny of the fine. I also don't have a problem with McCarron not facing supplementary discipline for the Buch hit. He caught Buch high, but that was a hockey play gone wrong and not multiple cross checks to a defenseless player with the only purpose of hurting him. There isn't a GM in the league who feels that multiple crosschecks to the back of a player on the ice is comparable to a straight-on hit through the body that catches too much of a player's head.

That said, I (and I'm sure the other players in our room) have no problem with what Bolduc did. Knowing what I know about this locker room, I'd bet that some of the veterans are going to make sure he doesn't feel $2,300 lighter on this upcoming paycheck. Bolduc got his money's worth and showed the vets that he understands what it takes to win in the playoffs.

This is exactly how I was planning to respond, but better written. Bolduc got his money’s worth, I’ve got no issue with the penalty call or fine. I’d also bet the amount of the fine that some combo of Thomas and/or Schenn ends up footing the bill lol.

The McCarron hit was bad and properly penalized but not suspendable IMO as well.

Was originally planning to just attend the Vancouver game, but ended up catching all three games due to a family issue that had me in town for a few extra days. I sat closer to the ice than I normally do - I typically prefer a higher vantage point to watch the play develop, so it was interesting watching some of these guys that closely in a game (vs. camp) environment.

A couple of takeaways I had:

Thomas: Not the best stretch of hockey he's played, but a couple of things stood out. For one, he doesn't get nearly enough credit for his defensive positioning. He's a nuisance to break out against because he can read the play so well. The second, and more noticeable thing is just how strong he is on his edges. He may not be the fastest skater, but he's an incredibly strong skater with elite edgework. The separation he creates off his spins and turns was rivaled only by Hughes. The gaps he creates doesn't come across as much on TV as it does close-up and ice level.

Holloway: We all know the motor is incredible, but I was laughing at how relaxed he looked after sprinting up the ice, crashing into guys with reckless abandon - it seemed like he was barely breaking a sweat. Outside of Thomas, he seemed to be the guy hardest to push off the puck.

Neighbors: Big Neighbors fan, but I don't think I've given him enough credit for how quick he is, nor how big of a motor he has. His game is quietly building/rounding out very well in all areas of the ice. Made a lot of really smart small plays to keep the play going.

Fowler: Knew he was a great player, obviously, but his puck retrieval mechanics really stood out - just ELITE at first touches. He positions his body and leverages his skating to make sure that nearly every time he's retrieving a puck, he's moving it from his forehand/on his toes.

WTF Line: I was very critical of that line prior to 4 Nations. They weren't good despite what some of our media personalities were selling (Kerbs and Rivers, in particular). What a 180. All three of them were impressive -and Walker is just a blast to watch up-close- but Torpo is the straw that stirs that drink. His size, speed and reach busts up opposing possession enough for a secondary player to come in and break the play up. I really hope Monty pushes him to work with a skills coach. Great player as is, but man...if those hands were just a little softer.

Sundqvist: I'm pretty sure he could play any position on the ice -including goaltender- and thrive. The dude is just a small play machine - he understands the game so well.

Those were probably the main things. Obviously, yes, Kyrou is incredibly fast and twitchy - he looks like a nightmare to defend. He's also much stronger and a much bigger shit stirrer than I gave him credit for - he was laughing in guys faces pretty consistently. Broberg - incredible skater. Reminds me a lot more of Bouwmeester in terms of how he moves than I had thought...but is much more comfortable with the puck, and does not give one shit about how much risk he's putting himself in to make a play. Other guys like Schenn, I had seen quite a few times, so no real surprises there. Makes tons of small plays and subtle interferences. Clearly has a good feel for the game. Elephant's memory about what happens over the course of a game. Sherwood whacked Thomas across the back of the ankles, the next period, Schenn two handed him hard across the ankles twice during the same sequence.

Other small moments worth mentioning:

• Thomas and Barile were watching Hughes in warmup and having a conversation. Sherwood caught them and took some sort of issue. Thomas and Ray both started yapping at him pretty hard, which was hilarious to see Ray get that fired up.
• Neighbors said something to Sherwood that was so funny that Bolduc snotted on himself prior to an OZ faceoff. Sherwood was less amused.
• O'Reilly and Dvorsky had a brief conversation in warmup that Dvorsky initiated - got a tap on the shins from O-Reilly when it was over.
• Bedard was seeking out Thomas for questions/discussion during TV timeouts prior to faceoffs.
• I was taken aback, but not really surprised, at how much trash opposing teams throw at Binnington. Vancouver was a constant stream of yapping. I don't think Binnington glanced at them once - he was lasered in. By contrast, our guys did none of it.

Loved reading this whole post, but particularly the part about Sundqvist. He’s caught so much shit this year from people saying he’s cooked/too slow/not an NHL player any more and I can’t help but roll my eyes. He may be the smartest player on the team. Yes he’s not fast, but his brain more than makes up for it 99% of the time. He’s always making the right play and sacrificing in key moments to help the team win.

 

[Vladys Gumption]

Pretty hard disagree. Bolduc's actions should be fined 100% of the time. He deserved every second of the penalties and every penny of the fine. I also don't have a problem with McCarron not facing supplementary discipline for the Buch hit. He caught Buch high, but that was a hockey play gone wrong and not multiple cross checks to a defenseless player with the only purpose of hurting him. There isn't a GM in the league who feels that multiple crosschecks to the back of a player on the ice is comparable to a straight-on hit through the body that catches too much of a player's head.

That said, I (and I'm sure the other players in our room) have no problem with what Bolduc did. Knowing what I know about this locker room, I'd bet that some of the veterans are going to make sure he doesn't feel $2,300 lighter on this upcoming paycheck. Bolduc got his money's worth and showed the vets that he understands what it takes to win in the playoffs.

While I generally agree, McCarron’s hit was blatant interference. Buch never had the puck and wasn’t eligible to be hit.

 

[Majorityof1]

While I generally agree, McCarron’s hit was blatant interference. Buch never had the puck and wasn’t eligible to be hit.

The puck was there. It went by Buch's stick. McCarron could gave assumed he would get it and not realized he didn't. That's still a penalty, but the possible lack of intent makes it less suspension worthy.

 

[taylord22]

Loved reading this whole post, but particularly the part about Sundqvist. He’s caught so much shit this year from people saying he’s cooked/too slow/not an NHL player any more and I can’t help but roll my eyes. He may be the smartest player on the team. Yes he’s not fast, but his brain more than makes up for it 99% of the time. He’s always making the right play and sacrificing in key moments to help the team win.

Intelligent and incredibly clever/crafty with his space. He's been so effective since the break despite his legs clearly not working the way he would like them to.

I think it's fair to say that Bolduc has picked up a few things from Sunny, which is likely to pay dividends (for the team and Bolduc). Reminds me a lot of Thomas learning from Bozak and O'Reilly. There's so much of those two in the small areas of Thomas's game - I think we're going to continue seeing some of Sunny's craftiness surface in Bolduc's game.

 

[Brian39]

While I generally agree, McCarron’s hit was blatant interference. Buch never had the puck and wasn’t eligible to be hit.

I get that it was interference within the game for penalty purposes, but it wasn't miles from the puck for the purpose of supplemental discipline. The only reason Buch never touches the puck is because the trailing Pred defender poked it away as Buch's stick was about to play the puck. The puck then went in between Buch's feet, which is why he was looking down. Additionally, all this happened behind the net, so who knows if McCarron could even see the puck (vs watching the body language on Buch who was obviously moving as if making a play on the puck).

When we're talking about supplemental discipline, I think it is very reasonable to not consider it an act of blatant interference when the guy receiving the hit looks like this as the hitter is lining him up:

From the other angle, you can see McCarron lining Buch up. The puck still hasn't squirted out from Buch's feet at this point:

For the broader 'we have to get plays like this out of the game' purpose of DoPS, I can't say that this was blatant interference. At the time McCarron commits to a hit, he has every reason to believe that Buch will be eligible to receive that hit. The puck is right there and Buch would have easily picked it up without a great stick play to poke it away from him. It's not reasonable to say that a forechecker can't commit to hit a player there. And given what Buch was trying to accomplish in that play, he has to know that contact is likely coming. I absolutely don't want an NHL where a player in McCarron's position can't commit to a hit on that play without fear of losing paychecks. 95% or more of the time, Buch is coming around that net with control of the puck or at least with enough contested possession of the puck that he'd be eligible to get hit. It's not reasonable to tell the attacking player that he can't commit to a hit in that situation.

 

[MortiestOfMortys]

Loved reading this whole post, but particularly the part about Sundqvist. He’s caught so much shit this year from people saying he’s cooked/too slow/not an NHL player any more and I can’t help but roll my eyes. He may be the smartest player on the team. Yes he’s not fast, but his brain more than makes up for it 99% of the time. He’s always making the right play and sacrificing in key moments to help the team win.

Look, I love Sunny, and I agree that he's smarter/better than he's given credit for. But let's be honest, he's got 17 points (24 point pace) on the season. In 2019, our 3C Bozak finished with 38 points (43 point pace). I just don't think anyone would argue that -- as smart as he is -- that he is the proverbial straw that stirs the drink. If the Thomas/Schenn lines are off, you can't count on Sunny to carry the day. You can be the smartest guy in the league, but at a certain point the physical tools catch up to you, and that's what we're seeing from Sunny this season. Time comes for us all.

He's not good enough to play in the top 9 anymore, and that's fine! The problem isn't Sunny, per se, it's that he's playing one line too high. He would be an excellent 4th liner that I don't think anyone would have an issue with.