2024-2025 Blues Multi-Purpose Thread.

[LGB]

This is becoming a problem, what are we trying to do with these PP units? The PP should obviously be built around Thomas. I’ve thought he’s even leveled up as a PP catalyst because he’s been dangerous shooting the puck. Also think it’s very obvious Fowler should be the point man for the 1st unit and Jake the net front guy. Experiment with the other 2 spots but I have no idea what they’re trying to do with the current set up.

 

[SirPaste]

This is becoming a problem, what are we trying to do with these PP units? The PP should obviously be built around Thomas. I’ve thought he’s even leveled up as a PP catalyst because he’s been dangerous shooting the puck. Also think it’s very obvious Fowler should be the point man for the 1st unit and Jake the net front guy. Experiment with the other 2 spots but I have no idea what they’re trying to do with the current set up.

I don't know wtf is going on with these PP units. For the love of god can we please get Sunny off the PP? He has been an anchor on the PP and 3rd line all year. I love the guy and will be forever grateful for his contributions to 2019 but he just can't skate anymore.

 

[Quaz]

This is becoming a problem, what are we trying to do with these PP units? The PP should obviously be built around Thomas. I’ve thought he’s even leveled up as a PP catalyst because he’s been dangerous shooting the puck. Also think it’s very obvious Fowler should be the point man for the 1st unit and Jake the net front guy. Experiment with the other 2 spots but I have no idea what they’re trying to do with the current set up.

100% agree!! It drives me nuts that Sunny is on the PP. Neighbours should be net front on PP1 and Schenn on PP2. I don't want either of those guys handling the puck much on the PP. I also can't stand Faulk on the PP. Broberg should be running PP2. The Blues really need more skill on their PP. They make way to many passes that handcuff the player receiving it keeping them from being able to get a shot off before the PK adjusts and closes down the lane. If they win the initial faceoff on a PP they should immediately put the puck on goal and crash the net. You never see them do this. Who is responsible for the PP on this coaching staff?

 

[PocketNines]

Faulk is a poor PPQB, but he is QBing the #1 unit.

Parayko is having his best season and has really done well with several aspects of his game as he gets older, but he can't really QB a PP. Never has been able to.

Leddy looks closer

 

[AyeBah]

Faulk is a poor PPQB, but he is QBing the #1 unit.

Parayko is having his best season and has really done well with several aspects of his game as he gets older, but he can't really QB a PP. Never has been able to.

Leddy looks closer

fowler should just QB the whole 2 minutes IMO

 

[Stealth JD]

Three defensemen across those two power-play units and none of them are Broberg. That’s wild.

Fire Montgomery

 

[Majorityof1]

This is becoming a problem, what are we trying to do with these PP units? The PP should obviously be built around Thomas. I’ve thought he’s even leveled up as a PP catalyst because he’s been dangerous shooting the puck. Also think it’s very obvious Fowler should be the point man for the 1st unit and Jake the net front guy. Experiment with the other 2 spots but I have no idea what they’re trying to do with the current set up.

Bolduc on a 3 game point streak playing 11-12 minutes with no PP time and Sunny at C. I know how to help him build consistency and reward successful play..bench him. SMH.

 

[Brian39]

This is becoming a problem, what are we trying to do with these PP units? The PP should obviously be built around Thomas. I’ve thought he’s even leveled up as a PP catalyst because he’s been dangerous shooting the puck. Also think it’s very obvious Fowler should be the point man for the 1st unit and Jake the net front guy. Experiment with the other 2 spots but I have no idea what they’re trying to do with the current set up.

Thomas hasn't been good on the PP under Monty. Despite leading the team in PP ice time (57:49), he has just 3 total PP points in 22 games under Monty. Neighbours has 10 fewer PP minutes but is outscoring him 4-3. Faulk has 22 fewer minutes and is also outscoring him 4-3. Kyrou is just shy of Thomas' minutes, but is outscoring him 7-3. Thomas hasn't had a point on any of the team's 3 PP goals in the last 5 games.

Long term, Thomas needs to be on our top unit. He can (and eventually will) figure it out and be better. But I don't think he should be above having his PP minutes temporarily reduced right now. The PP isn't working and Thomas is a big part of that problem. He touches the puck a lot on the PP and we haven't been doing nearly enough off those touches.

I don't like either of those units in a vacuum, but I see it as very much the coach sending a message that PP time is completely up for grabs because multiple top guys aren't getting the job done.

 

[LGB]

Thomas hasn't been good on the PP under Monty. Despite leading the team in PP ice time (57:49), he has just 3 total PP points in 22 games under Monty. Neighbours has 10 fewer PP minutes but is outscoring him 4-3. Faulk has 22 fewer minutes and is also outscoring him 4-3. Kyrou is just shy of Thomas' minutes, but is outscoring him 7-3. Thomas hasn't had a point on any of the team's 3 PP goals in the last 5 games.

Long term, Thomas needs to be on our top unit. He can (and eventually will) figure it out and be better. But I don't think he should be above having his PP minutes temporarily reduced right now. The PP isn't working and Thomas is a big part of that problem. He touches the puck a lot on the PP and we haven't been doing nearly enough off those touches.

I don't like either of those units in a vacuum, but I see it as very much the coach sending a message that PP time is completely up for grabs because multiple top guys aren't getting the job done.

You actually think Thomas is the problem on the PP?

 

[Renard]

I don't know wtf is going on with these PP units. For the love of god can we please get Sunny off the PP? He has been an anchor on the PP and 3rd line all year. I love the guy and will be forever grateful for his contributions to 2019 but he just can't skate anymore.

They use Sunny in front of the goal on the power play. He's effective there.

They have other guys they use for puck retreival.

 

[BadgersandBlues]

Bolduc on a 3 game point streak playing 11-12 minutes with no PP time and Sunny at C. I know how to help him build consistency and reward successful play..bench him. SMH.

I really don't get what they're looking for from him. He's been an extremely defensively responsible player according to both the eye test and advanced metrics, as a rookie. Usually that's the pitfall of a young player, not having the coach's trust to be responsible. He's also leading all rookies in +/- (Which is a somewhat dumb stat, but does kinda mean something if you're leading in it). He's got the 5th best 5v5 P/60 on the entire team, with only Thomas/Kyrou/Holloway/Buch (In that order) ahead of him. I'm literally at a loss for what the coaching staff isn't seeing.

 

[SirPaste]

They use Sunny in front of the goal on the power play. He's effective there.

They have other guys they use for puck retreival.

Is effective there? I haven't seen it

 

[Brian39]

You actually think Thomas is the problem on the PP?

He has absolutely been a problem on the PP. There is not one thing that has been the problem on the PP, but Thomas generating next to nothing is a big part of the reason for the issues.

He's 9th on the team in individual expected goals on the PP this year. He has taken 8 total shots on the PP this year. He has 1 individual high danger chance on the PP this year. I know that his primary job is to distribute the puck to create chances, but he has done essentially nothing to make himself a perceived threat with the puck.

His points per 60 on the PP is 5th on our team this year. We are +6 on the PP with Thomas on the ice. (+10 with Kyrou, +9 with Neighbours/Faulk/Holloway, +7 with Buch, and +6 with Schenn). He's 7th on our team in on-ice xGF per 60 on the PP (minimum 20 minutes of PP time). 6th in on-ice high danger chances per 60 on the PP. He's not generating chances at the rate he was last year on the PP and he's not generating chances at the rate other guys are doing it. We're getting more chances (and converting those chances at a higher rate) with other people on the ice. He has not been good enough on the PP and has absolutely been part of the problem. Thomas has 2 primary assists on the PP this year.

Again, none of this concerns me long term. Moving him off the top PP unit in advance of 1 game doesn't mean that Monty hates him or intends to keep him off the top unit for weeks on end. Especially since these units see the talent split pretty evenly and could very well see nearly equal usage. But his play on the PP this year has absolutely not been to the level where the coach can't remove him from the top unit.

 

[Stealth JD]

I really don't get what they're looking for from him. He's been an extremely defensively responsible player according to both the eye test and advanced metrics, as a rookie. Usually that's the pitfall of a young player, not having the coach's trust to be responsible. He's also leading all rookies in +/- (Which is a somewhat dumb stat, but does kinda mean something if you're leading in it). He's got the 5th best 5v5 P/60 on the entire team, with only Thomas/Kyrou/Holloway/Buch (In that order) ahead of him. I'm literally at a loss for what the coaching staff isn't seeing.

Not to overthink things, it could be as simple as giving him a rest and an opportunity to watch. He’s never played 82-games before and the staff could just be building him towards the 82-game mark next season by playing him 65-70 this year and allowing for some recovery.

At least, that’s what I suspect/hope it is. The kid has been pretty effective and I can’t see him being taken out of the lineup as some sort of undeserved punishment.

 

[BadgersandBlues]

Not to overthink things, it could be as simple as giving him a rest and an opportunity to watch. He’s never played 82-games before and the staff could just be building him towards the 82-game mark next season by playing him 65-70 this year and allowing for some recovery.

At least, that’s what I suspect/hope it is. The kid has been pretty effective and I can’t see him being taken out of the lineup as some sort of undeserved punishment.

I hope you're right. I can understand something like that, but it's kinda weird since he had the primary assist on our only goal last game and we've had two days off in-between. I could see sitting him on the second night of a back to back, or something like that, but he seems to keep getting scratched after he plays well and it's kinda head-scratching.

 

[Brian39]

I really don't get what they're looking for from him. He's been an extremely defensively responsible player according to both the eye test and advanced metrics, as a rookie. Usually that's the pitfall of a young player, not having the coach's trust to be responsible. He's also leading all rookies in +/- (Which is a somewhat dumb stat, but does kinda mean something if you're leading in it). He's got the 5th best 5v5 P/60 on the entire team, with only Thomas/Kyrou/Holloway/Buch (In that order) ahead of him. I'm literally at a loss for what the coaching staff isn't seeing.

I feel about the same as you on this. However, I'm not 100% sold that the coaching simply "isn't seeing it." I wouldn't be shocked if they are happy with his play in the role he's been given and are asking him to keep being effective in that role. I wouldn't be surprised if he is still on a more robust off-ice strength training plan than most of the guys on the team. I wouldn't be surprised if the scratches and limited minutes were as much (or more) about keeping him effective in March/April than they are a comment on his play.

Last time I was pissed off about him being an extra at morning skate it turned out that he was sick.

And while I think he's earned more time instead of less, I also don't think that it is a given that his current usage is an indictment of his play by the coaching staff. He wouldn't be the first young player who was kept on a 'pitch count' even when the staff is happy with his play.

 

[BlueMed]

I think Army is really modeling this team after Dallas. Looking at their roster last year, they didn't have a single PPG player (Robertson was close with 80 points in 82 games). They had 8 players produce between 50-80 points, and all 8 of them had more than 20 goals. Stankoven only played 24 games and was on pace for 48 points per 82 games. On the backend, they had 2 defensemen with more than 45 points (Heiskanen and Harley), and Oettinger displayed a 0.905 Sv% and 2.72 GAA. Despite not having a true superstar forward, this team beat Vegas in 7 and then Colorado in 6. I don't think we need to wait until Neighbours, Dvorsky, Bolduc, and Snuggerud hit their primes before being competitive. If they can produce more than 50 points each with Thomas, Kyrou, Buch, and Holloway able to stay healthy, then I think our window opens in 2 years without having to trade for EP.

 

[PocketNines]

I think our window opens in 2 years without having to trade for EP.

playoff window opens 15-27 months from now.

IMO true championship level window requires all of what we both see on track, plus a pinnacle 1D.

before we identify and clamor for the specific player, I really want to see Broberg settling into what he's going to be, and I want to see Lindstein at camp/in the AHL, and I want to see Jiricek at camp and WJC next year. the player we need to get interacts with what we see in our D corps ~12 months from now

 

[Xerloris]

I love Sunny but could we not put him on the PP and if we're going to do that at least not with the Thomas Unit?

 

[ChicagoBlues]

I think our contending window opens in 3 years minimum. The team needs a way better defense and I also think Broberg is a future #1. He is just now being allowed to play, so his overall development is a little behind. He hasn't been stunted. All is good with Broby.

After him, Lindstein and Jiricek are the top two prospects on D.

Jiricek will not turn pro until the end of his junior season in 2026, at the earliest. Lindstein needs at least one more season in Sweden (Brynas is not in danger of being relegated) and then at least one in the AHL.

I think DA will trade for a young stud on D and will pay a premium price for him.

Parayko will be the elder statesman as Lindstein and Jiricek grow up on the blue line, while Broberg will be the young veteran. DA needs to identify another Broberg-aged player.

This is how I see the blue line/contending window playing out. The real Cup window might not open for another 4-5 years, unless DA can bring in two more up and comers. We need one or two wildcards to develop in Fischer, Burns or Ralph and the others.

Lots of moving parts and a lot needs to go right for a true Cup window to open.

 

[Renard]

Is effective there? I haven't seen

Are you expecting a goal a game? He is there to screen the goalie. To deflect shots on goal. To fight for the puck behind the goal.
His lack of speed isn't a problem in this role.

I admit McDavid would be better, but we can't afford him.

 

[bleedblue1223]

Sunny has 1 point on the PP. Let's not pretend that he's some Holmstrom type that dominates in front.

 

[taylord22]

I don't disagree that net-front is important, but shots have to get through to make the net-front matter. We have 3 forwards - spread across 2 PP units -who are capable of creating or finding lanes through coverage. We have one decent 1T option in Holloway. The next best 1T option, IMO, is also our best distributor.

5x last night (4 from Thomas, 1 from Holloway) pucks were put on sticks in prime scoring areas only to have the receiver hesitate or bobble, essentially restarting the play.

The looks have been there. The problem is pulling the trigger. We just don't have the shoot first mentality, which severely mutes a player like Thomas (and even Kyrou) effectiveness on the PP. I trust Monty when he says Bolduc has things to work on (he also has some of the best micro stats on the team), but putting a guy like that on the PP and just telling him his only job is to be find a lane and be ready is how you can build confidence in a player and manufacture what you've been missing from the PP since Perron left.

Putting Bolduc on the Thomas unit doesn't fix everything that's plaguing the PP, but with the players we have coming, it's a step in the direction and mindset that they will force. No reason to wait.

 

[PocketNines]

The looks have been there. The problem is pulling the trigger.

Suddenly it opens up ... the shot ... everyone in the building sees it ... then Kyrou or Thomas or Buchnevich thinks, "just one more pass, through a defender or two" it is tough to take sometimes

Our PP is like the doctor in Arrested Development who experiments on Michael and Gob switching fingers around when he reattaches them, because it it works he will be the greatest doctor in the county/state

 

[Xerloris]

I don't disagree that net-front is important, but shots have to get through to make the net-front matter. We have 3 forwards - spread across 2 PP units -who are capable of creating or finding lanes through coverage. We have one decent 1T option in Holloway. The next best 1T option, IMO, is also our best distributor.

5x last night (4 from Thomas, 1 from Holloway) pucks were put on sticks in prime scoring areas only to have the receiver hesitate or bobble, essentially restarting the play.

The looks have been there. The problem is pulling the trigger. We just don't have the shoot first mentality, which severely mutes a player like Thomas (and even Kyrou) effectiveness on the PP. I trust Monty when he says Bolduc has things to work on (he also has some of the best micro stats on the team), but putting a guy like that on the PP and just telling him his only job is to be find a lane and be ready is how you can build confidence in a player and manufacture what you've been missing from the PP since Perron left.

Putting Bolduc on the Thomas unit doesn't fix everything that's plaguing the PP, but with the players we have coming, it's a step in the direction and mindset that they will force. No reason to wait.

I agree with all of this and especially the Bolduc part but I want to add that Kyrou does have a decent 1T as well but you're right, Thomas is probably better.