2024-2025 Blues Multi-Purpose Thread.

[MissouriMook]

“……can’t tell if you’re serious or sarcastic…” meme

Totally serious, but maybe a little cheeky. I tend to be more of a “don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened” kind of person. I’m devastated by how we lost, but we got so much to build on these last two weeks and I think Army is going out with a (very productive) bang this offseason.

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

As heartbreaking as last night was, this was great run. Huge progress for team, found several key pieces. This season was success. Better results ahead.

 

[Itsnotatrap]

Totally serious, but maybe a little cheeky. I tend to be more of a “don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened” kind of person. I’m devastated by how we lost, but we got so much to build on these last two weeks and I think Army is going out with a (very productive) bang this offseason.

This is what I try to be like. I look back at how I handled things in my youth and cringe, and also how some fans around me handled some bitter losses to Chi, LA, and Minnesota in playoffs past that I attended. It’s best to keep things in proper perspective, or try to.

That said, that was as brutal a way to lose as it gets. Yeah, many of us treated this as all upside since we’d had low expectations…..but a lot of that emotional hedging gets shed when you are up 2 goals with 2 mins and 1 goal with 2 seconds in a game 7.

I’m glad we had the alcohol lightly stocked at the house this weekend.

 

[Brian39]

How is he going to score an even strength goal on the 3rd line with Sunny? Yet you seem fine with Snuggy being gifted his playing time but some how Bolduc has to earn it right? Both Bolduc and Snuggy deserve 1/2 line while Neighbors is the one that absolutely deserves to be 3rd line.

Sunny found a way to score an even strength goal. So did Joseph (in 3 games played). The WTF line combined for 6 even strength goals. Bolduc and Texier were our only forwards who didn't score an even strength goal in this series and Texier only played 3 games. Bolduc was the only forward who played all 7 games and was failed to put up 2+ points.

I'm not remotely concerned about Bolduc long-term. I'm also overall satisfied with the play of the Sunny/Bolduc line in this series as they largely did their job. But his lack of production can't just be hand-waved away based on line mates as a reason to say that he should have been on a different line.

Meanwhile, Neighbours just finished 3rd among Blues forwards in playoff points with 6. 5 of them were at even strength, which tied for the team lead. Massive disagree that Neighbours didn't deserve to be in the top 6 but Bolduc did.

 

[Snubbed4Vezina]

I found Monty's postgame presser interesting. He said something along the lines of, 'As a coach it's your job to push a team to its ceiling, and we didn't quite get there, but we got close.'

I have to agree. There was no part of me that thought we'd survive another round, but I think it sets the tone that we're exiting the rebuild and now it's time to really open the competitive window with Army going out with a bang.

 

[TheDizee]

Bolduc has to work on his game 5on5 and the team needs to help him do more on the PP other than just sitting around waiting for the puck near the slot where his sweet spot seems to be. The Jets shut that down since Game 1.

Great experience for the club this entire spring. Now we just got to get rid of Faulk, Kyrou and make some moves to start a legitimate cup window in the next year or two.

 

[Quaz]

Sunny found a way to score an even strength goal. So did Joseph (in 3 games played). The WTF line combined for 6 even strength goals. Bolduc and Texier were our only forwards who didn't score an even strength goal in this series and Texier only played 3 games. Bolduc was the only forward who played all 7 games and was failed to put up 2+ points.

I'm not remotely concerned about Bolduc long-term. I'm also overall satisfied with the play of the Sunny/Bolduc line in this series as they largely did their job. But his lack of production can't just be hand-waved away based on line mates as a reason to say that he should have been on a different line.

Meanwhile, Neighbours just finished 3rd among Blues forwards in playoff points with 6. 5 of them were at even strength, which tied for the team lead. Massive disagree that Neighbours didn't deserve to be in the top 6 but Bolduc did.

I think Bolduc will improve and be even better next season. If Dvorsky can improve his quickness, strength and conditioning this off season I could see the Blues roll a 3rd line of Neighbours - Dvorsky - Bolduc. I think Armstrong needs to make minimal changes this offseason. Chemistry goes a long way to start the season next year with success. The Blues are extremely deep on the wings. I could see not bringing Suter and Faksa back depending on what they are asking for. I also think they could improve the team by picking up a top 4 right D that is better than Faulk.

 

[BrokenFace]

Apropos of nothing, between the 7 regular season games and 7 playoff games, Snuggerud scored 8 points. That's a 52-point pace over a full season, which will absolutely play for a rookie. I thought even in a playoff atmosphere, he was making small area plays that made a difference. The cross-ice passes at the blue line are rookie mistakes, and he'll grow out of those. But after a rough start to his pro career, he mostly ended up acquitting himself well when the going got tough. I'm excited to see what next season brings for him.

Completely agree. He's got a lot more in his offensive game than just his shot that's already playing well at an NHL level. He's gonna be one of the most fun players to watch next year.

Also, it's funny to me how hard it is for us to even figure out what centers are realistically available to target to put at 2C, but a lot of people are tossing Dvo into a lot of trade proposals. Impact centers are very hard to find, so I'm only trading Dvo in a package for a slam dunk, long term solution at center or for our top D pairing.

 

[Oberyn]

My quick thoughts after sleeping on this tragedy:

1. We are terrible when the goalie is pulled. Both when we pull the goalie and when the opponent pulls the goalie. There might be some Montgomery effect here as the Bruins were terrible at this too when he was the coach. This has to be rectified if we want to be a contender.

2. Extremely disappointing performances by Faulk, Kyrou, and Bolduc. Faulk was a turnover machine and just constantly made terrible plays at both ends of the ice. I have been a long time defender of Kyrou but he lacked an extra gear in his play and was outmuscled far too often in OT. I caught multiple instances where he tried to get around a Jets defender and got knocked off the puck without much pushback. He looked far too timid and hesitant to engage. Bolduc was a hitting machine but really didn't accomplish much otherwise. He needs to work on his even strength play instead of just being a one-trick pony.

3. Snuggerud was a pleasant surprise although he has a penchant for making some risky passes through the middle of the ice. I would have liked to see him get some opportunities to utilize his shot - some of that is the PP setup as Thomas is in his usual spot. He'll be a top six forward for us next year for sure.

4. I really liked the play of Neighbours and the WTF line. Neighbours has really improved his puck possession and playmaking from a year ago, something that I used to knock him for. The WTF line were a forechecking machine and really caused some havoc on the Jets. Toropchenko had a terrific playoffs in my view and really showed his value with his speed and size. I would have no problem with re-signing Faksa for our 4th line to keep them together.

5. Schenn and Sundqvist are getting old and I don't think they'll be dipping their toes in the fountain of youth anytime soon. I will admit that I was incredibly confused at Monty's reliance on Sundqvist. It felt like every time he had the puck, he would make the wrong play or his pass would be off the mark. I admire his effort but both his hands and feet are not NHL level anymore. It looks like he's skating through quicksand against 30km/hour wind while being restrained by a rope.

6. Our passive d-zone play is mind boggling. As soon as a Jets player gets the puck, all our players immediately back off and let them pass it around. It was pretty evident that point shots were incredibly valuable this series and yet we gave their d-men all the time and space in the world to find shooting lanes. Binner isn't getting beat clean very often but redirections and screens will absolutely hamper his ability to stop the puck. The OT goal displayed this clearly.

7. Props to Binner for his performance. He made some world class saves and had a commanding presence on the back end. He absolutely showed up and deserved a better fate.

 

[Mike Liut]

How many more years do you expect elite goaltending from Binner?

 

[BlueDream]

Apropos of nothing, between the 7 regular season games and 7 playoff games, Snuggerud scored 8 points. That's a 52-point pace over a full season, which will absolutely play for a rookie. I thought even in a playoff atmosphere, he was making small area plays that made a difference. The cross-ice passes at the blue line are rookie mistakes, and he'll grow out of those. But after a rough start to his pro career, he mostly ended up acquitting himself well when the going got tough. I'm excited to see what next season brings for him.

You keep beating the drum that he had a rough start to his career. He didn’t. His first game was full of jitters but after that, he looked good from his second game on. I told you this weeks ago before the playoffs started that he was way outperforming his expectations. Glad you finally got on board and noticed.

 

[TheDizee]

How many more years do you expect elite goaltending from Binner?

Atleast 5. Goalies can play well even after they age, look at people like Tim Thomas. Important to lock up Hofer before offer sheets roll in.

 

[Louie the Blue]

Atleast 5. Goalies can play well even after they age, look at people like Tim Thomas. Important to lock up Hofer before offer sheets roll in.

Not sure about that. Thomas is an anomaly with regards to his age curve and development.

I think Binnington’s been very fortunate to be durable, so it wouldn’t surprise me if he still plays at a high level past his current contract. For that to happen, though, Hofer needs to play more.

 

[Majorityof1]

Sunny found a way to score an even strength goal. So did Joseph (in 3 games played). The WTF line combined for 6 even strength goals. Bolduc and Texier were our only forwards who didn't score an even strength goal in this series and Texier only played 3 games. Bolduc was the only forward who played all 7 games and was failed to put up 2+ points.

I'm not remotely concerned about Bolduc long-term. I'm also overall satisfied with the play of the Sunny/Bolduc line in this series as they largely did their job. But his lack of production can't just be hand-waved away based on line mates as a reason to say that he should have been on a different line.

Meanwhile, Neighbours just finished 3rd among Blues forwards in playoff points with 6. 5 of them were at even strength, which tied for the team lead. Massive disagree that Neighbours didn't deserve to be in the top 6 but Bolduc did.

Bolduc also had the lowest atoi of any Blues forward. He had a far more defensive zone start rate than any top 6. He had the best xGA/60 of any forward. He was put in a defensive role with limited offensive linemates and he did his job. You'd love to see him score but Wpg actively targeted him on the PP, which should have opened up others, and K. Connor/Connor H didn't gift him a goal like they did Joseph.

Snuggerud had the worst xGF% on the team despite the vastly most sheltered role. Snuggerud will have to vastly improve on the other side of the puck to earn that role. Putting him there and sheltering him was the right move here. But let's not trash (you didn't) Bolduc for being the one doing the sheltering by taking the tougher deployment with the less offensive linemates.

Bottom line, they are both young. Both have things they need to work on. But Snuggy was absolutely gifted offensive opportunities as much for his poor defense as his good offense.

 

[BlueMed]

Last night was a heartbreaking loss but one that I believe will make this young core much stronger. Interestingly, even when the team was up 3-1, I had trouble envisioning the Blues playing in the second round. It just didn't feel meant to be, and I don't think this team would have gone very far without Holloway anyways. Personally, my headspace isn't ready to dissect the play of each player individually. That will come after the dust settles a bit.

Anyways, I'm excited for the draft and the off-season. I stand by my prediction that a young forward will be traded for a quality right-handed defenseman in the next 9-12 months.

 

[Stealth JD]

How many more years do you expect elite goaltending from Binner?

Two-three

 

[Xerloris]

Not sure about that. Thomas is an anomaly with regards to his age curve and development.

I think Binnington’s been very fortunate to be durable, so it wouldn’t surprise me if he still plays at a high level past his current contract. For that to happen, though, Hofer needs to play more.

Not really an anomaly. Broduer, Fluery, Roy, even Quick after hip and back surgery I think it was is still playing well. Binny is good size, not tall enough for knee and back issues and fundamentally very sound. As long as no freak injuries happen I expect him to be able to play at an elite level in the playoffs till at least 36. I do agree though that we have to ease off his work load in the regular season.

 

[AjaxManifesto]

Many lessons learned during this series.

If there is any doubt that playing prevent defense (AKA turtle mode) is a HORRIBLE idea please rewatch this game. It's an epic tale of playing not to lose verses playing your ass off to win.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

I found Monty's postgame presser interesting. He said something along the lines of, 'As a coach it's your job to push a team to its ceiling, and we didn't quite get there, but we got close.'

I have to agree. There was no part of me that thought we'd survive another round, but I think it sets the tone that we're exiting the rebuild and now it's time to really open the competitive window with Army going out with a bang.

Insightful comments. I think Montgomery had a clear view of this team’s ceiling and did a hell if a job with them. He also showed a lot of patience with young guys. Bolduc and Snuggerud got trusted ice time, by necessity, but still roles that were imoortant for team success. That will pay dividends.

I can’t feel too heartbroken because I think this team went nearly as far as it could. I just don’t see a scenario where they’d have beaten Dallas. I’m curious whether the Jets will put up a fight.

Even though on paper that was a brutal way to lose a series, I’m not feeling bad about it today because they weren’t even supposed to be in that series. Frankly they looked like the better team for much of that series. It was a great joy to watch those three wins. I expect our next playoff run to have a better result because of the result this year.

 

[Snubbed4Vezina]

Many lessons learned during this series.

If there is any doubt that playing prevent defense (AKA turtle mode) is a HORRIBLE idea please rewatch this game. It's an epic tale of playing not to lose verses playing your ass off to win.

That's the thing that chaps my ass the most. You're not even supposed to be there. Why not go balls to the wall and try to get that win? If you're aggressive and lose, whatever. But what if you get a turnover with the empty net? You control your own destiny of moving on to the semifinals, rather than hoping the Jets offense can't get a puck through traffic.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

This is what I try to be like. I look back at how I handled things in my youth and cringe, and also how some fans around me handled some bitter losses to Chi, LA, and Minnesota in playoffs past that I attended. It’s best to keep things in proper perspective, or try to.

That said, that was as brutal a way to lose as it gets. Yeah, many of us treated this as all upside since we’d had low expectations…..but a lot of that emotional hedging gets shed when you are up 2 goals with 2 mins and 1 goal with 2 seconds in a game 7.

I’m glad we had the alcohol lightly stocked at the house this weekend.

I’ve certainly become more gracious with age. More accepting and understanding of how powerful we are.

 

[STL fan in MN]

I’m still pretty torn about last night. On one hand, they weren’t really even supposed to make the playoffs this year. And they took the President’s Trophy winners to double-OT of Game 7…but on the other…they had it! They so freaking had it and let it slip away. That was perhaps the worst late game collapse I’ve ever seen. I thought the Avs collapse Friday night was bad. Blues were like, hold my beer..

I’ll get over it but it still stings. But the big picture story is that the youth got some playoff experience and I see a team on the upswing.

This late season surge might make the Blues a slightly more attractive destination as well, which won’t hurt with attempting to sign UFAs or talking potential trade targets to waive their NTCs to come here.

A very disappointing end but I look forward to seeing how this roster is tweaked this summer.

 

[Vladys Gumption]

Insightful comments. I think Montgomery had a clear view of this team’s ceiling and did a hell if a job with them. He also showed a lot of patience with young guys. Bolduc and Snuggerud got trusted ice time, by necessity, but still roles that were imoortant for team success. That will pay dividends.

I can’t feel too heartbroken because I think this team went nearly as far as it could. I just don’t see a scenario where they’d have beaten Dallas. I’m curious whether the Jets will put up a fight.

Even though on paper that was a brutal way to lose a series, I’m not feeling bad about it today because they weren’t even supposed to be in that series. Frankly they looked like the better team for much of that series. It was a great joy to watch those three wins. I expect our next playoff run to have a better result because of the result this year.

I’m still disappointed at the the fashion of the loss, but overall I completely agree. If you would have told me 3 months ago that we would take a series against the Jets to double OT of game 7 I would have been thrilled. That’s what I’ve been reminding myself of today. We have a couple holes to fill, but I still feel vastly better about the future of this team than I did 12 months ago.

Also a big shame we didn’t get to see Holloway in the playoffs. l was very happy with Broberg’s play. I truly think this series goes in our favor if Holloway was in the lineup.

 

[Itsnotatrap]

Broberg was good. He was one guy that seemed to still have some juice left in the OTs.

 

[bleedblue1223]

I'm also taking a glass half full approach. We absolutely let game 7 get away from us, we should have advanced, but we outperformed my expectations. Broberg and Holloway both exceeded expectations, and both are easy long-term core players that we should be looking at long-term extensions for. Thomas continued to be the guy that I believe we can build around up front. Parayko showed more offensively, and Fowler has been a great partner with him. Bolduc and Neighbours took big steps in their game throughout the season. Kyrou showed improvement, he'll always be divisive though, but he improved. Buchnevich was much better once he moved to the wing and he finished strong. Snuggerud had a very promising taste of the NHL.

We should have advanced, but we still would have gotten crushed by Dallas, so I'm not really feeling the loss. It's not like the Hitch years where an early playoff loss really stung. I think the experience was good for the young guys, and maybe it gets them hungrier now that they know what it takes and what losing a game 7 in double OT feels like.