GDT: Blues @ Avalanche| Round 1, Game 1|So It Begins|

[Louie the Blue]

Fire power hurts a lot with Dunn and more importantly Perron out. But we were never going to showdown with COL offensively. We need to grind them and limit the high danger chances. It more about defense as our main hope for winning.

Toe to toe the Blues won't win if they have to go to a high scoring affair with Colorado and yeah Perron and Dunn being out impacts the offensive game as you mentioned.

But what I was referencing was that the first line, all around, played like garbage a majority of the game and deserves a fair amount of criticism. I can be OK with how the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th lines played. But if the first line plays like they did on D? The Blues are toast.

 

[TheDizee]

I know Binny is a nut case at times but why is he getting shit on for skating down to a scrum the other teams goalie started?

cause they know hes back in the do i look nervous zone

this is when binny is at his best

 

[BlueOil]

I know Binny is a nut case at times but why is he getting shit on for skating down to a scrum the other teams goalie started?

he's a lightning rod. as the caps fans say, 'rent free'? the canucks' trolls always after him

 

[Captain Creampuff]

cause they know hes back in the do i look nervous zone

this is when binny is at his best

God damn I just liked a dizee post

 

[i aint Dunn yet]

we cant let the ice dancers just skate around without impunity

 

[BlueOil]

it was great hearing the faint 'let's go blues' chants during the game from the obviously mixed crowd. might be home ice, but usually a 1/3 away fans in denver.

 

[Louie the Blue]

Final though before going to bed:

Tonight obviously wasn't the result we wanted. There are some positives like Binnington playing like a stud and the second and third lines showing some pulse.

But if the first line plays like that again and Perron is out more than 2 games, this series will be very short.

 

[i aint Dunn yet]

Toe to toe the Blues won't win if they have to go to a high scoring affair with Colorado and yeah Perron and Dunn being out impacts the offensive game as you mentioned.

But what I was referencing was that the first line, all around, played like garbage a majority of the game and deserves a fair amount of criticism. I can be OK with how the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th lines played. But if the first line plays like they did on D? The Blues are toast.

agreed .... i dont like ror with jaden and schenn i would rather see bozak on this line

 

[Thallis]

Sunny was a huge difference maker, he matched up against other teams' top lines with huge defensive burden(35% O-zone starts in the 2019 run) and still out chanced and out scored his opposition

He took a heavy defensive load, sure, but ROR was the center matching up with top lines the majority of the time and Sunqvist is not a positive possession player over his career or in the playoffs. He's a role player, good defensively but not the kind of guy that can turn around this team's situation.

 

[Zachary Hines]

Fire power hurts a lot with Dunn and more importantly Perron out. But we were never going to showdown with COL offensively. We need to grind them and limit the high danger chances. It more about defense as our main hope for winning.

Thats why is would like to see MacMac and maybe Dak Joshua, or even de la Rose

 

[mk80]

Well here are my thoughts on the game:

1. The Avs played exactly how I expected, they're very good and highly skilled but not unbeatable
2. The Blues had no answers for the Rantanen-MacKinnon-Landeskog line
3. Blues started off well in the 1st, could have had the lead early, then weathered the storm as the Avs got some late momentum, being outshot 18-5 in a period though is not winning hockey.
4. Surprisingly our 2nd period looked a lot better than the regular season. We stayed with them.
5. Whether it was the early goal, the 3rd period was flat. It was all Colorado.

Binnington was outstanding tonight, one of his best performances ever I think! He gave us the chance to win, and we didn't take it. Overall we are not in panic button territory because again we held the Avs close, but we didn't bring our best game outside of a few players, and especially with Perron out that will continue to hurt us. You need a 60 minute effort from everyone!

 

[Brockon]

new drinking game: take a shot every time Panger says something like "Colorado got away with something there"

Hard pass... I'd be plastered before the end of the first in game 2. Probably wake up Monday missing teeth and have a facial tattoo.

 

[Davimir Tarablad]

He took a heavy defensive load, sure, but ROR was the center matching up with top lines the majority of the time and Sunqvist is not a positive possession player over his career or in the playoffs. He's a role player, good defensively but not the kind of guy that can turn around this team's situation.

They spent a similar percentage of their TOI against top competition(ROR had 40 extra 5v5 minutes in that run), and sure just adding him wouldn't change tonight's outcome, but losing him is a big blow to how effective our bottom 6 is.

 

[Robb_K]

we cant let the ice dancers just skate around without impunity

I'd like to skate around WITH Impunity! IF she's good lookin'! That's what The Avs did tonight. I'd rather have them GET the PUNITY!

 

[Thallis]

They spent a similar percentage of their TOI against top competition(ROR had 40 extra 5v5 minutes in that run), and sure just adding him wouldn't change tonight's outcome, but losing him is a big blow to how effective our bottom 6 is.

The point I'm trying to make is that how effective your bottom 6 is doesn't make a difference when your top 9 is mediocre. Sundqvist is a fine player, but he's pretty average in the grand scheme of things. If you team can't handle losing a guy like him, your team isn't going very far with him either.

 

[Robb_K]

I was actually impressed by how well Hoffman played on defence tonight, sticking with his man and forcing some errant passes. He's turning into a more well-rounded player. I'm kind of hoping he is re-signed. The PP changed from one of the worst in The League, to #6 by the end of the season, after he got hot. Same with The 6 on 5 at the end of games, being the reason for several Blues' comebacks (the difference between making the playoffs and missing them.

 

[JEMarks3]

Gotta sit Bortuzzo if we can the rest of this series. He’s too slow and gets spun around.

The refs seemed to favor the Avs this game. Saw a couple of blatant trips/slew-foots that went uncalled. Thomas’ hands were slashed on the partial breakaway. There was also plenty of interference.

 

[Robb_K]

Well here are my thoughts on the game:

1. The Avs played exactly how I expected, they're very good and highly skilled but not unbeatable
2. The Blues had no answers for the Rantanen-MacKinnon-Landeskog line
3. Blues started off well in the 1st, could have had the lead early, then weathered the storm as the Avs got some late momentum, being outshot 18-5 in a period though is not winning hockey.
4. Surprisingly our 2nd period looked a lot better than the regular season. We stayed with them.
5. Whether it was the early goal, the 3rd period was flat. It was all Colorado.

Binnington was outstanding tonight, one of his best performances ever I think! He gave us the chance to win, and we didn't take it. Overall we are not in panic button territory because again we held the Avs close, but we didn't bring our best game outside of a few players, and especially with Perron out that will continue to hurt us. You need a 60 minute effort from everyone!

The Blues were progressively more tired in The 3rd, from chasing the puck most of the night.

 

[mk80]

I was actually impressed by how well Hoffman played on defence tonight, sticking with his man and forcing some errant passes. He's turning into a more well-rounded player. I'm kind of hoping he is re-signed. The PP changed from one of the worst in The League, to #6 by the end of the season, after he got hot. Same with The 6 on 5 at the end of games, being the reason for several Blues' comebacks (the difference between making the playoffs and missing them.

And he was absolutely robbed of that goal by Graves. I include Hoffman in the handful of players I thought were impactful tonight

Edit:

The Blues were progressively more tired in The 3rd, from chasing the puck most of the night.

Great point!

 

[Brockon]

The point I'm trying to make is that how effective your bottom 6 is doesn't make a difference when your top 9 is mediocre. Sundvist is a fine player, but he's pretty average in the grand scheme of things. If you team can't handle losing a guy like him, your team isn't going very far with him either.

I hate to interrupt... But, it's not "just Sundqvist" our bottom 6 lost. And for the love of God, you can't talk about a bottom 6 and a top 9 in the same comparison - it's either top 9 and 4th line or top 6 and bottom 6. Keep continuity in your post.

Cup run bottom 6
Maroon - Bozak - Thomas
Barby - Sundqvist - Steen

Bottom 6 tonight
Hoffman - Thomas - Kyrou
Clifford - Sanford - Blais

Common denominator - Thomas, for a whopping 16.666%.

Losing Perron draws Barby up the line up, comprising the effective 4th line - also detracting from the top 6 chemistry. Sanford has been dropped down and Sundqvist & Steen are sorely missed on the PK.

Throwing lines in a blender because you're missing Perron and Sundqvist hurts the team more than you give credit for.

 

[Thallis]

I hate to interrupt... But, it's not "just Sundqvist" our bottom 6 lost. And for the love of God, you can't talk about a bottom 6 and a top 9 in the same comparison - it's either top 9 and 4th line or top 6 and bottom 6. Keep continuity in your post.

Cup run bottom 6
Maroon - Bozak - Thomas
Barby - Sundqvist - Steen

Bottom 6 tonight
Hoffman - Thomas - Kyrou
Clifford - Sanford - Blais

Common denominator - Thomas, for a whopping 16.666%.

Losing Perron draws Barby up the line up, comprising the effective 4th line - also detracting from the top 6 chemistry. Sanford has been dropped down and Sundqvist & Steen are sorely missed on the PK.

Throwing lines in a blender because you're missing Perron and Sundqvist hurts the team more than you give credit for.

The context is in regards to changes we couldn't have prepared for. We knew going into the season that this is more or less what this team would look like personnel wise with the exception of Sundvist's injury. Having him helps, but it doesn't turn us into a competitive team.

Perron is hopefully a short term injury, but again, I don't think he'd make a huge difference against a team like Colorado.

 

[Xerloris]

At some point you have to wonder if all the excuses matter so much, then why can other teams overcome them, but we can’t?

It seems like most teams that are older and have families just want to go the f*** home while the teams filled with younger guys don't care how shitty their life is.

i hated getting rid of eddie ...and i know about the dominos that followed ....but we are lacking grit on the backend outside of bobby b

Faulk has the most hits on the team and he's stepped up and fought this year to defend guys like Bozak.

No, the guy who captained us to our first and only cup.

ROR? Because it sure as f*** wasn't Pietrangelo. He lead us to no playoffs and worst in the league before Berube, ROR and Binnington took the team from him.

Gotta sit Bortuzzo if we can the rest of this series. He’s too slow and gets spun around.

The refs seemed to favor the Avs this game. Saw a couple of blatant trips/slew-foots that went uncalled. Thomas’ hands were slashed on the partial breakaway. There was also plenty of interference.

So the guy who played f***ing great and is one of only 5 guys to be a +1 needs to be sat because...? Oh right..he's just an easy target for guys like you to go after.

So who the f*** is he going to sit for? Walman? Dunn? Gunnarson?

 

[Xerloris]

The context is in regards to changes we couldn't have prepared for. We knew going into the season that this is more or less what this team would look like personnel wise with the exception of Sundvist's injury. Having him helps, but it doesn't turn us into a competitive team.

Perron is hopefully a short term injury, but again, I don't think he'd make a huge difference against a team like Colorado.

Sunny and Perron added to our current line up absolutely changes the dynamic of the game.

I would take this over the shit show we played with tonight and this would absolutely be a much much better line up.

Blais - ROR - Perron
Schwartz - Schenn - Kyrou
Bozak - Thomas - Hoffman
Barbie - Sunny - Kostin

yes, I know I am sitting Tarasenko.

 

[Thallis]

Sunny and Perron added to our current line up absolutely changes the dynamic of the game.

I would take this over the shit show we played with tonight and this would absolutely be a much much better line up.

Blais - ROR - Perron
Schwartz - Schenn - Kyrou
Bozak - Thomas - Hoffman
Barbie - Sunny - Kostin

yes, I know I am sitting Tarasenko.

This is an average NHL team if they're lucky. Average teams don't last long in the playoffs.

 

[thedustman]

This is an average NHL team if they're lucky. Average teams don't last long in the playoffs.

hmm, you're right.But they can last, they can last and we've seen plenty examples of it

edit: ehh, I hadn't read the conversation. Thomas played like Thomas would, Barbashev is better than he played and will play better. The defense needs to get their shit together, but they seem so sound at times.