Blues @ Flames: Bring your parents and ridiculous stick saves!

[JustOneB4IDie]

There is one good thing, the Blues have actually played really well for a while now. Even the losses against the Nucks and the Ducks and tonights game, the Blues controlled the games by a fair amount (ugly 2nd period in Vancouver was the exception) I think their best hockey is still to come. They are getting healthy and could start jelling at the right time.

Couldn't disagree more.

One night they are great, or like last night, terrible. I've just about had it with Halak after that asinine performance last night. What has this overpaid injury prone Goalie accomplished other then a very good 2010 playoff run with Montreal? Tying Glenn Hall's all time shutouts in team history? That says everything for a Jinxed Franchise there I said it. Halak couldn't hold Hall's jock strap. If Halak is still on the roster after the trade deadline, stick a fork in the Blues, they are done this season, and have no chance once the Playoffs Start.

Who cares if they so called outshot, outplayed the Flames last night? C'mon man, they lost to the Flames!!! just like losing to the Av's : Inexcusable.

No clear cut number 1 goalie, no finishers ( Stewart and Berglund are long overdue for a slump ) no playmakers whatsoever, Defense resembles Swiss Cheese. Poor Alex Pie.

I long for the halcyon days when the Blues Managment was considered mavericks in the early 1990s...

The Blues are nothing more then a average Western Conference NHL club, hot and cold, and won't do any damage in the playoffs with the current roster since current management won't add difference makers and Payroll to the roster. Good day sir.

 

[Mike Liut]

Couldn't disagree more.

One night they are great, or like last night, terrible. I've just about had it with Halak after that asinine performance last night. What has this overpaid injury prone Goalie accomplished other then a very good 2010 playoff run with Montreal? Tying Glenn Hall's all time shutouts in team history? That says everything for a Jinxed Franchise there I said it. Halak couldn't hold Hall's jock strap. If Halak is still on the roster after the trade deadline, stick a fork in the Blues, they are done this season, and have no chance once the Playoffs Start.

Who cares if they so called outshot, outplayed the Flames last night? C'mon man, they lost to the Flames!!! just like losing to the Av's : Inexcusable.

No clear cut number 1 goalie, no finishers ( Stewart and Berglund are long overdue for a slump ) no playmakers whatsoever, Defense resembles Swiss Cheese. Poor Alex Pie.

I long for the halcyon days when the Blues Managment was considered mavericks in the early 1990s...

The Blues are nothing more then a average Western Conference NHL club, hot and cold, and won't do any damage in the playoffs with the current roster since current management won't add difference makers and Payroll to the roster. Good day sir.

The Blues weren't terrible last night. The Blues dominated.

 

[Multimoodia]

One night they are great, or like last night, terrible.

Not sure I can agree with this, but if one is strictly results oriented then I suppose I can see this opinion.

If Halak is still on the roster after the trade deadline, stick a fork in the Blues, they are done this season, and have no chance once the Playoffs Start.

You may not have noticed but there are a large number of traditionally good goaltenders who have been less stellar this year. Halak is following form.
Unless the Blues can pull off the trade P9 indicated they should (Halak+Cole+2nd to Flames for Gio+Kipper) I do not see another goaltender available who is demonstrably better than Halak.

Who cares if they so called outshot, outplayed the Flames last night? C'mon man, they lost to the Flames!!!

There are times when bad teams beat good ones. The Blues frustrated the Canucks to no end half a decade ago when they went 4-0 against them backstopped by Curtis Sanford. It happens.

no finishers ( Stewart and Berglund are long overdue for a slump ) no playmakers whatsoever,

I would like to point out that when the Blues do have said players we have fans wanting to chase them off because they lack grit. Or something.
Also, while Stewart is overdue for a slump, Berglund is more steadily producing. Also Perron, Tarasenko, McDonald, Backes are overdue for a surge.

Defense resembles Swiss Cheese. Poor Alex Pie.

Pie was one of the reasons why it resembled Swiss Cheese.

I long for the halcyon days when the Blues Managment was considered mavericks in the early 1990s...

The Blues are nothing more then a average Western Conference NHL club, hot and cold, and won't do any damage in the playoffs with the current roster

A few key points.

1) I would in no way, shape, or form consider the years under Ron Caron to be considered Halcyon unless you only feel comfortable in utter chaos.
2) Ron Caron's management style, while exciting, caused as many problems as it fixed.
3)I find it interesting you complain of the Blues not being more than an average Western conference team, and then in the next breath wish for the early 90's Blues which were the very epitome of what you just complained of.

 

[BadgersandBlues]

I just wanted to echo that Schwartz played a great game last night, has looked really great on this roadtrip in general.

If I'm DA, I'm feeling pretty comfortable trying to move AMac at the deadline, not to mention letting him walk at the end of the year.

 

[bleedblue1223]

I just wanted to echo that Schwartz played a great game last night, has looked really great on this roadtrip in general.

If I'm DA, I'm feeling pretty comfortable trying to move AMac at the deadline, not to mention letting him walk at the end of the year.

I'm not moving McDonald to another contender and having it bite us in the ass.

 

[Jzk]

It's pretty hard to score when you're shooting pucks at the goalies chest. Kipper got one lucky save and a bunch of trash hurried shots to stop last night. There's no way he stole anything. He gave up two pretty weak goals.

For being the teams best playmaker McDonald hasn't made any passes or showed any creativity since he's returned.

Jackman was pretty damned awful. Got caught in no mans land twice last night. That first goal was terrible on his and Halaks part. That second one Oshie coughed up the puck and there were two players behind Jackman.

I'm pretty much done with Perron. He's been clowning it up lately and just playing for himself. He gets open and draws players in then holds on to the puck and just turns it over. Rinse and repeat every game. Then he scores a highlight reel goal and everything is all ok.


Halak is just what ever at this point. There's no other real option.

Backes needs to sit.

Hitch should get his head out of his ass and play Tarasenko on the PP.

 

[bluemandan]

Holy crap. You would think after reading some of these comments that the Blues got the butts handed to them the way that we did to Detroit on opening night...

Sometimes the teams loses even when it outplays a team. Did the Blues make mistakes? Sure. I challenge someone to show me a mistake free hockey game. Sometimes teams capitalize on mistakes, sometimes they don't.

But I'm reading people that think the Blues played, as Charles Barkley would say, "turrrible" last night. People that think Kiprusoff had a bad game last night, only the Blues shot everything into his chest, making him look good. People that seem to think the Blues gave up countless odd man rushes, and could generate no offensive pressure. People want to bench half the team. Why? So we can play TJ Hensik, Adam Cracknell, Evgeny Grachev, and Andrew Murray up front and Mark Cundari, and Cade Fairchild on the blueline? I'm sure THAT will make the Blues play better.

Frankly, I think the Blues played well. Did they make mistakes? Sure. Is there room for improvement? You bet. But compared to the way they were playing a few weeks ago?? They looked good. You can't win them all, and the Blues don't have the superstar level of talent needed to set winning streak record.

Is it frustrating that with very little roster turnover the Blues took a step back from their play last season? You bet. But perhaps we should all temper our expectations a bit. The Blues seem well on course to make the playoffs. But reading some of the stuff around here, it seems like people are watching the Oilers...

 

[Big Al 2]

Kipper stole the game from us last night. If he plays just an "above average" game we win 5-3. Halak did not cost us this game even though I would have rather Allen started.

 

[Captain Creampuff]

Kipper stole the game from us last night. If he plays just an "above average" game we win 5-3. Halak did not cost us this game even though I would have rather Allen started.

What? The 3rd goal should have been saved no questions asked. We outshot them 38-17 and Kipper had to make some incredible saves. We lost because of Jaroslav Halak.

 

[bleedblue1223]

If Oshie didn't have that giveaway, it would've went to OT. Most of the time it is never one player's fault for a loss.

 

[Captain Creampuff]

If Oshie didn't have that giveaway, it would've went to OT. Most of the time it is never one player's fault for a loss.

Bad giveaway by Oshie but things like that happen. Halak bit hard on that move by Cervanka, he did not have the patience or confidence in himself to challenge the skater and that's why he got beat. 2nd goal he had not chance though, that was just a pure snipe.

 

[PocketNines]

Oshie's mistake was directly balanced out by his goal. Made a bad play and it cost them a goal, made an exceptional individual effort to make up for it.

 

[Cotton McKnight]

Halak had me down last night, bad third goal, bad night all around for Halak, that and Kipper's play really hurt us last night. The game still would have been close, even with Allen in the net...

 

[Big Al 2]

Redden ran into halak on the iginla goal

 

[PocketNines]

Redden ran into halak on the iginla goal

Minor bump, Halak's stick wasn't in position and that's why Hitchcock said on the record it was a "weak goal" that happened to cost them the game. Just an inexcusable goal.

 

[Captain Creampuff]

Redden ran into halak on the iginla goal

I've made better saves getting knocked over in net when I was 13.

Redden has now no more contact with Halak.

Overhead View at the same time

He was not out of position, or should be even slightly phased by Redden touching him. The save should have been made.

 

[BlueDream]

Holy crap. You would think after reading some of these comments that the Blues got the butts handed to them the way that we did to Detroit on opening night...

Sometimes the teams loses even when it outplays a team. Did the Blues make mistakes? Sure. I challenge someone to show me a mistake free hockey game. Sometimes teams capitalize on mistakes, sometimes they don't.

But I'm reading people that think the Blues played, as Charles Barkley would say, "turrrible" last night. People that think Kiprusoff had a bad game last night, only the Blues shot everything into his chest, making him look good. People that seem to think the Blues gave up countless odd man rushes, and could generate no offensive pressure. People want to bench half the team. Why? So we can play TJ Hensik, Adam Cracknell, Evgeny Grachev, and Andrew Murray up front and Mark Cundari, and Cade Fairchild on the blueline? I'm sure THAT will make the Blues play better.

Frankly, I think the Blues played well. Did they make mistakes? Sure. Is there room for improvement? You bet. But compared to the way they were playing a few weeks ago?? They looked good. You can't win them all, and the Blues don't have the superstar level of talent needed to set winning streak record.

Is it frustrating that with very little roster turnover the Blues took a step back from their play last season? You bet. But perhaps we should all temper our expectations a bit. The Blues seem well on course to make the playoffs. But reading some of the stuff around here, it seems like people are watching the Oilers...

I think you are the one overreacting. You pretty much just said the exact same stuff that 95% of everyone else in here is saying. There was only a couple posters that thought we looked bad, everyone knew we played well.

 

[diehardbluesfan]

You would think by the way a few of you guys are acting we totally got outplayed and got two lucky goals.

We dominated Calgary flames and Kipper robbed us of that game. Could have Halak been better? Well, yeah. Was he the sole reason we lost? Nope. The team had plenty of time to come back and tie the game up after their third goal. We also had four PP attempts and failed to score on any of them.

 

[ManyIdeas]

I'm blaming the lack of Schwartz' parents, and if they were in house, the lack of focus on them.

Todays gdt will be made a bit later, I know what will spark the team.