GDT: Game 21/82 Sharks @ Blues 7PM CST FDSNMW

[Robb_K]

Poor coaching.

Especially letting players as old as Schenn stay out there for that long. And we could see how tired Buchnevich was when he had a chance to just reach a loose puck and skate in on goal on a wide breakaway, and was so gassed, a Shark who started behind him, passed him up, while he had to even stop skating completely. That could have been the game sealer.

 

[Robb_K]

I don't know how to explain it, but on offense Schenn's legs are 30 but on defense Schenn's legs seem 38.

It's a lot harder on the wind and legs on defence when you are adjusting your movements to where the puck carrier and/or the player you are covering are going, causing you to change directions more often, in less fluid movements (taking significantly more energy). Even Buchnevich got exhausted on that 3 minute shift. It's one thing to leave 21-25 or 26 year old star players on the ice too long to give your team a better chance to score. But, both Schenn and Buchnevich have shown fairly early tiring this season. And that long shift could easily have cost The Blues this game.

 

[Robb_K]

One bottom dweller playing another

Binnington is the best goalie the Blues ever had… most consistent…standing by it

Did you see Glenn Hall, Curtis Joseph, Mike Liut, or Grant Fuhr play for The Blues? I saw them all (a decent amount in person, and a lot more on TV). I think that during his first 2 years with The Blues Glenn Hall, and Jacques Plante, in his 2 years with The Blues, both played at a higher level than Binnington. I think Binnington has been a little more steady than Joseph, but during Joseph's hot streaks, he had higher highs. If you think that during 2022-23, 2023-24, and this season, The Blues' team defence has really pulled Binnington down, making things difficult, you should have seen the ridiculously porous defences who gave Joseph almost no help at all. The same was true for most of Liut's Blues' career. The NHL game was very different back then. There were many, many more goals scored by ALL teams back when Joseph, Liut, and even Grant Fuhr, were playing for The Blues. I think Hall, Plante and Liut all played better at their heights than Binnington. Maybe Binnington could be lumped in with Joseph and Fuhr, as a second tier. Hall's play for The Blues in 1967-68, and especially the playoffs, was about the best goaltender play I've ever seen. He was instrumental in their first 2 series wins, and almost singlehandedly kept them in all 4 games in The Finals vs. The Canadiens. Even near the age of 40, he was as acrobatic making unbelievable saves, one after another, as good as any goalie I've ever seen play (including Plante's younger days with The Habs, and Terry Sawchuck with The Wings, Johnny Bower with The Leafs, Gump Worsley with The Canadiens, Ken Dryden, Martin Brodeur, Tony Esposito. Jacques Plante in 1968-69 with The Blues was almost unbeatable. Binnington was a lot less consistently great than those 2 at their heights. Hall was also excellent in '68-69. His game fell off some in '69-70, when age caught up with him. But in watching NHL, WHL, WCHL MJHL hockey from about 1950-2024, I can't remember better goaltending play for any season than Plante and Hall in their earliest 2 years with The Blues. Liut was closer to that level than Binnington, and probably Joseph, too. And maybe Binnington could have reached Fuhr's level by now.

 

[BlueMed]

The amount of ice time Schenn gets is ridiculous. They need to spread out the minutes to some of the kids. Good for Binner.

Agreed.
TOI tonight...
Schenn 20:30
Holloway 12:13
Bolduc 11:30

I'm not suggesting all 3 play the same minutes, but I would like to see Bolduc get around 14-15 minutes and Holloway get closer to 15-16 minutes on a consistent basis.

 

[Majorityof1]

One bottom dweller playing another

Binnington is the best goalie the Blues ever had… most consistent…standing by it

That's why Binnington leads the Blues all-time record for the Blues in win-loss ratio, save percentage, GAA, shutouts...oh wait, no, he doesn't. He got hot at the right time, won a cup, and they have been feeding him a ridiculous number of games since so he got the most wins because he has the 2nd most games played.. But his save percentage as a Blue is tied with Roman Turek and behind Chris Mason.

 

[BlueDream]

That's why Binnington leads the Blues all-time record for the Blues in win-loss ratio, save percentage, GAA, shutouts...oh wait, no, he doesn't. He got hot at the right time, won a cup, and they have been feeding him a ridiculous number of games since so he got the most wins because he has the 2nd most games played.. But his save percentage as a Blue is tied with Roman Turek and behind Chris Mason.

Binnington is also playing during an era where scoring is up due to a multitude of reasons, compared to those two. That is the main reason for their save percentages being similar. When Mason and Turek were playing, over half the league wasn’t averaging over 3 GPG.

And especially Turek, he got to play behind a great defensive team that gave up very few shots. That has not been the case for Binnington since 2020.

And the fact that those two only played 2 seasons for the Blues, so the sample sizes aren’t comparable either.

I know you don’t want to give Binner credit for anything, but lets acknowledge the factors here that make that comparison misleading.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

Agreed.
TOI tonight...
Schenn 20:30
Holloway 12:13
Bolduc 11:30

I'm not suggesting all 3 play the same minutes, but I would like to see Bolduc get around 14-15 minutes and Holloway get closer to 15-16 minutes on a consistent basis.

Bolduc and Holloway each had a little over 5 minutes of ice time after the 1st period. Both were at 9+ after the 2nd period and then both were effectively benched for old guys.

Bannister is tone deaf. Bad coach.

--

Funny CuJo story: I worked at the Streetside Records in Manchester in 1993. A few days after being eliminated from the playoffs, CuJo came in and walked straight up to me. I shook his hand and said, "f***ing outstanding. You need a better defense." He gave me a cringe look while Stephane Quintal glared down at me with a death stare.

Well, Quintal? Be better and I won't rip you right in front of your goalie! For the record, I don't remember if he was especially atrocious or not.

CuJo bought the Sonia Dada CD, which was one of our best sellers that year.

 

[Drubilly]

Bolduc and Holloway each had a little over 5 minutes of ice time after the 1st period. Both were at 9+ after the 2nd period and then both were effectively benched for old guys.

Bannister is tone deaf. Bad coach.

--

Funny CuJo story: I worked at the Streetside Records in Manchester in 1993. A few days after being eliminated from the playoffs, CuJo came in and walked straight up to me. I shook his hand and said, "f***ing outstanding. You need a better defense." He gave me a cringe look while Stephane Quintal glared down at me with a death stare.

Well, Quintal? Be better and I won't rip you right in front of your goalie! For the record, I don't remember if he was especially atrocious or not.

CuJo bought the Sonia Dada CD, which was one of our best sellers that year.

But what did they buy??

 

[ChicagoBlues]

But what did they buy??

Sonia Dada