Observations XXI

[King Weber]

Goals per game this year so far at a 20 year high. PP % at a 20 year high. PK at a 20 year low. Save percentage at a 12 year low.

NHL League Averages | Hockey-Reference.com

I'm guessing that the change in goalie equipment has something to do with all of these things

 

[MrJoshua]

So this is one of those nights where you wish you could burn the tape before you even finish recording the game. Good grief. Everyone has been awful tonight.

 

[NoNecksCurse]

team full p***yess. i would square up and whoop half y'all sissy asses

 

[PredsV82]

Bad overall but I think we have enough data points that we need to worry a bit about Saros.

59 games to go. Split those 39 for Pekka and 20 for Saros.

If Saros gets 20 points in those 20 games we will need Rinne to go something like 25-10-4 to get to 107 points and have a decent shot at winning the Division.

 

[Scoresberg]

I think we saw the real Blues tonight. That team is loaded.

 

[Prediculous]

Losing confidence in Saros, he's got issues that need to be fixed when it comes to 1v1's like in shootouts or break-aways. Team also didn't do him any favors but Rinne wouldn't have given up 6 tonight. There also doesn't seem to be middle ground with him, he's either in God-mode or playing terribly. Not many 2 to 3 goal games against him it seems.

I'm not upset about the loss, it happens. Lets face it, we just need to make the playoffs, doesn't matter if it's first seed or 8th. I also like the fact that the lower seeded we go in, the more this team will feel like an underdog (hopefully).

I hope Turris is okay, but it didn't look good from where I was sitting.

 

[Pred303]

a horrible game. we basically got bull rushed. a few thoughts;

..tonight showed why we need a little more grit and strength up front on those top two lines.
..worrisome that strong physical play got us off our game so badly
..our 4th line was just god awful. awful.
..salomaki handed them the first two goals, gaudreau the 3rd one. which was in fact the game.
..why in the world is salomaki playing instead of Rinaldo? why?
..3 goals allowed by that line in their first 4 minutes of ice time.
..saros. you have to worry some. now has allowed 5 goals in 3 of his last 7 starts. 3 or more in 6 of those 7. and has a .860 save percentage in those 7.
..tonight his size got exposed some. 3 shots over the blocker. about 6 inches more to shot at there than with rinne.
..i'm expecting turris injury to be serious.
..salomaki was awful. gaudreau was awful. weber was bad. bitetto was bad. fiala was bad. saros wasn't good. Forsberg wasn't good. pretty much sums it up.

 

[TitansVolsPreds615]

It's important to remember that the blue stiLL don't have a snowballs chance in he'll this yr

 

[CMDEADLY]

Need to watch, but these games happen. We'll be back like we always do with a modification. We need to move someone for a winger with a little build though.

 

[Scoresberg]

The 4th line absolutely sucked ass no way around it. Don't understand why Rinaldo wasn't out there. Shows we need some depth in the bottom-6, I don't want Salomaki there night in night out. Gaudreau scored last game but isn't a very good player either.

Saros certainly didn't help his cause but couple of the goals they scored were absolute snipes. Probably no goalie will catch those. The team in front of him didn't help either.

All things considered, Blues had to win, absolutely had to and we didn't and that showed. Add to that, our backup has a below average night, we can't keep up with their grit and some injuries and that's the result.

 

[PredsV82]

What a world we live in when we are upset that Zac Rinaldo didnt play.

But I agree, why do we even have him on the roster if not for nights like last night?

 

[triggrman]

a horrible game. we basically got bull rushed. a few thoughts;

..tonight showed why we need a little more grit and strength up front on those top two lines.
..worrisome that strong physical play got us off our game so badly
..our 4th line was just god awful. awful.
..salomaki handed them the first two goals, gaudreau the 3rd one. which was in fact the game.
..why in the world is salomaki playing instead of Rinaldo? why?
..3 goals allowed by that line in their first 4 minutes of ice time.
..saros. you have to worry some. now has allowed 5 goals in 3 of his last 7 starts. 3 or more in 6 of those 7. and has a .860 save percentage in those 7.
..tonight his size got exposed some. 3 shots over the blocker. about 6 inches more to shot at there than with rinne.
..i'm expecting turris injury to be serious.
..salomaki was awful. gaudreau was awful. weber was bad. bitetto was bad. fiala was bad. saros wasn't good. Forsberg wasn't good. pretty much sums it up.

I'd put Ellis in that "bad category too. He's been making questionable reads the last few games.

Ekholm had a good game though.

 

[Aardvarksson]

I'm willing to dismiss that game as a post-Thanksgiving hangover against a desperate team.

 

[Drake744]

Saros certainly didn't help his cause but couple of the goals they scored were absolute snipes. Probably no goalie will catch those. The team in front of him didn't help either.

Maybe I'm naive but this is where I'm afraid his small size will be a problem. A lot of goalies get beat or sniped on but their size helps them just kinda get in the way. Saros is still a good goalie IMO and he does everything he can to keep his cool and his technique sharp but there are some things out of his control that lead to goals against. The more I watch games he plays in, the more I wonder how hard it can be for NHL shooters to just go top shelf on him at least 3 times a game. He can stop every single shot down low but if you're going up top you're basically shooting against air once he drops down, and that's a problem for him.

 

[GoldOnGold]

Hartman keeps on starting out on the 4th line and he really deserves better.

 

[GoldOnGold]

We hadn't really been shellacked thus far this season, and I guess it was bound to happen eventually. To bad it had to be against St. Louis.

 

[Pred303]

that 3-0 loss to CGY felt like a shellacking to me.

 

[BigFatCat999]

 

[triggrman]

If Irwin did that to one of our players I’d be pissed, that was dirty

 

[NoNecksCurse]

If Irwin did that to one of our players I’d be pissed, that was dirty

i think he was going for the hat trick of putting the ducks on the PP. i don't see how that wasn't a penalty. it looked ugly.

 

[BigFatCat999]

Um...Watson is a point per game player.

 

[PredsV82]

Um...Watson is a point per game player.

"I used to be good..."

 

[Pred303]

every win is a good win. we have to take care of business at home to help kill off these injuries, especially since we have now lost our last 4 road games I believe.

..have to hand it to Watson and Bonino, they have pretty much led us to about our last 3-4 wins.
..probably a good thing we just didn't just give Watson away for nothing like some seemed to want us to do huh?
..weber and Irwin seemed to be doing their best to make this one interesting.
..our PP is so much better when we actually get the puck to the net instead of just passing it around the blueline.
..arvidsson's speed and quickness is sorely missed by our top line. it's readily apparent how that opened space for Forsberg.
..Forsberg with a mighty sloppy turnover cost us that one.
..rinne continues to shine.
..can't say we have missed Subban terribly because of how well hamhuis and ekholm have taken care of that pair and the PP has gotten to going. the only bad thing is it means weber-Irwin get more ice time to me
..I prefer bitteto over Irwin I think. well right now.
..I've been critical of bonino, so I have to say it's good to see the way he has played lately.
..in 20 years I've never felt as good when we have a one goal lead late and an empty net at the other end.
..overall we actually played a heck of a defensive game.


oh yeah, I still think Watson should have had an assist of Bonino's goal. looked like he knocked the puck to sissons to start the play.. would/should have been a 4 point night.

 

[King Weber]

with Subban out, it's become evident just how good of a pickup Hamhuis was. Good to have someone on the team who can play top 4 minutes if need be.

 

[PredsV82]

How cool will it be if Watson ends up finally reaching the potential that he was drafted for, ie solid two way player who can score a decent amount.