OIL! @ Blues

[Alklha]

It's frustration...I know how valuable a piece he is. I have to be honest though. If the Blues did decide to trade him, then I can see why they did. He has really cost them this year. I don't know, if it is the pressure of the contract or what. He has several games that you can point to that he was a prime factor in why they lost.

I wouldn't go that far. He has still been a very good player for us this year, just not to the standard we have become accustomed.

I think it is easy for us to say he is trying to copy Karlsson or whatever, but this is part of his development as a player. It is frustrating to watch sometimes, but the only way he becomes the best player possible is to push boundaries and see what works and what doesn't.

It would have been better if he could have done that with a better fit as partner. Jackman has been great, but ideally someone with a little more foot speed would have found himself in that role and help limit the damage.

On the up side, we'll hopefully be seeing the benefit of his rough play this season for the next 15+ years.

 

[PerryTurnbullfan]

This is the NHL. Not EA Sports or minor hockey. Just shooting it rarely goes in, and is a waste of an opportunity.

But trying to beat everyone one on one with a toe drag and losing the puck or shooting wide is a good opportunity. Create traffic in front of the net and shoot it at the goal. Hockey 101. Save the highlight reel stuff for EA Sports.

 

[Fluff Master]

Point shot after point shot, is there anything else the Blues can do? I'd love to see some creative offense going on. We did have some great chances last night from Tarasenko, Steen, and Perron but all I kept seeing was us entering the zone, take a shot, play the perimeter, and eventually turn over the puck. It's almost like the hashmarks in the circle mean the stopping point for us. Sure, we had lots of shots, but the shot and pass selection were lacking. No matter how much we outwork other teams we need quality over quantity when it comes to our passes and shots on net.

 

[SirPaste]

Man last night was so frustrating, only the Blues can be outshooting a team 30-9 after two periods yet be losing 3-0.

 

[BadgersandBlues]

I think part of our problem is that we're having the oft-heard cliche about our best players not being our best players.

AP has been pretty horrible this year. I did some checking, last year in 81 games, he had 5 games where he was a -2 or worse. This year he's already had 7 in 31 games. That's a -huge- difference. Sure, +/- is a bit misleading sometimes, and our goaltending has been very poor overall, but I think we can all agree that AP has been the reason behind a lot of those goals against.

Backes and Oshie have not had the type of success we've seen from them in the last two years. We've seen the analysis that those two guys have done a -ton- of the heavy lifting in the last two years for this team. Yet this year they are both struggling offensively (Backes more then Oshie) -and- defensively. Injuries have taken a toll, sucks that they happened to these guys and not D'ags etc.

I'm not trying to lay this frustration at anyone in specific's door. If anything, I'm a firm believer that our goaltending has been pretty horrific, and the main reason we've regressed from last year.

The part that I don't really understand is that we played -really- well overall on the road trip. Other then the second period in Vancouver, I thought we dominated pretty much for the rest of the trip. Last night we clearly carried the play, we just made some bad decisions, and didn't make the goalie work hard enough (even though he did stop 3 breakaways).

The only goal I could even begin to fault Allen for is the 2nd goal. But Kris Russell was caught gazing at RNH's stickwork, and didn't pick up on the fact that Eberle was skating right by him. A little more hockey sense and I think that shot doesn't even get on net.

 

[Multimoodia]

My sentiments almost exactly... Maybe Pietro needs to be the piece that goes. He seems to cost us more goals than he can create.

Dear fan in oregon,

Release PTBF right now...kidnapping is bad form sir, bad form indeed.


Come to the sound of sanity PTBF, away from the hauntings of "Woyrika"...

 

[izzy]

But trying to beat everyone one on one with a toe drag and losing the puck or shooting wide is a good opportunity. Create traffic in front of the net and shoot it at the goal. Hockey 101. Save the highlight reel stuff for EA Sports.

Better off trying to get it to an area that is actually going to get us a goal, yes. I didn't say highlight reel, moving it in is the best way to score.

 

[ManyIdeas]

There was lots of moving in to score last night.

 

[Multimoodia]

There was lots of moving in to score last night.

There was but amusingly (well darkly anyway) it seemed to be the defense instead of the forwards doing so.

Also, at some point one of the players needs to figure out how to do a cross-ice pass. The Blues have the triggermen for it, and typically Perron and McDonald are capable of it, as I suspect Tarasenko and Schwartz are as well.
During this low output stretch it seems the Blues are lucky to complete one per night.

 

[PocketNines]

In fairness, opposing team defenses clog the slot on purpose when the Blues are in the offensive zone. I haven't noticed lots of wide open lanes going un-exploited. In Perron's defense, he's often winning possession along the boards and holding the puck looking for a lane to get a guy the puck in shooting position. If the guy he wants to pass to in the slot is not in a shooting position I can see why he waits a bit longer. Tarasenko is pretty good at finding that shooting position for a quick release, which is why I like the two on the same line together. I'm convinced they'll figure that out. If Tarasenko buries even 33% of his glorious chances lately we're not criticizing Perron for this. The general consensus seems to be that Perron controlling the puck in the offensive zone is a bad thing, but I don't agree. I think it's because if a play is thwarted then it's more likely it happened when Perron had the puck looking for an opportunity so it's easy to point to him as the culprit. But he's looking for a specific lethal pass (and occasionally a shot opens up). When he has the puck I feel like there's a greater chance something good happens compared to when most other guys have the puck in the o-zone.

 

[Alklha]

Jaro starts tomorrow. I wouldn't be surprised if we try and persist with him over the next 3 games, as long as he doesn't force Allen back in.

 

[PocketNines]

Halak announced as the starter against LA. I actually think this is the right move. Approach tomorrow like Game 1 and see how everyone performs.

 

[Chibi]

Point shot after point shot, is there anything else the Blues can do? I'd love to see some creative offense going on. We did have some great chances last night from Tarasenko, Steen, and Perron but all I kept seeing was us entering the zone, take a shot, play the perimeter, and eventually turn over the puck. It's almost like the hashmarks in the circle mean the stopping point for us. Sure, we had lots of shots, but the shot and pass selection were lacking. No matter how much we outwork other teams we need quality over quantity when it comes to our passes and shots on net.

Oh hey look you did join, told you it was better than the Asylum! I'll PM you Fluff.
Dude your avatar: wtf?

Missed the game last night, was too busy unpacking and sleeping the day away. Apparently it's good I didn't see it as the LOiL got their 3-0 revenge shutout win against us. I'll be at the game Thursday against LA and I hope to see every player completely bought into the system.

 

[BlueDream]

I'll be at the game tomorrow night too.

Expecting a meltdown from Halak.

 

[PocketNines]

I'll be at the game tomorrow night too.

Expecting a meltdown from Halak.

I don't expect a meltdown from him. His reputation was to shine under pressure. Tomorrow isn't a playoff game, but it sort of is. But if a meltdown happens (and it could), what do the Blues do?

 

[BlueDream]

As you've been saying P9, this next week is going to be very interesting.

I hope Halak does well but given our history against the Kings with him and Elliott in net, I just don't have any positivity really. Hope they come out hard and prove something to everybody though.

 

[SirPaste]

I don't expect a meltdown from him. His reputation was to shine under pressure. Tomorrow isn't a playoff game, but it sort of is. But if a meltdown happens (and it could), what do the Blues do?

Panic?

 

[Chibi]

Panic?

at the disco

I don't think (hope) Halak will have a melt-down, he'll have had a day of rest that should help him. I do agree with those saying it will be like the playoffs, we don't have many games left. These next two before the deadline are key for us going forward.

 

[Captain Creampuff]

I said last game Halak would **** the bed and I'm saying he does this game as well. We lose 5-2 tomorrow night.

 

[bluemandan]

I said last game Halak would **** the bed and I'm saying he does this game as well. We lose 5-2 tomorrow night.

Too bad you didn't call Allen ****ing the bed too. Probably has a lot more to do with support, or lack thereof, in front of the goalies than the goalies at this point.

 

[BadgersandBlues]

Too bad you didn't call Allen ****ing the bed too. Probably has a lot more to do with support, or lack thereof, in front of the goalies than the goalies at this point.

Allen didn't crap the bed. The second goal was the only one that he had -any- chance on.

If you don't get mad at Halak for the first Cervenka goal in Calgary, you can't get mad at Allen for the second Eberle goal last night. Eberle is a much more prolific scorer, Allen had to track a pass, and the spot on the ice the shot was taken was much closer. The second Eberle goal was a much higher degree of difficulty save then the first Cervenka goal.

On the other two, what was Allen supposed to do? He played the shot on the two on one, and he actually stopped Eberle on a breakaway before getting dragged into the corner with him.....which I thought could have been called interference and had the goal waved off, but oh well.

 

[Captain Creampuff]

Too bad you didn't call Allen ****ing the bed too. Probably has a lot more to do with support, or lack thereof, in front of the goalies than the goalies at this point.

Except those goals weren't a result of Allen ******** the bed. He had no chance on them except for possibly the 1st one. He stuck with the shooter and relied on Jax blocking the pass. It was a 3 on 1 for Pete's sake. What did you want him to do on the second goal? Not get sniped on? Ebs scored a beauty there. Third one what was he supposed to do? Not get drilled into the boards?

 

[brendan]

Allen's a shiny new toy so he gets the easy way out.. if Halak gave up 3 goals on 7 shots this board would lose their minds. I find it hilarious how some people think Allen is already better than Halak with only 11 starts under his NHL career.

 

[542365]

Allen's a shiny new toy so he gets the easy way out.. if Halak gave up 3 goals on 7 shots this board would lose their minds. I find it hilarious how some people think Allen is already better than Halak with only 11 starts under his NHL career.

I got attacked for saying Khabibulin played better than Allen last night. How that is even debatable is beyond me. The lengths some of these people will go to in order to protect their darling prospects is just absurd. Allen has played well, but last night he was outplayed. It's a fact.

 

[Multimoodia]

I got attacked for saying Khabibulin played better than Allen last night. How that is even debatable is beyond me. The lengths some of these people will go to in order to protect their darling prospects is just absurd. Allen has played well, but last night he was outplayed. It's a fact.

I do not see how that can even be debated. One had a shutout over 42 shots.

The other, if we are to be kind, gave up at least one goal on 11 shots (take away, say, the first and third goal) which, while good enough for a .900+ save percentage...does not equal a near quadrupling of shots and a 1.000 save percentage.

I would not say Allen played poorly...just not out of his mind like Bulin.