Half-Assed GDT: TankTown Express: It's All Kyrou's Fault

[Robb_K]

Beeeyoootiful 2 on 1, by Schenn and Kapanen, after a steal by Faulk! Schenn makes the perfect pass to the driving Kapanen, who buries it past the outstretched Halak!!! Blues win 3-2 in OT!!!

 

[AjaxManifesto]

View attachment 683091

This is absolutely the wrong time of the year to be showing it; but I have to admit that the Blues have a PO caliber offense.

Just need to fix things on the other side of the puck.

PK needs an overhaul

Hello pick # 12

Can't be helped.

The guys on the ice don't really give a shit about where the Blues pick.

They are fighting for their jobs.

 

[m1a2lt]

PK needs an overhaul

Both the Power Kill and the Penalty Play.

 

[Xanadude]

View attachment 683091

This is absolutely the wrong time of the year to be showing it; but I have to admit that the Blues have a PO caliber offense.

Just need to fix things on the other side of the puck.

For sure. We need a defensively responsible 3/4c (depending on Alexandrov's development), but otherwise I agree totally.

 

[kimzey59]

Hello pick # 12

Let's not over-react here.
#8 or 9 is still fairly realistic. We have a pretty tough end to the season.

 

[i aint Dunn yet]

PK needs an overhaul


Can't be helped.

The guys on the ice don't really give a shit about where the Blues pick.

They are fighting for their jobs.

this ^

 

[Linkens Mastery]

I don't think we're going to he good next year, but I think we are going to be a better team next year.

 

[BlueSeal]

I'm beginning to wonder if we should have just promoted Montgomery and fired Chief.

 

[TK 421]

Great job guys, you pissed off Thomas.

 

[ScratchCatFever]

Well, shit...

 

[kimzey59]

For sure. We need a defensively responsible 3/4c (depending on Alexandrov's development), but otherwise I agree totally.

Disagree.
We need a defensively responsible #2 Center.
Vrana-Thomas-Kyrou(Offensive line)
Buchy-X-KK(shut down line)
Neighbours-Schenn-Saad
Toro-Walker-Blais(wrecking crew)

The hard part is finding that guy(I'm really intrigued by Adam Henrique, I just don't know if we can make the Cap work).

 

[Robb_K]

Hello pick # 12

I'd rather have had their new and younger players play well, like they have, rather than having them lose most of their last 20 games, like The Tank fans wanted. The difference between the quality of The 7th and 12th choices doesn't (on the surface) seem to be that great. The Blues' scouts have had to do their best job possible, in any case. And we have to hope that Army will make well-informed and logical choices. Blues management has gotten to get a decent look at some of their youthful players, and recent pick-ups in order to be better prepared to make the best off-season personnel decisions they can.

 

[i aint Dunn yet]

i hope kap and the crow stick around for a full season next year

 

[Linkens Mastery]

Apparently all the Blues were good defensively statistics wise. Offensively not so much.

 

[m1a2lt]

Disagree.
We need a defensively responsible #2 Center.
Vrana-Thomas-Kyrou(Offensive line)
Buchy-X-KK(shut down line)
Neighbours-Schenn-Saad
Toro-Walker-Blais(wrecking crew)

The hard part is finding that guy(I'm really intrigued by Adam Henrique, I just don't know if we can make the Cap work).

Sam Bennett was available at the TDL and Florida is looking for defense. Something could be worked there.

 

[simon IC]

does Krug look faster to anyone else compared to earlier in the year?

No

 

[kimzey59]

Sam Bennett was available at the TDL and Florida is looking for defense. Something could be worked there.

I could be convinced.
But honestly; he doesn't check enough boxes for me.
He's not great defensively.
He's not great on faceoffs.

Same thing with Jack Roslovic(if Columbus wins Bedard or Fantilli, I see Roslovic being shopped).
Good player. Would certainly fill a role. Just doesn't really check the right boxes for me.

Honestly; Lindholm would be the best fit. But it would take an absolutely massive deal to make something happen there.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

this is why i'm not upset with how we are playing and even winning. if these games help guy like torpo grow and gain confidence and establish himself as more than just 4th line plug, for example, that is worth more than a place or 2 in draft where there ain't much difference in quality between guy we get 7th or 12th.

Definitely. When he was playing with JK/RT, he was often too far ahead of the play and I wanted RT/JK to think quicker and be ready for when Toro employs the coaching and starts to bust into the offensive zone. RT/JK were overthinking the whole playing Chip and Dale.

It could have been seen that he just not a good offensive player and couldn’t hang with those two, but I saw it as the opposite. RT/JK couldn’t keep up with Toropchenko.

After our big three prospects, I’ve had Toropchenko and Alexandrov as our legit top guys.

I thought Galloway would separate himself this year with the Hitmen, but it appears he has stalled. I had high hopes for him.

pardon any typos

 

[Ted Hoffman]

I'm beginning to wonder if we should have just promoted Montgomery and fired Chief.

Depends on when this idea first started. Remember, Montgomery was coming off being fired as the Stars head coach after "unprofessional conduct inconsistent with the core values and beliefs of the Dallas Stars and the National Hockey League." I don't recall an outpouring of support for him after the 2021 season; only when the team was firing on all cylinders in '21-22 did the idea of him sticking around behind the bench really catch on, and even then was anyone really ready to just hand the reins over to him?

Hindsight is always 20/20. You make the best decision you can at the time and if it doesn't play out the way you want, you have to play that hand and not the one you wish you'd had if you had made a different decision months prior.

 

[m1a2lt]

I could be convinced.
But honestly; he doesn't check enough boxes for me.
He's not great defensively.
He's not great on faceoffs.

Same thing with Jack Roslovic(if Columbus wins Bedard or Fantilli, I see Roslovic being shopped).
Good player. Would certainly fill a role. Just doesn't really check the right boxes for me.

Honestly; Lindholm would be the best fit. But it would take an absolutely massive deal to make something happen there.

I get what you're saying but I would argue on faceoffs, though he is sitting at +48%, last year was the first time since 2016 that he's had to take more than 100 faceoffs in a season and (330+) and he's had a career high this season (350+). Add his age and I think he has room to improve.

Yeah, agreed on his defensive play but he is far from the worst in the league. He's also had an off year on offense so that will drive down his price.

 

[DoubleK81]

Depends on when this idea first started. Remember, Montgomery was coming off being fired as the Stars head coach after "unprofessional conduct inconsistent with the core values and beliefs of the Dallas Stars and the National Hockey League." I don't recall an outpouring of support for him after the 2021 season; only when the team was firing on all cylinders in '21-22 did the idea of him sticking around behind the bench really catch on, and even then was anyone really ready to just hand the reins over to him?

Hindsight is always 20/20. You make the best decision you can at the time and if it doesn't play out the way you want, you have to play that hand and not the one you wish you'd had if you had made a different decision months prior.

After the offensive season we had in 21-22 there would have had to be some kind of serious issue behind the scenes with Berube in order to move on. Montgomery has always been an outstanding coach regardless of any personal issues. I would have been 100% ok had Armstrong decided to make a change, but I would definitely have been wondering WTF happened.

 

[Ted Hoffman]

Buchy 30% in the faceoff dot tonight. Woof!

He's not a center. No one should be expecting him to be throwing out 40%+ on the face-off dot.

You all need to quit obsessing over faceoffs. I've been told repeatedly over the years by teh analytics people that the importance of winning faceoffs is way overrated, even as I argued that something like faceoff efficiency (how often you win a faceoff and convert it to a scoring chance within say 10 seconds after) is far more important and should be measured and studied.

 

[tfriede2]

Hello pick # 12

We’d pick 11 after tonight (Ottawa holds tiebreaker), but who knows where we’ll end up. I think realistic worst case is 12.

 

[kimzey59]

I get what you're saying but I would argue on faceoffs, though he is sitting at +48%, last year was the first time since 2016 that he's had to take more than 100 faceoffs in a season and (330+) and he's had a career high this season (350+). Add his age and I think he has room to improve.

Yeah, agreed on his defensive play but he is far from the worst in the league. He's also had an off year on offense so that will drive down his price.

Like I said; I could be convinced.
I'm just looking for better.

To put it baseball terms. Bennett would be a solid double.
But I'm looking for the homerun.

 

[Hrkac Circus]

I'd rather have had their new and younger players play well, like they have, rather than having them lose most of their last 20 games, like The Tank fans wanted. The difference between the quality of The 7th and 12th choices doesn't (on the surface) seem to be that great. The Blues' scouts have had to do their best job possible, in any case. And we have to hope that Army will make well-informed and logical choices. Blues management has gotten to get a decent look at some of their youthful players, and recent pick-ups in order to be better prepared to make the best off-season personnel decisions they can.

Most of the tank talk comes from having a player like Bedard in the draft. Spots 5-7 have a half-way decent chance at drafting the next generational player. Spots 8-11, those chances get pretty slim. Spot 12, the chance becomes 0. If the 1 overall guy was just a typical “he’s pretty good player”, almost all of the tank talk goes away. But yeah, I’m like you, the difference between the 9th guy and 12th guy is probably a roll of the dice.