The Playoff Push, Tanking and Scoreboard Watching Thread

[Meatball]

but seriously, this is a team of killers

wait until 55 gets healthy

 

[Meatball]

I’d love to have a topic to compare this team to the 19 team player for player to see how it stacks up. Just for shits

sanford-ror-perron

vs

neighbors-thomas-buchnevich

for starters

first line for first line

25 > 19;

 

[TheDizee]

Everyone won except for Vancouver.

 

[ScratchCatFever]

Have fun 1st round and get swept.

Better to just become the Western Conference version of the Buffalo Sabres, I suppose?

 

[Ranksu]

Better to just become the Western Conference version of the Buffalo Sabres, I suppose?

We are Wild currently. Middle of nowhere.

 

[ScratchCatFever]

We are Wild currently. Middle of nowhere.

We are Wild currently. Middle of nowhere.

That is a fair take on where we're at presently. Sports purgatory can be maddening. But I'd still bet a weeks pay that the majority of Buffalo fans would give anything to be sniffing the playoffs in late March and early April.

 

[Snubbed4Vezina]

Our 5-8 year window has just opened.

The team isn't perfect, but I've seen enough since Monty's been here to see that they have the talent to serve as the base for what could become a true contender in a couple seasons, and we've just barely scratched the surface of what our prospect pipeline will bring (Bolduc).

The offer sheets boys completely changed the trajectory of this team. Signing Monty as HC kicked things into high gear.

I'm just excited to watch good hockey. I don't need them to be great to get excited about watching Blues hockey, but I do need to see cohesiveness, structure, and vision.

 

[Celtic Note]

I don't think it is fair to compare them where ROR is 'basically' at his benchmark, but Thomas hasn't hit his benchmark.

ROR never had a single season where he was a point per game player. In fact, he never had a season where he paced for 80. ROR's highest point pace was the 79 point pace he put up in the 56 game COVID season where we didn't play 75% of the league. His 77 points (in 82 games) in 2018/19 was his 2nd best season and 2019/20 year was his 3rd best season where he was at a 70 point pace. Thoes were the only seasons in his career where he paced for 70+. All told in those 3 years that are his clear prime, he was a 75 point pace player.

Thomas played at an 87 point pace in 2021/22. Like ROR, on pace to be 3 points shy of the benchmark in his career-year. His 86 points (in 82 games) last year was his 2nd best season and was a point closer to his benchmark than ROR was to his. His 56 points in 57 games is his 3rd best season, which is an 80 point pace. All told in those 3 years he has been an 85 point pace player.

I know it seems like a nitpick, but my overall point is that ROR was great for us, but I don't think that he was quite the elite talent that we often view him as. He is for sure a tier below what Toews was. Toews had 7 seasons at a 70+ point pace compared to ROR's 3. He had 3 seasons where he matched or exceeded ROR's career point pace (which again, was that COVID year where you didn't play 75% of the league). Toews currently has 70 more career points than ROR despite playing 70 fewer games. And he outscored ROR by a noticeable margin when you compare their Conn Smythe playoff performances.

I think we sometimes give ROR just a bit too much credit offensively when we are thinking about the type of guys we need to build around in the future. He was stud and his 2018/19 career year is better than the highest Thomas has reached so far. And being a 70+ point guy on top of the rest of his game was massive. I'm really not trying to downplay it, but I do think that Thomas' career year will be on par with ROR's from an 'overall impact' standpoint.

I think you are absolutely right about regular season offense between the two.

To me, defense is where ROR was truly elite. His offense kept him in that tier for me. And during playoffs in general, he finds another gear.

The only question I have for Thomas is whether he too will be able to find that next gear. We absolutely we need it from him given what our team looks like now and projects to be in the future.

The lack of elite talent surrounding him is my larger concern, particularly when I don’t think Thomas is near the top of that elite talent class. I think you can safely build around Thomas as the #1C. My question is about the other pieces.

I still don’t see a guy I am comfortable projecting as a near elite D. I also don’t see another forward that I would project there either.

 

[TruBlueFan1970]

sanford-ror-perron

vs

neighbors-thomas-buchnevich

for starters

first line for first line

25 > 19;

Funny, I was literally thinking about this yesterday and how Army almost seems to be trying to build it similar. Edge goes to 2019 to me on 3 of 4 lines though.

Line 1: Shooter/grit, playmaker/200 ft center, physical player/grinder with some scoring
Perron-ROR-Sanford/Blais - gets the edge
Buch-Thomas-Jake - Buch<Perron

Line 2: Motor/speed/scorer, Vet, Scorer
Schwartz-Schenn-Tarasenko
Holloway-Schenn-Kyrou
- pretty darn close.

Line 3: Two vets and a kid
Maroon-Bozak-Thomas/Blais/Sanford
Joseph-Sunny-Bolduc
Easy to 2019, more skill, size, experience

Line 4: Identity and checking line
Steen-Sunny-Barbs
Walker-Faksa-Toro
Faksa = Sunny, but otherwise not even close

 

[Davimir Tarablad]

We are Wild currently. Middle of nowhere.

For what it's worth, we went from a bubble team to winning the Cup the very next season with a big trade and some key signings. We also have a deep prospect pool that could be leveraged into another big trade for a key piece if needed.

 

[Mike Liut]

The great thing about this team turning it around is, Broberg and Holloway are more likely to sign long term deals and also more likely to attract FA’s.

If I saw was a FA and saw this young nucleus and our prospect pool, I’d be telling my agent to give them a call.

 

[stl76]

We are Wild currently. Middle of nowhere.

If you want to go from bad to good, you’re probably going to need to travel through the area between.

 

[SirPaste]

Funny, I was literally thinking about this yesterday and how Army almost seems to be trying to build it similar. Edge goes to 2019 to me on 3 of 4 lines though.

Line 1: Shooter/grit, playmaker/200 ft center, physical player/grinder with some scoring
Perron-ROR-Sanford/Blais - gets the edge
Buch-Thomas-Jake - Buch<Perron

Line 2: Motor/speed/scorer, Vet, Scorer
Schwartz-Schenn-Tarasenko
Holloway-Schenn-Kyrou
- pretty darn close.

Line 3: Two vets and a kid
Maroon-Bozak-Thomas/Blais/Sanford
Joseph-Sunny-Bolduc
Easy to 2019, more skill, size, experience

Line 4: Identity and checking line
Steen-Sunny-Barbs
Walker-Faksa-Toro
Faksa = Sunny, but otherwise not even close

I would give the edge to 2019 Sunny over Faksa pretty easily IMO. 19 Sunny was a beast, flying all over the ice hitting everything in sight and creating chaos while also putting up 14 goals. Not a knock on Faksa but more just me loving what 19 Sunny was doing.

 

[WeWentBlues]

View attachment 996716

Everyone won except for Vancouver.

Minnesota look catchable to me

 

[PeoriaBlues309]

We are Wild currently. Middle of nowhere.

Extremely lazy take lol. We’re in the second full year of a competitive re-tool, and none of our top 5 prospects are even on the roster yet.

There’s a very real chance that this is the lowest place in the standings for us for up to the next decade.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

Extremely lazy take lol. We’re in the second full year of a competitive re-tool, and none of our top 5 prospects are even on the roster yet.

There’s a very real chance that this is the lowest place in the standings for us for up to the next decade.

I don’t think he believes what he is posting.

 

[Ranksu]

Extremely lazy take lol. We’re in the second full year of a competitive re-tool, and none of our top 5 prospects are even on the roster yet.

There’s a very real chance that this is the lowest place in the standings for us for up to the next decade.

Or the highest.

 

[Brian39]

I want to preface this by saying that we do not have as good of a roster as the 2019 team and I am not predicting a 2019-style deep playoff run.

But man, the vibe coming out of that room sure does feel similar to February/March of 2019. Monty seems to be pushing all the right buttons and every indication is that the players are all playing for each other. The 5 on 5 numbers in the 48 games since Monty took over look great (2nd in GF%, 4th in GA per 60, 5th in GF per 60, 10th in xGF%, 9th in scoring chance percentage, and 6th in high danger chance percentage). The numbers are even better if you just look at the most recent 10-20 games. We've been in the top third of the league in hits all year, but you can see the physicality ramping up.

This is the most fun I've had watching the Blues since the 2021/22 season and it felt great to check the standings and see the Blue Note sitting in a playoff spot. I absolutely loved how much ESPN was focused on Bolduc in the 1st period last night. This team is just fun right now.

 

[bleedblue1223]

Completely agree. While a loss in the 1st round is still most likely, and I don't expect any sort of run either, I do there's a decent chance they could have a 1st round upset, especially if Parayko comes back full strength. They are peaking at the right time, chemistry is at a high, the team is having fun, and it's fun to watch.

There's really nothing negative I have about this team right now.

 

[Mike Liut]

Extremely lazy take lol. We’re in the second full year of a competitive re-tool, and none of our top 5 prospects are even on the roster yet.

There’s a very real chance that this is the lowest place in the standings for us for up to the next decade.

Are our top 5 prospects better than Bolduc and Neighors? Just curious on your take

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

The game last night was the most enjoyable for me since the Cup run. It wasn’t perfect, but the response and drama, the crowd and playoff atmosphere…it was a fun one as a fan.

 

[Snubbed4Vezina]

The game last night was the most enjoyable for me since the Cup run. It wasn’t perfect, but the response and drama, the crowd and playoff atmosphere…it was a fun one as a fan.

I feel like that was the closest thing we've seen to the 2019 team in terms of physicality. Love to see it.

 

[Snubbed4Vezina]

If you want to go from bad to good, you’re probably going to need to travel through the area between.

Some of these tank teams still can't figure out how to get to the middle with regularity.

There's risk there. Pretending it's a cheat code to winning a Cup isn't being realistic.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

Are our top 5 prospects better than Bolduc and Neighors? Just curious on your take

Jake has played 199 NHL games. Not a prospect. Zack has 85, also not a prospect.

EDIT: Re-read your post and I understand now what you’re asking.

 

[PeoriaBlues309]

Are our top 5 prospects better than Bolduc and Neighors? Just curious on your take

Remains to be seen, but didn’t we have all of Dvorsky, Snuggerud, Lindstein, and Stenberg ahead of them going into last season? Jiricek obviously wasn’t drafted yet, but I’m including him because he’s another first rounder that hasn’t debuted yet.

In the end though, we still have a LOT of players who can be high to middle of the lineup guys yet to join the team. We aren’t even close to a finished product as an organization.