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When I started covering the Blues here early in 2012 the season was already in full swing. There wasn’t much time to plan out coverage tactics. Just had to hit the ground running and make the most of it.
Grateful for the opportunity. Tried my best.
This time around my goal is to be much more methodical, consistent, and purposeful. Blame the seepage of my political science education and business world background in to my hockey writing tendencies for this. But when reset button flashes at you shouldn’t pass up hitting it. The time before the start of the 2013-14 season is that blinking light calling for a pointer finger.
The first attempt has been pretty successful so far. Blues Qs, a question posed in a picture on social media networks, has started to rebuild the interaction with readers and hockey fans on Hockeybuzz that I enjoyed on BluenoteZone. It’s been on a brief hiatus, but will be back this weekend.
Today, Lunch Bites rolls out.
What is that?
It’s the next feature planned for recurrence throughout the upcoming season. As it progresses there will be more to talk about and offer insight, opinions, and analysis. Often it’s more than can be typed in to a post that can be reviewed in a reasonable amount of time. Chain sit down restaurant lunch portions smaller sizes are optimized for the time they’re consumed. Smaller doses of information tend to be easier to digest in the middle of the day because we’re all on information overload by that point.
Hence, the concept and it’s namesake was born.
Further, it’s a way to get my writing fix in a short period of time and give fans their hockey fix on their lunch break. A win-win. One that I looked for not that long ago. If one person is looking for it other like minded individuals probably are, too.
At least that’s my hope.
Enough rambling… on to the topics at hand…
Additional Coverage Planned
Blues Qs won’t be the only way I work towards rebuilding the fan interaction I had on BNZ. Coming over this season are some of the most popular recurring posts we made. They are:
- Pick the Goal Scorer: Post your guess as to who scores the first goal for the Blues in the game. At the end of the season correct guesses are totaled and the winner gets some sort of Blues related prize. Note, even if you don’t like around St. Louis, feel free to participate. I’ve shipped stuff before… to England.
- Caption the Photo: Every so often we’d post a pic and ask fans to caption it in comical ways. The best caption earned some gimmick/gag Blues prize. Not sure how often I’ll do it on Hockeybuzz, but it’ll make a comeback.
- Note of the Game: When the game is over there is always one play that stands out. I’ll bring the clip. You bring the discussion.
Concerned? Not yet, but when?
As of September 4th defenseman Alex Pietrangelo remains unsigned. Not for a lack of effort from either camp. The player’s or the Blues’. Petro remains confident and optimistic, publically. As does GM Doug Armstrong. Long delays in deals haven’t really seemed to be a major determent to the player. Comparables Drew Doughty and PK Subban took quite a while to ink their contracts and have been as good as would be expected. Concern is lacking, but only for now.
At some point the threshold will be crossed. Is that this week? Is it following the Traverse City tourney? The week of training camp? The first pre-season game?
From my perspective it’s the week of training camp.
These days camp isn’t used to get in to shape. That’s a year round effort now. However, as a lynchpin in bench boss Ken Hitchcock’s system Pietrangelo needs to be in camp to get his timing down and acquaint himself with the subtle changes hinted at by the coaching staff through out the summer. If he’s not there to do that, then the top pairing , Pietrangelo and Jay Bouwmeester, will lag behind expectations. Afford to struggle early on, the Blues cannot.
The “X” Factor
So much has been made out of wingers Vladimir Tarasenko and Chris Stewart as the Blues’ “x” factor. Primarily because they are the obvious offensive threats that need to score for St. Louis to be successful. They’re already set in goal and on defense so no “x” factors there.
Should there be?
Yes.
The difference between winning and losing for the Blues just isn’t timely goal scoring. It’s adherence to the style of play the coaching staff wants to see. Without the “five man effort” playing “hard” for “200 feet” the chances of being ahead on the score board after 60 minutes is rather small. There just isn’t enough high end talent on the team to support a more individualistic approach. (Hence, the Perron trade. I digress.)
From that perspective Patrik Berglund and Vladimir Sobotka should make an appearance on the X-List.
Berglund’s role is straight forward. Be “Backes Lite”. The second wave of big centermen that can control the middle of the ice and shutdown opposing scoring lines. Sobotka, is an energy manager. Creating it with big hits and stifling the other team’s by possessing the puck at even strength and producing key penalty kills.
If these two are able to do their jobs effectively the rest is likely to fall in place. Just as if Stewart and Tarasenko score as much the Blues hope they do.
Thanks for reading!
St Louis Blues Blogger • 
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