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Update -
Bortuzzo is indeed back in and Thomas is out as expected based on his very poor game Wednesday night.
The lines are moving around and will at least start like this:
Steen - O'Reilly - Tarasenko
Fabbri - Schenn - Perron
Maroon - Bozak - Blais
Sanford - Barbashev - Sundqvist
Edmundson - Pietrangelo
Dunn - Parayko
Bouwmeester - Bortuzzo
Allen
In looking at the lines, I like Barbashev at center. I like trying Steen with Tarasenko and O'Reilly. In my opinion, the Blues need to save the Fabbri, Schwartz, and Schenn for the other lines. I'd be curious to see Perron tried there and also wouldn't mind moving Maroon back again.
For me, the top two defensive pairings have to be what you roll with consistently. They have history and need to figure out, sink or swim style.
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From earlier:
The Blues moved closer to the #tankforHughes strategy Wednesday night when they wasted a 3 goal comeback, losing 4-3 to the Detroit Red Wings.
The loss was the same story different day with terrible defensive zone coverage. On the Red Wings 1st three goals, the Blues started the play with more defenders than the Red Wings had attacking forwards.
Let’s look at goal one. The Blues should be ok with five players guarding three Red Wings. Unfortunately, nobody wants to actually cover Thomas Vanek in the low slot which allows him an easy goal.
The Wings 2nd goal isn’t much better. Notice how the Blues have four players covering three Red Wings with Brayden Schenn additionally playing a shallow free safety type role.
Of course, this doesn’t last long as Schenn isn’t able to intercept the cross ice pass and then the coverage blows apart like a $2 watch. Notice how Robby Fabbri vacates his man (Athansiou). Robret Thomas takes a lazy turn leaving his man and also not taking the man Fabbri released. Pietrangelo leaves his man on the side wall coming back to the post. Instead of recognizing the coverage error made by the combination of Thomas and Fabbri, Pietrangelo coasts to the post, leaving Athanasiou alone in the slot. Yet again, another goal scored by a wide open player in the most dangerous of area.
The Red Wings third goal wasn’t much better as the Blues again start the play with more defenders than the attacking Red Wings.
Then it turned into this:
As much as it pains me to say, contrary to the opinion of some other Blues writers, Jay Bouwmeester makes the right play on this goal, going with the puck carrier. Robert Thomas who was covering for Jordan Schmaltz unfortunately falls asleep on the play. How he lost his coverage at the most important point of the play is baffling to me. It again shows that Thomas really should be in the AHL but that isn’t an option under the CBA. This makes two goals against for which Thomas has a direct contribution.
Unfortunately for Thomas, it would get worse. After rallying to the game, Thomas would lose an important board battle badly.
Making matters worse, Schmaltz gets completely turned around in front of the net, keeping him from defending Bertuzzi and allowing the game winning goal.
The Blues went from #roarbacon to #toast in a matter of five minutes. The reality is that the Yeo or Berube’s system only matters so much when the execution is so poor. Hopefully the team will start playing with more urgency and efficiency but I haven’t seen much to suggest such a change will occur with any consistency.
The test gets tougher tonight as they visit the Colorado Avalanche. The Avalanche are on the rise, winning six in a row and earning 17 of their last 20 points, vaulting to the 4th best points per game team in the league and best in the conference. They are the highest scoring team in the league with the best power play which doesn’t bode well for the Blues with their coverage issues. Their defense has been good as well, 7th best in the league.
They also have arguably the best line in the league, with Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon having the most and second most points in the league. Gabriel Landeskog isn’t bad either with 28 points in 25 games. In net Semyon Varlamov has stopped 92.7% of the shots he has faced.
For the Blues, it sounds like Robert Bortuzzo is back in tonight. With back to backs tonight and tomorrow, expect Jake Allen and Chad Johnson to split the starts.
NHL Champions for Charity
We’ve gotten some traction on the charity wager among the Central Division bloggers. More on that to come.
It’s a great day for hockey.
St Louis Blues Blogger • 
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