Reaves stick wasn't moving. He isn't responsible for getting out of the Blackhawks way, despite the refs calling it as such.

Blues might need to start throwing dirty checks and taking dives like the Blackhawks do in order to beat them.
- Antilles

His stick moved bro watch it again.

I am tinkig hat Backes goal should not have counted. I know Oshie got oushed a bit but he seemed to let himself slide there a bit. By the rules it should no count. Personally I think once you contact the player it is a free play for him to then interfer with the goaltender. But that is not the rule. If that goal was against us I would not be happy.

Man the Hawks do not look as good as they normally do. The Blues show some flashes but their dmen just back away from the play. Gunnersson wanted to step on one play stopped himself and then back up more giving the Hawks a free shot and creating a screen as Elliott can not seem to handle any such screen shot.

The dmen are playing against their instincts. A play before the Blues tied it up saw Toews skating towards the zone with three Blues players in his path and not even the forward Backes took a run at him. The last few feet there is no room. Punish him.

I keep hearing about toughness, but this is not about toughness. This about positioning and some of the positioning does not make sense to me. The more a defender backs up and gives me time and space the happier I am. There is an area of the ice I want to get to shoot, that I crave shooting from. Let me get there and you be the screen. If you block the shot or a rebound pops lose the guys trailing the play are coming in with speed as am I and you cannot react as well when you are on your heels.

I am tinkig hat Backes goal should not have counted. I know Oshie got oushed a bit but he seemed to let himself slide there a bit. By the rules it should no count. Personally I think once you contact the player it is a free play for him to then interfer with the goaltender. But that is not the rule. If that goal was against us I would not be happy.

Man the Hawks do not look as good as they normally do. The Blues show some flashes but their dmen just back away from the play. Gunnersson wanted to step on one play stopped himself and then back up more giving the Hawks a free shot and creating a screen as Elliott can not seem to handle any such screen shot.

The dmen are playing against their instincts. A play before the Blues tied it up saw Toews skating towards the zone with three Blues players in his path and not even the forward Backes took a run at him. The last few feet there is no room. Punish him.

I keep hearing about toughness, but this is not about toughness. This about positioning and some of the positioning does not make sense to me. The more a defender backs up and gives me time and space the happier I am. There is an area of the ice I want to get to shoot, that I crave shooting from. Let me get there and you be the screen. If you block the shot or a rebound pops lose the guys trailing the play are coming in with speed as am I and you cannot react as well when you are on your heels.
- BluemanGuruu

I just watched a similar play and Schwartz anticipated the pass and stepped up and was off the other way about 5:45 left mark.

I am tinkig hat Backes goal should not have counted. I know Oshie got oushed a bit but he seemed to let himself slide there a bit. By the rules it should no count. Personally I think once you contact the player it is a free play for him to then interfer with the goaltender. But that is not the rule. If that goal was against us I would not be happy.
- BluemanGuruu

Rule 69.1 Paragraph 4
If an attacking player has been pushed, shoved, or fouled by a
defending player so as to cause him to come into contact with the
goalkeeper, such contact will not be deemed contact initiated by the
attacking player for purposes of this rule, provided the attacking player
has made a reasonable effort to avoid such contact.

So refs don't call the obvious 4 minute high stick; the obvious slashing Schwartz' stick out of his hands, or the obvious Carcillo playing with a broken stick; but they will call that hooking penalty.

Watching good, close games being decided by bad officiating is just exhausting. You can't only call penalties on one team when both are committing them.

Elliott just sucks.

So refs don't call the obvious 4 minute high stick; the obvious slashing Schwartz' stick out of his hands, or the obvious Carcillo playing with a broken stick; but they will call that hooking penalty.

Watching good, close games being decided by bad officiating is just exhausting. You can't only call penalties on one team when both are committing them.
- Antilles

yeah i agree.

Rule 69.1 Paragraph 4
If an attacking player has been pushed, shoved, or fouled by a
defending player so as to cause him to come into contact with the
goalkeeper, such contact will not be deemed contact initiated by the
attacking player for purposes of this rule, provided the attacking player
has made a reasonable effort to avoid such contact.
- Antilles

Then it is contradicted by another rule.

Type the exact rules all you want. They are interpretted how the NhL wants them and then by officials. The officials basically call the game the wy the NHL wants. That is why Vancouver lost to Boston in the finals a few years back. The rules were the same the whole year and changed in the finals. Boston could not deal with the speed or skll of Vancouver without taking penalties that went uncalled.

blah blah blah. You still need to make plays and have goaltenders who make some saves other than the easy onea.

Apparently the coward Toews can two hand slash all day long and it is not a penalty.

Apparently the coward Toews can two hand slash all day long and it is not a penalty.
- BluemanGuruu

Meh. Ref's decided the Blackhawks were supposed to win, and made sure it happened. Just wish they could have let the Blues know before hand so we could skip this game and let the team get some rest.

2 players need to go, maybe 3.

Stastny
Bouwmeester
Maybe Pietrangelo

Bouwmeester and Stastny certainly. That would open up 12 million in salary and bring players that want to play. Bouwmeester cannot skate and makes poor decisions. at least 3 times today he gave up while trying to obtain the puck.

7 mill for 30 pts for stastny……….

About a minute forty thirty left in the game. Gunnersson is going to get the ouck and his stick is completely utterly grabbed and held by the Hawk player right in front of the ref. It haooens but then he goes to play the puck and the guy is still holding his stick. That almost never goes on without a call. The Hawks get a scoring chance out of it.

Also why against the Hawks do the Blues force the puck to the dmen?? The Hawks cheat to their dmen.

Then again third game in four days versus a team who olayed only two during that time and what was it seven games in ten days? Of course they took the last one off against Columbus so you figured they would be well rested.


Biggest difference in the game? Crawford made the save and Elliott nope.

2 players need to go, maybe 3.

Stastny
Bouwmeester
Maybe Pietrangelo

Bouwmeester and Stastny certainly. That would open up 12 million in salary and bring players that want to play. Bouwmeester cannot skate and makes poor decisions. at least 3 times today he gave up while trying to obtain the puck.

7 mill for 30 pts for stastny……….
- BluesDroogie

That is oneof the dumbest things I have read. JayBo can't skate like an eagle cannot fly.

That is oneof the dumbest things I have read. JayBo can't skate like an eagle cannot fly.
- BluemanGuruu

Did you watch Bouwmeester give up on allot of plays, i did. Stastny has not fit in well at all so far. his goals he does get are pretty weak like his last goal. 7 mill for a 3rd liner? i get this team is pretty offensively talented but he is a 3rd liner on this team. Bouwmeester has to be injured or is just showing his age now.

Blues lost this game for a number of reasons and will suffer the same fate in the playoffs if things do not change.

Did you watch Bouwmeester give up on allot of plays, i did. Stastny has not fit in well at all so far. his goals he does get are pretty weak like his last goal. 7 mill for a 3rd liner? i get this team is pretty offensively talented but he is a 3rd liner on this team. Bouwmeester has to be injured or is just showing his age now.

Blues lost this game for a number of reasons and will suffer the same fate in the playoffs if things do not change.
- BluesDroogie

This insight from the person who blamed Petro for a goal last game when Lindstrom is the person covering the guy who scores.

Just stick to talking to Blackhawks fans about how great they are and how much you dislike Blues players. Nobody here is interested in ignorant crap like saying one of the best skaters on the team can't skate.

This insight from the person who blamed Petro for a goal last game when Lindstrom is the person covering the guy who scores.

Just stick to talking to Blackhawks fans about how great they are and how much you dislike Blues players. Nobody here is interested in ignorant crap like saying one of the best skaters on the team can't skate.
- Antilles

whatever man. think what you like. i saw some players that made poor plays and stopped skating. if you choose to drink the blue cool aid and see through rose filtered glasses thats your problem. I choose to be objective and yes i will call out players that i think should be doing better than they currently are.

Not sure if i blamed petro on the goal you are talking about. I love this team. DON'T EVER QUESTION MY LOYALTY.

whatever man. think what you like. i saw some players that made poor plays and stopped skating. if you choose to drink the blue cool aid and see through rose filtered glasses thats your problem. I choose to be objective and yes i will call out players that i think should be doing better than they currently are.

Not sure if i blamed petro on the goal you are talking about. I love this team. DON'T EVER QUESTION MY LOYALTY.
- BluesDroogie

You called the best skater on the team bad at skating. That's not me having rose-colored glasses, that's you just not liking someone and making up crap. You called out Petro for a goal that was in no way his fault in this very thread. That's not me drinking blue kool aid; that's you just choosing the crap on Blues players for absolutely no reason. You're not objective, you complain about the Blues players regardless of whether it's deserved or not. That's the opposite of objective.

Almost every regular poster here calls out the Blues players when they make mistakes. But you don't call out players when they actually make mistakes, you just crap all over them deserved or not. When the majority of your posts are negative about the Blues but without actually being based on anything, it's on you when you aren't thought of as actually being a fan of the team.

You called the best skater on the team bad at skating. That's not me having rose-colored glasses, that's you just not liking someone and making up crap. You called out Petro for a goal that was in no way his fault in this very thread. That's not me drinking blue kool aid; that's you just choosing the crap on Blues players for absolutely no reason. You're not objective, you complain about the Blues players regardless of whether it's deserved or not. That's the opposite of objective.

Almost every regular poster here calls out the Blues players when they make mistakes. But you don't call out players when they actually make mistakes, you just crap all over them deserved or not. When the majority of your posts are negative about the Blues but without actually being based on anything, it's on you when you aren't thought of as actually being a fan of the team.
- Antilles

your right, i'm not a fan.

once again Hitchcock out-coached AGAIN! by one of the 3 teams the BLUES can't beat at home now too as well as on the road to try to advance to a CUP final!

1 scoring chance in the 3rd period... UNACCEPTABLE!!!

i didn't see one BLUES D man out there that should feel safe from a trade out there today! BLUES need someone that clear the front of the net this group is not getting it done!

it's official the Butthawks are getting all the calls in the West now that Red Terds left to go to the EAST!

i watched the game on NBC the national broadcast and what a joke can Comcast tilt these games anymore to their big markets like CHI! OLCYZK should just wear his butthawks jersey in the announce booth... can he tongue towews, kane, hossa anymore without having a permanent brown ring around his mouth.

Elliott just sucks.
- BluemanGuruu

The defense did not help him out on at least two of the goals. We are still backing in way too deep and was to slow to challenge and close the gab. Also, slot rebound coverage is horrible.

For example, first goal was very, very stoppable but it should never have been a shot from there in the first place.

The defense did not help him out on at least two of the goals. We are still backing in way too deep and was to slow to challenge and close the gab. Also, slot rebound coverage is horrible.

For example, first goal was very, very stoppable but it should never have been a shot from there in the first place.
- stljam

The first one and the power play goals were not very good by him. The last one especially.

The first one you are correct that is the bigger problem, the dmen backing in is much worse than Elliott's inability to track that shot.

I do not know why they are being coached to back in so much. As you see it as well it has nothing to do with clearing out the front of the net but giving too much time and space by backing away from the play. One guy skating the puck three Blues players and they keep backing in with no pressure. Makes zero sense. I get it sometimes you contain a player push him to the outside and try not to over commit because if you do that on say Kane he will usually beat you.

To be clear Elliott does not suck. He is just good. Plain and simply good. Nothing great. He usually gets the job done. But today's game was not a good one for him.

JayBo did not have a good game either but some of the stuff being said about him is insane.

Allen to me is starting to look like the man. At least for now anyway.

once again Hitchcock out-coached AGAIN! by one of the 3 teams the BLUES can't beat at home now too as well as on the road to try to advance to a CUP final!

1 scoring chance in the 3rd period... UNACCEPTABLE!!!

i didn't see one BLUES D man out there that should feel safe from a trade out there today! BLUES need someone that clear the front of the net this group is not getting it done!

it's official the Butthawks are getting all the calls in the West now that Red Terds left to go to the EAST!

i watched the game on NBC the national broadcast and what a joke can Comcast tilt these games anymore to their big markets like CHI! OLCYZK should just wear his butthawks jersey in the announce booth... can he tongue towews, kane, hossa anymore without having a permanent brown ring around his mouth.
- bird diggler

I would not go so far on much of this. I do see when Hitch tries to control a game it usually doesnot work. I cannot blame the defensemen as much as the coaching. There is no way they are playing against their instincts and it is the players making that decision.

I did not think Eddie O was being as much of a favorite as he could be. I do hate those broadcasts. The officiating was terrible and it makes sense maybe the NHL favors the bigger market team winning and helps them along. At the same time it is not like the NHL just handed the goals over. The Blues could execute better and win. They struggle mightily against the trap.

Tarasenko needs to get his head out of his butt. I liked him before the hype and he actually was great at both ends of the ice. This is aso coaching as they are telling him to float more. The kid needs to know when he is in the dangerous areas to shoot the puck and not try to thread the needle. If the pass is open there then sure but it was not.

Twice I saw this team shoot to the side the goalie was sliding towards with great one timer positions. Both times the better play was to shoot back to the area the goalie was vacating. The reason is he might make the save but the rebound is open there. This team needs to learn a pass often is a shot that creates a rebound.

The defense did not help him out on at least two of the goals. We are still backing in way too deep and was to slow to challenge and close the gab. Also, slot rebound coverage is horrible.

For example, first goal was very, very stoppable but it should never have been a shot from there in the first place.
- stljam

That second goal was terrible as well. That rebound control was terrible. That one was mostly on him. But I felt neither of the other two were shots you think are scoring most of the time. He positioned himself poorly both times.

That second goal was terrible as well. That rebound control was terrible. That one was mostly on him. But I felt neither of the other two were shots you think are scoring most of the time. He positioned himself poorly both times.
- BluemanGuruu

At least Cole playing off was understandable though he got caught between playing the pass and taking the shooter but at least the situation was a decision one. The first goal had 3 blues back like you said, no excuse for not pressuring the puck.

As a goalie, the collapsing D becomes a mental problem for the goalie. It cam become a confidence issue - them in you, you in them, etc.

I do see when Hitch tries to control a game it usually does not work. I cannot blame the defensemen as much as the coaching.
- BluemanGuruu

This.

The most frustrating thing to watch when the Blues play the Hawks or the Kings is how many bad changes are made due to trying to get the right matchup out there. I don't see it nearly as much when the Blues play any other team. Early in the game today (as with almost all games against those teams), the forwards get the puck in and it comes out to the blue line... where the D should be, but they're out of position because of a change. Later in the game today, Bo or Petro lead the rush into the O zone because the forwards were changing. Hitch is trying too hard to get matchups and it interrupts the flow of the game. To me, that is the most significant reason we lost.