Cut the touchy-feely crap, Nancy. It's the playoffs.......

He deserves to be dumped on. As I said, if he were working on the other parts of his game, I wouldn't be trashing him, but he was easily the worst player on the ice on the other night.

the Blues have never played this far into May. They haven't been to this point in the playoffs in thirty years. They may not get this close again in the near future. If your best player can't be your best player now, that's on him.

And if you want to rip on someone whose calling him out, you can start with his coach who's done so twice now publicly in so many words.
- bcallaway

Gotta say, where have Steen and Schwartz been? While we are a better team when Tarasenko is scoring, someone has to step up. I know you remember the year that that North Stars shut down Hull and Oates. There was no secondary scoring. The only two guys that showed up consistently were Fabbri and Brouwer.

16 is tough to get
10 is a big upgrade from the past few years
- Yikes726

More wins than any time since 1986.

I just have ties to both the Pens and Bolts and have never liked the Sharks - Owen Nolan ending Geoff Courtnall's career right in front of me, Nolan's goal from center ice on Roman Turek, Ricci being so, well, Ricci, Raffi Torres, etc.

More wins than any time since 1986.

I just have ties to both the Pens and Bolts and have never liked the Sharks - Owen Nolan ending Geoff Courtnall's career right in front of me, Nolan's goal from center ice on Roman Turek, Ricci being so, well, Ricci, Raffi Torres, etc.
- Jason Millen

Add in Thornton nearly ending Perron's career, all the cheap shots this series... not to mention how poorly they treat their players; stripping the C, trying to force guys with NTC into trades... Sharks are incredibly undeserving. Hope they get swept.

What is the likelyhood that this was KH's last game as a coach for the Blues?

What is the likelyhood that this was KH's last game as a coach for the Blues?
- puckhog

Do you have a coin?

I might need a break. This hurts.

How many suspensions does Backes have? That's right, stfu.
- Antilles

Tooooooo bad

49 years and counting.....

I might need a break. This hurts.
- carcus

This stinks but it does make a lot of things in my life a lot easier. So who is putting in for which people in mock interviews?

Mike Keenan
Ron Caron
Eric Brewer
Brett Hull

(frank) THEM!!!!! THEY THINK THEY CAN PLAY 5 MINUTES AT THE END OF A GAME TO TRY AND WIN IT???????????


what a (frank)ing joke.

(frank) Hitch
(frank) Army
(frank) this team

another playoff failure.

if we had played at any point in this series like we actually wanted to win this series we could have dominated the Sharks. Sharks did not win this series. Blues lost it.
- BluesDroogie

Nah they did a good job.

San Jose played great defensively and a solid forecheck. Got to hand it to them theynwere willing to go the extra mile in dirty and cheap plays and it paid off this deep in the play offs.

The Blues did a job good job. They just do not have the right mix of players to do what it takes.

Tarasenko finally got through. He will grow from this.

The narrative ought to be the Sharks executed and won the board battles more often than not. Neither Blues goaltender made the extra saves and somehow Jones made a few good saves in the series and escapes.

It will be interesting to see how bad the Lightening or Oenguins beat the Sharks.

The Sharks are too slow. A lot will hinge on the officiating for the finals, as in if they will make the interference calls.

Congrats to Sharks fans except for the keyboard cowards who resort to name calling.

What is the likelyhood that this was KH's last game as a coach for the Blues?
- puckhog

Why he got his team to the semi finals. Got them past two of the best teams and they got worn down.

It has more to do with roster construction than the coach. Not enough difference makers with speed and size balance. Not enough guys willing to go to the boards and win the puck battles or take the body.

Not enough players with self discipline who go beyond retaliaiting. Everyone knows the officiating sucks more and more the deeper you go into the play offs.

Gotta say, where have Steen and Schwartz been? While we are a better team when Tarasenko is scoring, someone has to step up. I know you remember the year that that North Stars shut down Hull and Oates. There was no secondary scoring. The only two guys that showed up consistently were Fabbri and Brouwer.
- eggsegan

Every year Steen disappears. I have questioned Schwartz after last season. But I am thinking part of the problem is they are coaching him and others to find Tarasenko. Who knows which guys could not okay through what injuries?

But Steen I am done with him really. I was shocked to see him score in the Dallas series. But part of it is that he had defensive assignments he failed at.

Where did the oower play go? Sharks were good but not great on the kill. The players too often rushed passes into skates without pressure, took the puck into pressure, failed to support the puck, or shoot when lanes were good and waited until they were filled, which was a good job done by Sharks.


I could not watch the rest of the game because the girl friend lost it and it is difficult to watch when you are angry and enjoy it.

That said I thought Jaskin earned far more ice time than he was given. Hitch after all the pindits told us was a master at recogonizing that. Upshall over Magnus is a tough one. I thought Magnus okayed really well missing all those games and suddenly okaying in the okay offs. His game really grew at the end of the season. Won't blame him for getting a shot somewhere.

Where was Berglund? I mean he teases us with using his size and driving the olay for two series and getting quick shots off to not getting those shots off. Sharks were good but they over loadd too much and only a one game had to pay for it.

I expect now that Elliott's value is high he should be moved finally. Finally that foresaken chapter can end.

well


- Jason Millen

16 is tough to get
10 is a big upgrade from the past few years
- Yikes726

Exactly a great way to look at it.

Why he got his team to the semi finals. Got them past two of the best teams and they got worn down.

It has more to do with roster construction than the coach. Not enough difference makers with speed and size balance. Not enough guys willing to go to the boards and win the puck battles or take the body.

Not enough players with self discipline who go beyond retaliaiting. Everyone knows the officiating sucks more and more the deeper you go into the play offs.
- BluemanGuruu

IMHO, Hitch owns some of this responsibility as his minute management is questionable and really contributed to certain players being worn down. Example - Jaybo and Petro play almost 54 minutes in a game where they were up 4-0 and win 6-3. In the same game Stastny and Steen both play over 21 minutes yes Paajarvi and Jaskin don't even play 10 minutes.

Example 2 - Petro plays 25.5 minutes in a game they are up 5-1 after 2 periods. Brouwer, Stastny and Steen all play around 19 minutes in said game.

Example 3 - In a game they are up 5-0 after 2 periods, Petro plays over 26 minutes and Steen plays 19 minutes.

Compare these to DeBoer - SJ up 3-0 after 2 periods and Burns plays less than 22.5 and no forward has more than 17 minutes.

SJ up 4-1 after 2 periods and Burns playes 23.5 and no forward plays more than 17.5

Minute management is a problem with Hitch and I would suggest is wears on players.

Every year Steen disappears. I have questioned Schwartz after last season. But I am thinking part of the problem is they are coaching him and others to find Tarasenko. Who knows which guys could not okay through what injuries?

But Steen I am done with him really. I was shocked to see him score in the Dallas series. But part of it is that he had defensive assignments he failed at.

That said I thought Jaskin earned far more ice time than he was given. Hitch after all the pindits told us was a master at recogonizing that. Upshall over Magnus is a tough one. I thought Magnus okayed really well missing all those games and suddenly okaying in the okay offs. His game really grew at the end of the season. Won't blame him for getting a shot somewhere.

Where was Berglund? I mean he teases us with using his size and driving the olay for two series and getting quick shots off to not getting those shots off. Sharks were good but they over loadd too much and only a one game had to pay for it.

I expect now that Elliott's value is high he should be moved finally. Finally that foresaken chapter can end.
- BluemanGuruu

I am not sold on Allen at all. Steen does seem to disappear but maybe that is cumulative fatigue due to always playing a ton of minutes, especially as he is getting older. magnus played really well considering how long he had been off.

This is the perfect year to shed some salary to some rebuilding teams coming out of their first phases and score some high quality young players on their way up to surround the young core.

I think you can dump at least three big guys two with big contracts. Steen, JayBo or Shattenkirk oh if only could get rid of them both. Then you can bring back Backes and Brouwer. Or at least one of them.

Remember guys too that there were three rookies two of which had large roles on this team. Parayko went from what 40 to 50 games at most in a year to like 100. He held up pretty well. Very admirable.

Thinking about it I am not even sure if you can get rid of Elliott just yet. Allen had an injury you do not know if that is going to a be a thing with him and both the prospects took a step back more or less.

I am not sold on Allen at all. Steen does seem to disappear but maybe that is cumulative fatigue due to always playing a ton of minutes, especially as he is getting older. magnus played really well considering how long he had been off.
- Jason Millen

True but Steen has not always been older and it plagued him earlier.

And we did talk about leaning on him too much during the season and having this kind of thing happen again.

It is strange though because he seems like he is built for the play offs. I think he got injured again. I think he was injured in the Dallas series.

I am not all the way sold on Allen yet as well. So despite my anger with Elliott I think you cannot chance sending him away just yet.

I had hoped that the one kid would have grown this year because I really thought last year he could shoot up past Allen as the starter.

This is the perfect year to shed some salary to some rebuilding teams coming out of their first phases and score some high quality young players on their way up to surround the young core.

I think you can dump at least three big guys two with big contracts. Steen, JayBo or Shattenkirk oh if only could get rid of them both. Then you can bring back Backes and Brouwer. Or at least one of them.

Remember guys too that there were three rookies two of which had large roles on this team. Parayko went from what 40 to 50 games at most in a year to like 100. He held up pretty well. Very admirable.

Thinking about it I am not even sure if you can get rid of Elliott just yet. Allen had an injury you do not know if that is going to a be a thing with him and both the prospects took a step back more or less.
- BluemanGuruu

No reason to get rid of Elliott unless you can get a real return. You can't get anywhere close to value at his AAV imho.

I believe Shattenkirk will be traded at the draft. Just a hunch but it's what I have thought for a while now.

Parayako seemed to hit the wall early in this series. Understandable as this is his largest work load in a year by a wide margin.

IMHO, Hitch owns some of this responsibility as his minute management is questionable and really contributed to certain players being worn down. Example - Jaybo and Petro play almost 54 minutes in a game where they were up 4-0 and win 6-3. In the same game Stastny and Steen both play over 21 minutes yes Paajarvi and Jaskin don't even play 10 minutes.

Example 2 - Petro plays 25.5 minutes in a game they are up 5-1 after 2 periods. Brouwer, Stastny and Steen all play around 19 minutes in said game.

Example 3 - In a game they are up 5-0 after 2 periods, Petro plays over 26 minutes and Steen plays 19 minutes.

Compare these to DeBoer - SJ up 3-0 after 2 periods and Burns plays less than 22.5 and no forward has more than 17 minutes.

SJ up 4-1 after 2 periods and Burns playes 23.5 and no forward plays more than 17.5

Minute management is a problem with Hitch and I would suggest is wears on players.
- Jason Millen

These are all very legitimate questions and statements.

I just mean he desrves some credit and not taken to task as hard as he has the oast few years when really a couple of those years they barely lost those first rounds.

I thought the Blues had proven they had enough talent to legitimately roll four lines especially when he added Jaskin and Magnus to line up. Broadziak got better. So one game they are not quite as dominant in their few minutes of ice so you change it again?

Honestly I remember when I was a sophmore playing swing and I would sit on the varsity bench most of the game. I was then the energy guy. Send little me at the time out there I would hit anyone and everyone no matter how big. That would get the guys on the bench excited because I was olaying fearless. But your legs do not feel right unless you get regular shifts. nYou get cold sitting there. It is really difficult to do and play effectively. I think these guys did a great job. Too bad this is not the old days because Wingels would have been handed his lunch early in the series for his crap. But what do you do?

No reason to get rid of Elliott unless you can get a real return. You can't get anywhere close to value at his AAV imho.

I believe Shattenkirk will be traded at the draft. Just a hunch but it's what I have thought for a while now.

Parayako seemed to hit the wall early in this series. Understandable as this is his largest work load in a year by a wide margin.
- Jason Millen

I agree on all points even though initially I said Elliott. Though for the right orice I would strongly consider it. Would be steep because you will never get an insurance coverage that great for so cheap.

Do you think Backes or Brouwer comes back?

Domyou think there is any possibility they might think of trading a bigger contract like Steen or JayBo if they had a good offer? Steen is virtually a point per game player in the regular season but production wise sort of awol in the play offs. He is a great penalty killer and if they were not always going to Tarasenko on the pp his point shot is a bomb. Perhaps they could try him at defense?

Too bad this is not the old days because Wingels would have been handed his lunch early in the series for his crap. But what do you do?
- BluemanGuruu

Hitch should have whined about the officiating the way Debeor did. How many cheap sucker punches did Sharks get away with this series, and nothing was said? Hitch should have made the post game press conference exclusively about the shot to Petro and the shot to Tarasenko. Forced the NHL to address, and refs to look for it.

Crying about officials helped the Sharks immensely. The fact Hitch didn't speak up about the suspension level stuff that went unpenalized was a huge mistake. NHL won't let players police it, then the NHL needs to get called out when they don't police it either.

Hitch should have whined about the officiating the way Debeor did. How many cheap sucker punches did Sharks get away with this series, and nothing was said? Hitch should have made the post game press conference exclusively about the shot to Petro and the shot to Tarasenko. Forced the NHL to address, and refs to look for it.

Crying about officials helped the Sharks immensely. The fact Hitch didn't speak up about the suspension level stuff that went unpenalized was a huge mistake. NHL won't let players police it, then the NHL needs to get called out when they don't police it either.
- Antilles

good grief...

sigh

I agree on all points even though initially I said Elliott. Though for the right orice I would strongly consider it. Would be steep because you will never get an insurance coverage that great for so cheap.

Do you think Backes or Brouwer comes back?
- BluemanGuruu

Ott's money goes to Lehtera's raise +600k savings which goes to $400k savings when you figure in edmundson and gunnarsson; jaskin takes ott's spot which creates a -350k or so impact on the cap

Schwartz gets a 2mm raise at minimum so now let's say they are 2.5mm worse off.

They probably want to sign brodziak...say he gets 500k raise, so now 3mm worse...

Only one of Backes or Brouwer can come back....even if they trade shattenkirk, it would be tough to bring both back. Both will get more money as UFAs.