Chip McCleary: 2/11, Blues vs. Kings - Recap: Sauget smells better than the Blues do Those of you who've been to St. Louis, you understand the Sauget reference.

I wanted so badly to see Perron finish a check tonight.

The best part of my night at the game was seeing AndyMac go in for the big hit to get his team going. Yeah, he got a boarding call, but geez! Sobe stood up for himself and those could have been game-changing moments, but the guys with actual size shied away from contact all night. This team cannot win if they're not playing a fast, physical game.

Also, as Chip mentioned, when is someone going to step up and help take the pressure off Tarasenko? The Kings double, triple, and quadruple teamed him tonight and no Blues player got open or took advantage of the opportunity.

Oooooh tough stretch, Elliott reverting back to his 10-11 form!

One thing that drives me crazy about this team is that they don't stick up for each other when someone is struggling. We saw the exact same thing happen at the beginning of last season when Halak got off to a rough start: the defense disappeared in front of him and so did the shot blocking. You'd think they'd realize that everyone needs to step up in that department to help bail out a teammate.

Same goes for the rest of the team. No one stood up to the Kings after Backes got drilled. Wade Redden should not be standing up for Tarasenko; nice to see that he did, but no one else on the team was going to. Sobotka knew that and stood up for himself. Is Hitch babying this team too much? There is just no spark or killer instinct in them. Or teamwork when things start getting tough...

Oooooh tough stretch, Elliott reverting back to his 10-11 form!
- moots

Considering he was pretty good in '09-10, that means he'll be lights out again in '13-14 - and then you can mock the hell out of whoever lobs money at him for '14-15.

maybe i missed something, but can someone explain to me why polak was incriminated for a penalty that Backes committed around 13 minutes into the 2nd ?

Thanks

*BOARDING*

How does Tarasenko look? Sell high or is he the real deal? He had a big start, partly due to that first Detroit game.

How does Tarasenko look? Sell high or is he the real deal? He had a big start, partly due to that first Detroit game.
- GirouxForTheShow

He's going to get points again once the rest of the team breaks out of the current funk. He's had chances (including one tonight on a beautiful setup from Perron that he rang off the post - but had Bernier beaten).

In the short-term? You might want to wait until the Blues post a 'W' ... or, you can try to catch the falling knife.

Is it just me or did the Blues check out of that game the moment Brian Elliot had to step in as the starter?

No life.

No reason to be out there. No will to compete.

No one has done as much to kill the mood of a Blues home game since Mike Keenan.

"HOMESTAND FROM HELL" perfect words!! Its an embarassment. I was SO excited to see the strike end, seeing this? Why was I? Every pass is off to each other in the skates rather than on the tape, just like last night Nichol was perfectly set in the slot for a one timer and it was on his back side.... how many passes with no pressure on the passer out of the zone are across the rink in in the others skates?

::: getting ready to push the self destruct button here:::

Is it just me or did the Blues check out of that game the moment Brian Elliot had to step in as the starter?

No life.

No reason to be out there. No will to compete.

No one has done as much to kill the mood of a Blues home game since Mike Keenan.
- bcallaway

If that's all the will to compete this Blues team has, we have bigger problems than anyone realizes.

If that's all the will to compete this Blues team has, we have bigger problems than anyone realizes.
- Chip McCleary

I don't disagree but bad goal tending will suck the life out of a team, no matter how good they may be.

When you know that any possible possession going the other way could end up in another goal against, your entire game is altered.

The mark for me was Saturday night, third period, the talking television heads had just pointed out that Anaheim had gone something like 8-1/2 minutes without a shot on goal - They get the puck, skate down, bang - goal.

There's nothing you can do to hide bad goaltending.

Some want to point out the Blues defensive break downs. Guess what, those always happen. They're called scoring chances and that's where you need your goalie to save your bacon.

Elliot is leaving his five hole wide open and not putting his stick down. He's making fundaMENTAL mistakes every night.

I have to question the Blues judgement in sending Jake Allen back to Peoria so quickly.

I don't disagree but bad goal tending will suck the life out of a team, no matter how good they may be.
- bcallaway

I don't dispute that, but if you're already mailing it in before the opening faceoff because the shaky backup has to go play in place of the guy you thought was going to start but now can't go because he's hurt, something's wrong with your mental approach to the game - and that's something that coaching can't fix.

When you know that any possible possession going the other way could end up in another goal against, your entire game is altered.

...

Some want to point out the Blues defensive break downs. Guess what, those always happen. They're called scoring chances and that's where you need your goalie to save your bacon.
- bcallaway

Sure, goaltending has been bad - but even if Elliott is standing on his head like he did last year, we only win the Anaheim game to put us at 7-5-0.

It's not that we're having defensive breakdowns, it's that we're having defensive breakdowns on what should be basic plays. It's not just that teams are getting scoring chances against us, they're getting high-quality scoring chances against us. It's the high-risk moves that, when they fail, result in an odd-man rush going the other way. It's guys trying to get fancy at times, instead of just keeping it simple. It's guys getting tunnel vision on what they want to do, instead of trying to see everything in front of them and making a smarter play.

A lot of dumb plays by guys over the last 4 games. I'd like to think we're getting all of that out of our system now, instead of holding it in for the end of the season - but right now, I don't see any learning and adapting going on. I see a lot of, "damn it, if I keep doing it eventually it will work."

I have to question the Blues judgement in sending Jake Allen back to Peoria so quickly.
- bcallaway

I'd question bringing Halak off IR so quickly, especially given that he had a groin pull. Given that he was coming off IR, I completely understand why Allen was sent back: $$$.

halak goona be back this week? they putting him back on IR?

whats the deal?

I don't disagree but bad goal tending will suck the life out of a team, no matter how good they may be.

When you know that any possible possession going the other way could end up in another goal against, your entire game is altered.

The mark for me was Saturday night, third period, the talking television heads had just pointed out that Anaheim had gone something like 8-1/2 minutes without a shot on goal - They get the puck, skate down, bang - goal.

There's nothing you can do to hide bad goaltending.

Some want to point out the Blues defensive break downs. Guess what, those always happen. They're called scoring chances and that's where you need your goalie to save your bacon.

Elliot is leaving his five hole wide open and not putting his stick down. He's making fundaMENTAL mistakes every night.

I have to question the Blues judgement in sending Jake Allen back to Peoria so quickly.
- bcallaway

Allen was in the press box last night sitting next to Langs.

If that's all the will to compete this Blues team has, we have bigger problems than anyone realizes.
- Chip McCleary

This. See my comment above.

If that's all the will to compete this Blues team has, we have bigger problems than anyone realizes.
- Chip McCleary

Something to keep in the back of your mind - this is a relatively young and talented core but its also a core of guys that have been here long enough to get two coaches fired.......

No time to panic, but there has to be some concern at this point. One bad week in a 48 game schedule is the equivalent of two bad weeks any other time.

Something to keep in the back of your mind - this is a relatively young and talented core but its also a core of guys that have been here long enough to get two coaches fired.......

No time to panic, but there has to be some concern at this point. One bad week in a 48 game schedule is the equivalent of two bad weeks any other time.
- bcallaway

I don't disagree with any of this. At some point, on-ice struggles fall on the shoulders of the players and not the coach. This is a group that has the talent to compete with the best in the league, but at times has the mental toughness of a Fabrege egg. (No disrespect to the egg intended.)

Blues absolutely need to start Allen against Detroit. At this point, what do you have to lose? Allen will have to face Detroit at some point in his career, so why not just let him start? Sitting Elliott might do some good.

I am sorry, but I will be VERY angry if they start Elliott again in the next game, regardless if Halak is hurt or not.

He has no buisness playing right now. None.

If Hitch plays him again, I am going to start to question whether or not Hitch should be coaching this team.

If it were me, I would send him down to Peoria. Nobody is going to pick him up, and if someone was dumb enough to do so, great. I would rather have both AHL goalies up here right now if Halak is hurt than have the possibility of Elliott playing another game anytime soon.

I am sorry, but I will be VERY angry if they start Elliott again in the next game, regardless if Halak is hurt or not.

He has no buisness playing right now. None.

If Hitch plays him again, I am going to start to question whether or not Hitch should be coaching this team.

If it were me, I would send him down to Peoria. Nobody is going to pick him up, and if someone was dumb enough to do so, great. I would rather have both AHL goalies up here right now if Halak is hurt than have the possibility of Elliott playing another game anytime soon.


- carcus

When the most optomistic Blues' fan in the history of the franchise is pissed, something's wrong in Blueville.

I never thought I'd see this. It's kinda worth it.........

When the most optomistic Blues' fan in the history of the franchise is pissed, something's wrong in Blueville.

I never thought I'd see this. It's kinda worth it.........
- bcallaway

Not worth it.

I play goal, so I know first hand on how a bad goaltender can kill a team. (both myself and watching the goalie on the other end of the ice)

There is nothing worse than knowing that you can't trust your goalie to make 1 save. Completely changes the way the team plays, and not in a good way.

How deflating is it to know if you give up 20 shots in a game, there are going to be 4 goals scored? When you know it is going to happen, you have lost before the puck drops.

Not worth it.

I play goal, so I know first hand on how a bad goaltender can kill a team. (both myself and watching the goalie on the other end of the ice)

There is nothing worse than knowing that you can't trust your goalie to make 1 save. Completely changes the way the team plays, and not in a good way.

How deflating is it to know if you give up 20 shots in a game, there are going to be 4 goals scored? When you know it is going to happen, you have lost before the puck drops.
- carcus

I happen to agree completely. It changes the way ever other player plays the game and is mentally impossible to overcome.

Like I mentioned the other day, its like having a bad closer in baseball. No matter what's happened during the course of the game, when the game is over you will have lost the game.

I think the Blues took the ice last night knowing they had no shot. No Halak, no backup, no shot whatsoever. There is no level of talent that can overcome truly bad goaltending.

I happen to agree completely. It changes the way ever other player plays the game and is mentally impossible to overcome.

Like I mentioned the other day, its like having a bad closer in baseball. No matter what's happened during the course of the game, when the game is over you will have lost the game.

I think the Blues took the ice last night knowing they had no shot. No Halak, no backup, no shot whatsoever. There is no level of talent that can overcome truly bad goaltending.
- bcallaway

Very true.

The comparison between closers in baseball and goalies in hockey is often made - but still somewhat misguided. In one, the guy is the last line of defense and his play is somewhat dependent on what guys in front of him do; in the other, the guy is the first line of defense and what guys do behind him is completely dependent on what he does.

If the closer is serving up fat pitches for batters to hit 450 feet into the 2nd and 3rd deck in left, it really doesn't matter how the shortstop and 2nd baseman do - the closer is the one in charge of the game, and the performance of the fielders has no effect on the team's chances of winning. On the flip side, if the goalie is letting every 5th shot in, the defense can limit the number of chances the goalie sees by playing better defense - which can improve the team's chances of winning.

That's not a perfect analogy - but I hope I get the idea across.