Jason Millen: Blues bow down to the King before facing the Capitals and AHL and WJC notes Blues bow down to the King before facing the Capitals and AHL and WJC notes

Blues have 12 games in 20 days starting tonight going into bye week. They've put themselves in the position where they will probably need to win 9+ of those games to really be considered playoff contenders. My guess is it'll be more like 5-6-1.

Blues have 12 games in 20 days starting tonight going into bye week. They've put themselves in the position where they will probably need to win 9+ of those games to really be considered playoff contenders. My guess is it'll be more like 5-6-1.
- Yeah Boyes

the way they are playing it will be 3-9

Tarasenko just doesn't want to be embarrassed by Ovechkin on home ice

I wonder if we'll get to see the STL line tonight. You know, Oshie, Eller, and Jaskin

Tarasenko just doesn't want to be embarrassed by Ovechkin on home ice
- BluesDroogie

I'm actually interested to see how it works tonight without senko. Maybe a little addition by subtraction as guru would say

I'm actually interested to see how it works tonight without senko. Maybe a little addition by subtraction as guru would say
- Yeah Boyes

If he is the bad part of the locker room we could see a difference tonight with him not there


I've been happy with the play of Thomas lately. At first I was upset we didn't keep kyrou up but now we are starting to see Thomas tune in more or turn it up more.

Blues were almost fully healthy for the 1st time tonight

Who didn't see that coming?

Now THAT is the Blues hockey I remember. Good job Blues

Common rhetorical device: why is everyone mad at Tarasenko and not Schwartz?

Schwartz is getting paid $7.5 million? No
Schwartz was injured and missed time? Yes
Were schwartz and schenn playing better before tarasenko was put on their line? Yes
Does schwartz play hard every shift? Yes
Do the optics seem like tarasenko does? No.

Maybe it's us defending him against hitch only to see it again?

Maybe it's the you see him play hard one game and not as hard the next? Maybe it's schwartz looks like more than a one trick pony? Maybe it's bc Schwartz always looks like the heart of the team?

I didn't hear any rumors about Schwartz being an issue in the dressing room or asking for a trade(if the rumor is even true).

So if you wondering why one would be a bit more blameful it has to do those kinds of things. I still think moving him would be the way to go. My caveat is only, is it his shoulder and is a problematic teammate?

If he is the bad part of the locker room we could see a difference tonight with him not there


I've been happy with the play of Thomas lately. At first I was upset we didn't keep kyrou up but now we are starting to see Thomas tune in more or turn it up more.

Blues were almost fully healthy for the 1st time tonight
- BluesDroogie

I wouldn't say it's an either or...

Thomas you could see had the ability, I think his only negative is strength and inexperience. Kyrou's good good. He's obviously a 30 goal scorer at the NHL level. He reminds me a lot of Martin St. Louis.

I wouldn't say it's an either or...

Thomas you could see had the ability, I think his only negative is strength and inexperience. Kyrou's good good. He's obviously a 30 goal scorer at the NHL level. He reminds me a lot of Martin St. Louis.
- BluemanGuruu

IMO you don't want to bring kids up to not play them and right now you don't want Kyrou on the 4th line

Let him get some experience in the AHL and once you make a trade you bring him up

He will be a top 6 next season

DA needs to find a way to move Alexander Steen

i would like to see what our record is with Tarasenko out of the lineup and then the same with Schwartz out of the lineup.

IMO i think our lineup is better with Schwartz in it then with Tarasenko. I feel like Schwartz is the engine of the team. Just go back to last December we were 20-8-2 before Schwartz got hurt. He came back the end of January after missing 20 games and the team without him went 9-10-1.

IMO you don't want to bring kids up to not play them and right now you don't want Kyrou on the 4th line

Let him get some experience in the AHL and once you make a trade you bring him up

He will be a top 6 next season

DA needs to find a way to move Alexander Steen
- sycsam

I agree with you. I'm not saying otherwise. When we started the season I thought the way fourth line was we would see more blanaced icetime a la the Vegas Knights. Playinging them under 12 let alone ten minutes a night is not helpful. Hell Sundqvist is looking like the 20 goal scorer he could be and that's with limited minutes. Eventually you hope whoever the coach is plays players more on merit than preconceived roles.

i would like to see what our record is with Tarasenko out of the lineup and then the same with Schwartz out of the lineup.

IMO i think our lineup is better with Schwartz in it then with Tarasenko. I feel like Schwartz is the engine of the team. Just go back to last December we were 20-8-2 before Schwartz got hurt. He came back the end of January after missing 20 games and the team without him went 9-10-1.
- bleedblue2007

You would have insignificant data points as Tarasenko has barely missed any games.
But over the last four years he's second behind only Ovi. Wait Stamkos missed an entire season and more during that time that changed his game? Oh yeah rhetorical devices where you pick data to match your argument. Which is why my cavests have to do with shoulder health and how is he as a teammate. Then you have to ask will we see more of him attacking the net or more perimeter get his shots blocked, try to force fancy passes? If he wants to use his size and ok speed to be a force that's a whole other matter. Consistently the effort has not been there and it goes back years. You can forgive it when the player scores. When you say over a period of time when 30 goal scorers were more rare that also makes sense but when that norm is changing that argument begins to lose its validity even more so. There's a shift in the game and you have to be able to frankly predict it as a GM to be able to always maximize the value of your assets.

You would have insignificant data points as Tarasenko has barely missed any games.
But over the last four years he's second behind only Ovi. Wait Stamkos missed an entire season and more during that time that changed his game? Oh yeah rhetorical devices where you pick data to match your argument. Which is why my cavests have to do with shoulder health and how is he as a teammate. Then you have to ask will we see more of him attacking the net or more perimeter get his shots blocked, try to force fancy passes? If he wants to use his size and ok speed to be a force that's a whole other matter. Consistently the effort has not been there and it goes back years. You can forgive it when the player scores. When you say over a period of time when 30 goal scorers were more rare that also makes sense but when that norm is changing that argument begins to lose its validity even more so. There's a shift in the game and you have to be able to frankly predict it as a GM to be able to always maximize the value of your assets.
- BluemanGuruu

If Tarasenko doesn’t want to be in St Louis it’s time to move on. It’s been a long time since he busted a rib in the World Juniors and scored the game-tying goal.

If Tarasenko doesn’t want to be in St Louis it’s time to move on. It’s been a long time since he busted a rib in the World Juniors and score the game-tying goal.
- eggsegan

I think you need to get him on a line that suits him and not try and force him to play with other guys.

I think you need to get him on a line that suits him and not try and force him to play with other guys.
- sycsam

I don’t disagree, but who is that? Are those players in St Louis currently?

I don’t disagree, but who is that? Are those players in St Louis currently?
- eggsegan

I think playing with Schenn suits Tarasenko more than ROR

I think playing with Schenn suits Tarasenko more than ROR
- sycsam

I couldn’t agree more. I’m not sure that it’s Schenn though as much as it’s Schwartz...

Is anyone here subscribed to The Athletic? And would you say it's worth it?

I think you need to get him on a line that suits him and not try and force him to play with other guys.
- sycsam

He played great with Schenn and Scwartz last season.

Is anyone here subscribed to The Athletic? And would you say it's worth it?
- Yeah Boyes

I am.
There are some really good articles. Seems not as good lately with Blues coverage.

I think it's worth it. Some other guys here are on it.

He played great with Schenn and Scwartz last season.
- BluemanGuruu

They started out hot last season, but tailed off. At one point, they split up the line looking to get them going again...

They started out hot, but tailed off. At one point, they split up the line looking to get them going again...
- eggsegan

All three of them are not performing this year. It's been a down season for them.