Round 2 : Dallas v St. Louis

[ecbm]

I think it's being criminally overlooked that Dallas' second-leading goal scorer is going to be missing for at least the first 2 games if we can believe his coach (and I know we can't sometimes but this one doesn't feel like BS to me).

He's out. They tried to rush him back, completely without reason in Game 2, and he hasn't skated since. I doubt they make that mistake again, because furthering an Achilles injury would mean losing him for a year.

I hate to beat this raw, but it really is huge. What his absence means to me is this: if the Blues can maintain their level of play from the Chicago series, Dallas must either have another scorer step up a lot or one of their goalies play much better or the Blues will walk it.

The more I analyze it, the more clear it becomes that Dallas faced the weakest opposition of any of the 2nd-round teams.

[WaukeeBlues]

I think it's being criminally overlooked that Dallas' second-leading goal scorer is going to be missing for at least the first 2 games if we can believe his coach (and I know we can't sometimes but this one doesn't feel like BS to me).

He's out. They tried to rush him back, completely without reason in Game 2, and he hasn't skated since. I doubt they make that mistake again, because furthering an Achilles injury would mean losing him for a year.

I hate to beat this raw, but it really is huge. What his absence means to me is this: if the Blues can maintain their level of play from the Chicago series, Dallas must either have another scorer step up a lot or one of their goalies play much better or the Blues will walk it.

The more I analyze it, the more clear it becomes that Dallas faced the weakest opposition of any of the 2nd-round teams.

It's the playoffs and anything can happen but they really did, IMO, face the weakest playoff team in the Wild. The Wild backed into the playoffs without their franchise player and a solid 3/4 of their roster in terrible offensive slumps. Dubnyk was also human.

I've been saying it all freakin season long: When the Stars get to the playoffs and face a good/great defense and goaltender they are going to be in serious trouble because they are an attack-first defense that rely far too much on keeping up pressure and their goalie making enough saves so they can out-score their opponent in a track meet style game.

They suddenly hit a wall of defense or hot goaltender (like we have) and they're fucked.

Just depends if the Blues show up, IMHO.

[cardsfan04]

I think it's being criminally overlooked that Dallas' second-leading goal scorer is going to be missing for at least the first 2 games if we can believe his coach (and I know we can't sometimes but this one doesn't feel like BS to me).

He's out. They tried to rush him back, completely without reason in Game 2, and he hasn't skated since. I doubt they make that mistake again, because furthering an Achilles injury would mean losing him for a year.

I hate to beat this raw, but it really is huge. What his absence means to me is this: if the Blues can maintain their level of play from the Chicago series, Dallas must either have another scorer step up a lot or one of their goalies play much better or the Blues will walk it.

The more I analyze it, the more clear it becomes that Dallas faced the weakest opposition of any of the 2nd-round teams.

I agree with you. It's absolutely huge. They win by scoring goals, not by preventing them. Losing Seguin is a pretty big knock to their most likely way to victory. Also, you hear, "we're going to make so n so beat us" a lot. Without Seguin, it's easier to game plan against Benn/Spezza, and make them depend on other guys for a chance to beat us.

Also, and I don't know how to support this, but I just feel like they're a regular season team. They had a better regular season than us, but I don't think they are a better team than us. There is a difference between having the best record and having the best team. I think we have the right side of that discussion. It would bother me if the players/coaches have this thought though at least insofar as looking past them.

[ComradeT]

Kid's show choir concert at 7 pm.

Blues better draw blood.

LET'S WIN THIS SHIT!!!

[xbleed83bluex]

Elliot has been a rock, Elliot made better saves than Lehtonen, a loss for the Blues does not indicate by default an issue with goaltending. Elliot is in playoff mode right now and playing the best he's ever been, and if we get his mind out of this mode by starting a fresh goaltender, it could lead to disastrous results. This game could've gone in the Blues favor had we just scored one more goal.

Anyway, Blues looked terrible for most of that game. The linemates seem to lack chemistry with one another - making passes to players that aren't there, bumping into each other on the ice - Dallas had the puck control and the pressure.

Blues are relying on Ells too much -- he saves the game for us. The other teams have always outshot us by far. Just for once, can we get significantly more shots on goal than the other team?

And here's the thing I don't understand. When the Blues scored the tying goal, it ignited them, and they were the ones having the puck control in the offensive zone and applying pressure - why can't they play like this the whole game? This happened in the 2nd period of the Chicago game when the Blues were up by 2 -- they sit back and let the other team outplay them and it cost them the game, and only when the Blues need to score a goal do they start playing great offensive hockey. What gives? PLAY LIKE THAT THE WHOLE GAME, not when there's 5 minutes left in the game!