GDT #37: 12/30/14 | 7:00PM CST | @ Predators | FSMW/KMOX

[drwoland]

Leopold gone, Gunnarson is injured, Polak gone. (Edit: Gunnarson shoulda been further down the page, he wasn't here last year either, just in case someone gets all pedantic about it)

Yeah, it's literally not the same defense. Results are going to vary.

On top of that, we've lost some forwards who were a big part of the defensive success - namely Sobotka. New guys are still learning the system. Same for the PK.

On top of that, Bouwmeester is likely playing hurt, Schwartz is out, Pietro's got a niece with cancer..

It's an 82 game season. We are loaded with talent at both ends of the ice, and even the guys everyone loves to hate are playing relatively well. Everyone will eventually move closer to their career averages, and we can only hope this happens in April and we don't get hit with a rash of injuries again like last year.

Yeah, losses are disappointing, but trading people away right now and upsetting the chemistry even more is definitely NOT going to help anything.

[goon attack]

You fuckwads need to calm the hell down.

It's a long ass season and the real season hasn't even started yet.

Got it, fuckwads?

[goon attack]

trading people away right now and upsetting the chemistry even more is definitely NOT going to help anything.

this. teams have ups and downs. It's a long ass season.

[Slim]

You fuckwads need to calm the hell down.

It's a long ass season and the real season hasn't even started yet.

Got it, fuckwads?

This. Twice.

[Oaklandblue]

You fuckwads need to calm the hell down.

It's a long ass season and the real season hasn't even started yet.

Got it, fuckwads?

This. Twice.

We lose a Game we mailed in, against Nashville.
We won the last one, where the Avs pretty much said screw it.
We lost the last four before that with pathetic play.
We won games before that and have not looked dominant for more than a few periods at a time.
Pie, our big money D-Man, the big guy, has looked horrible.
Steen has not looked much better.
Stastny, a guy we signed for big money, is playing like a 3rd liner.

Yeah. I think this needs to be discussed or that "Real Season" yall are talking about will be one that happens without us.

[flyingnote38]

You fuckwads need to calm the hell down.

It's a long ass season and the real season hasn't even started yet.

Got it, fuckwads?

This. Twice.

We lose a Game we mailed in, against Nashville.
We won the last one, where the Avs pretty much said screw it.
We lost the last four before that with pathetic play.
We won games before that and have not looked dominant for more than a few periods at a time.
Pie, our big money D-Man, the big guy, has looked horrible.
Steen has not looked much better.
Stastny, a guy we signed for big money, is playing like a 3rd liner.

Yeah. I think this needs to be discussed or that "Real Season" yall are talking about will be one that happens without us.

interesting facts from the PD today:
Last year through 37 games, the Blues had 55 points. This season, they have 47.
They have played 14 games against division foes with 15 still to come.........Blues are 2-4 against Chicago and Nashville, the two teams ahead of them, while 6-2 against Winnipeg, Minnesota, Dallas and Colorado.
It seems pretty clear who the Blues are better than right now and who they aren’t better than. Overall, the Blues are 13-3-1 against teams that presently aren’t in playoff position, 9-9-2 against those that are.

a pretty succint reiteration of my original comments. In the NHL, being "in the playoffs" basically means top half of the league, so that 9-9-2 is not impressive.

[cardsfan04]

If we were top in the league, people would say, "it's just the regular season." When we have a bad 6 game stretch, suddenly it's not just the regular season anymore.

[Oaklandblue]

I think the main problem many people are having isn't pessimism, it's sitting there watching the team and saying why do they look that bad?

If the team was trying to win games and played to their skill level and still lost, I doubt you'd hear a single word beyond 'Let's get some people in there to help raise it up'.

Watching a team spent to the cap, seeing the level of skills the players have (This team may be one of the most skilled Blues team ever assembled) and watch them play so half-heartedly with so many mistakes and then sit there and say 'Hey quit whining' is totally missing the point of why people are upset. We can't beat the teams that matter and when we do it's by the skin of our teeth or Frank decides to alert everyone to his existence and go Goal Crazy.

And with how loaded this team is, that should NOT be acceptable. Thus the complaining.

When we beat the crap out of a team >>>that matters<<<, do let me know.

[glen a richter]

The team looks bad because the defense is playing like bullshit. When was the last time a Blues team gave up this many shots with this much frequency? I don't give a shit if it was 47 shots directly into Elliott's chest, it's still 47 shots. The more the other team has the puck, the less you have it. That doesn't equate to creating pressure, generating scoring chances and winning games. This team should be giving up no more than 25 shots a game. Really.

[Oaklandblue]

The team looks bad because the defense is playing like bullshit. When was the last time a Blues team gave up this many shots with this much frequency? I don't give a shit if it was 47 shots directly into Elliott's chest, it's still 47 shots. The more the other team has the puck, the less you have it. That doesn't equate to creating pressure, generating scoring chances and winning games. This team should be giving up no more than 25 shots a game. Really.

Glen wins the thread.

[dmiles2186]

You fuckwads need to calm the hell down.

It's a long ass season and the real season hasn't even started yet.

Got it, fuckwads?

Goon for President.

[dmiles2186]

You fuckwads need to calm the hell down.

It's a long ass season and the real season hasn't even started yet.

Got it, fuckwads?

This. Twice.

We lose a Game we mailed in, against Nashville.
We won the last one, where the Avs pretty much said screw it.
We lost the last four before that with pathetic play.
We won games before that and have not looked dominant for more than a few periods at a time.
Pie, our big money D-Man, the big guy, has looked horrible.
Steen has not looked much better.
Stastny, a guy we signed for big money, is playing like a 3rd liner.

Yeah. I think this needs to be discussed or that "Real Season" yall are talking about will be one that happens without us.

interesting facts from the PD today:
Last year through 37 games, the Blues had 55 points. This season, they have 47.
They have played 14 games against division foes with 15 still to come.........Blues are 2-4 against Chicago and Nashville, the two teams ahead of them, while 6-2 against Winnipeg, Minnesota, Dallas and Colorado.
It seems pretty clear who the Blues are better than right now and who they aren’t better than. Overall, the Blues are 13-3-1 against teams that presently aren’t in playoff position, 9-9-2 against those that are.

a pretty succint reiteration of my original comments. In the NHL, being "in the playoffs" basically means top half of the league, so that 9-9-2 is not impressive.

You know why I don't care about these numbers at all? Because in recent years, when the Blues were better in the regular season, when they absolutely DOMINATED the Central (remember, they didn't lose to a Central foe in regulation until March [or around there] last year), they lost in the postseason.

Things can change. The season is long. We've won season series against the Hawks and Kings...and then lost to them in the playoffs.

Adversity builds character. Fighting though these rough stretches can test the mettle and make a team tougher for when it gets really serious in April, something the Blues haven't had to face the last few seasons.

We just have to make it into the playoffs. If we're in danger of that, then I'm freaking out. The thing about the NHL playoffs, though, is that seeding doesn't matter. You just have to nut up when the time is right and losing in December/January and pulling out of a tailspin can go a long way to helping that out.

[Oaklandblue]

You fuckwads need to calm the hell down.

It's a long ass season and the real season hasn't even started yet.

Got it, fuckwads?

Goon for President.

Of what?

If Goon was President of the Blues, we'd have an entire team of players who would lust for blood of their opponents, would hit anything that moved, would have sacrificed Louie in some bizzare paganistic ritual to earn them top seed in the playoffs, the goalies would be using skulls for helmets and the players would be using the bones and skin of their adversaries to bind their sticks and sharpen their blades.

They would also have a Cup.

So...um...All Hail Goon!

[glen a richter]

Well whatever happens, the defense has to improve. Whether that happens now or in April or whenever, if it doesn't improve we're in for another long offseason.

[Oaklandblue]

Well whatever happens, the defense has to improve. Whether that happens now or in April or whenever, if it doesn't improve we're in for another long offseason.

Pie on 3rd D pairing would be a lovely start. Cut his time down would send the right kind of message.

[ecbm]

Adversity builds character.

See, that's the thing. I don't think I see a team facing adversity coming from outside itself and struggling with it in a way that will make them battle-hardened. A see several guys who aren't trying and don't seem to give a shit whether they win or lose. This squad's problems are coming from within themselves.

[ComradeT]

Adversity builds character.

See, that's the thing. I don't think I see a team facing adversity coming from outside itself and struggling with it in a way that will make them battle-hardened. A see several guys who aren't trying and don't seem to give a shit whether they win or lose. This squad's problems are coming from within themselves.

Would those guys be by any chance Backes (concussion, multiple head/face wounds), Oshie (concussion, possibly two or more), Steen (lower body recently?), Stastny (shoulder at the beginning of the season), Petro (possibly all fucked up because of the niece)?

The Blues have everyone on the ice right now, except for Schwartz and Gunnarsson. Those are big losses to cover and a few guys currently playing were recently injured, and that may have knocked them off their game. Maybe they play like hell one game, and the next game, they are hurting still cause they are still healing. Who knows. It is obvious though that the loss of Schwartz has hurt the Blues badly, and intermittent injuries to defense don't help either as pairings rotate, and guys have to log longer minutes. No one in their right mind can say that the Blues are fully healthy right now. I don't know about other teams, they may be in the same boat or not. But adversity is there and the Blues are trying to overcome it.

And we can all say "i don't care, they are played to show up, yada yada yada". But they are human and injuries affect them. No two ways about it. I hope Schwartz returns soon, that would be a huge boost to offense and defense both. He's currently day-to-day, so there's hope.

[dmiles2186]

Adversity builds character.

See, that's the thing. I don't think I see a team facing adversity coming from outside itself and struggling with it in a way that will make them battle-hardened. A see several guys who aren't trying and don't seem to give a shit whether they win or lose. This squad's problems are coming from within themselves.

They are in the middle of the adversity. The key is that they need to fight their way through it. Yeah, it might be coming from within, but it's having the mental fortitude to figure it out and rise above it. I have faith in this group that they'll do that. Backes is a great Captain (at least looking from an outsider's perspective). They're in good hands in that locker room. There's a lot of good hombres in there. It will get corrected. It's a bad stretch, we don't need to sound the alarm.

People already forget: This team won 20 out of their first 30 games. Simmah down (not you specifically, the fan base as a whole).

[Oaklandblue]

Adversity builds character.

See, that's the thing. I don't think I see a team facing adversity coming from outside itself and struggling with it in a way that will make them battle-hardened. A see several guys who aren't trying and don't seem to give a shit whether they win or lose. This squad's problems are coming from within themselves.

They are in the middle of the adversity. The key is that they need to fight their way through it. Yeah, it might be coming from within, but it's having the mental fortitude to figure it out and rise above it. I have faith in this group that they'll do that. Backes is a great Captain (at least looking from an outsider's perspective). They're in good hands in that locker room. There's a lot of good hombres in there. It will get corrected. It's a bad stretch, we don't need to sound the alarm.

People already forget: This team won 20 out of their first 30 games. Simmah down (not you specifically, the fan base as a whole).

How many of those players from those first 20 games you mentioned are playing at their potential at Game 30? That's the worry and it's an understandable one, no? The question isn't whether players will get better (Unless your name is Patrik Berglund), it's when. A 10 game losing streak now in a Highly Competative Conference might be the bullet that ends our season if we're not careful.

[cardsfan04]

Adversity builds character.

See, that's the thing. I don't think I see a team facing adversity coming from outside itself and struggling with it in a way that will make them battle-hardened. A see several guys who aren't trying and don't seem to give a shit whether they win or lose. This squad's problems are coming from within themselves.

They are in the middle of the adversity. The key is that they need to fight their way through it. Yeah, it might be coming from within, but it's having the mental fortitude to figure it out and rise above it. I have faith in this group that they'll do that. Backes is a great Captain (at least looking from an outsider's perspective). They're in good hands in that locker room. There's a lot of good hombres in there. It will get corrected. It's a bad stretch, we don't need to sound the alarm.

People already forget: This team won 20 out of their first 30 games. Simmah down (not you specifically, the fan base as a whole).

How many of those players from those first 20 games you mentioned are playing at their potential at Game 30? That's the worry and it's an understandable one, no? The question isn't whether players will get better (Unless your name is Patrik Berglund), it's when. A 10 game losing streak now in a Highly Competative Conference might be the bullet that ends our season if we're not careful.

I guess this is just a half-full versus half-empty view on that. I've said it enough times that I probably sound like a broken record, but the guys struggling is what has me excited. It doesn't carry as much weight now as it did before we lost 6 of 7, but to be in good shape with a sizable chunk of the core having career bad years has me excited. I don't think we'll see 82 games of some of these guys with a negative rating, etc. I think they're going to click at some point, and when they do, I think we are on the very short list for the best team in the league.