What’s Wrong With Stempniak?

by Brad Lee on Nov 19, 2007 10:55 PM CST

Dutchie did not score on this play

By Brad Lee

Through 18 games, Lee Stempniak has 10 points. Not bad, but not great either.

Oh by the way, he has one goal. He scored that lone tally in the third game of the year, the home opener against Nashville. That was back on Oct. 10. Since then, he's gone 15 straight games without scoring a goal. Surprisingly, that matches his season-high drought last year as well, right around the same time.

Last year, he went from Nov. 14 to Dec. 17 without scoring a goal. But unlike last year, Stempniak is at least notching some assists to keep his name on the score sheet. And while you can blame last year's stretch of not scoring goals on reduced playing time under the soon to be deposed Mike Kitchen, you can't even begin to argue that point this year. Stempniak has seen lots of time on the power play and the penalty kill. He's been moved from his usual linemates Jay McClement and David Backes, who also weren't filling the net as of late when Backes was healthy. Stempniak is playing now with rookie David Perron and Doug Wight who has yet to score a goal this season.

Before the Blues rattled of four wins in a row, including back to back victories over Nashville, it was written about and talked about and blogged about and called in to sports shows about that thee Blues were only getting scoring from one line. That's still a valid criticism.

Tonight against Nashville, Bradley Boyes and Paul Kariya scored. Saturday against Nashville Boyes scored in regulation and had the lone shootout tally. Stempniak and Weight did chip in on a Perron goal that night.

Friday night vs. Columbus, Kariya and Boyes scored again with sniper Jamal Mayers getting an empty net goal. Tuesday against Detroit, Perron had those two goals along with a tally for Mayers and a goal for Kariya and Boyes' linemate, Keith Tkachuk.

So on this four-game winning streak, the totals look like this:

BTK Line: 6 goals

Weight and the Kids: 3 goals

Muckers: 2
It still seems like if the opposing team can shut down the No. 1 line, the Blues don't have a chance. Granted, a lot of teams are like that but it seems magnified with the Blues playing pretty well and in the middle of a dog fight in the Central Division where every team is dangerous every single night. The Blues are 6-4-0 against their own division.

But still, what's wrong with Stempniak? Too much money in the offseason? Did we give McClement too much credit last spring? Is he actually getting too much playing time? Does playing with Doug Weight mean not scoring goals?

Please, your thoughts in the comments.

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Comments

Just came back from the game… Lee had a few good chances, one coming at the back of a Perron-led odd-man rush. His shooting percentage is down a lot from last year,but he is still getting the chances. I would have to think it’ll come with time. Also, he did benefit from the power play a lot last year, which isn’t really clicking this year (11 goals). He has found himself as the 4th forward on the point from time to time this year, as well, and it hasn’t seemed to work out well, early on.

Still, I have seen Lee make some nice plays that didn’t result in goals this year.

by pdub on Nov 19, 2007 11:39 PM CST reply actions

I think it’s just a slump. Just like many athletes, Dutchie’s probably his own biggest critic and came in with his mind set on being a big time scorer on this team. Since his slow start, it’s getting to his head that he can’t score. So, basically, he just need some confidence back. If he gets to stay on the Old Man River line (with Weight and Perron, that is) he’ll eventually snap out of it.

by Marcus Pettersson on Nov 20, 2007 2:50 AM CST reply actions

…on the other hand… Doug Weight is on pace for a zero goal, 18 assists season. That’s just bad.

by Marcus Pettersson on Nov 20, 2007 4:51 AM CST reply actions

What’s wrong with Stemper? Other than the puck not finding the back of the net, not a g-d thing. He does everything well, so if he’s not scoring, he still contributes. He is not the second coming of Soupy Campell as some have suggested.

I guess if we need to diagnose him, I’ll go with one of my favorite hockey cliches and a popular Kitchenism- he’s squeezing the stick. Seriously though, if the Blues are patient, and don’t trade him to the Bruins for Dennis Wideman, things will turn out ok.

by forgetyerskatesdream on Nov 20, 2007 9:02 AM CST reply actions

i agree with most of the previous posts. i think dutchie needs to put a couple goals in and everything will be fine. i’m guessing he’s probably his own worst critic (except maybe for coach dafoe) which really doesn’t help the situation. hell, he went to an ivy league school, he has to be an over-thinker.

i really like him playing on the weight-perron line. i think he has gotten a lot more chances with the rookie scorer on his line. he has made some pretty plays to set up chances for the frenchy-rook.

plus, you have to consider that this is the first season where teams have actually known who he is and known that they need to defend against him. lee “dutchie” stempniak wasn’t exactly a household name last year, not even in st. louis. after 27 goals last season, he’s bound to get more attention from the opponents. all in all, i still think he’ll be just fine. give him a few more games with weight and perron and he’ll get the scoring touch back.

by Jessica on Nov 20, 2007 10:16 AM CST reply actions

I agree that he’s better off with Weight and Perron. That line generates chances; eventually some of them will find the net.

I’ve never understood the organization’s love for McClement. He’s not a terrible player; he just doesn’t do anything at all particularly well. If he weren’t a center, I don’t think he’s good enough to play on this team.

by LeNoceur on Nov 20, 2007 10:30 AM CST reply actions

I will pile on with what others are saying about Stempy, he is just not getting the bounces right now. Boyes is, that guy has the hottest stick right now and just aboot everything is going in for him. As soon as Stempy gets that next goal and the monkey off his back he will be fine. He looked great last night so its not like he is playing like a warm cup of chit or anything.

McClement on the other hand has been playing like a warm cup of chit for much of the young season. However, he had a really good game last night I thought. He too will benefit from getting Backes back in the lineup.

by Chris on Nov 20, 2007 12:56 PM CST reply actions

Backes was a big part of the kid line’s success last season. When Backes was banging, they were scoring. I think their play lagged this year because Backes was playing less physical before he got hurt. When he gets back I expect him to bang more and that line will again become a scoring machine. However, between now and then Stempniak could really click with Weight and Perron and start scoring and which time would would be foolish to mess with the lines.

by Pagan on Nov 20, 2007 2:01 PM CST reply actions

Peoria newspaper is reporting Tomas Kana left Alaska to go back to Czeck Republic to play. Anybody have more details?

by Pagan on Nov 20, 2007 10:39 PM CST reply actions

Another goal scorer’s view on scoring slumps:

“Once you start scoring, it seems like you can really see the net. If you go three, four or five games (without scoring) and you start to squeeze your stick a little bit, you obviously see the goalie a lot bigger, so it kind of goes both ways.” . . . “When I get in front of a goalie, it’s all about confidence, I think. If you’re calm and you don’t squeeze your stick, good things will happen.” — Vincent Lecavalier

by Marcus Pettersson on Nov 21, 2007 2:43 AM CST reply actions

Pagan wrote:

“Peoria newspaper is reporting Tomas Kana left Alaska to go back to Czeck Republic to play. Anybody have more details?”

—————

As far as I have been able to determine, Kana simply wasn’t ready to play in North America yet. He underestimated the condition he would need to be in for Development Camp, reported out of shape,. and has been playing catch-up ever since.

The kid’s only 19, so it’s way too early to write him off as a prospect just yet… and the return to the Czech Republic was done with the knoweldeg, and approval, of the Blues (again, as far as I have been able to determine), so it’s not a Konstantin “Adios, MF’s” Zakharov situation.

As for Dutchie, everyone else in this thread has said everything I would say about his play. I like the idea of him playing with Weight and Perron, and once Dutchie gets the next goal, I expect them (the goals, that is) to start coming in bunches again.