Wednesday links: Two days to training camp edition

by averagejoe on Sep 15, 2010 5:00 AM CDT

I'm tired of waiting for the season to start. Let's get going.

Blues news

Andy McDonald is a center. David Backes is a right winger. Andy Murray didn't think was true. Davis Payne does, thus, the duo will be playing their natural positions this season. It's nice to see common sense win out. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch]
Blues training camp begins Friday. Can't. Freaking. Wait. [Blues]

Hockey news

Bobby Ryan is staying in Anaheim, just like I said he would. [TSN]
Erik Johnson congratulates his Team USA mate (Ryan) on his new deal. EJ is a funny dude. [erikjohnson6]
Bill Guerin doesn't have 500 goals? Damn dude. Pierre Turgeon got 500, and he didn't play until he was 40. Oh ... Billy G is trying to make the Flyers. [TSN]
The NHL will not factor in shootout wins when determining tiebreakers. Then what's the point of having them? [TSN]
Some folks are already looking ahead to the 2011 draft. Seriously? Can't they at least wait until the season starts before they begin guessing at what players are good? [TSN]
Eric Belanger is going to Phoenix. [TSN]
SB Nation has some power rankings based on hype and gut feelings. Fool proof. [SB Nation]
The Blue Jackets will be celebrating 10 years, will the fans? [The Cannon]

Other links

From Matt: A brutal drummer seeks a bruatl guitarist. He's not fucking around. As Matt says: "Blues should re-write this to look for a BRUTAL FORWARD!" [Popehat]
Father of the Year Candidate uses firearms to motivate his kid, has awesome tan. [SB Nation]
Pee Cola and some other unfortunately named products can be found here. [Rude Food Names]

Video

Maverides passes along an old video, but a good one. No. 1 Blues fan Jon Hamm dons a bald cap to portray Lex Luthor. Enjoy.

"Lex Luthor Bailout" with Jon Hamm from Jon Hamm

I'm done for today. Adios.

gametimelinks(at)gmail.com

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Comments

SQUEEZ BACON!!!!!

St. Louis Game Time . . . I need another beer.
And I can also write things in 140 characters or fewer.

by Donut King on Sep 15, 2010 7:11 AM CDT reply actions

Blues training camp begins Friday

YES!!!!

The Once and Future King

by FlaGators on Sep 15, 2010 7:33 AM CDT reply actions

That picture of the tan line

I just can’t find the words. Makes sense that it exists just never saw one like that before.

Hockey players wear numbers because you can't always identify the body with dental records.

It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all. Laura Ingalls Wilder

by luvhockey on Sep 15, 2010 8:08 AM CDT reply actions

Kind of with the Post article.....

what are the Blues actual lines going to look like?

Seems like they need one more forward to have 3 solid lines:

Backes – Happy Meal – Boyes
Perron – Berglund – ??
Steen – McClement – Oshie

Obviously, that person was going to be Lars, but who fills this last spot?

by hockeyno93 on Sep 15, 2010 9:28 AM CDT reply actions

They put Winchester's name on a contract...

… so there ya go.

by BleedBlue42 on Sep 15, 2010 10:15 AM CDT up reply actions

steen?

with that polished new a you think steen going to center the 4th line (whih is certainly possible) or moved to a scoring line as a wing?

A strong anvil fears no hammer

by Childhood Trauma on Sep 15, 2010 10:15 AM CDT up reply actions

I've got Steen on the 3rd line Left wing......

as someone suggested in a post on here about a month ago…i like that idea.

by hockeyno93 on Sep 15, 2010 10:57 AM CDT up reply actions

third lines in the NHL today need to have some scoring punch, but also an ability to go head to head against the opponents #1 line. I think a line of Steen, McC, and Oshie accomplishes that to a T. We just need one more winger for that 2nd line.

by hockeyno93 on Sep 15, 2010 10:58 AM CDT up reply actions

well if we move steen to wing

and third line him for some “scoring punch” i think we might be able to move oshie to second wing. in fact i dont like perron and berglund without a “body” on their line. yea burg’s is supposed to be able to handle himself but when he gets lost he simply does not move people like he should.

not that that fixes the problem, then we just have a whole on the third line. mclement and steen seem a solid combo and bj added to that line wouldnt make me cry as much as i should.

A strong anvil fears no hammer

by Childhood Trauma on Sep 15, 2010 11:21 AM CDT up reply actions

Maybe I'm over-simplifying here....

Why don’t we move Oshie to the second line wing and then put Sbotka on the wing for Oshie? Everything I hear about him he’s a gritty defender with some scoring touch, so that would seem like the logical conclusion to me.

Gives the second line some grit and a hitting presence for others to be worried about and gives the third line some scoring touch as well.

Barret Jackman is my hero.

Fueled. These new shores burn. Shadow, my sweet shadow, to you I look no more.

by BluesTiger on Sep 15, 2010 11:30 AM CDT up reply actions

That could work Tiger....

I think the Blues may make a play for another scoring winger at some point this season….like i said…it seems like there is one missing piece.

Here are some UFAs for 2011 that may make for a nice mid season addition:

Alexander Semin
Alexei Kovalev (to play on a line with Perron….maybe that will spike Perron’s #s)
Milan Hejduk
Cory Stillman
Simon Gage

Who knows what the playoff senarios will be come February, and that will probably determine who will be sellers. Washington has hinted towards not being able to afford Semin, he could become a very intriguing pick up.

by hockeyno93 on Sep 15, 2010 12:26 PM CDT up reply actions

Simon GagNe...oops

by hockeyno93 on Sep 15, 2010 12:26 PM CDT up reply actions

i like your thought process on Kovalev

Perron has stated numerous times that Kovalev was his idol as a kid.

"If they don't score, we can't lose." - Gene Briggs

by ilikeboyes on Sep 15, 2010 3:18 PM CDT up reply actions

LINE GUESSINGGGG

Perron – McDonald – Backes (scorer/playmaker/power)
Oshie – Berglund – Boyes (power/playmaker/scorer)
Steen – McClement – Been (the ol’ Steen McBeen line)
Winny – Sobotka – Janssen (physical line)
*D’Ags (13th forward, healthy scratch)

The top 6 will probably be moved around during the season, with the Bottom 6 being changed around, D’Ags probably being substituted when the 4th line needs to be some kind of threat.

This opens us up for next season, where management will decide whether the team needs a UFA scoring winger or if they can continue with the build-from-within strategy and bring in Tarasenko for 3rd line RW (party-starter line to learn NA game, develop into top-line player).

by russkidan on Sep 15, 2010 3:33 PM CDT up reply actions

The ol' center v. wing issue

Andy McDonald is a center. David Backes is a right winger. Andy Murray didn’t think was true. Davis Payne does.

I can see where that may goose McDonald’s offense, but it will be an interesting experiment on D. Backes never looked out of place at center. I picture Backes still having to clean up others’ messes in his own zone, except now from a different position that is less ideal for fixing what your teammates break. If it’s those two with Boyes, Boyes and Mac better carry their share of the load in their own zone.

Lighthouse Hockey: Trying to reconstitute the Hogue-Turgeon-Thomas line from NHL 94.

by Dominik on Sep 15, 2010 11:57 AM CDT reply actions

“All of our research indicates overwhelmingly that the fans do like the shootouts,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “There has been an increase [in shootouts] in the last year, after consistent numbers in the four prior years, but one year does not an issue make.”/blockquote>

Which fans? Give me a list so I can bludgeon them with a brick.

Coming from a semi-retired athlete that has lost big games due to a shootout format (soccer, don’t judge me) get rid of the bullshit altogether. Oh wait, that’d make too much sense for Commissioner Assblood.

"If they don't score, we can't lose." - Gene Briggs

by ilikeboyes on Sep 15, 2010 3:17 PM CDT reply actions

quote fail

"If they don't score, we can't lose." - Gene Briggs

by ilikeboyes on Sep 15, 2010 3:17 PM CDT up reply actions

current email

auto quote (has been for maybe a month now)

“Watching a shootout is like admitting you watch Survivor or search the internet for porn.” – Brendan Shanahan

A strong anvil fears no hammer

by Childhood Trauma on Sep 15, 2010 4:08 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs

If that's the case,

maybe Bettman could just cut to the chase and have ties decided by each team’s respective Ice Girls in a slut-off!

…my patent on that idea is pending, btw.

I know it's time for hockey because I've started singing "Don't Stop Believing" with the words "...born and raised in FUCK DETRIOT!!!"

by J-Mill on Sep 15, 2010 4:43 PM CDT up reply actions

i dig it

"If they don't score, we can't lose." - Gene Briggs

by ilikeboyes on Sep 15, 2010 4:43 PM CDT up reply actions

Trying to think whose would win...

Possibly Carolina’s. Chicago’s are a close second, though.

Thrashing the Blues
SB Nation Atlanta - home of the Fairest and Weatheriest fans on the net.

Reporter: There`s a "stamp out the Beatles movement" underway in Detroit. What are you going to do about it?

Paul McCartney: We`re going to start a campaign to stamp out Detroit.

by hildymac on Sep 15, 2010 6:14 PM CDT up reply actions

Wave down the stripper mobile and bring in ringers.

He raged at the world, at his family, at his life. But mostly he just raged.
Just because Jay McClement is the best defensive forward in the NHL doesn't mean he should win the Selke.

by Icion on Sep 15, 2010 6:50 PM CDT up reply actions

then you better

have equal time for we girls.

Hockey players wear numbers because you can't always identify the body with dental records.

It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all. Laura Ingalls Wilder

by luvhockey on Sep 15, 2010 10:32 PM CDT up reply actions

equal?

last time i did the google for ’ wee girls’ it seems like they had half the internetz!!!

ooopss did i just admit to watching shootouts?

A strong anvil fears no hammer

by Childhood Trauma on Sep 16, 2010 10:33 AM CDT up reply actions

I want the season to open too

so I can sit on the levee of the Mississippi in STL and watch the bodies of Blackhawks float by after a game

Just a chew toy for the hockey gods

by spectr17 on Sep 15, 2010 11:10 PM CDT reply actions

No Offense...

But I think you need Oshie in the middle. Bergland is just not the defensive presence that he needs to be yet.

Lines in my opinion…

Perron – McDonald – Boyes
Bergland – Oshie – Backes
Steen – McClement – Beener

Oshie and Backes have chemistry. So do Boyes and McDonald. And, so do Perron and Bergland. However. with McDonald being put back at center, and keeping away from a ‘kids’ line again, I really see the lines as such. And, I really like all 3 lines as well. The first line has a lot of scoring punch while the second line will too, while also being some big hitters. The third line is a shut-down line with some scoring and physical presence.

The most interesting lines will be our first and second power play lines. That is what I will be more interested to see.

Its weird... half the year my blood is red... but then the other half... it's blue... hm...

by PeacockJac on Sep 16, 2010 12:45 AM CDT reply actions