Let's not get too high... ah, screw it: BLUES WIN!
I made a promise to myself that this year would be the season I get off the Blues Rollercoaster. I'm not going to put so much weight behind big wins and I'm not going to get depressed after the demoralizing losses. Seven games into the season and I'm happy to report that my plan is completely blown to shreds.
When the Blues were playing lethargic hockey and Jaroslav Halak was escorting every half-decent shot into the net, I wanted to find a way to not answer my phone or email or whatever and skip work to avoid having to hear the inevitable, "What's up with your Blues?" questions. Now that they've won three in a row behind the solid goaltending of Brian Elliott and the more determined play of the skaters and I'm strutting around my house like I scored the winning goal.
Whatever. I'm a fan, I guess. So much for being an unbiased media member. Insert guffaw here.
You know what respected members of the media would never do? Wrap this up with bulletpoints. And made up cusswords.
- Alexander Steen is clearly the most underrated player on the Blues the last couple years. He plays on the third line, shuts down the other team, scores pretty goals, sets up his teammates and never, ever takes a shift off. I've heard at least three people say to me, "You know whose jersey I want to get? Alex Steen, man. He's awesome." Not one of those people is currently wearing an Alex Steen jersey to games. I don't expect him to lead this team in goals or points at the end of the year, but he'll be in the top five (again) and he'll lead the team in heart and fewest shortcuts taken.
- Brian Elliott will forever be in the Blues history books as the guy who won the franchise's 1,500th game. Will that be a trivia question or will it be a milestone we point to and say, "That's right about the time he took over the starting job." He is 4-0 this year, has a 95.0% save percentage, a goals-against of 1.59 and has beaten the Canucks, Flyers and Sharks. He has gotten lucky on some stuff and has had good defense to help out, but it's hard to make an argument that he should sit down in favor of Halak at this point.
- I thought Patrik Berglund, David Backes, Vladimir Sobotka, Matt D'Agostini and Jason Arnott looked really good tonight.
- I thought T.J. Oshie looked like he was pressing a little. The team needs him to get comfortable and start scoring like we know/hope he can.
- I thought Chris Stewart's 16 minutes of icetime looked more like about four minutes of icetime. I don't know what it'll take him to get going again, but I feel like it has more to do with linemates than anything else and I don't like him with Backes and Sobotka.
- So, Jamie Langenbrunner, anytime would be a good time to, you know, get involved. I mean before the whistle.
- Alex Pietrangelo is so good that we all expect more out of him than we should for a true sophomore. That kid is playing like a seasoned veteran at this point. It's surprising when he doesn't get on the scoresheet, but even when he doesn't he has a huge impact on the game.
- Kevin Shattenkirk is not as good of a player as Pietrangelo, but he sure seems to be cornering the market on flashy passes from Blues defensemen. He has two assists tonight and bothe were ridiculous backhand flip passes right into the wheelhouses of Steen and Berglund.
- I miss Roman Polak's fake twitter feed. I like @Not_Allan_Walsh on twitter way better than I like @walsha on twitter. I also like the fact that @FakeRomanPolak popped up on twitter within seconds of @RomanP46 going silent.
Cal and Gary up next. Until then, just sleep the sleep of the victorious, with visions of Blues players crushing tail all over Vancouver tonight.
11 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Alex Steen/Jason Arnott should be on the same line all season. And we should put Dagger on that line too. It would be the best 3rd line in the NHL.
Is willing to go to the mattresses with the lot of yous.
by Novacain on Oct 27, 2011 12:19 AM CDT via mobile reply actions
And reunite the SOB line...
… which might get Oshie and Stewart back to form.
So that leaves some combination of Backes, Langenbrunner, Grachev, Sobotka, and Porter for the other scoring line. Ye gods, please get Happy Meal and Frenchy healed up and back on the ice pronto.
Hell of a game.
It was nice to watch the Blues play a full, solid sixty minutes tonight.
I’m feeling optimistic.
Another big key for the Blues...
… was staying out of the penalty box, and killing the penalties they did take. Getting the PK back up to speed is far more important to this team than power-play scoring. The Blues are 3rd in the West in Goals For, but are 12th in Goals Allowed.
The Blues are 3rd in the league (and tops in the West) in 5-on-5 scoring; they’re behind only Tampa and Washington. The next step in the team’s improvement has to be a reduction in the total goals they surrender, and the 28th-ranked penalty kill is a prime place to start.
The puns on nhl.com are getting out of hand.
Steen Spirit, S-teen idol, Steen Curtain, and Ell of a save. Wow.
I'm surprised...
They could have gone with a double pun with “Ells Like Steen Spirit.”
Let's Go Blues!
Support your local NAHL team. Seriously.
by Paperwork Ninja on Oct 27, 2011 8:21 AM CDT up reply actions 3 recs
Last year after watching
Shatt my first thought was ‘man this boy can pass’.
I think Oshie and Stewart need to be on the same line.
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
21st century hockey
with the current net minding situation already unfolding, the blues management were asked, during intermission, on the cheap elliot signing (money) and pangs was asked about halak and pangs claims he tells everyone halak is the blues #1 because of money, basically.
And a harvest of righteousness is grown from the seed of peace planted by peacemakers.
by Childhood Trauma on Oct 27, 2011 12:54 PM CDT reply actions
pangs
pangs tells everyone halak is the blues current and future number 1 still due, mostly cos of money
And a harvest of righteousness is grown from the seed of peace planted by peacemakers.
by Childhood Trauma on Oct 27, 2011 5:53 PM CDT up reply actions

by 


























