Navigation: Jump to content areas:


Pro Quality. Fan Perspective.
Login-facebook
Around SBN: Devils Beat Rangers, Head To Stanley Cup Finals

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.

Comment 11 comments  |  0 recs  | 

Do you like this story?

Comments

Display:

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.

by BleedBlue42 on Oct 27, 2011 2:47 AM CDT up reply actions  

Hell of a game.

It was nice to watch the Blues play a full, solid sixty minutes tonight.

I’m feeling optimistic.

by Manbones on Oct 27, 2011 12:46 AM CDT reply actions  

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.

by BleedBlue42 on Oct 27, 2011 3:05 AM CDT reply actions  

The puns on nhl.com are getting out of hand.

Steen Spirit, S-teen idol, Steen Curtain, and Ell of a save. Wow.

by Murphy on Oct 27, 2011 6:56 AM CDT reply actions  

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

by luvhockey on Oct 27, 2011 7:30 AM CDT reply actions  

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  

Comments For This Post Are Closed


User Tools

Why not the St. Louis Blues.

FanShots

Quick hits of video, photos, quotes, chats, links and lists that you find around the web.

Recent FanShots

Mellanby Gone
Will lack of national discussion cause NBA, NHL playoffs to suffer?
HELP NEEDED
Brian Elliott joins You Can Play Project :)
Monday Night Miracle. 26 years ago today (May 12, 1986)
Monday Open Thread
This was how I was during game 3 of this past series. I was more composed by game 4.
Ryan Reaves to be included in Game 4
I was interviewed for school and here is the finished product... I am a DORK!
The Donut Corner - Giving Up Is For Losers

+ New FanShot All FanShots >

Featured Poll

Poll
Who's the better tandem: Plante/Hall or Halak/Elliott?
Plante/Hall
61 votes
Halak/Elliott
95 votes
They're both awesome.
113 votes
How do you even compare these two?
114 votes

383 votes | Poll has closed


Bobby

Face_lo-res_copy_small gallagher

160gthockey_small Brad Lee

250px-nation_of_joe_small averagejoe

Barclay

Fulton_display_image_small Poor College Student

19659_686325605993_17221278_39458432_4223533_n_small bradflick55

Portman_small hartigan

Billy

Nickmason12_small Tomorrows Blues

Img_0645_small Donut King

Stag_logo_small CrossCheckRaise

549122314_small hildymac

Nate_the_great_small NateTheGreat.

Picbylindsey1_small RealBadRobot

Small socityhooligan

Keith3_small Andy Portico