Shootouts are dumb. Blues get kiss-your-sister point against Avalanche

by gallagher on Dec 2, 2011 10:46 PM CST

I'll admit it, I started writing this before the overtime. After it was tied, but before the Blues had even secured one point. It's a dirty, dirty job on a drinkin' Friday (especially when a bunch of GT people are drankin it up down at the Tin Can right about meow), but someone's gotta wrap this thing up.

Bullets, shall we?

Jaroslav Halak was the difference in this game. The Blues defense has been great and the offense has been a swarm of fucking bees, even if they aren't scoring a ton of goals every game, but Halak, despite his record (even post-Cocking) has been great lately and he was again tonight. It would have been devastating to lose with just a couple seconds left and Halak made two crucial saves in the last five seconds to get the Blues to the bonus round.
Nice to see Kevin Shattenkirk score a goal and Chris Stewart get the primary assist on their old team in their old building. Could have used maybe one more, obviously.
Ian Cole might want to sublet his place in Peoria. Because that kid belongs here now. His best game as a pro was in Pittsburgh last week, but he was great again tonight and I think he's just going to get better and better. The Blues defense is so young and so good that a youngish, goodish player like Carlo Colaiacovo is going to find it hard to squeak back into the top six when he gets done pulling his hammy. Alex Pietrangelo, Shattenkirk, Cole and Roman Polak are an impressive group and Polak, at 25, is the oldest of the group by a long shot. Barret Jackman and Kent Huskins have both proven to be excellent veterans. Then there's 24-year-old Kris Russell, who we're not really sure what he is. Where does Colaiacovo fit there? That's a some sick D.
The defense is great and Halak and tomorrow's starter, Brian Elliott have been unreal. If the forwards could capitalize a bit more, we'd have something.
Every goal scored tonight happened when the offensive team managed to keep the puck in deep for an extended period of time. Every time this happens, a team scores or the defensive team takes a penalty. During a defensive-zone scramble, the Blues have got to be better about dumping the puck out, even if it means taking an icing.
The shootout is a lame gimmick that has run its course. I'd be happier with a well-earned tie tonight than a stupid shutout decision.

Blackhawks tomorrow. Get your game face on now.

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Comments

Shootouts are awful

There have been more than 1,000 now and all are awful.

St. Louis Game Time

by averagejoe on Dec 2, 2011 11:01 PM CST reply actions

I agree, they need to go.

But they weren’t quite so bad when we were winning them ;)

http://www.stlouisgametime.com/

by cold on Dec 3, 2011 9:02 AM CST up reply actions

May as well gimmick it up further! Some ideas for consideration

- Let the teams pick one shooter for the other team
-Give the goalie the option to throw his water bottle during one attempt of his choosing
-Multipuck
-Have a bonus point for shooting and scoring above the faceoff dot
-Put some orange cones out therea for a stick drill or some shit
-Make a guy shoot with a goalie stick

I hate shootouts even when the Blues win.

No beer and no TV make Homer...something something.

by Poor College Student on Dec 2, 2011 11:14 PM CST via mobile reply actions

NHL 12

Has a secret feature where if you take slappers from the blueline in a shootout, you will always score. Did I say always? I meant always. If its in the game…

www.twitter.com/ian_reynolds

by Boomer9393 on Dec 2, 2011 11:37 PM CST up reply actions

There's a young player on the Sens

and he’s about to abuse the shit out of that

No beer and no TV make Homer...something something.

by Poor College Student on Dec 2, 2011 11:42 PM CST via mobile up reply actions

LOL

I like the bottle toss choice. Maybe give the goalie a cheap pistol to really liven it up,

Just a chew toy for the hockey gods

by spectr17 on Dec 2, 2011 11:40 PM CST up reply actions

pah

bettman says

6 degress of corey stillman

name that upper body injury

And a harvest of righteousness is grown from the seed of peace planted by peacemakers.

by Childhood Trauma on Dec 3, 2011 9:32 AM CST up reply actions

On the goal at the buzzer at end of turd period

Panger and JK said it wouldn’t have counted because of no time left. On review I can’t see a clock to check.

Just a chew toy for the hockey gods

by spectr17 on Dec 2, 2011 11:42 PM CST reply actions

yeah the clock ran out maybe a fraction before the shot got off

you could see it on one of the overhead replays

http://www.stlouisgametime.com/

by cold on Dec 3, 2011 9:03 AM CST up reply actions

The Avalanche Came From Behind...

…like a gay convict

http://twitter.com/GTAnswerManNoCo

by Answer Man on Dec 3, 2011 6:36 AM CST reply actions

Colorado's Goals

Both Colorado goals were scored with Hejda, Hejduk, O’Reilly, and Landeskog on the ice. (Avs 2nd line).

The first goal was scored against our 4th line (with Oshie replacing Reaves)
- Ian Cole actually cleared the puck but failed to get it deep after a long defensive shift. He coughed it up at our Blue line, so most of the Blues players were already thinking “line change” and then had to jump back on defense. Bad news.
- TJ Oshie, who had just jumped on the ice for Reaves, didn’t find his proper positioning in front of the net, expecting O’Reilly to cut around the net instead of feed the puck in front from the short side, and he let Hejduk sneak in unopposed.

The second goal was scored against our 2nd line
- No stick for Jackman didn’t help, but he was largely on the weak side of the play anyway.
- Tired legs at the end of a long defensive shift.
- I can’t see it on the nhl.com replay, but I remember that both Berglund and Dagostini (?) had good chances to clear the puck but failed to on this sequence.
- Our 2nd line I especially noticed getting abused in their own end by whoever the Avs had out on the ice, in the second half of the game.

http://www.stlouisgametime.com/

by cold on Dec 3, 2011 9:26 AM CST reply actions

Also,

even though CO’s second line got the goals, their first line was scary with pressure in the last period or so of the game, as well.

http://www.stlouisgametime.com/

by cold on Dec 3, 2011 9:27 AM CST up reply actions

blue need a finisher

just 1 finisher

if perron is it, damn

if he isnt, i wonder what the blues have in fron tof them

far too often the blues completely dominate a game and fail to score a third goal.

And a harvest of righteousness is grown from the seed of peace planted by peacemakers.

by Childhood Trauma on Dec 3, 2011 9:33 AM CST reply actions

Is it just me...

or does it seem like all our players need to go back to school to re-learn how to lift the puck? If our shots from in deep can get up off the ice, three times as many goals every game

by muffin stuffin on Dec 3, 2011 10:04 AM CST reply actions

i would rather go 4 on 4 in OT, to 3 on 3 in a second OT, and 2 on 2 in a third OT before going to a shootout. the shootout is the most despicable idea the NHL has had since the crease rule.
if shootouts are such a good way to decide a game, why even play the game? you could cut game times down to an hour and just do shootouts the whole time. stupid, stupid, stupid…

www.marsbands.com

by Mars on Dec 3, 2011 12:41 PM CST reply actions