I've got about 150 less frustrating things to do tonight than talk about that game some more, so here we go, high-speed style.
I've come to the conclusion that the reason that none of us can point to any one or two things that the Blues are doing wrong is because it is the intangibles that are costing this team games.
- Consistency.
- Heart.
- Desire.
- Need for the puck. Want for the puck.
- The extra gear that kicks in when a player refuses to lose or decides he has to win.
These intangibles are hard to put a finger on. Who has them and who doesn't. But to me these things show up in comments like, "Boy, that guy is flying tonight." Or, on the negative side, "Holy shit, I thought Brad Boyes was a healthy scratch. Has he been here all night?"
Here's a list of everyone I thought was showing us all the intangibles tonight:
- T.J. Oshie
Some other random thoughts for your consideration:
- My couple articles about players being virtually untradeable and Andy Murray being virtually unkeepable at this point weren't terribly popular a couple weeks ago. Now, I stand by them even more. What kind of value can the Blues get for anyone that they'd be willing to trade at this point? How much longer can they stand behind Murray when his team's only consistent trait is that they are wildly inconsistent? Remember everyone, this is a business being run by businessmen. What happened at your job in 2009 when business was bad?
- At what point will we have a goalie on this team who isn't a back-up trying to hold down a starter's job? Chris Mason is the king of the amazing save/weak goal game. Granted, there wasn't a ton of defense being played in front of him on a couple of those goals, but it's getting harder and harder to defend him as a true starting netminder. Don't get me started on Ty Conklin, because that would be replacing a backup trying to be a starter with another good backup trying to be a starter. You know, like replacing Manny Legace with Chris Mason.
- 14 seconds isn't a long time, but apparently it's enough to take advantage of a team like the Blues who, again, showed an incredible lack of killer instinct every time they scored a goal tonight.
- Speaking of the building-deflating quick response goals the Blues kept giving up, it sure didn't stop Towel Boy from doing his attention-boner-inducing little ceremony. The Candy Ladies knew well enough to not pass the bag of celebratory chocolate and Swedish Fish, why doesn't Towelie get it?
- Most overheard comment of the night: "Something's gotta give, right? Something has got to give."
- Runner-up: "Wait, I thought I was the last piece of the puzzle."
The Blues are going on the dreaded Western Canadian Swing (TM) starting Sunday night in Vancouver. Maybe something will have given by then.