So this is the way it has to be from now until the forseeable future become the seeable future become the future becomes the present. The Blues have to work as hard as possible on every single shift, give way too many minutes to too many guys who shouldn't get them, get lucky with a few bounces, not get down when they get bad bounces against and eat, hope, pray, love, whateverthefuck that they get timely goals from guys who are supposed to get timely goals.
And for now, that includes guys like Alex Steen, Brad Winchester, Silent Jay McClement and Vladimir Sobotka. Also, Eric Brewer should only be signed to one year contarct years every year.
Here are your meaningful/meaningless bulletpoints for tonight:
- Ty Conklin has nearly 27 years of NHL service under his belt and he has never been a starter on any team. That is unsurprising when you watch him play, but there is no disputing that he is a more than capable back-up. He did everything the Blues are paying him for tonight and there's no doubt that when the Blues fail to re-sign him this summer, some other team will definitely give him a contract. The great saves he made? Unreal. The crappy goals he allowed at the end of the second period? Unreal. Ladies and gentlemen: your prototype backup goalie.
- Patrik Berglund and Brad Boyes need to do more. One of you wants to be a face of the Blues for years to come, one of you is getting paid more than $4 million this year to score goals. At this point, this isn't a fun game you play anymore, this is your job. Right now you suck at your job.
- Jay McClement might be minus-12 still, but that guy is a fucking silent warrior. He's out there for every crucial face off and he is out there when Davis Payne needs to cap a potential gushing oil well from the other team. He battles away from the puck, behind the play and against the other teams' best players. I was joking with the guy next to me tonight about every tough situation, "Defensive zone faceoff late in the game protecting a one-goal lead, who takes your face off?" And he would laugh and roll his eyes and say, "Jay fucking McClement."
- I'm seeing more Alex Steen jerseys on fans these days, so all you mouth cockers who said you were going to get one to be different are already too late. That guy has stepped up among Blues forwards and unlike some guys, you notice every single shift he plays. Shooting, passing, battling and skating his ass off. The guy is a silent Jay-like warrior and I love the two of them on the same line.
- Did I mention that Eric Brewer should only have one year contracts? Good, because that shit is true.
- Maybe I have grinder boner similar to Towel Boy's attention boner, but Vlad Sobotka might be my third favorite forward right now. A goal and two assists tonight and a nasty attitude throughout makes him easy to like on a team that needs to play nasty and score timely goals just to survive right now.
Bring your comments in the, um, comments. But as a special note to one of our best commenters: Carnie, your message was addressed at the highest levels of the network today - no worries baby, we got your back with that guy.
Sharks on Saturday, fuckers. We'll be here. You?