Servings of Crow

[Army's Mom]

With the Blues playing some of their most entertaining hockey since the Cup run, I thought those of us who came into the year all doom and gloom might enjoy our crow communal style. So, admit one thing you were pessimistic about that the Blues proved you wrong on. Misery loves company, and I've sure been wrong enough to be miserable

Here are some of mine:

When they extended Bannister, I thought there was every chance we'd see a better coach become available and Army would miss out. WRONG.

I thought Schenn would be lucky to push 15 goals and 30 pts. WRONG.

I thought Kyrou would top out as a minus player full of empty calorie goals. WRONG.

Heading into 4 nations, I thought Binner would wet the bed. WRONG.

When Broberg got hurt after his hot start, I thought he'd cone back resembling the tweener who struggled to find ice time in Edmonton. WRONG.

...And when Army said this was a playoff caliber team, I laughed and penciled them in for another top 10 pick. WRONG.

Anyone else? I KNOW I wasn't the only one all gloomy at the start.

[SRV1990]

Kudos to you for this post!

I was very suspect of the Blues D, but they've more than held their own.

Similar to your thoughts on Bannister, I wasn't on board with the hire and thought it would cost them a better coach. Boy was I wrong!

I never expected the Blues to be in the hunt for the playoffs this year... again, very wrong!

[fish]

I thought Walker was JAG who would only be effective on a part time basis, not the true 4th liner that he is.

I thought Suter was a waste of a signing

[ShakeyWalton]

I'm with you on everything you said. I will add that I have been down on Army since the Cup win, but he has just been tremendous the last year or so. Unbelievable signings in Hollywood and Broberg.

[dhsux]

I was a Bannister supporter and thought he could/would get them into the play offs.

Pretty sure I was wrong.

[diehardbluesfan1]

Eagerly awaiting rollin and the other trolls to respond.

[Tony Palazzolo]

Before the season started I thought they would be a playoff team. Then I thought I was wrong. I was wrong about being wrong.

A month or so ago a friend offered their tickets for last Saturdays game. At the time I thought that the game wouldn't matter. I just thought it's a good chance to see Bedard live. I'm happy the game mattered and Bedard didn't stick out.

[TheJackBurton]

I can honestly say, and although you can no longer see the posts, Monty was always the coach Army wanted he was just waiting for him to become available. He gave Bannister the 2 year for some security and for being a good soldier but even he had to know that it was essentially at most a one year tryout.

I will say I wasn't expecting Kyrou to lead the team in +/- so that has been a great suprise

After his start and subsequent demotion I certainly didn't see Zach Bolduc doing what he is doing

[callitwhatyouwant]

I am usually the realist so my takes are never too hot and cold unless I really see something (shout out to the fact that I called Faulks play trending in the right direction and he would start point producing before he did)

But, my couple eat crow moments are also Bannister. I last summer was hoping for the Bruins to lose so we could get Monty. Everyone knew that was why we were waiting. But I backed Bannister up, especially with the fact that he brought Claude in to have a veteran hand around. I think the players voiced their displeasure not of Bannister as a coach, but that they weren't getting to work offense and offense was killing them (buchy).

The thing I eat the most crow about this season and have been welcoming it and hoping for it the last 2 was Kyrou. He clearly has blended last years more defensive focus, with the offensive focus we saw last time when Monty was here.

I think the only 2 people I have been wrong about on the current roster on top of that would be Tucker and Joseph. Tucker I thought was too slow and I just didn't like him getting burned last year but it seems Suter has helped teach him how to play with that level of wheels. And I thought Joseph would be a better 3rd liner from the start and would surprise some people.

Perunovich I guess was someone we just needed to move on from. I always wanted him to get his shot, and he was staying injury free on the Blues and playing good hockey IMO but wasn't really given a look. He went to the Isles and got legit minutes, played good hockey and then got hurt. I guess ill take that one too.

[MiamiLaw]

Most of my complaints have been about Army's personnel moves regarding the team's Cup core, but I definitely was not onboard with Bannister and was also worried that we would miss out on the right guy because he was here. But my biggest one is Kyrou for sure.

Now, while they have put themselves in a decent position, it is still very possible that this team misses the playoffs. They still are lacking top end talent, but Monty has them playing as a unit and they seem to have really come together as a group. They are entertaining to watch and that's honestly all I really ask.

[DawgDad]

The Blues are right where I thought their ceiling would be, fighting for a playoff spot. It's the HOW they got here that is surprising.

The Blues came into the season thin on proven talent in the forward ranks, playing a career winger at center, a predictable disaster. That set their ceiling. When Thomas went down I thought it was all over, and it was for a time. I thought picking up Monty would be closer to a lateral move. I did not forsee Fowler, who has been a lifesaver with Parayko out. I thought Holloway and Broberg would emerge and play well but they have exceeded those expectations. I did not forsee Kyrou becoming a reliable two-way player. Suter's continuing ability to soak up minutes has been above expectation.

The way the 3rd and 4th lines have come together now was totally unexpected, and that has been a key to the team's success. For the last few seasons that is where opponents have picked the Blues apart.

Now, the team is getting an infusion of skill in the depth ranks. Make the playoffs or not this is a team with a lot of promise.

Count me in the ranks of those who never doubted Binner on the International stage.

[callitwhatyouwant]

Most of my complaints have been about Army's personnel moves regarding the team's Cup core, but I definitely was not onboard with Bannister and was also worried that we would miss out on the right guy because he was here. But my biggest one is Kyrou for sure.

Now, while they have put themselves in a decent position, it is still very possible that this team misses the playoffs. They still are lacking top end talent, but Monty has them playing as a unit and they seem to have really come together as a group. They are entertaining to watch and that's honestly all I really ask.

may I ask, what top end talent are they lacking at the moment. Thomas/Kyrou/Buchy/Holloway Parayko/Broberg/Binner are certainly playing like top end talent right now. Schenn would still be a 2nd liner as a winger on any team, and currently in form for 2nd line center on most teams. Neighbours is 2/3rd liner on every team. And then Snuggs and Dvorsky are billed as minimum middle 6 but projected higher. Then you got Bolduc. To me, the Blues are only lacking true top end talent on the back end. But Fowler and Faulks play (cough leddy) since Parayko has been out, Have certainly put to rest whether they can play or not.

The only thing this team doesn't have is 1 guy that can go for 50. But there are what, 10-15 guys any given year that can do that? There's only a few you expect to flirt with it every year. Kyrou is currently 18th in goals. It certainly seems like this is some of the most talented forwards we have had in a while.

Also, stats back it up. a reddit poster did a side by side comparison from 2019 to todays team and where they are pacing. The difference is a slight difference in goalie play, and the Blues had more 10 goal contributors than they do this year. But the defense is scoring more, and we have more points production out of individuals than the 2019 team did. But the overall team scoring is almost identical, in fact I think we are a hair better at the moment.

[blues2112]

I was a Bannister supporter and thought he could/would get them into the play offs.

Pretty sure I was wrong.

Ditto here!

And I thought Parayko was on the downside of his career.

And Suter has better than I thought he'd be. Same Holloway.

I also wanted team to trade anyone over 25, except Binnington.

And on and on.

Great thread!

[HighStick]

I admit I've flip-flopped all season long with this team. Started off excited about the Holloway/Broberg signings. Thought they'd make the PO's. Then Broberg and Thomas go down and I was pretty sure the PO's were out of the picture. The team hung in there and surprisingly stayed within reach. When Parayko got hurt I thought for sure the team would crumble but they did not. They have instead thrived and overcome and I am now proudly rooting for them to make the PO's. Nobody really knows what's going to happen when the season starts. No need to eat crow here except for the couple trolls who are rooting against the Blues. This is one of the things that make being a hockey fan so much fun. The excitement and drama of a long season. LGB!

[MiamiLaw]

Most of my complaints have been about Army's personnel moves regarding the team's Cup core, but I definitely was not onboard with Bannister and was also worried that we would miss out on the right guy because he was here. But my biggest one is Kyrou for sure.

Now, while they have put themselves in a decent position, it is still very possible that this team misses the playoffs. They still are lacking top end talent, but Monty has them playing as a unit and they seem to have really come together as a group. They are entertaining to watch and that's honestly all I really ask.

may I ask, what top end talent are they lacking at the moment. Thomas/Kyrou/Buchy/Holloway Parayko/Broberg/Binner are certainly playing like top end talent right now. Schenn would still be a 2nd liner as a winger on any team, and currently in form for 2nd line center on most teams. Neighbours is 2/3rd liner on every team. And then Snuggs and Dvorsky are billed as minimum middle 6 but projected higher. Then you got Bolduc. To me, the Blues are only lacking true top end talent on the back end. But Fowler and Faulks play (cough leddy) since Parayko has been out, Have certainly put to rest whether they can play or not.

The only thing this team doesn't have is 1 guy that can go for 50. But there are what, 10-15 guys any given year that can do that? There's only a few you expect to flirt with it every year. Kyrou is currently 18th in goals. It certainly seems like this is some of the most talented forwards we have had in a while.

Also, stats back it up. a reddit poster did a side by side comparison from 2019 to todays team and where they are pacing. The difference is a slight difference in goalie play, and the Blues had more 10 goal contributors than they do this year. But the defense is scoring more, and we have more points production out of individuals than the 2019 team did. But the overall team scoring is almost identical, in fact I think we are a hair better at the moment.

What I mean is that they do not have a truly elite player. Almost every Cup winner/contender does. It has been beaten to death over the course of the last few months and, respectfully, I honestly don't want to rehash it again because we have all said our piece on it. The guys you listed have been very good for sure, especially since Monty got his system going, but going down the list of Top 6 teams in each conference (excluding Wild Cards because there is a lot of parity there), none of those guys would be the best player on any of those teams and probably would not be the second best player either (and on the top teams Thomas - who I think we all say is the undisputed best player on the team - would be 3rd or 4th on the list).

I saw that Reddit post too but what I've said on this consistently is that, if anything, the 2019 Blues are an outlier. They proves you can win with the death by a thousand cuts mentality but history shows it is much more rare than having studs.

[Cahokanut]

A tread that goes through things OP was wrong about, then the claims everyone else was wrong. All because we won six in a row and are now fighting for a playoff spot.

I've not seen many stray too far away from "bubble team"
More optimism at the beginning, and more pesicism towards deadline.
No one needs to eat, cook or definitely serve crow because of a preseason opinion, or a potential first round exit.

We are in barely in a playoff spot. And wouldn't be without the elite goaltending we've gotten. Yes it's fun winning, hope we go all the way. But. We've not won a thing.