ROY Snuggerud is the key

[blackinkbiz]

With Hollywood nursing himself back to health, future ROY winner Jimmy Snuggs is the key to the Blues having a chance in this series. He's the depth piece who, if he steps up like he did last night, can be the equalizer.

Kid has 4 points in his first 7 games and could easily have 3 goals instead of just 1. I said last week, he reminds me of a young Tarasenko.

If they can somehow find a way to beat the President's Trophy winners and they get back Holloway for round 2, look out, because this team would be deeper than the 19 squad when fully healthy thanks to Snuggs.

[John Cocktoastin]

He is making some nice plays as a result of good decision making. Forced a pass last night that had to be mitigated by Sunny, but that truly is the only mistake I've seen so far.

Would've been sweet had he scored his first on the breakaway rather than an "oops" kick, but he was excited.

His positioning, to me, is what I notice and his crisp, poised passing. Ironic since his shot is his bread and butter. But seeing those other skills come out really makes me think he may be - weird saying this - underrated. All you hear with him is his shot. Well, there's more to Jimmy than just a high octane shot. His hockey IQ is on full display and is producing.

Quite the pick-up for a team that's already operating at a high level. Put Holloway back in there...wow.

[theograce]

There is no single key

[imyourhuckleberry]

Conn Smythe this year!

Calder next year!

[bluetunehead]

With Holloway healthy and Snuggerud producing you could argue the forward ranks are close. The center depth is not there though. 2025 Schenn is not 2019 Schenn. 2025 Sunny is not 2019 Bozak. The wing depth right now is very good.

The bigger gap is on defense. We don’t come close right now.

[MrPostman01]

Fowler-Parayko
Broberg-Faulk
Leddy-Suter

Defense is hyper-experienced!

[netboy65]

With Holloway healthy and Snuggerud producing you could argue the forward ranks are close. The center depth is not there though. 2025 Schenn is not 2019 Schenn. 2025 Sunny is not 2019 Bozak. The wing depth right now is very good.

The bigger gap is on defense. We don’t come close right now.

Eh, 19 was perhaps better but saying ‘not close’ isn’t necessarily true

In ‘19 we had Petro-Dunn, Colt-JBo, Gunny-Bortz, Eddy

In ‘25 we have Colt-Fowler, Broberg-Faulk, Suter-Leddy, Tucker

Again I probably give 19 the nod but it’s close

[IsDurbanodoingtime]

This series is going to be won or lost on the strength of our pk. What we have now is not going to cut it. Major step up needed.

[TangledUpInBLUE]

With Holloway healthy and Snuggerud producing you could argue the forward ranks are close. The center depth is not there though. 2025 Schenn is not 2019 Schenn. 2025 Sunny is not 2019 Bozak. The wing depth right now is very good.

The bigger gap is on defense. We don’t come close right now.

Eh, 19 was perhaps better but saying ‘not close’ isn’t necessarily true

In ‘19 we had Petro-Dunn, Colt-JBo, Gunny-Bortz, Eddy

In ‘25 we have Colt-Fowler, Broberg-Faulk, Suter-Leddy, Tucker

Again I probably give 19 the nod but it’s close

The Parayko-Jbo pairing was unreal. My personal opinion is they alone elevate the’19 D corp. Then add in Petro and round out with two of Gunnar/Bortz/Eddy…that was perfect D for the right time.

[DawgDad]

Well, no Holloway, no Ehlers. Sure, Snuggerud is A key, he will need to play well. And they need to stay out of the box. Blues have enough weapons now on the PP to make this interesting if they sustain their A-game 5-on-5.

[Stlcardsblues]

With Holloway healthy and Snuggerud producing you could argue the forward ranks are close. The center depth is not there though. 2025 Schenn is not 2019 Schenn. 2025 Sunny is not 2019 Bozak. The wing depth right now is very good.

The bigger gap is on defense. We don’t come close right now.

Eh, 19 was perhaps better but saying ‘not close’ isn’t necessarily true

In ‘19 we had Petro-Dunn, Colt-JBo, Gunny-Bortz, Eddy

In ‘25 we have Colt-Fowler, Broberg-Faulk, Suter-Leddy, Tucker

Again I probably give 19 the nod but it’s close

Whats amusing is how people’s opinions on the 19 defense have changed with a cup and time. From 2017 until January 19 and in some cases after 19 many here did not view the members of the 19 defense well.

Petro has had a number of people who were turned off and wanted him out of here for years.

I was in an extreme minority who was not happy Dunn was exposed to the expansion draft.

Prior to 19 and then the incident in Anaheim, Jbo was the team’s version of Faulk. Viewed as a bloated contract who people hated and viewed ans not adding value to the team.

Gunnerson was viewed as a JAG.

On many of these guys a few of us were on an island when we defended them. Most on here disagreed with us and felt the D was really weak.

[Nublues69]

Fowler-Parayko
Broberg-Faulk
Leddy-Suter

Defense is hyper-experienced!

I think we get rid of faulk and move leddy with broberg and let kessel play with suter

[blackinkbiz]

With Holloway healthy and Snuggerud producing you could argue the forward ranks are close. The center depth is not there though. 2025 Schenn is not 2019 Schenn. 2025 Sunny is not 2019 Bozak. The wing depth right now is very good.

The bigger gap is on defense. We don’t come close right now.

Eh, 19 was perhaps better but saying ‘not close’ isn’t necessarily true

In ‘19 we had Petro-Dunn, Colt-JBo, Gunny-Bortz, Eddy

In ‘25 we have Colt-Fowler, Broberg-Faulk, Suter-Leddy, Tucker

Again I probably give 19 the nod but it’s close

Whats amusing is how people’s opinions on the 19 defense have changed with a cup and time. From 2017 until January 19 and in some cases after 19 many here did not view the members of the 19 defense well.

Petro has had a number of people who were turned off and wanted him out of here for years.

I was in an extreme minority who was not happy Dunn was exposed to the expansion draft.

Prior to 19 and then the incident in Anaheim, Jbo was the team’s version of Faulk. Viewed as a bloated contract who people hated and viewed ans not adding value to the team.

Gunnerson was viewed as a JAG.

On many of these guys a few of us were on an island when we defended them. Most on here disagreed with us and felt the D was really weak.

Yeah the 2019 Dcore really made their mark in the playoffs. Before that they weren't viewed as a strength. JBo was a true whipping boy, meaning it was undeserved. I'll give Faulk credit for the game against Utah. That was the best game he'd played in weeks.

But if the team goes in a 12-game win streak and every other player manages to improve their +/-, yet you are the one player who managed to worsen yours, you're not a whipping boy, you're doing something wrong. Hopefully the return of Colton leaves Faulk less exposed.

And there's been just as much hate for this year's squad as the 2019 team had before their respective streaks. H*ll, most people, myself included--and I think I was the only one who said this team had 100-pt potential--were ready to trade off a major piece in the offseason to switch up the core when the team was on a 7-game losing skid against all the best teams in the league just before the team finished 2-1-1 before 4-nations.

It's no secret, winning truly erases bad memories.

[Old_Goat]

"We are a very good hockey team." -- Jim Montgomery, Nov 25, 2024.

Add in Snuggerud a real boost. Get Dylan Holloway back from injury, real powerful. The addition of Fowler, now arguably the most experienced group of defensemen in the league. The least experienced of those D being a former top ten pick having played 7 games in a Stanley Cup Finas series. A proven Big Game goalie, with an excellent backup.

Every other team will not look past us nor to the next game. And as long as we do not either, it should be fun to watch for hopefully the next two months!

[netboy65]

With Holloway healthy and Snuggerud producing you could argue the forward ranks are close. The center depth is not there though. 2025 Schenn is not 2019 Schenn. 2025 Sunny is not 2019 Bozak. The wing depth right now is very good.

The bigger gap is on defense. We don’t come close right now.

Eh, 19 was perhaps better but saying ‘not close’ isn’t necessarily true

In ‘19 we had Petro-Dunn, Colt-JBo, Gunny-Bortz, Eddy

In ‘25 we have Colt-Fowler, Broberg-Faulk, Suter-Leddy, Tucker

Again I probably give 19 the nod but it’s close

Whats amusing is how people’s opinions on the 19 defense have changed with a cup and time. From 2017 until January 19 and in some cases after 19 many here did not view the members of the 19 defense well.

Petro has had a number of people who were turned off and wanted him out of here for years.

I was in an extreme minority who was not happy Dunn was exposed to the expansion draft.

Prior to 19 and then the incident in Anaheim, Jbo was the team’s version of Faulk. Viewed as a bloated contract who people hated and viewed ans not adding value to the team.

Gunnerson was viewed as a JAG.

On many of these guys a few of us were on an island when we defended them. Most on here disagreed with us and felt the D was really weak.

Yeah the 2019 Dcore really made their mark in the playoffs. Before that they weren't viewed as a strength. JBo was a true whipping boy, meaning it was undeserved. I'll give Faulk credit for the game against Utah. That was the best game he'd played in weeks.

But if the team goes in a 12-game win streak and every other player manages to improve their +/-, yet you are the one player who managed to worsen yours, you're not a whipping boy, you're doing something wrong. Hopefully the return of Colton leaves Faulk less exposed.

And there's been just as much hate for this year's squad as the 2019 team had before their respective streaks. H*ll, most people, myself included--and I think I was the only one who said this team had 100-pt potential--were ready to trade off a major piece in the offseason to switch up the core when the team was on a 7-game losing skid against all the best teams in the league just before the team finished 2-1-1 before 4-nations.

It's no secret, winning truly erases bad memories.

Everything JBo got early was deserved as he was truly abysmal, but he had that surgery and came back a completely different player. Fowler this year reminds me a lot of him