The Reality Is…

[BobbyBlue]

Take away (2) goals that you put into your own net and an empty net goal…and the GF vs. GA is 4-4. Blues have (3) PP goals and the Jets have (3) 5-on-5 goals. Special teams are very important early on in a series…but when the refs put away the whistle as the games go on…you need to win 5-on-5 hockey. The Blues have no margin for error in these games…but the games are razor close games…make no mistake about it. Jets have regained their confidence and swagger that the Blues rattled a little in game (1). Now the Blues need to win (2) home games to put the pressure back on the Jets in game (5). But they need to just play (1) period at a time for a complete 60 minutes and beyond until they win their first game. The learning process for the younger players is not just that playoff hockey is way more intense than anything they have ever experienced but so too is the ability to close out games. Then…once they learn that lesson…they will need to learn how difficult it is to close out a team in a series. This is a step by step process…that every team must learn and go through. It doesn’t happen over night. Watch and see if the core players grow…and learn from game to game…that’s why you want them to gain playoff experience…cause it can’t be taught any other way.

[DawgDad]

Good post. As for mistakes, the Blues have seemed to make more than their share but it's not all one-sided. It's also not just the kids, the veterans, most of them, have made costly mistakes. Guys who otherwise are team leaders busting their butts out there. It's about maximizing the synergy of team play. The Blues are behind the Jets in this regard, playing catch-up.

Yeah, this experience is invaluable. The series is not over yet, either. The team gets to play in front of the home crowd, with the matchup advantage. That's a different experience, even the Cup team laid some eggs at home, notably Boston Game 6.

[the miracle]

I like the saying "you're never out of a series until you lose a game at home". I don't want to discount some of the Jets goals via good bounce - they all count. But it is promising knowing that this young team is going toe to toe with the best regular season team and is holding their own.

[a smell of green grass]

I believe reality is that Winnipeg is coasting, trying to get by St Louis without injury.

The best indicator of how St Louis matches up to Winnipeg is the 3rd period. Their roster looks stacked. Our roster looks like we are missing the rookie Holloway. Their best players are playing as expected. Our best players are nearly invisible. Their players look like they are having their way out there. Our players look like they wonder where all the free ice went.

This series may be close in score, but realistically, Winnipeg has done far more good for their roster than we have since 2019.

[Blues Dave]

This was a good thread that just got hijacked with that green grass post. I don't even feel like commenting when someone says the bad guys or us aren't really trying because of whatever reason. So I won't.

[Cahokanut]

The reality is....

We have the most important thing needed to win.

A big game goaler.
With some confidence and some fun. 16 can be won.

[DawgDad]

The reality is....

We have the most important thing needed to win.

A big game goaler.
With some confidence and some fun. 16 can be won.

It ain't over 'till it's over. Will be good to hear some hometown cheers for the Blues!

[callitwhatyouwant]

This was a good thread that just got hijacked with that green grass post. I don't even feel like commenting when someone says the bad guys or us aren't really trying because of whatever reason. So I won't.

it's because smelly goo goblin is being disingenuous. Sheiffle has 2 accidental goals. If you want to say that's the breaks then that's the breaks. Connor is Connor tho. I claimed if this thing went 7 you could very well see this guy get 14+ and go crazy.

Our best players are
Thomas
Parayko
Binner

Holloway
and then it's some mix of

Kyrou
Buchy
Fowler

Parayko doesn't look like his preinjured self - to be expected.
Thomas, I would argue has looked OK but is a step behind.
Binner has shown up.

Their 3 best players being Sheiffle, Connor, and Hellebuyck. Helle has looked like he can be scored on, Connor has played 4 good periods and lit up the scoreboard. Sheiffle has created chaos. But if those goals don't go in for him when he didn't get a shot on net for either of them, then people would be changing their tune. But smelly goo goblins can't change their stripes.

[a smell of green grass]

As Kurt Warner used to say... The best team is the team that can exert it's will on the other team whenever they need to do so.

Anybody notice how long the Blues keep a lead?

In Game 2, the Blues never had a lead.

If the refs were not blowing the whistle every 5 minutes, the score would be more lopsided as well. When 5-5, the domination is extremely evident.

We have to face reality. Outside of STL, no one gives the Blues a chance. The team with the best record in the NHL is NOT WORRIED about St Louis either. The only worry that they have is injury from the Blues constant hitting.

The Jets may get even more overconfident in the upcoming games, and Binner may play out of his head, but St Louis will be lucky to win 1.

[roadkillIL]

I am p*ssed about missing out on that #7 overall pick. Now I have to endure NHL playoff hockey.
Blue font alert.
I just do not understand how the Jets are the President's trophy winner with only 2 top 10 draft choice. [Schueffle 2011 pick #7 & Perfetti 2020 #10} Those other 1st rounders they drafted? Conner 2017 #17 (voodoo doll/jobu curse), Morrisey 2013 #13, and ..... um... well. that's all folks. Hmmm, this post is Bleedin Blue.....

[BalotelliMassive]

Their 3 best players being Sheiffle, Connor, and Hellebuyck. Helle has looked like he can be scored on, Connor has played 4 good periods and lit up the scoreboard. Sheiffle has created chaos. But if those goals don't go in for him when he didn't get a shot on net for either of them, then people would be changing their tune.

Winnipeg is missing Ehlers and Vilardi - they have 124 regular season points between the two of them...

[seattleblue]

I will qualify my Dvorsky top two center projection. I firmly believe he will develop into a scoring center in the NHL. He could get there via the occasional healthy scratch route ala Bolduc, but I feel 9 out of 10 confident he will be an awesome 1-2 center punch in about 2-4 years with Thomas in a slower build way. He won't impact the roster like the Midnight Snuggler has, it'll be more like Bolduc.

Everybody ought to keep in mind that Bolduc now looks like a sustainable 30 goal scorer under Montgomery going forward. Neighbours 25, Kyrou 35, Snuggs & Buchnevich also some # of goals? Thomas at least 20 goals? Blues are going to gave some sustained young firepower in the near term.

Their 3 best players being Sheiffle, Connor, and Hellebuyck. Helle has looked like he can be scored on, Connor has played 4 good periods and lit up the scoreboard. Sheiffle has created chaos. But if those goals don't go in for him when he didn't get a shot on net for either of them, then people would be changing their tune.

Winnipeg is missing Ehlers and Vilardi - they have 124 regular season points between the two of them...

Missing those two is a big deal for the Jets. They are deeper and it's on display.

[bud white]

I look at it this way:

Even without having the last change and getting the match ups we want, we've lost 2 by one goal. In Game 1, Jets took the lead with less than 2 minutes left. It has been razor close with a couple of flukey goals being the difference in both games. Let's see how these home games go before pushing the panic button.

[Bluesfan1978]

Even with the sloppy play I thought the team could have easily won game 2. If Thomas and Parayko aren't 100% than hats off to them. I have noticed that Thomas is more engaged physically than during the regular season and he even made a hit when a man short last night. I look at how the Jets played the Blues when on the PK the last few kills and they were talking the body hard and being aggressive each of the last kills on the Blues.

[d--train]

Winnipeg is just a better team, period!!

[Rollie Fingers]

Since the Jets won the Presidents trophy they must’ve better than 30 teams. We are doing a good job for where we are in our development.