Stars Show How To Close It Out

[Red7]

They didn’t go into a defensive shell. They continued to pressure the puck all over the ice, denied easy entries and continued their breakout game from their own zone, forcing the Jets D to back off the blue line.

[smegma]

They didn’t go into a defensive shell. They continued to pressure the puck all over the ice, denied easy entries and continued their breakout game from their own zone, forcing the Jets D to back off the blue line.

This is what the Blues were unable to do. I also thought that the Blues would have had a better series against the Stars. This series is boring!

[skilles]

I think this defensive shell people speak of all the time is what happens when the opposing team brings a push because they are losing and the leading team has trouble dealing with the pressure.

Dallas is better than the Blues right now but I assure you they 100% play more conservative with a 2 goal lead.

[TAFKAP]

This is why making the playoffs was so important. Neighbours, Bolduc, Tucker, Snuggerud had a grand total of zero combined NHL playoff games before this series. You have to learn how to win with that kind of pressure.

[Old_Goat]

All of the above comments are excellent!

[BobbyBlue]

This is why making the playoffs was so important. Neighbours, Bolduc, Tucker, Snuggerud had a grand total of zero combined NHL playoff games before this series. You have to learn how to win with that kind of pressure.

Very true. But I would have liked to see any one of them on the ice during the final (3) minutes given the responsibility to close it out so they could have really learned what it takes physically and mentally instead of from the bench or press box. If I’m correct…I’m not sure we used any of them…maybe Neighbors for a brief moment…during the final (3) minutes. So the learning didn’t come from being on the ice during that collapse…unfortunately.

[dhsux]

I think this defensive shell people speak of all the time is what happens when the opposing team brings a push because they are losing and the leading team has trouble dealing with the pressure.

Dallas is better than the Blues right now but I assure you they 100% play more conservative with a 2 goal lead.

This gets argued about until the cows come home.

But if I get your point.....I agree.....it's not what the Blues strategy was to win it's the lack of (6/5) execution and managing that did them in.

I'm still not over it.

[TheJackBurton]

They didn’t go into a defensive shell. They continued to pressure the puck all over the ice, denied easy entries and continued their breakout game from their own zone, forcing the Jets D to back off the blue line.

This is what the Blues were unable to do. I also thought that the Blues would have had a better series against the Stars. This series is boring!

I can't remember the last time I've seen a team, much less the President's Trophy winning team, be so incredibly awful on the road.

They are 0-5 on the road in the playoffs so far, they have been outscored 25-8, Helleybuck was pulled in 3 of the 5, a .790 sv pct and 4.8 gaa. Needless to say other than game 4 against Dallas he hasn't given his team much of a chance to win.

However, they've only scored 8 goals on the road in 5 games so they are only averaging 1.6 goals a game on the road, so the team as a whole isn't giving themselves a chance to win.

Are they really that matchup dependent? Is the last change really that dramatically important for them?

If so, odds are they take a steep step back next season.

[Spyro Gyra]

They didn’t go into a defensive shell. They continued to pressure the puck all over the ice, denied easy entries and continued their breakout game from their own zone, forcing the Jets D to back off the blue line.

This is what the Blues were unable to do. I also thought that the Blues would have had a better series against the Stars. This series is boring!

I can't remember the last time I've seen a team, much less the President's Trophy winning team, be so incredibly awful on the road.

They are 0-5 on the road in the playoffs so far, they have been outscored 25-8, Helleybuck was pulled in 3 of the 5, a .790 sv pct and 4.8 gaa. Needless to say other than game 4 against Dallas he hasn't given his team much of a chance to win.

However, they've only scored 8 goals on the road in 5 games so they are only averaging 1.6 goals a game on the road, so the team as a whole isn't giving themselves a chance to win.

Are they really that matchup dependent? Is the last change really that dramatically important for them?

If so, odds are they take a steep step back next season.

This is crazy. How do you explain something like this? From THIS ARTICLE

The Jets led the NHL with 26 road wins in the regular season, a big reason they had the League’s best record. But they’re 0-5 on the road in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and have lost nine straight away from home in the playoffs dating to 2023.

[TheJackBurton]

They didn’t go into a defensive shell. They continued to pressure the puck all over the ice, denied easy entries and continued their breakout game from their own zone, forcing the Jets D to back off the blue line.

This is what the Blues were unable to do. I also thought that the Blues would have had a better series against the Stars. This series is boring!

I can't remember the last time I've seen a team, much less the President's Trophy winning team, be so incredibly awful on the road.

They are 0-5 on the road in the playoffs so far, they have been outscored 25-8, Helleybuck was pulled in 3 of the 5, a .790 sv pct and 4.8 gaa. Needless to say other than game 4 against Dallas he hasn't given his team much of a chance to win.

However, they've only scored 8 goals on the road in 5 games so they are only averaging 1.6 goals a game on the road, so the team as a whole isn't giving themselves a chance to win.

Are they really that matchup dependent? Is the last change really that dramatically important for them?

If so, odds are they take a steep step back next season.

This is crazy. How do you explain something like this? From THIS ARTICLE

The Jets led the NHL with 26 road wins in the regular season, a big reason they had the League’s best record. But they’re 0-5 on the road in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and have lost nine straight away from home in the playoffs dating to 2023.

that makes even less sense.

[DawgDad]

They didn’t go into a defensive shell. They continued to pressure the puck all over the ice, denied easy entries and continued their breakout game from their own zone, forcing the Jets D to back off the blue line.

I was watching that pretty close. They have a 5-man box and one guy jumps out to challenge the puck handler, as soon as there's a pass he drops back and a different guy goes after the recipient. The box is larger, more spread out than the Blues often were, not bunching up in front of Oettinger until the puck goes in the slot or on net. Basically, more disciplined in structure, more patient.

When they chipped the puck out a couple of guys would press in the neutral zone and try to push the puck forward and get possession for a shot.

There just wasn't the all-out desperate defensive scrambling we saw with the Blues. The Blues as individuals need to be stronger on the puck, win more battles or play to a draw without sucking more guys in, breaking down the structure. When they get clear possession deep in their own end they need to clear as a primary objective, work the puck up as a team.