Blues did quite well without Kyrou

[Hooking]

They won.
However they didn't play that great overall honestly. Outshot and outworked most of the game. Long stretches with no offense.

[Kilokaai]

They won.
However they didn't play that great overall honestly. Outshot and outworked most of the game. Long stretches with no offense.

I'm here as well, I am pretty sure after the game I told my wife something like: "Well we won 3-0, and Hofer made some good saves. I don't think we can get doubled up on shots often and expect to win but after last nights game I'll take it".

These games happen, still interested to see if we really do start rotating people through the press box or not.

[The Average Gatsby]

The real positive from last night was Hofer. If he is back to last seasons form we’ll at least have a chance.

[Harry York 37]

I’m just saying!!

I’d have bet money this post was coming


It was Buffalo for crying out loud

They shut em out 3-0 and punctuated the win with a perfect ENG.

Are you sad that they played a tight, and very closely checked game where they all demonstrated that having a consistent, team-wide high compete level will win a hockey game?

I will trade high power scoring for well-played low scoring victory every time.
They have All-Star Games for showboating.

Games like tonight showcase how to play the complete game in all three zones.
Games like tonight win playoff series.

Games like tonight I wouldn’t pay $5 to watch. Top 9 producing zero. Hofer stood on his head. How many nights do you think you’re getting a goal and assist out of Joseph? You’re not making the playoffs playing that way - you’re headed for a top 5 pick.

You should just watch All-Star games.
Our top nine did their part to keep their top nine completely off the score sheet.
I guess defense doesn’t sizzle much on highlight reels.
It was a joy to wath the Blues smother a team for so many minutes.

Woke up in middle of the night here.

Harry, of course a team needs to win games like this when the circumstances dictate. This game occurred in the context of a season-long dysfunctional mess the they are trying to crawl out of, so there are positive things to take away. Two points. But the game the night before happened, too, and right now the top-9 guys are a dysfunctional mess even in this shutout victory. That in no way reflected a team playing top-notch all-round hockey. Any team with enough offensive talent firing on enough cylinders to score a league average three goals beats the Blues. Would they even have to break a sweat to contain the Blues offense?

I'm good with them refocusing on the team defense, that needs to be played as an instinctive norm, but if the team doesn't start clicking offensively, fixing the forecheck and zone time and finishing issues, they will remain a cellar-dweller.

I understand your concern, Dawg, but the Blues have been a gutless bunch of paycheck collectors for too long this season.

You cannot force scoring, it has to come naturally. You must play a tight checking game when you are without the puck so that you are never in a position of having to come from behind. When that happens- as the Oil learned after three straight losses to open the Cup Final in 24, you DO begin to force your offense, which results in falling even further behind most of the time.

Tight checking defense always forces bad turnovers and that is how the Blues generated almost all of their offense last night. That is also how the Oil came back to even the series with Florida.
The top nine will wake up. As long as we are not giving games away, we will stay very competitive.

[BluesDom]

Kyrou is too good.


Kyrou to slot back in for Texier.

IMO Texier got beat up all night. Got picked on. Stink mits in face. Tackled. Roughed up.

[Army's Mom]

I’m just saying!!

I’d have bet money this post was coming


It was Buffalo for crying out loud

They shut em out 3-0 and punctuated the win with a perfect ENG.

Are you sad that they played a tight, and very closely checked game where they all demonstrated that having a consistent, team-wide high compete level will win a hockey game?

I will trade high power scoring for well-played low scoring victory every time.
They have All-Star Games for showboating.

Games like tonight showcase how to play the complete game in all three zones.
Games like tonight win playoff series.

Games like tonight I wouldn’t pay $5 to watch. Top 9 producing zero. Hofer stood on his head. How many nights do you think you’re getting a goal and assist out of Joseph? You’re not making the playoffs playing that way - you’re headed for a top 5 pick.

You should just watch All-Star games.
Our top nine did their part to keep their top nine completely off the score sheet.
I guess defense doesn’t sizzle much on highlight reels.
It was a joy to wath the Blues smother a team for so many minutes.

Woke up in middle of the night here.

Harry, of course a team needs to win games like this when the circumstances dictate. This game occurred in the context of a season-long dysfunctional mess the they are trying to crawl out of, so there are positive things to take away. Two points. But the game the night before happened, too, and right now the top-9 guys are a dysfunctional mess even in this shutout victory. That in no way reflected a team playing top-notch all-round hockey. Any team with enough offensive talent firing on enough cylinders to score a league average three goals beats the Blues. Would they even have to break a sweat to contain the Blues offense?

I'm good with them refocusing on the team defense, that needs to be played as an instinctive norm, but if the team doesn't start clicking offensively, fixing the forecheck and zone time and finishing issues, they will remain a cellar-dweller.

I understand your concern, Dawg, but the Blues have been a gutless bunch of paycheck collectors for too long this season.

You cannot force scoring, it has to come naturally. You must play a tight checking game when you are without the puck so that you are never in a position of having to come from behind. When that happens- as the Oil learned after three straight losses to open the Cup Final in 24, you DO begin to force your offense, which results in falling even further behind most of the time.

Tight checking defense always forces bad turnovers and that is how the Blues generated almost all of their offense last night. That is also how the Oil came back to even the series with Florida.
The top nine will wake up. As long as we are not giving games away, we will stay very competitive.

If theyre hounding pucks amd putting in that level of effort, the offense will tend to fix itself. Its when they focus on offense first that this team seems to get in trouble.

Kyrou is emblematic of this. When he back checks (or sits for someone who will), they can find enough goals to win. If they keep it up, it will force other teams to adjust, allowing more room for creative playmaking on offense.

When Kyrou pouts or floats, they get caught watching teams with superior talent or effort blow by them.

[skeezix]

No one should question Kyrou's talent - it's very obvious.

But, the effort is lacking, most of the time. All of the talent in the world doesn't make up for not trying, all of the time. It's why you're a professional athlete.

[Harry York 37]

I’m just saying!!

I’d have bet money this post was coming


It was Buffalo for crying out loud

They shut em out 3-0 and punctuated the win with a perfect ENG.

Are you sad that they played a tight, and very closely checked game where they all demonstrated that having a consistent, team-wide high compete level will win a hockey game?

I will trade high power scoring for well-played low scoring victory every time.
They have All-Star Games for showboating.

Games like tonight showcase how to play the complete game in all three zones.
Games like tonight win playoff series.

Games like tonight I wouldn’t pay $5 to watch. Top 9 producing zero. Hofer stood on his head. How many nights do you think you’re getting a goal and assist out of Joseph? You’re not making the playoffs playing that way - you’re headed for a top 5 pick.

You should just watch All-Star games.
Our top nine did their part to keep their top nine completely off the score sheet.
I guess defense doesn’t sizzle much on highlight reels.
It was a joy to wath the Blues smother a team for so many minutes.

Woke up in middle of the night here.

Harry, of course a team needs to win games like this when the circumstances dictate. This game occurred in the context of a season-long dysfunctional mess the they are trying to crawl out of, so there are positive things to take away. Two points. But the game the night before happened, too, and right now the top-9 guys are a dysfunctional mess even in this shutout victory. That in no way reflected a team playing top-notch all-round hockey. Any team with enough offensive talent firing on enough cylinders to score a league average three goals beats the Blues. Would they even have to break a sweat to contain the Blues offense?

I'm good with them refocusing on the team defense, that needs to be played as an instinctive norm, but if the team doesn't start clicking offensively, fixing the forecheck and zone time and finishing issues, they will remain a cellar-dweller.

I understand your concern, Dawg, but the Blues have been a gutless bunch of paycheck collectors for too long this season.

You cannot force scoring, it has to come naturally. You must play a tight checking game when you are without the puck so that you are never in a position of having to come from behind. When that happens- as the Oil learned after three straight losses to open the Cup Final in 24, you DO begin to force your offense, which results in falling even further behind most of the time.

Tight checking defense always forces bad turnovers and that is how the Blues generated almost all of their offense last night. That is also how the Oil came back to even the series with Florida.
The top nine will wake up. As long as we are not giving games away, we will stay very competitive.

If theyre hounding pucks amd putting in that level of effort, the offense will tend to fix itself. Its when they focus on offense first that this team seems to get in trouble.

Kyrou is emblematic of this. When he back checks (or sits for someone who will), they can find enough goals to win. If they keep it up, it will force other teams to adjust, allowing more room for creative playmaking on offense.

When Kyrou pouts or floats, they get caught watching teams with superior talent or effort blow by them.

Amen.