GDT: Blues at Hawks 8:30 TNT

[theograce]

Sad day for the blues. Goalie stinks. No scoring. Weak effort. Poor. Bright spot 3rd line.

3 goals gets you at least an OT loss if hofer is in net.

Hofer let 7 in against Hawks too

[zuck698]

WTF! Can't even get Hofer ready?

Joke.

I stepped out for a second and missed if they discussed it on television. Did they ever say what the deal was on Hofer not being ready to go in? I have never seen a backup not ready to be inserted when needed. Weird!

[britishblue]

Purely based on the eye test this year but the number of point shots that are screened or are redirected resulting in goals against seems very high, certainly much higher than previous years.

I cant quite work out if we are collapsing more and leaving the blue line a little more open.

[todd-parker]

If anything, this presents good betting opportunities for the future. Blues playing for a .500 record = loss.

[Younghopp1991]

If anything, this presents good betting opportunities for the future. Blues playing for a .500 record = loss.

.500 or 3 in a row =loss

[zamadoo]

Purely based on the eye test this year but the number of point shots that are screened or are redirected resulting in goals against seems very high, certainly much higher than previous years.

I cant quite work out if we are collapsing more and leaving the blue line a little more open.

It seems like they've got one D in front of the net and the other D either chasing someone or just roving around away from the net, but never claiming his spot next to the post. It's like a diamond but 5on5. So we end up with one defenseman trying to guard both sides of the net, leaving someone free because he's rotating back and forth.

Drives me crazy to watch. Forwards deferring when they're closer to the man/puck, but the defensemen seem to have multiple assignments or zones too large to actually cover.

[Jeff Goldblum]

Purely based on the eye test this year but the number of point shots that are screened or are redirected resulting in goals against seems very high, certainly much higher than previous years.

I cant quite work out if we are collapsing more and leaving the blue line a little more open.

It seems like they've got one D in front of the net and the other D either chasing someone or just roving around away from the net, but never claiming his spot next to the post. It's like a diamond but 5on5. So we end up with one defenseman trying to guard both sides of the net, leaving someone free because he's rotating back and forth.

Drives me crazy to watch. Forwards deferring when they're closer to the man/puck, but the defensemen seem to have multiple assignments or zones too large to actually cover.

It seems to me that they are always collapsing toward their own net. Zero pressure on the opposing offense. Always skating backwards deep into their own zone, never standing up players at the blue line.

[Rollin' on the River]

Buchnevich makes no effort to impede that Hawk.

Buchnevich makes no effort pretty consistently

[icon]

Purely based on the eye test this year but the number of point shots that are screened or are redirected resulting in goals against seems very high, certainly much higher than previous years.

I cant quite work out if we are collapsing more and leaving the blue line a little more open.

It seems like they've got one D in front of the net and the other D either chasing someone or just roving around away from the net, but never claiming his spot next to the post. It's like a diamond but 5on5. So we end up with one defenseman trying to guard both sides of the net, leaving someone free because he's rotating back and forth.

Drives me crazy to watch. Forwards deferring when they're closer to the man/puck, but the defensemen seem to have multiple assignments or zones too large to actually cover.

It seems to me that they are always collapsing toward their own net. Zero pressure on the opposing offense. Always skating backwards deep into their own zone, never standing up players at the blue line.

This has been a problem for a while with the Blues. They do a very poor job of pressuring the points.

[WeWentBlues0819]

Sad day for the blues. Goalie stinks. No scoring. Weak effort. Poor. Bright spot 3rd line.

3 goals gets you at least an OT loss if hofer is in net.

Hofer let 7 in against Hawks too

Was that the weird game when Monty mind (bleep) both goalies by putting Hofer back in?

Hofer was atrocious at the beginning of the season. He looked like he had the yips. SInce then he has been rock soiid in goal.

[zamadoo]

Purely based on the eye test this year but the number of point shots that are screened or are redirected resulting in goals against seems very high, certainly much higher than previous years.

I cant quite work out if we are collapsing more and leaving the blue line a little more open.

It seems like they've got one D in front of the net and the other D either chasing someone or just roving around away from the net, but never claiming his spot next to the post. It's like a diamond but 5on5. So we end up with one defenseman trying to guard both sides of the net, leaving someone free because he's rotating back and forth.

Drives me crazy to watch. Forwards deferring when they're closer to the man/puck, but the defensemen seem to have multiple assignments or zones too large to actually cover.

It seems to me that they are always collapsing toward their own net. Zero pressure on the opposing offense. Always skating backwards deep into their own zone, never standing up players at the blue line.

This has been a problem for a while with the Blues. They do a very poor job of pressuring the points.

Yeah it seems they can't figure out what they want to do or what the system is, and they've had to resort to an ultra conservative "no one behind you" approach. I think we've had fewer breakouts against, which is nice, but now they're just skating it into our zone and still getting defensemen on their heels. There's usually not enough backcheck, maybe due to the putridity of the forecheck, which leads to some odd-man rush scenarios through the neutral zone (because the D are already backed off), leading to easy zone entry and possession time. Then our forwards catch up and we're scrambling, with a winger always hanging out at the blue line or neutral zone waiting for an exit pass. In the recent wins, they played a tighter team game and took away those chances. The offense still isn't there, so when they don't play as an aggressive 5 man unit, they get destroyed.

[Harry York 37]

Purely based on the eye test this year but the number of point shots that are screened or are redirected resulting in goals against seems very high, certainly much higher than previous years.

I cant quite work out if we are collapsing more and leaving the blue line a little more open.

It seems like they've got one D in front of the net and the other D either chasing someone or just roving around away from the net, but never claiming his spot next to the post. It's like a diamond but 5on5. So we end up with one defenseman trying to guard both sides of the net, leaving someone free because he's rotating back and forth.

Drives me crazy to watch. Forwards deferring when they're closer to the man/puck, but the defensemen seem to have multiple assignments or zones too large to actually cover.

It seems to me that they are always collapsing toward their own net. Zero pressure on the opposing offense. Always skating backwards deep into their own zone, never standing up players at the blue line.

This has been a problem for a while with the Blues. They do a very poor job of pressuring the points.

Yeah it seems they can't figure out what they want to do or what the system is, and they've had to resort to an ultra conservative "no one behind you" approach. I think we've had fewer breakouts against, which is nice, but now they're just skating it into our zone and still getting defensemen on their heels. There's usually not enough backcheck, maybe due to the putridity of the forecheck, which leads to some odd-man rush scenarios through the neutral zone (because the D are already backed off), leading to easy zone entry and possession time. Then our forwards catch up and we're scrambling, with a winger always hanging out at the blue line or neutral zone waiting for an exit pass. In the recent wins, they played a tighter team game and took away those chances. The offense still isn't there, so when they don't play as an aggressive 5 man unit, they get destroyed.

Right on!
Whatever happened to the fully aware, on their goddanged toes “Five Man Units”?
It goes both ways- the defense need to be nipping at the heels of the forwards, and whenever one might get caught deep in a pinch, a forward has to cover his (donkey).
When a turnover occurs, the forwards best be skating South as if Richmond were about to fall….