Game Day Thread - Dallas at Blues

[seattleblue]

Texier, so easy for an opponent to chexier

[DawgDad]

Dallas announcers saying the Stars did a great job clamping down in the neutral zone. Not seeing that, sorry. Blues had one top-6 line and a whole host of 3rd/4th liners out there with just two NHL defensemen against essentially the Stars NHL team. The Blues were doing just fine, considering the disparity in talent.

[Harold_Melvin]

The Blues went into the preseason with a wimper and went out with a wimper. Call me crazy but I'm not worried about the actual season.

[WilliamWestcliffe]

Stenberg is impressive also good last shift by Dvo two puck wins and a great pass back to the point

Stenberg is only behind Dvorsky and Snuggy as a Blues forward prospect IMO

Hmm not sure I'm putting Stenberg behind Dvo right now I'm seeing Stenberg playing a lot better than Dvorsky while wearing a Blue note Dvo needs to find another gear

Dvo doesn’t have another gear. It’s been the knock since before the draft and - to me - it’s really showing badly at the NHL level.

He’ll need a driver on his line (his halloway to Kyrou) to carry the play. That’s not a good fit for a 3rd line.

[skilles]

I'm not worried about winning/losing but its certainly disappointing that the guys that desperately needed to put on a show didn't....at all.

I can't count how many times Ive had to tell people as a coach "we are not playing to win these games"(exhibition games) while we are not directly trying to lose them we are certainly making decisions for evaluation purposes that will almost certainly cause us to lose.

[DawgDad]

I'm not worried about winning/losing but its certainly disappointing that the guys that desperately needed to put on a show didn't....at all.

I can't count how many times Ive had to tell people as a coach "we are not playing to win these games"(exhibition games) while we are not directly trying to lose them we are certainly making decisions for evaluation purposes that will almost certainly cause us to lose.

Holloway looked great until he tripped over himself at the end. Broberg, Kyrou, Faulk looked fine, though Faulk seemed to be laboring a bit. Hofer was hung out to dry. Bjugstad looked like a player, Suter was ok, Dvorsky was solid if unspectacular, Stenberg had some moments. Really, all the rest of them were just there, skating around trying to keep up and get organized.

[Russdv14]

High Stick - went back to check on a possible response. Cancer free sounds amazing, but it is still very hard work to get through the side effects that still must linger and affect your well being. You did not give up, and I'm sure the Blues season and the PTS will be a healthy distraction as you continue your recovery. Friends do not forget friends, and we don't need to turn this thread into a tribute to High Stick, but we are a band of brothers here..and maybe one sister (MizTruBlue) and we want to provide encouragement when needed

[TAFKAP]

Looking at the lineups before the game didn't leave me with any confidence. Hopefully we see some movement and the last 2 games feature a full NHL lineup. Has Lucic looked anywhere near NHL level? I haven't watched anything with him in it, but, nobody here has been praising his play.

[Tony Palazzolo]

It's preseason - while you want to win it really doesn't matter. Smart teams give players ice time that won't be on the roster. They look at different combinations of players. They are qualifying their depth that will be needed over a very long season. I for one can't wait until next Thursday for the games starting to count.

[TruBlueFan_1970]

Holloway looked great until he tripped over himself at the end. Broberg, Kyrou, Faulk looked fine, though Faulk seemed to be laboring a bit. Hofer was hung out to dry. Bjugstad looked like a player, Suter was ok, Dvorsky was solid if unspectacular, Stenberg had some moments. Really, all the rest of them were just there, skating around trying to keep up and get organized.

We were playing a pretty stacked lineup on the Dallas side, so I didn’t expect us to look great. Do agree with you on some observations though.
- Kyrou, Holloway, Broberg and Faulk looked good, especially Holloway.
- Hofer was ok. Yeah, got hung out to dry a few times, but also wasn’t sharp IMHO.
- Suter was ok. I still think I prefer Schenn in that spot
- I thought Stenberg and Skinner looked really good, as far as young guys. I hadn’t seen much of Skinner, and know he’s older, but he skates well and has an active stick.
- Dvorsky was meh….hes not ready.
- Bjugstad didn’t impress me. Looks like a slightly faster Kevin Hayes. Hope he is NOT!!
- The rest were ok, but unspectacular. I did see a few good plays from Neighbours. Toro looked totally ineffective, as did Lucic, Texier and Joseph. I think Joseph has won a spot though.

[dp88]

I guess I disagree with the majority. I thought Dvorsky had a very solid game. Yeah he ended up a -1, but he was on the ice when the empty netter was scored. Analytics back up that he had a good game as well. Only Holloway, Kyrou, and Broberg had better game scores. I'd like to see him with 2 NHL guys. He has gotten games with 1 NHL guy and 1 AHL guy and 2 AHL guys but never 2 NHL guys, like he would if he made the team. Put him between Neighbours and Schenn and see how it looks; that could be a place he would end up if he makes the team.

[The Average Gatsby]

I guess I disagree with the majority. I thought Dvorsky had a very solid game. Yeah he ended up a -1, but he was on the ice when the empty netter was scored. Analytics back up that he had a good game as well. Only Holloway, Kyrou, and Broberg had better game scores. I'd like to see him with 2 NHL guys. He has gotten games with 1 NHL guy and 1 AHL guy and 2 AHL guys but never 2 NHL guys, like he would if he made the team. Put him between Neighbours and Schenn and see how it looks; that could be a place he would end up if he makes the team.

100%. I’d love to see dvorsky get a look with neighbours and schenn, either in the middle or on wing, in the next game. I thought he looked pretty good last night. But man his foot speed is going to be an issue until he proves it isn’t.

[DawgDad]

I guess I disagree with the majority. I thought Dvorsky had a very solid game. Yeah he ended up a -1, but he was on the ice when the empty netter was scored. Analytics back up that he had a good game as well. Only Holloway, Kyrou, and Broberg had better game scores. I'd like to see him with 2 NHL guys. He has gotten games with 1 NHL guy and 1 AHL guy and 2 AHL guys but never 2 NHL guys, like he would if he made the team. Put him between Neighbours and Schenn and see how it looks; that could be a place he would end up if he makes the team.

I generally agree, but I think we have to trust the coaching staff and Army to do what is best for the team and prospects. On a lesser team DD might be penciled in, the Blues simply do not need him right now. They also have a vision of what he can and should become, and how best to get him there. I sense that vision is as a center asap.

[WilliamWestcliffe]

I guess I disagree with the majority. I thought Dvorsky had a very solid game. Yeah he ended up a -1, but he was on the ice when the empty netter was scored. Analytics back up that he had a good game as well. Only Holloway, Kyrou, and Broberg had better game scores. I'd like to see him with 2 NHL guys. He has gotten games with 1 NHL guy and 1 AHL guy and 2 AHL guys but never 2 NHL guys, like he would if he made the team. Put him between Neighbours and Schenn and see how it looks; that could be a place he would end up if he makes the team.

I'm not trying to continually harp on the kid, but from what I've seen and what I would guess from the constant line pairings with Dvo, is that management is trying to see if he's capable of being the driver on a line (make his line mates better) at the NHL level.

You've heard them praise Stennberg for that specific attribute, but nothing about Dvorsky and you continue to see him on lines where he should be the best and most visible player, but - in my opinion - he's playing like a player dependent on line mates to drive the play. It absolutely is his lack of foot speed. I think he could get away with it at every other level, but he just doesn't seem to make plays through the neutral or over the blue line when he has the puck.

[TheJackBurton]

I guess I disagree with the majority. I thought Dvorsky had a very solid game. Yeah he ended up a -1, but he was on the ice when the empty netter was scored. Analytics back up that he had a good game as well. Only Holloway, Kyrou, and Broberg had better game scores. I'd like to see him with 2 NHL guys. He has gotten games with 1 NHL guy and 1 AHL guy and 2 AHL guys but never 2 NHL guys, like he would if he made the team. Put him between Neighbours and Schenn and see how it looks; that could be a place he would end up if he makes the team.

I'm not trying to continually harp on the kid, but from what I've seen and what I would guess from the constant line pairings with Dvo, is that management is trying to see if he's capable of being the driver on a line (make his line mates better) at the NHL level.

You've heard them praise Stennberg for that specific attribute, but nothing about Dvorsky and you continue to see him on lines where he should be the best and most visible player, but - in my opinion - he's playing like a player dependent on line mates to drive the play. It absolutely is his lack of foot speed. I think he could get away with it at every other level, but he just doesn't seem to make plays through the neutral or over the blue line when he has the puck.

Or.... he's concentrating on doing the things that a center in the NHL has to do defensively since he has mainly been lined up with AHL wingers who don't play very much defense.

He's been pretty good in the faceoff dot, back pretty consistently and has interrupted quite a lot of offensive chances, led breakouts and his passing has been really, really good.

He's not quite as fast as he could be due to the fact of potentially concentrating on those things and not concentrating strictly on driving offense.

[DawgDad]

I guess I disagree with the majority. I thought Dvorsky had a very solid game. Yeah he ended up a -1, but he was on the ice when the empty netter was scored. Analytics back up that he had a good game as well. Only Holloway, Kyrou, and Broberg had better game scores. I'd like to see him with 2 NHL guys. He has gotten games with 1 NHL guy and 1 AHL guy and 2 AHL guys but never 2 NHL guys, like he would if he made the team. Put him between Neighbours and Schenn and see how it looks; that could be a place he would end up if he makes the team.

I'm not trying to continually harp on the kid, but from what I've seen and what I would guess from the constant line pairings with Dvo, is that management is trying to see if he's capable of being the driver on a line (make his line mates better) at the NHL level.

You've heard them praise Stennberg for that specific attribute, but nothing about Dvorsky and you continue to see him on lines where he should be the best and most visible player, but - in my opinion - he's playing like a player dependent on line mates to drive the play. It absolutely is his lack of foot speed. I think he could get away with it at every other level, but he just doesn't seem to make plays through the neutral or over the blue line when he has the puck.

Or.... he's concentrating on doing the things that a center in the NHL has to do defensively since he has mainly been lined up with AHL wingers who don't play very much defense.

He's been pretty good in the faceoff dot, back pretty consistently and has interrupted quite a lot of offensive chances, led breakouts and his passing has been really, really good.

He's not quite as fast as he could be due to the fact of potentially concentrating on those things and not concentrating strictly on driving offense.

I've said this before, but I see him as an ROR style center. He's been responsible in his own end and defensively, his transition passing game is decent to good, he's ok on the dot, his shot is quick and hard, and he knows how to use space in the o-zone. Big enough, not a bruiser but he doesn't shy away. He's ROR, style-wise. RT he is not. Whether he can become an elite shutdown center with decent production remains to be seen.