Strategy vs Blues

[leedog68]

I noticed something different about the way teams play the Blues. I haven't heard others talk about but maybe I just missed it. When teams play dump and chase, they typically hound the puck, including pressuring the goalie if he has it behind the net. Teams aren't doing it to the Blues anymore. They are sending two men in, but passively. Instead of going for the puck, they peel off and cover the Blues players on either side of the goalie who they would normally pass to. Now the goalie has the puck behind the net and if they try to pass to either of their normal outlets, they turn the puck over and they are behind the net. Or they have to pass it up the middle, where they have gotten burned over and over during the losing streak. Both goalies. Coaching needs to recognize this and figure something out.

[MiamiLaw]

This is a good observation because the Blues goalies have seemed to be in no man's land a few times so far and it happened to Hofer again last night too. He passed up the middle and it happened to connect but it looked awkward and different...and when something looks like that at this level where the players are normally perfectly tuned robotic machines, it really stands out.

[leedog68]

Think about where this first happened (as far as I remember). That Blackhawks game where Hofer served up an empty net layup because he sent it up the middle. Things have spiraled down ever since with goalie turnovers again and again. And goalies out of position.

[bluecalgary]

If the wingers are not going deep into the zone on the forecheck then perhaps the defence will need to start skating back to retreive the puck behind the net. Fairly simple adjustment,

[BluesDom]

If the wingers are not going deep into the zone on the forecheck then perhaps the defence will need to start skating back to retreive the puck behind the net. Fairly simple adjustment,

Sounds simple enough...
Let's hope! We looked silly against a lot of teams so far.
It has to get better!!

[callitwhatyouwant]

I noticed something different about the way teams play the Blues. I haven't heard others talk about but maybe I just missed it. When teams play dump and chase, they typically hound the puck, including pressuring the goalie if he has it behind the net. Teams aren't doing it to the Blues anymore. They are sending two men in, but passively. Instead of going for the puck, they peel off and cover the Blues players on either side of the goalie who they would normally pass to. Now the goalie has the puck behind the net and if they try to pass to either of their normal outlets, they turn the puck over and they are behind the net. Or they have to pass it up the middle, where they have gotten burned over and over during the losing streak. Both goalies. Coaching needs to recognize this and figure something out.

This was shown last year, I can't remember who it was but I know the Jets tried it in the playoffs. Teams like the Mild and such were getting exposed by BInner and to a degree Hofer because they shut down the dump and chase strategy. They trap the puck so well and then can move it up the wall that teams can't go to the end.

Like you said, I also noticed it pretty heavily that it's a copy cat league and now every team is doing it. What they do against the Blues on the dump and chase is they dump and then go to the wing boards players and try to pressure the players. The Blues came up with their defense against it in game 1, and they curl the forward to the center and they get an easy up the gut break out. It's risky for the other team to challenge it because that player is playing with speed and if they get beat you have a 3 on 2 going the other way with speed. The one time the Blues messed it up was like game 3 or 4 when Hofer just gave the puck away because it wasn't the center that made the move it was Buchy and they weren't on the same page.

You definitely are on to something. But it's not a problem as more of its a feature. I don't think the strategy the other teams are imploring is working. they just put more risk on the goalies stick to not fumble the puck in front of their net. I think the proper blend would to be switching in an out of it during the game so the goalie has to make the correct read every time. I would venture to guess we see more of that as the season goes on.