RusDRW

No need for such stuff. We are in a quite similar situation except we have some semi-reliable prospects while they do have a GM who is not afraid of trading underperforming "stars" and some scrubs for some competent players. Thornton, Boyle, Burns, Heatley, Havlat, etc. We were good because of luck getting Dats and Zetter so low at the draft while they were good because of trading. That's huge advantage. At the end they ran into young hungry team just like we did.

The big question is what do we do with Franzen.  The contract is brutal and he just doesn't seem to care anymore.  During the regular season everyone was saying "but at least he's a playoff performer," but now he's not even that.  One lucky goal and invisible besides that despite playing with arguably one of the best players in the game.

Grand Rapids?

People around are screaming "Rinne won this series"... I don't agree. It is our forward depth that did not exist. This is partially on Kenny (someone like Umberger or Vermette would have been excellent addition) and partially injuries to Helm and Eaves. Our D and G were actually fine. Almost all games were decided by 1 goal and Jimmy didn't let more than 3. For example, the following offense roster would have taken us further to the second round, we didn't simply had good 3rd and 4th lines...

Franzen - Datsuyk - Bertuzzi
Hudler - Zetter - Filppula
Cleary - Vermette - Abdelkader
Holmstrom - Helm - Eaves

(Nyquist)

similarly, you may take out Vermette and put Umberger on the second line instead while delegating Fil to center the third one.

just one trade for semi-good player and absense of injuries. This happens. I'm dissapointed though.

the worst thing is that our leaders are now one year older.

Please, I was at this game & Weber put no mustard on that "head smash" as everyone in red keeps referring to it as.

ooh well, if you were there then everything is fine. This indeed changes everything. No suspension.

apparently, we are trying our best to lose this game.

You're making that assessment based on 5 total shifts in the NHL?  

I'm guessing he's just getting over being so nervous he feels like he has to poop.

I think he is nervous. However, this is not an excuse for not even trying. Natural hockey talent is easily seen even in first NHL games. Shaahan showed nothing.

Nyquist looked very good, especially at that last shift. Shaehan looks very bad. Hoe does not really understand what to do on the ice which is way worse compared to Nyquist's and Tatar's first NHL games. At least two years away from NHL.

Not really true.  While Oshie & Perron play important roles offensively, St. Louis has a balanced attack spread across three lines.  No superstars, but all are contributing.  Backes leads the team in points, but Petro and Shattenkirk play an important offensive role on the blueline.


Not sure where that comment comes from.
Backes leads the team in scoring and while Berglund has underachieved offensively this year, he plays a solid & important two-way game. (he needs to be better offensively though)

Like I said earlier...getting Steen back is huge.  He is a catalyst on offense and plays superb in his own zone.  He was our best player when he got hurt earlier in the year...and has looked great since he came back.

Stewart has been the huge disappointment for the Blues this year.  We were expecting pretty much over twice his current point production.  He can make up for it by stepping it up in the playoffs though.

take it easy. I laready hate your team going to the playoffs and this is a goood sign. Blues are good and stimulate to write me more garbage aboute them.

stl ofense is based on Perron and Oshie. Pronger physics fvrom Ericson or Stuart may decide this. Backes and Backlund are just huge pieces of meet who barely think.

seriously? anybody who's ever played hockey in their life loves dan cleary....works hard, team guy, a guy i would never scratch.....there has been way too many topics hating on our players this year..."whats up with datsyuk?" "has zberg lost his touch?" "hudler blows like always" "big E is a *****" "franzen floats" "scratch bertuzzi" "homer sucks" and now cleary????? GM's would chop their own hand off to have a guy who plays with as much heart as cleary does. Ill go on record all day sticking up for cleary....some ppl on this forum i swear dont watch or have ever played hockey in their lives....this is the wings boys and cleary is the s***. that is all.

you don't understand the 1difference betweeb Zetter and Cleary?

We are playing withour THREE legit defenseman. I don't really understand how people can undervalue Kindle and, especially, Ericsson so much. They are both good and would have a roster spot on any NHL team. Instead, we now play rookie and career AHL-er regularly. This is huge blow, I'm not surprised we lost 5 in a row. We'll be fine once Lids, Ericsson and Kindle are back. Smith is our depth guy.

PS An I the only one who thinks Quincey is a kind of dissapointment?

this season Malkin, last season Malkin/Sedins/Crosby, two seasons ago Ovechkin/Datsyuk, three seasons ago Crosby. Say what you want but to be the best player in the game you have to be able to play the game (be healthy). Crosby has all the potential to be the best.

A lot of promising players on that list, although the recurring theme of size (or lack thereof) is a slight concern.

midget line: Nyquist - Jarnkrok - Pulkkinen
power line: Tvrdon - Shaehan - Jurco

He's good, but clearly not good enough to have his name spelt correctly. Which, in fairness, is no small request.

Most people still think a guy named F_O_dorov played for Detroit.

Word in TO is that Detroit is kicking the tires on Grabovski. No solid source on that though.

Would be excellent. In a right system (our system) he could be quite similar to Pav.