St Louis Blues

[27Blue]

thing is, they don't need to score a lot of goals to win because they never get down 2 or 3 goals. it just doesn't happen. they are the first team in over 300 years to have a goals against average under 2... so 2 or 3 goals is usually enough for them to win. if this team did actually have a game breaker, they would be unstoppable.

[mister_mcgoo]

thing is, they don't need to score a lot of goals to win because they never get down 2 or 3 goals. it just doesn't happen. they are the first team in over 300 years to have a goals against average under 2... so 2 or 3 goals is usually enough for them to win. if this team did actually have a game breaker, they would be unstoppable.

I dunno about that...the playoffs are a different beast than the regular season, momentum plays a much bigger role and having a big play player (not necessarily a stud, but a guy who elevates his game to a whole new level) is invaluable.

This year the Blues are on pace for 161 GA and 215 GF which you're right is pretty impressive for team defense! But incidentally the last time the Blues had a team like this was during the 1999-2000 season when they had Turgeon and Demitra and Pronger and McInnis. They finished 1st overall that year too with a comparable GA total of 165 but a ton more goals scored (248 GF). They lost in the 1st round of the playoffs to the 8th seed Sharks.

[27Blue]

the blues are literally on pace to post the fewest goals per game in league history. and i agree with you that the playoffs are a different animal, but i think the blues are a team built for the playoffs. they have the strongestcollection of two-way forwards in the league who are relentless in puck pursuit and who are physical. macdonald has returned and provided them with an offensive spark that was missed most of the year. also, i think it is inaccurate to call this a defensive team, per se. they do play great defense, but they are extremely aggresive and thrive with puck possession. they may lead the league in limiting shots gainst, but they are also top 10 in shots for - all without any high end offensive payers. they are one of the very best transition teams in the league, led by pa and shatty... the only thing this team lacks is experience...

[ross10019]

Anyone who thinks this team doesn't have offensive firepower should check out the video of the passing display put on by the "2nd line" on MacDonald's goal tonight. Sick.

Don't overlook their PP either. With Pietrangelo on the point along with skill guys like McDonald, Perron, Oshie, Berglund, and with Shattenkirk also as an option on the point, this is a pretty dangerous PP.

Sure they don't have a gamebreaker but, in a pinch, I don't see this team being unable to push forward and notch a timely goal.

[mister_mcgoo]

the blues are literally on pace to post the fewest goals per game in league history.

Replace the word 'literally' with 'figuratively' and you would be correct ...or alternately qualify that statement by adding something like 'in the modern NHL' and that would be accurate. There has been no team to post this few goals against in a LONG time but its not quite a record setting pace. Since the league went to a 70 game schedule in 1949-50 its happened 6 times:

2011-12 St. Louis 136/70 = 1.94
1954-55 Detroit 134/70 = 1.91
1952-53 Detroit 133/70 = 1.90
1951-52 Detroit 133/70 = 1.90
1955-56 Montreal 131/70 = 1.87
1953-54 Toronto 131/70 = 1.87

and if you go back further you'll get even better gpg numbers
So yeah, again, very impressive, especially given some of the snipers they've had to face but not quite a record.

and i agree with you that the playoffs are a different animal, but i think the blues are a team built for the playoffs. they have the strongestcollection of two-way forwards in the league who are relentless in puck pursuit and who are physical. macdonald has returned and provided them with an offensive spark that was missed most of the year. also, i think it is inaccurate to call this a defensive team, per se. they do play great defense, but they are extremely aggresive and thrive with puck possession. they may lead the league in limiting shots gainst, but they are also top 10 in shots for - all without any high end offensive payers. they are one of the very best transition teams in the league, led by pa and shatty... the only thing this team lacks is experience...

I dunno man, I don't watch a ton of blues games but I have watched a bunch lately just because its playoff time now in my leagues and I own quite a few guys on the team. My impression is that they play a complete game and everybody buys into the system and they've got some good checkers and tenacity but I don't see anyone on that roster who is a clutch goal scorer and many of them can be streaky. Just to put this in perspective, Stamkos just scored his 50th goal tonight...the only guy on the Blues with even 20 goals is Backes with 21!

I'm not saying I don't think they can hang with the other teams in the west, I think if they can force them to play their style of game they'll do very well, but I'd be worried of facing teams like DET and VAN who have guys like the Sedins and Zetts and Dats who can change the complexion of a game in a couple of minutes when they are cranked up...even CHI is scary, guys like Kane and Toews are already fantastic players but they kick into a whole other gear in the playoffs.

[27Blue]

Replace the word 'literally' with 'figuratively' and you would be correct ...or alternately qualify that statement by adding something like 'in the modern NHL' and that would be accurate. There has been no team to post this few goals against in a LONG time but its not quite a record setting pace. Since the league went to a 70 game schedule in 1949-50 its happened 6 times:

2011-12 St. Louis 136/70 = 1.94
1954-55 Detroit 134/70 = 1.91
1952-53 Detroit 133/70 = 1.90
1951-52 Detroit 133/70 = 1.90
1955-56 Montreal 131/70 = 1.87
1953-54 Toronto 131/70 = 1.87

and if you go back further you'll get even better gpg numbers
So yeah, again, very impressive, especially given some of the snipers they've had to face but not quite a record.

good point and i should have stated that if you take away the shotout goals the blues have allowed, then they would have a better gaa than all of the teams you have listed. it is those non-sensical goals that need an asterix or something. panger said on the broadcast before a game last week, that relative to the league average, the st. louis blues were on pace to allow the fewest relative goals against ever. this would take into account games played and style of play fr the era...

[mister_mcgoo]

good point and i should have stated that if you take away the shotout goals the blues have allowed, then they would have a better gaa than all of the teams you have listed. it is those non-sensical goals that need an asterix or something. panger said on the broadcast before a game last week, that relative to the league average, the st. louis blues were on pace to allow the fewest relative goals against ever. this would take into account games played and style of play fr the era...

shootout goals aren't counted in those stats

[27Blue]

shootout goals aren't counted in those stats

if your team loses in a shoutout, it counts 1 goal against for the team... no individual stats are affected, but team stats are.

with 7 shoot out losses, the blues have allowed 7 less regulation/overtime goals (thus real goals) than the numbers used above...

129/70=1.84

[mister_mcgoo]

if your team loses in a shoutout, it counts 1 goal against for the team... no individual stats are affected, but team stats are.

with 8 shoot out losses, the blues have allowed 7 less regulation/overtime goals (thus real goals) than the numbers used above...

129/70=1.84

you are correct sir! and I learned something today!
I thought that since these 'goals' in shootouts didn't count for either the player scoring or against the goalie that they didn't count them in the team stats either. That is absolutely ****ing ludicrous that they count the results of a skills competition in that way, as if I needed another reason to despise the shootout!

Definitely hats off to the Blues then, over 70 games they have the record for sure

[doulos]

Their turnaround this year has been nothing short of remarkable but I wouldn't be surprised at all to see them out in the first round of the playoffs.

[BC Oiler]

Their turnaround this year has been nothing short of remarkable but I wouldn't be surprised at all to see them out in the first round of the playoffs.

If they are able to hold onto #1 in the west, I don't see they being victim of a 1st round upset. But if Detroit or Nashville manage to pass them in the standings and they slip to the 4 seed, a 1st round exit is possible. But they are starting to get a nice cushion in the standings. 1st or 2nd in the west seems very likely for them.

[wendelclark17]

from twitter:

Jeremy Rutherford ‏ @jprutherford
Per @dgoold, Schwartz will play on a line with Langenbruuner and Berglund on Saturday. #stlblues

[doulos]

If they are able to hold onto #1 in the west, I don't see they being victim of a 1st round upset. But if Detroit or Nashville manage to pass them in the standings and they slip to the 4 seed, a 1st round exit is possible. But they are starting to get a nice cushion in the standings. 1st or 2nd in the west seems very likely for them.

Bottom third of the league for goals for and when things tighten up even more in the playoffs I'd have some concerns there. I could only imagine a first round matchup against the Kings ....

Obviously they are playing unreal hockey right now so the smart money is on the Blues doing well, but I'd be concerned about their lack of goalscoring killing them in the postseason.

[metaldude26]

I feel like McDonald is the key to the Blues having playoff success. He brings the sort of creativity and playmaking that they otherwise do not have. If you run the numbers from the past few seasons he has easily been their most productive powerplay scorer. Without him they are not going to have powerplay success. If they get into the sort of matchup with a strong even strength team (like the Coyotes, Stars or Sharks) then they may find themselves in a special teams battle, which would be problematic.

This is especially true because special teams become so much more important come playoff time, as it becomes tougher to score at even strength.

The good news is Schwartz could fill that role. I have long held that he is the future replacement for McDonald as the playmaker/PP-engine for the Blues and he could be forced into that role sooner than later.

[27Blue]

equally as important as scoring goals is preventing them - just ask tim thomas last year. and nobody has ever been as good as the blues have been at preventing goals this year. ever. you can say the team that scores the most goals in a game wins, but you can also say that the team that allows the least goals wins. st.louis just has to allow less goals every game than they score to win and so fay this year, 2.5 goals a game has been plenty - this team is number one in the league, despite their lack of goals and playoff hockey doesn't tend to bring out a run and gun style in teams.