5 St. Louis Blues Who Need to Step It Up For The Playoffs

[mpoepping]

Want to know which #STLBlues need to step up in order to give the team a true shot at the #StanleyCup?

Find out here!

http://thehockeywriters.com/5-blues-step-successful-playoffs/

#THW#hockey

[mounD]

Good stuff here, but just a couple notes. I'm a grammar Nazi, and there are definitely some grammatical / usage errors that mess with the flow of the article. I also noticed a lot of possessive pronouns ["our team," "our game," etc.] being thrown around, which tends to connote a less journalistic, more casual tone. Not a big deal, just some feedback for you.

Also, plus-minus is an awful statistic to use to make individual player evaluations. Ott's minus-rating is more attributable to how awful Buffalo is than any shortcomings he's exhibited since being traded to STL. I simply don't agree with that part of your analysis, namely that his plus-minus is a "big, big problem." Ott doesn't have the worst minus rating, either. That dubious distinction belongs to Alexander "Oven Chicken" Ovechkin. 14 minutes is also MUCH closer to 1/4 of the game than 1/3 ... just sayin.

Re: Derek Roy ::: "All thoughts that come to mind when debating the shifty finesse forward," is a sentence fragment. On a lighter note, I absolutely LOVE the line about buying a McDonald's happy mean for $5,000 ... I almost spit water all over my computer. That's funny stuff. Also, I'm not sure you used the phrase "on the up-and-up" properly. The phrase means something is legitimate, not that it is improving. Roy is, however, a crafty veteran. I agree with a lot of the factual points you're making, but writing is all about how you express an idea.

Re: Jaden Schwartz ::: Not sure he's the next Backes, but he definitely has the two-way acument to be one of the better defensive forwards in the NHL. He's also got some real upside. Good stuff here on Schwartz, especially highlighting the Takeaways stat. I was really surprised when I first read that statistic last week.

Re: Berglund ::: Now there's someone I've always felt had MUCH more to give. He's got the size, strength, and obviously skills to be a successful power-forward in the NHL, but his 47- and 52-point seasons are looking like things of the past right now. The good news is, like you said, he should come ready to play once the chips are down -- not to mention the fact that his physicality and strength are magnified in importance during the playoffs.

I also liked your analysis of the Fourth Line (C-P-R days of yore included). While I don't necessarily agree that the fourth line needs to produce timely offense for the Blues to be successful in the playoffs, I definitely believe that their play as a line will go a long way in strengthening the Blues' team resolve. Nothing builds confidence like your 4th liners killing it out there. You're right on the money here when you say, "they just need to focus on playing their role ..."

I don't mean to sound like a jerk, but this article wasn't exactly the best thing I've read. While there is DEFINITELY a lot of good information and analysis contained therein, there are some grammatical shortcomings that detract from the substance of the article. Keep working hard and developing your craft. Good stuff, Mpoepping Don't take any of this personally, I'm ust very hard to please when it comes to stuff like this.

Definitely keep up with the writing. I love to see passionate fans taking their talents (to South Beach) to the hallowed halls of internet blogging. Cheers!