IIFID
Bond....Timmy Bond
Reged: 12/15/05
Posts: 8075
Loc: Nipawin, Saskatchewan
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Offense showed up again...
-------------------- Thought for the day; “It’s impossible to think outside of the box when all you do is think about getting inside of the box.”
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sptsman
member
Reged: 12/14/05
Posts: 6215
Loc: Missouri
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Quote:
IIFID said: Offense showed up again...
Was at the game (awesome seats too). The offense and more importantly the forechecking was outstanding. While the Sharks looked flat and lifeless, you still have to give credit to the Blues for playing the way they did. What was best to see what their willingness to keep their foot on the throat of a down opponent. That's what great teams do.
If the playoffs started tomorrow, I would feel OK about this team. Oddly enough, the one area I thought they were going to be exceptional is now the biggest area of concern. Their defense is still not 100% in sync. They are still making some really bad passes in the defensive zone and their transition out of the defensive zone needs work. Once they get into and through the neutral zone, they are really good.
Go Blue!!
-------------------- "Hunts are best measured by the endurance of the memories they produce..."
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Bubba
strangesly aroused
Reged: 12/14/05
Posts: 3828
Loc: Lemmingstan
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Hey , you sweater wearers , it has been 4 days without some riveting indepth analysis of your beloved Blues! Don't let me down.
-------------------- God Bless our Troops!
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IIFID
Bond....Timmy Bond
Reged: 12/15/05
Posts: 8075
Loc: Nipawin, Saskatchewan
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Note is second in the whole NHL in scoring (Tampa is first) but is only third in their own division behind Nashville and Chicago. Playing last place Edmonton tonight. If they get their footwork right they should earn 3 points.
-------------------- Thought for the day; “It’s impossible to think outside of the box when all you do is think about getting inside of the box.”
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HAUS
member for now
Reged: 12/14/05
Posts: 4082
Loc: Paradise
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how will they earn 3 pts?
does it have something to do with Bubba and Backes dancing together?
-------------------- Never kick a fresh turd on a hot day..
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IIFID
Bond....Timmy Bond
Reged: 12/15/05
Posts: 8075
Loc: Nipawin, Saskatchewan
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Any sport where the guys wear sweaters get style points, right?
-------------------- Thought for the day; “It’s impossible to think outside of the box when all you do is think about getting inside of the box.”
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sptsman
member
Reged: 12/14/05
Posts: 6215
Loc: Missouri
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Quote:
Bubba said: Hey , you sweater wearers , it has been 4 days without some riveting indepth analysis of your beloved Blues! Don't let me down.
You may have to swear off hockey altogether once you hear what else they wear, like breezers and garter belts to hold up their stockings...
-------------------- "Hunts are best measured by the endurance of the memories they produce..."
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foots
the exterminator
Reged: 12/14/05
Posts: 5241
Loc: by my spiritual advisor, Wu
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Nice win tonight. You'd a been proud Bubba.
-------------------- I was born kicking, screaming, and covered in someone elses blood. I have no problem goin out the same way.
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griffin
administrator
Reged: 12/13/05
Posts: 9637
Loc: the most dangerous city in Ame...
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Top team in scoring....when was the last time that happened?
Elliot is looking sharp...not out of position once tonight.
Man, I miss Miller....if we just had him every piece would be in place.
Go Blue!
griffin
-------------------- "The Irish are one race of people for whom psychoanalysis is of no use whatsoever." - Sigmund Freud
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IIFID
Bond....Timmy Bond
Reged: 12/15/05
Posts: 8075
Loc: Nipawin, Saskatchewan
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Excellent footwork by Elliott tonight. Second most shutouts for a Blues goalie behind..wait for it... Wait for it... HALAK!!!
-------------------- Thought for the day; “It’s impossible to think outside of the box when all you do is think about getting inside of the box.”
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IIFID
Bond....Timmy Bond
Reged: 12/15/05
Posts: 8075
Loc: Nipawin, Saskatchewan
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OK we are 45 games into a 82 regular game season. At this point in the season who do you think is the Blues MVP? Tarasenko is the obvious choice as he leads in goals, points and +/-. But is he the MVP? The Note I think is someting like 11-1 since Jaden Schwartz came back from his injury? Is it Shattenkirk? The Captain Backes?:scratch:
-------------------- Thought for the day; “It’s impossible to think outside of the box when all you do is think about getting inside of the box.”
Edited by IIFID (01/18/15 06:12 PM)
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Bubba
strangesly aroused
Reged: 12/14/05
Posts: 3828
Loc: Lemmingstan
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Ponderous....ponderous indeed . Let me think on it and ill get back to you. Leaning toward Gretzky as of now.
-------------------- God Bless our Troops!
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sptsman
member
Reged: 12/14/05
Posts: 6215
Loc: Missouri
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Quote:
griffin said: Top team in scoring....when was the last time that happened?
Elliot is looking sharp...not out of position once tonight.
Man, I miss Miller....if we just had him every piece would be in place.
Go Blue!
griffin
He has played decent and I am as hopeful as anyone that he stays healthy and can steal a game or two in the playoffs. But to date, his playoff history is not a good one. Let's hope that is all behind him. You are not going to win in the playoffs without solid, if not stellar goaltending... Elliot has not been either in past playoffs.
Blues MVP is Tarasenko. #2 or maybe even co-MVP would be Shattenkirk. After that there is a pack that has played well but not to MVP levels. Mostly because they have not been consistent and played at their peak for more than week or two here and there. Berglund is the LVP, especially when you consider his salary. What a waste of talent, money and a roster spot.
Go Blue!!
-------------------- "Hunts are best measured by the endurance of the memories they produce..."
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IIFID
Bond....Timmy Bond
Reged: 12/15/05
Posts: 8075
Loc: Nipawin, Saskatchewan
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They are fun to watch. They are second in the league in goals scored per game but only in 23rd place in average goals allowed per game. Not the recipe for playoff success in my opinion. Playoffs games are usually a lot lower scoring. This style is OK for regular season success but not on the playoffs. What's weird is that Hitchcock is known as a defensive coach??
-------------------- Thought for the day; “It’s impossible to think outside of the box when all you do is think about getting inside of the box.”
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griffin
administrator
Reged: 12/13/05
Posts: 9637
Loc: the most dangerous city in Ame...
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Jaden Schwartz is the oil that makes the wheels spin fast.....he is the ONLY player on that team that hasn't taken a single shift off. He works harder and creates more chances than anyone on that team. When he was injured the wheels slowed down considerably.
Schwartz is the MVP of the Blues at this point of the season......easily.
griffin
-------------------- "The Irish are one race of people for whom psychoanalysis is of no use whatsoever." - Sigmund Freud
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sptsman
member
Reged: 12/14/05
Posts: 6215
Loc: Missouri
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Quote:
griffin said: Jaden Schwartz is the oil that makes the wheels spin fast.....he is the ONLY player on that team that hasn't taken a single shift off. He works harder and creates more chances than anyone on that team. When he was injured the wheels slowed down considerably.
Schwartz is the MVP of the Blues at this point of the season......easily.
griffin
Are you smokin' crack again? Schwartz is a very good player and certainly an important cog in this team. But if you think he is the team MVP over Tarasenko or Shattenkirk, you are either wacky on the junk or just trying to get a rise out of Bubba and me. Even Bubba can see that your assessment is flawed. No doubt they missed him while he was out but they also had Elliot out for a portion of that time and were playing the best teams in the NHL.
If you had to start a team with only one player, using the first 45 games of this season as your guide, you would pick Schwartz over Tarasenko and Shattenkirk? Please tell me you haven't lost your mind...
-------------------- "Hunts are best measured by the endurance of the memories they produce..."
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griffin
administrator
Reged: 12/13/05
Posts: 9637
Loc: the most dangerous city in Ame...
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I think +/- is the most important statistic in hockey. As such, both of the-players you mentioned and Lehtera join Schwartz in the top 20 league leaders in that statistic.....except that Schwartz has played 7 fewer games.
Yeah, I can find plenty of goal scorers to build a team around, and I can find plenty of good D as well.....you can't find 5 guys in the league who come to play every single shift and create scoring chances every time they are on the ice. Schwartz does. He gets my vote hands down.....again, he's the oil that runs the wheels.
griffin
-------------------- "The Irish are one race of people for whom psychoanalysis is of no use whatsoever." - Sigmund Freud
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last_stand
the gay card thrower Call Me Ragnar
Reged: 12/14/05
Posts: 7766
Loc: anywhere but "HomeofToto"
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As to MVP, I would say the jury is still out between the two.
When Schwartz was out, we went to hell, never did find the line combos to win. Pretty hard to overstate his importance on this team. He does it all.
Let's just say 2010 first round was perhaps the best single draft day in Blues history.
Blues are clicking well right now, in January. Good goal tending and great team play. I think we are about done with the Sharks, Kings and Ducks and 2 left with Vancouver so it will come down to lots of games in the East and a really tough schedule within maybe hockeys best division.
But if Hitchcock pulls out all the stops like last year and goes off on another Presidents Trophy hunt I'm gonna go down there and strangle that mofo.
It's all about April.
-------------------- Sometimes you got it sometimes you get got.
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sptsman
member
Reged: 12/14/05
Posts: 6215
Loc: Missouri
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Quote:
last_stand said: As to MVP, I would say the jury is still out between the two.
The jury has to make a call now. It was based on the first 45 games of the season. So, make a pick.
griffin, +/- may be the single most telling stat but it certainly has its flaws as well. There are plenty of great players that are asked to be on "checking lines" that play against the opposition's top lines game after game. It is not as prevalent as it used to be but there are still plenty of players tasked with shutting down top lines (Patey, Zuke, Dunlop, Crombeen, etc...). Those guys will never have great +/- stats because they rarely are on the ice when their team scores and it is considered a successful night when you hold an all-star opponent to just one or two points. Backes has actually been doing some of this work recently and he only +5. Not bad but you'd think he would be +10 or better, as much as he scores. But his +5 is understandable...
-------------------- "Hunts are best measured by the endurance of the memories they produce..."
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griffin
administrator
Reged: 12/13/05
Posts: 9637
Loc: the most dangerous city in Ame...
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Dude, stop it. There is not a single "great" player who is asked to be on a checking line.....that's dumb as hell. There are some good grinders, and you named 4 good ones.....but there is not a single sober person on the planet that would ever call one of those players GREAT. Now....put down the heavy beer and go back to the Bud light.....you obviously can't handle the good stuff.
Right now, I say the Blues could do without Tarasenko better than they could without Schwartz.
griffin
-------------------- "The Irish are one race of people for whom psychoanalysis is of no use whatsoever." - Sigmund Freud
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sptsman
member
Reged: 12/14/05
Posts: 6215
Loc: Missouri
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Tarasenko is +23, Shattenkirk is +17, Schwartz is +15... Hmmmm....
They must just be getting really lucky, with Schwartz skating so much harder than they are.
Take off your Bob Bassen sweater, put the crack pipe down and think about the absurdity of statements like "Yeah, I can find plenty of goal scorers to build a team around, and I can find plenty of good D as well..." Really? There are 4 players in the league with more goals and only 2 with a better +/- than Tarasenko. And you think they just grow on trees? You think you can just go out a draft or sign another Shattenkirk?
I think the hoppy beers have finally melted your brain away, at least the part that was supposed to do logical hockey analysis....
Let's see where Bubba weighs in on this...
-------------------- "Hunts are best measured by the endurance of the memories they produce..."
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griffin
administrator
Reged: 12/13/05
Posts: 9637
Loc: the most dangerous city in Ame...
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Are you ADD? Did I not say that Schwartz has played 7 fewer games? That puts him over Shattenkirks +/- and if it wasn't for Schwartz, Tarasenko would be about +15.
Tarasenko is nowhere near 23 goals without Schwartz.....deal with it.
-------------------- "The Irish are one race of people for whom psychoanalysis is of no use whatsoever." - Sigmund Freud
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last_stand
the gay card thrower Call Me Ragnar
Reged: 12/14/05
Posts: 7766
Loc: anywhere but "HomeofToto"
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Quote:
sptsman said:
Quote:
last_stand said: As to MVP, I would say the jury is still out between the two.
The jury has to make a call now. It was based on the first 45 games of the season. So, make a pick.
griffin, +/- may be the single most telling stat but it certainly has its flaws as well. There are plenty of great players that are asked to be on "checking lines" that play against the opposition's top lines game after game. It is not as prevalent as it used to be but there are still plenty of players tasked with shutting down top lines (Patey, Zuke, Dunlop, Crombeen, etc...). Those guys will never have great +/- stats because they rarely are on the ice when their team scores and it is considered a successful night when you hold an all-star opponent to just one or two points. Backes has actually been doing some of this work recently and he only +5. Not bad but you'd think he would be +10 or better, as much as he scores. But his +5 is understandable...
Mid season MVP? I don't really care. Alls I know is griffin says it's not Elliott.
We went 1-7 when Schwartz went down. We actually played worse than that. Team changed on a dime on his first game back. I got no problem with him in the running for whatever award you guys are arguing about.
-------------------- Sometimes you got it sometimes you get got.
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sptsman
member
Reged: 12/14/05
Posts: 6215
Loc: Missouri
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Now I'm just worried about griffin's mental health...
On the other hand, he may have a future in the NHL as an assistant to GM's. While they search high and low for the top talent to fill their rosters, apparently, he can find top goal scorers and defensemen all day long. It's guys that skate hard you just can't find...
On to the next thing...
Did anyone else hear the Jeff Brown (former Blues defenseman) interview on 550 AM last night? He's coaching in the minors but seems to be connected to everyone and have his finger on the pulse of all things hockey, from the juniors to the AHL to the NHL. Andy Strickland was the host. Jeff's son Logan is a top prospect but he's only 16 and won't be eligible for the entry draft until 2016. The kid is 6'-6" and apparently has top speed and mad skills. Logan Brown info
-------------------- "Hunts are best measured by the endurance of the memories they produce..."
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griffin
administrator
Reged: 12/13/05
Posts: 9637
Loc: the most dangerous city in Ame...
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Quote:
sptsman said:
Now I'm just worried about griffin's mental health...
On the other hand, he may have a future in the NHL as an assistant to GM's. While they search high and low for the top talent to fill their rosters, apparently, he can find top goal scorers and defensemen all day long. It's guys that skate hard you just can't find...
On to the next thing...
Did anyone else hear the Jeff Brown (former Blues defenseman) interview on 550 AM last night? He's coaching in the minors but seems to be connected to everyone and have his finger on the pulse of all things hockey, from the juniors to the AHL to the NHL. Andy Strickland was the host. Jeff's son Logan is a top prospect but he's only 16 and won't be eligible for the entry draft until 2016. The kid is 6'-6" and apparently has top speed and mad skills. Logan Brown info
Dear Bonehead,
It has come to our attention that you obviously have no idea what you are talking about. As has been our goal all along, we will continue to enlighten you on the finer points of hockey as it pertains to team success. With that in mind, you might want to check out the fact that Schwartz is currently ranked 38th in total points in the NHL, despite the fact that he has only played 39 games and no one above him has played less than 45. Additionally, Tarasenko has 10 more points that Schwartz. My guess, and you are free to do the math in the hope that the actual application of looking at the stats may somehow shake loose the mud that is obviously clogging your cranial pathways, is that if you subtracted from both Tarasenko and Schwartz's total points the goals that each assisted each other, you will find that Schwartz is infinitely more important to Tarasenko's hockey health than vice versa.
We know it's hard for you to look past your protruding forehead, but probably if you held a stat sheet in front of a mirror it would become more clear to you.
Sincerely,
Management
-------------------- "The Irish are one race of people for whom psychoanalysis is of no use whatsoever." - Sigmund Freud
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