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Is this team better than we thought? |
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After attending both preseason games at the Scottrade Center this week, I still have some legitimate concerns about this team, but after seeing those games I find myself wondering if I should be more optimistic about the season.
I still question the experience of the defense. Four of the seven spots have to be filled by unproven players and to make matters worse all three experienced defensemen on the roster underperformed last year.
I still wonder if Andy Murray is the right man for the job. For this team to succeed he’s going to have to give a lot of responsibility to players that haven’t earned that responsibility. Early in the offseason John Davidson pointed to the success of Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews in Chicago, saying that the Blues had to take a similar approach to their prospects. If that’s truly a philosophy that Murray is willing to embrace then at the very least this will be an exciting season.
The Power Play…
Last night against the Thrashers, Murray threw out five forwards (Lee Stempniak, Paul Kariya, Keith Tkachuk, Brad Boyes and Andy McDonald) on the first power play unit. It was, without a doubt, the best power play that I’ve seen the Blues ice since before the lockout. Not only did the unit score twice, but they looked like an elite power play. Contrary to what we’ve come to expect from the Blues power play, they moved around and they passed the puck with precision. But, will Murray have the gumption to throw five forwards out there once the regular season starts?
The Lines…
For the second straight game Boyes, Stempniak and McDonald formed an impressive line. The trio combined for an astounding 17 points against Dallas and Atlanta. More importantly, at least in my book, is that they scored four even strength goals in the two games. The power play is certainly a bone of contention for this team, but finding lines that can create consistent pressure is a must for this team in the preseason.
The other line that displayed some chemistry last night was Patrick Berglund centering David Perron and Kariya. The line scored three even strength goals on Friday and Berglund has had no problem living up to the hype.
Tkachuk’s line with TJ Oshie and David Backes didn’t look as great as the other two, but they did create some chances that didn’t get buried. The problem I noticed was that all three players on the line like to crash the net, but I don’t think that means that the line won’t work. One of the best lines in recent Blues seasons was Tkachuk playing with Pavol Demitra and Scott Mellenby. When that line was formed it took a while for Mellanby and Tkachuk to adjust to each other, but once they did the line was dominant.
The Blue Line…
Andy Strickland mentioned in yesterday’s blog that the Blues are looking hard at keeping Alex Pietrangelo and based on the last two games I hope they do. If he and Jonas Junland both make the squad, the offense from the blue line might not be all that bad. The other defenseman I’ve been impressed with has been Roman Polak. He’s the perfect defenseman to take over the role that Bryce Salvador filled last year. At the opposite end of the spectrum is Steve Wagner. In his second stint with the Blues last season he looked out of place in the NHL and he hasn’t looked better in the preseason.
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