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Ready-Set-Go! Heatley Nearly A Blackhawk?

October 22, 2009, 5:41 PM ET [ Comments]
Andy Strickland
St Louis Blues Blogger •1380 ESPN • RSSArchiveCONTACT
If anyone has any idea why the Blues have gotten off to poor starts in seven straight games please feel free to forward your thoughts to Blues management.

That’s because they want answers.

There has to be some rhyme or reason as to why the Blues have come out flat in every game they’ve played this season.

Are the Blues already worn out?

Are there too many meetings being conducted?

Are the club’s high energy up-tempo practices tiring out the players when it comes to being ready to play on game day? You can make the case the Blues put their players through possibly the most extensive game day skates than any other team in the league.

All players want to do on the morning of a game is getting their body warm and obviously feel the puck in preparation for the game later that day. The morning skate should allow players to work on different areas of an individual’s game such as one-timers or face-offs etc…

Now if you think I’m making excuses for the players for their lousy starts I’m not. They are far from being let off the hook on this one. These are all issues management is looking at though.

Word is Blues management met on Wednesday to see if they can come up with any answers. Management also met with Head Coach Andy Murray on Thursday to discuss among other things the slow starts.

Rarely if ever do we witness the Blues getting outworked in a game, Tuesday was one of those.

Tuesday’s game followed a Monday where the team had both an on and off ice workout on the same day. Word is the off ice workout was very minor.


Do the Blues worry too much about the opposing team?

Sometimes when a team or a player is thinking too much it can take that individual away from what they do best which is relying on instinct and reading and reacting to the game in front of them.

I’ll be the first person to tell you that I absolutely love looking into the game that takes place inside a game. It’s part of what makes the game of ice hockey fun.


Is it possible to over adjust?


I would certainly think so.

Look every coach has their matchups they like. Sometimes getting the right matchup you want can be difficult especially when you’re the visiting hockey club. In my opinion there are times you can make the case the Blues worry too much about what the opposition is doing as opposed to just going out and using your natural skills and abilities to just play hockey. Sometimes it’s best to force the opposition to adjust to your style of play.

The more in-game adjustments a team makes the more players are forced to think as opposed to just reacting. When you over-adjust to what the other team is doing it can take players out of their rhythm and at times create confusion on the ice.

At the end of the day the Blues are playing at a .500 clip. It could be much, much worse, just ask Ron Wilson. Andy Murray told me today he believes his team could be 6-1 or 1-6 with the inconsistency his team has shown.


There were some interesting line combinations in practice Thursday which hardly means these will be the lines heading into Friday night.

David Perron, who has yet to register a point, was playing on a line with Jay McClement and B.J. Crombeen.

T.J. Oshie, who had been playing with McClement and Crombeen the last few games, was playing with Andy McDonald and Bavid Backes.

Keith Tkachuk will play with two of the following three players. Cam Janssen, Brad Winchester, or D.J. King who has returned from a re-hab assignment. I got the sense today King will play Friday vs. Derek Boogaard and the Minnesota Wild.

I do find it interesting that when Tkachuk is playing well that usually means the team is playing well. Tkachuk, like just about everyone else, had a tough go Tuesday night.

Berglund is expected to center Paul Kariya, and Brad Boyes.

Whenever I suggest to Murray that he changes his lines too often he usually disagrees with me. Murray says he likes to always keep two players together and will substitute another player on a given line. For example Crombeen and McClement have been together the entire year. Same with Backes and McDonald and Boyes and Kariya for the most part.


Here’s a link to Wednesday’s story in case you missed it… http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Andy-Strickland/No-Creativity-for-STLPietrangelo/5/23797


Rink Rats!

Did you know Danny Heatley was nearly a Chicago Blackhawk? Even Heatley thought he was going to Chicago before San Jose swept on in. Word is D-man Brian Campbell would have likely been part of a package going to Ottawa.

Would you take Patrick Sharp over Jonathan Toews for team Canada? This is a very interesting discussion currently taking place.

Anyone who has watched the NHL this season should agree Kings D-man Drew Doughty should be an automatic for Canada. The kid is an unbelievable hockey player. His ability to zip up the ice and still get back has NHL insiders comparing his skating ability to Paul Coffey.

There’s lots of talk about Chicago sending goaltender Cristobal Huet to the minors to free up some cap space. Who didn’t see this coming?

For the latest Blues and NHL scoops follow me on twitter. www.twitter.com/andystrickland


Blues Clues!

Blues D-man Barret Jackman is still about a week away with an ankle injury.

Good to see Yan Stastny has been named Captain of the Peoria Rivermen. He enjoyed another two point performance Wednesday night.

Several members of Blues management took in the AHL game Wednesday night in Peoria.

Goaltender Chris Mason will start Friday against Minnesota, Ty Conklin gets the nod Saturday vs. Dallas.

Friday’s game will be televised in Sweden as part the NHL International program that televises games oversees. Now if we could only get the NHL to make sure all NHL games can be seen in the states we would be on the right track!

Erik Johnson joins me tonight at Johnny Mac’s on Watson rd for Blues Buzz from 6-7. Show can be heard on 590 am or www. kfns.com


More to come,

Andy Strickland

[email protected]
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