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As every Blues fan is already aware, the Blues are in the midst of an epic collapse, getting blown out by the non-playoff Coyotes, blowing a lead against the Capitals and then blowing a bigger lead against the non-playoff Blackhawks. I’m not going to force you to watch and relive some of the dumb plays (Tage Thompson’s poor turnover in the offensive zone) or poor goaltending (Alex DeBrincat’s goal).
I think it’s pretty clear that coaching and goaltending have been the two main issues this season, especially in the latter third of the season. Unfortunately, the coaching seems to be digging in their heels rather than adapting and trying to fix what ails the team. This would seem like insanity, doing the same thing over and over an expecting a different result.
Take for example, coach Mike Yeo’s comments when asked about the defensive personnel on the ice in the last couple of minutes of Wednesday’s game. Yeo said “Butts had a good game so I think it’s easy to point that out [actually the reporter didn’t point out the Butler penalty coach]. He was certainly…um…there was other guys that I thought struggled more than him. I though he played a poised controlled game.” Sure coach, right up until the point he made an uncontested defensive zone giveaway that led him to take the penalty that created the power play of the game winning goal.
Sorry coach but I’m not buying the goods you are selling there and I’m a little concerned you are even trying to sell it. Butler may not have been in the minus column until that point but a lot of his play was still and adventure and included narrow escapes. Let’s be honest here. While Butler is exponentially better than most of us and a person for whom I have a great deal of respect, we are talking about a guy who has played 10 NHL games in 3 years. In his 1st 3 games this season he played didn’t even play 9:30 of ice time in two of them.
Yeo chose to go with him over Vince Dunn and Colton Parayko. This would be akin to the Cardinals pinch hitting for Paul DeJong or in the 9th inning of a tie game with a veteran utility infielder just because DeJong was hitless in the game. Sorry coach, it isn’t the right call and you got burned on it. You win or lose the game with your overall best players.
Another obvious coaching issue is the power play which sits 2nd worst in the league (surprisingly better than Connor McDavid’s Oilers), 4th worst in team history and the worst by the team in a decade. When something isn’t working, you generally try to make adjustments. Evidence of adjustments on the power play have been few and far between. What was that definition of insanity again? The players are much too stationary on the power play.
Yet another coaching issue appears to be an inability to reach the team. Yeo has speculated himself as to their challenges with getting the team prepared, getting them to understand and execute puck management, failing to get them to play their best, to play with pride, etc. It almost seems like the more they try to get the team to respond, the worse the team performs. The coaching seems to be unable to find the right motivational methods for the team. They also seem unable to stop momentum swings in games (see the most recent Chicago game and the third period collapse earlier this year in Nashville as examples) and keep the team from playing nervous (Yeo’s own words).
Perhaps the nervous play is related more to the 2nd issue, the goaltending. Perhaps the players have simply lost confidence in the goaltending and are playing not to make a mistake which, in my experience, lends itself to making more mistakes. I think all will agree that the goaltending has been poor lately and for much of the season. In addition to it being poor, it has often been untimely with the team frequently giving up quick goals against after scoring themselves.
I’m also a bit concerned as to the handling of the goaltending situation by the coaching staff as they don’t really seem to be on the same page or necessarily on the page I think they should be on. The situation in Arizona last weekend is a good example of this as Allen and Yeo were definitely not aligned on Allen getting pulled at that point. A more recent example is Yeo stating during the post-game press conference on Wednesday that he would go right back to Allen on Friday. Luckily, based on the pre-game skate it looks like he has come to his senses and will be starting Carter Hutton tonight with Jake Allen already heading to Colorado this afternoon. There is no need to play Allen in back to back travel games when a ROW tomorrow ensures a playoff spot.
I’ll share a quote from Mike Yeo on sending Allen to Colorado early but read it slowly and carefully so you don’t misread it. “As far as Jake goes, this is a much-needed break for him. It’s been an awful long time since he’s had two days in between a game. He’s played an awful lot of hockey, so it gives him a chance to really collect some much-needed rest and get ready for tomorrow.”
As I mentioned last night, the call up of Ville Husso was only insurance. It allows Allen to leave for Colorado early and it ensures that barring an injury, Husso effectively becomes your emergency backup goalie. The plan was never to start him in a game now, nor should it be. Husso is two years away in my opinion. Throwing him into this situation now would truly be grasping at straws.
As to the Blues playoff picture, a ROW tomorrow puts them in regardless. If they lose tonight, they need to win (any fashion) to get in. If they get a ROW tonight, then any result of a point or more on Saturday is enough to get them in. If they win in a shootout tonight, then they either have to win or lose in a shootout to get in tomorrow.
As to tonight’s game, the Blackhawks lineup is expected to look like this:
Saad - Schmaltz - Kane
DeBrincat – Ejdsell - Sikura
Jurco -Anisimov - Martinsen
Sharp – Kampf - Hinostroza
Keith - Seabrook
Gustafsson - Murphy
Hillman- Oesterle
JF Berube
Jurco is sick. If he cannot go, the Hawks are expected to dress 7 defensemen with Rutta coming back in.
On the Blues front, Jordan Schmaltz did not skate today so he appears out. Will Nikita Soshnikov draw back into the lineup?
It’s a great day for hockey.
Fellow Hockeybuzz bloggers
Nashville Predator's Paul McCann,
Winnipeg Jet's Peter Tessier and
Minnesota Wild's Dan Wallace have generously agreed to a friendly charity wager. We were hoping to do the whole division but don't have it fully represented yet. The blogger whose team finishes the highest the standings at the end of the year gets to pick a charity to whom the others will donate in their name.
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