The Blues sucked in the 3rd period, if Miller wants 7 million or more I think the Blues let him walk.
- Thehabsfan93

Miller cost himself at least a million a year with this performance.

He will get $6m max. Less if he wants to play with a contender like Pittsburgh.

It is amazing how team blog hosts start looking for excuses to pull posts.

I'll take the Backes explanation on, sonce i am one of the senior hockey watchers here.
If you would have asked me which two players I could take for my team from each of the Olympic rosters, Backes would be on my list as one of the pair.
Because if I could imaginarily add him to the Blackhawks he is what he is but not the centerpiece.
He's a bigger Shaw.
But the only difference is I have seen this guy throughout his career in games that his team was destined to take a loss, he has NEVER failed to "set the tone" with end of game nasty that they know the refs are not going to come down hard on, because of the score. The stick work, over zealous after the whistle liberties, and blatant deliverance of late punishments, disguised in the spirit of the game. Hartnell is also a master at this. They know that the refs are not gonna take more than one losing team guy off with one call, so they basically play the odds b/c the refs want competitive play until the end and really try to not send backes or the minions off for the last ten minutes, hopefully giving enough warnings to calm him down. Threats of refs that their going to remember this for a future game eventually sink through the skulls.
Now lest get to this series:
The Seabrook hit came after the mid ice play where Handzus and Ben Smith had the puck on the boards by the bench. (They were paired with two Blues.) If you have this on tape, watch Backus blatantly aim at ankles and backs of legs with his "attempts" to get the puck out. That was what caught Seabrook's attention and why he served up the dummy.

Probably the best thing that happened in this series was that illegal hit of backus w/o the puck forced the league officiating to direct the on-ice officiating teams to start warning the Reaves, Otts, and Lapierre's that they were setting their team up for many a call. They were told to take control of theseries were one team initiated running amock. The refs in the name of selling playoff hockey basically let the Blues (and later the Hawks) continue to play in those first three games and ignored the stick work, legwork, washes and also probably missed much of it, because good dirty players pick their spots, and I don't think you really believe they added Morrow, Lapierre and Ott for additional scoring, right?

I also thought Backes was pretty classy at the handshake, but it serves no purpose to try and intimidate anyone there.

The player has a large amount of skill but seems to continually get emotional thrown to being an unchecked bully especailly when he is shown up, or his team has been shown up. I totally understand it, but call it what it is - don't hide from the reality of what you have in backes.


There is place for players like him in the league, but don't attempt to convince yourself because you are the blog host that he is anything more than he is a second line centre, first line power wing.
It is enough that the St. Louis papers and their beat writers have tried to spin things away from reality...one team was built to punish, so they could move one...from the start they attempted to do so.

The other team was built to use quickness and attack.
- wiz1901

Awesome post, Wiz. Even the Blues thread is getting served.

Sorry I forgot the apostrophe. I was typing this on my phone. I think we have the better offensive D guys, but you guys have a better balance of offense and physicality. I think we need to trade Shattenkirk (I hear the Oilers are looking) as he is too much of a liability and finally let Ian "The Bonecrusher" Cole take his spot. IMO Crawford wasn't that much better than Miller you guys just finished while we whiffed on wide open nets. Good luck against the Aves, your going to need it!
- cuethenoise

We know who you will be rooting for.

Lines next year should be the following

tarasenko Statsny Oshie
Steen Backes Schwarz
Rattie Sobo Jaskin
Porter Cracknell Reaves

That looks so much better than

Steen Backes Oshie
Schwartz Sobo Tarasenko
Morrow Berg Ott
Roy Lappy Reaves
- sycsam

That does look better.
1) You will have to overpay Stastny to get him.
2) You will have to get Hitch to marry a player who does not always play D (see Roy).
3) Stastny, in non contract years, is very injury prone.

Better choice may be Vanek but both 1 and 2 apply to him as well.

Hitch will be lobbying for Ryan Callahan. Just what you need.

That does look better.
1) You will have to overpay Stastny to get him.
2) You will have to get Hitch to marry a player who does not always play D (see Roy).
3) Stastny, in non contract years, is very injury prone.

Better choice may be Vanek but both 1 and 2 apply to him as well.

Hitch will be lobbying for Ryan Callahan. Just what you need.
- tredbrta

I am a blues fan always will be but I am beyond frustrated with the defensive players.

We need some flash other than Tarasenko. Rattie and Jaskin will be that but not next year they will be good in two or three years.

I still think Lappy comes back. He had an amazing series.
- cuethenoise

He is signed thru 2016. He did not have an amazing series. He picked up some dirty goals on gaffes. Hitch did not trust him or that line at all by game 6 - and he should not have.

When the officials made the Blues - particularly Ott and Lapierre - play hockey and cut the garbage they got owned.

The physical stuff did, for the most part, eliminate Hossa and Sharp. Hawks still won. Yesterday, it looked like a race between a Porsche and a Chevy Impala.

Lets put this in to persepcitve a bit.

yes the blues lost but at least the blues iwll come and play next year.

This was the high point of my weekend. Watching the blues get skated out of the playoffs.

Uncle diagnosed with ALS
and friend who is like a brother, his grandmother diagnosed with terminal cancer.

It's just a game. Just a game.
- sycsam

Sorry about that. Personal experience with ALS. Prayers for your uncle.

It is just a game.

Miller will get another year as well.
- cuethenoise

Miller will want a 5 year deal minimum. Maybe take a 3 year deal. One year deal NO.

He has to pay for that wife.

Miller seemed pretty sullen thru the series. Sort of called out Shattenkirk. Will he be wanted back by the team?

You definitely want to wait until after the draft so you don't have to send another pick.

Sorry about that. Personal experience with ALS. Prayers for your uncle.

It is just a game.
- tredbrta

Thanks Man

I am sure you are really loving this, trolling around here. Live it up!
- carcus

Thanks Carcus.

I'm sure you can throw it back in my face tonight when the Kings go down and Jarmo's team gets eliminated by the Penguins.

He's not going to sign a one-year contract.

He's looking to get paid long-term. And I hope he does.....somewhere else.
- bcallaway

I didn't mean he would take a 1 year contract. I see a 3 year $5-6 mill. I meant another year as our starter.

We know who you will be rooting for.
- tredbrta

Chicago.... Wolves

Whats the definition of insanity?

Do the same things over and over and expect different results?

The St. Louis Blues corporate Policy for next season

We Are crazy not to think it will work one of these years.
- sycsam

You hit the nail on the head. Sycsam, it could not be better said.

You hit the nail on the head. Sycsam, it could not be better said.
- Trust In Jarmo

I dont want to be right but I feel I will be.

Chicago.... Wolves
- cuethenoise

I figures that was coming...

It was devastating.

Thought for Blues fans to ponder - now that summer has suddenly arrived:

Can a player who has spent the entire season on a bottom-feeding team, losing night in and night out, simply move to a top level team that has Stanley Cup aspirations and have the mental preparation necessary to ramp up his personal game and bring it to what's expected?

I found both Miller and Ott's games really disappointing once they were acquired even though the deal seemed to be the exact right deal to make.

I just wonder if its near impossible to move from a cellar dweller to a white hot furnace and be ready to go mentally.

And why deadline deals rarely pay off.
- bcallaway

I still don't understand why Ott was targeted over Moulson other than Hitch and Army seem to love him for some reason. We had enough sandpaper imho and while I get wanting to get better in the circle, scoring depth was a more pressing need given recent playoff performances.

As to Miller, he hadn't played a meaningful game in 3 years and the points you raise are very valid. Ask my wife how mad I was the night of the trade....oh well.

Fun facts -
Career NHL Playoff Save % - Halak 92.3; Miller 91.5 and Elliott 89.8
Career NHL Playoff winning % - Halak 47.6; Miller 50.9; Elliott 37.5
Career NHL Series wining % - Halak 66.7; Miller 44.4; Elliott 0
Exclude this year and Miller was: 91.7, 53.2, 50.0

Other than being different, I just don't see how anyone could have expected him to be that much of an upgrade and why we would have paid so much for him in trade assets.

I still don't understand why Ott was targeted over Moulson other than Hitch and Army seem to love him for some reason. We had enough sandpaper imho and while I get wanting to get better in the circle, scoring depth was a more pressing need given recent playoff performances.

As to Miller, he hadn't played a meaningful game in 3 years and the points you raise are very valid. Ask my wife how mad I was the night of the trade....oh well.

Fun facts -
Career NHL Playoff Save % - Halak 92.3; Miller 91.5 and Elliott 89.8
Career NHL Playoff winning % - Halak 47.6; Miller 50.9; Elliott 37.5
Career NHL Series wining % - Halak 66.7; Miller 44.4; Elliott 0
Exclude this year and Miller was: 91.7, 53.2, 50.0

Other than being different, I just don't see how anyone could have expected him to be that much of an upgrade and why we would have paid so much for him in trade assets.
- stljam

Elliott won the san jose series...

Strauss comment got a chuckle...

"The Blues thought they ordered Dom Perignon in net when they shipped Halak to Buffalo on Feb. 28. They instead opened a crate of Miller Lite."

Elliott won the san jose series...
- cuethenoise

He only had 3 victories so does it really count as winning the series? I treated it like a combined goalie shutout...nobody gets the shutout, the team does.

He only had 3 victories so does it really count as winning the series? I treated it like a combined goalie shutout...nobody gets the shutout, the team does.
- stljam

I don't know I guess haha

As to Miller, he hadn't played a meaningful game in 3 years and the points you raise are very valid. Ask my wife how mad I was the night of the trade....oh well.

Fun facts -
Career NHL Playoff Save % - Halak 92.3; Miller 91.5 and Elliott 89.8
Career NHL Playoff winning % - Halak 47.6; Miller 50.9; Elliott 37.5
Career NHL Series wining % - Halak 66.7; Miller 44.4; Elliott 0
Exclude this year and Miller was: 91.7, 53.2, 50.0

Other than being different, I just don't see how anyone could have expected him to be that much of an upgrade and why we would have paid so much for him in trade assets.
- stljam

Great post stljam.

Like you stated, the numbers and info was there about Ryan Miller before the trade. Yet, Armstrong gave up a lot to go backwards or sideways at best.

It reeks of desperation by Doug Armstrong.

Thanks Carcus.

I'm sure you can throw it back in my face tonight when the Kings go down and Jarmo's team gets eliminated by the Penguins.
- Trust In Jarmo

No thanks, not interested.

I dont want to be right but I feel I will be.
- sycsam

Unfortunately, you most likely will be right.

And I will bet a year salary on it...and I don't' even bet.

No thanks, not interested.
- carcus

Well, than just enjoy watching Carl Soderberg, Lars Eller, Erik Johnson and Lee Stempniak OR Jarmo's Blue Jackets in round 2.

That will be better for all of us.

David Perron and Ben Bishop also send their condolences to you Carcus.

Great post stljam.

Like you stated, the numbers and info was there about Ryan Miller before the trade. Yet, Armstrong gave up a lot to go backwards or sideways at best.
- Trust In Jarmo

I agree great post. The statistics don't show everything. Halak is a headcase. Miller has shown that he can be an elite goalie in the NHL. It was a bet that didn't pan out as many late season moves like this go. That being said I think next year Miller settles in with this team and we see the reason this trade was made.