I'm having a ton of trouble coming up with a comparable for Tarasenko...his game is so much more well rounded than Semin.

To me, Schwartz reminds me of a smaller, slightly less skilled (at this point) Datsyuk. He hunts the puck better than any forward I have seen since Datsyuk (see the Blues second goal). The puck seems to just stay on his stick along the wall and traffic and when he loses it there, he often gets it back. He's defensively responsible, has an underrated shot, and the puck seems like its glued to his stick at times. He makes his line a lot better. Datsyuk has better shake and bake moves but a lot of the style seems similar.
- stljam

Originally I wanted to say Tarasenko is like Patrick Kane-lite in terms of hands/stick-handling with James Neal shot.

With the non call on too many men, I haven't had a chance to see a replay but did one of the changing new players touch the puck? I always thought the rule was that a new changing player could not play the puck before before the changing player was in reasonable distance from the bench.

FYI

JR reported no Stastny or Berglund on the ice for practice today.

Speaking of Berglund, I thought he had a poor game last night.
- stljam

I don't like Berglund with Backes and Oshie, he makes that line too slow.

Looks like the same old Cole to me. In some ways he reminds me of EJ, he has all the tools of a great player except when it comes to decision making. I'm worried that third pair could end up being an achilles heel for us. Jackman is serviceable enough for third pair duty but between Leopold and Cole, we're gonna have a weakness there.

Very impressed by Lehtera. I'm just hoping he stays healthy, the NHL is a tougher league than what he is used to.

I don't like Berglund with Backes and Oshie, he makes that line too slow.

Looks like the same old Cole to me. In some ways he reminds me of EJ, he has all the tools of a great player except when it comes to decision making. I'm worried that third pair could end up being an achilles heel for us. Jackman is serviceable enough for third pair duty but between Leopold and Cole, we're gonna have a weakness there.

Very impressed by Lehtera. I'm just hoping he stays healthy, the NHL is a tougher league than what he is used to.
- fattyboubatty

Cole has proven to be the odd man out on defense when Gunnar is healthy. He is just not good enough to play on the Blues. He would fit in fine on a team that does not make the playoffs. Berglund is the same old player we all know too well. put stastny with backes and oshie, steen with bergy and lindstrom. keep our best line from last year together with tarasenko/Schwartz and put lehtera centering them

The Blues came out flat footed last night. It was a bad game. We will get better. Too many bad passes and allowing the Rangers to take it to us in the 1st and 2nd was bad. It looked bad last night. We shall get better. It looked bad but due to an unlucky bounce the Rangers snuck away with a win. We were still in it.

Berglund, if he is still with us at that point, will show up in February and play well but he will disappear yet again when it counts.

Cole has proven to be the odd man out on defense when Gunnar is healthy. He is just not good enough to play on the Blues. He would fit in fine on a team that does not make the playoffs. Berglund is the same old player we all know too well. put stastny with backes and oshie, steen with bergy and lindstrom. keep our best line from last year together with tarasenko/Schwartz and put lehtera centering them
- BluesDroogie

I want to say you are an idiot but I do not want to call you that and I know it is not true. But you are dead wrong.

One game, the first game and there is rust. There has been lots of changes. This kid also has been unfairly benched for a mistake or two in a game and if that were the case then every other defensemen should be benched most especially Jackman.

I'm having a ton of trouble coming up with a comparable for Tarasenko...his game is so much more well rounded than Semin.

To me, Schwartz reminds me of a smaller, slightly less skilled (at this point) Datsyuk. He hunts the puck better than any forward I have seen since Datsyuk (see the Blues second goal). The puck seems to just stay on his stick along the wall and traffic and when he loses it there, he often gets it back. He's defensively responsible, has an underrated shot, and the puck seems like its glued to his stick at times. He makes his line a lot better. Datsyuk has better shake and bake moves but a lot of the style seems similar.
- stljam

Tarasenko reminds me utterly of Demitra. Very similar. I honestly do not know how I did not pick it up before There are maybe a few differences in their games where Tarasenko plays a bit more heavy at times and is a more complete player but he looks like Demitra.

After Hull Demitra was my favorite player. The dude was very nice and funny in life. He got coffee a few times at y store back then.

I would suggest that you can easily miss a lot of positional lapses and good plays because of where they camera focuses and what it doesn't pick up. It also can trick one into potentially assigning blame on goals (second Ranger goal is a good example).
- stljam

Oh for sure. I miss a lot of the game but most of the time I have a good idea what is happening. If you have seen enough games and played enough you are usually shocked when something out of the ordinary happens like Leopold's pinching with three forwards down low. I did not know who it was at the time I was just mad at the play as a whole.

You are correct about Elliott. He is good not great but he comes ever so close to great. Sometimes you can do great things by being consistently good.

Allen has a chance to be elite. Binnington and that I think Finnish or was he Checz goaltender we drafted this year.

I want to say you are an idiot but I do not want to call you that and I know it is not true. But you are dead wrong.

One game, the first game and there is rust. There has been lots of changes. This kid also has been unfairly benched for a mistake or two in a game and if that were the case then every other defensemen should be benched most especially Jackman.
- BluemanGuruu

i was not just merely talking about last game, so the rust is not an issue. It just seems to me that he is the weakest of our defense. sure Jackman cant handle the puck but he is a beast defending the net. Cole just seems out of place at times. trying to make the next move before the first one. overthinking and not relying on his abilities.

The sub-headline in the paper today regarding the Blues was Oshie saying they were trying to hard to "put on a show" for the fans.

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm tired of hearing that from these idiots. How many years in a row do these guys come out and say they're really going to concentrate on getting more pucks to the net and create traffic and get those rebounds and on and on and on and on.......

Shoot
The
Darn
Puck

Seems unbelievable to me that there are no afternoon games on the opening weekend of the season. Not willing to compete with college football?

Good game tonight, still sloppy. Hope it wears off soon.

A great outing for Mr. Brian Elliott. #1 on the jersey and #1 in the net.

i was not just merely talking about last game, so the rust is not an issue. It just seems to me that he is the weakest of our defense. sure Jackman cant handle the puck but he is a beast defending the net. Cole just seems out of place at times. trying to make the next move before the first one. overthinking and not relying on his abilities.
- BluesDroogie

Agreed.

The sub-headline in the paper today regarding the Blues was Oshie saying they were trying to hard to "put on a show" for the fans.

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm tired of hearing that from these idiots. How many years in a row do these guys come out and say they're really going to concentrate on getting more pucks to the net and create traffic and get those rebounds and on and on and on and on.......

Shoot
The
Darn
Puck
- bcallaway

They sure did on Saturday night. You could see it where they shot the puck more and more instead of trying to make the pass.

They sure did on Saturday night. You could see it where they shot the puck more and more instead of trying to make the pass.
- BluemanGuruu

IMHO, the bigger key was shooting while the shooting lane was open and getting the shots off quicker. They didn't wait as much to take the shot which makes it a lot more effective. I'll put something up on my thoughts on the game later after my own game. Too much to do today. Sorry all.

Rosenthal continues to be bad this post season. If you complain about Mattingly leaving Kershaw in too long, you must really think Matheny blew this one tonight. He better get his act together soon. Almost every outing seems like an adventure.

Dominating win on Saturday. Expected, but still impressive.

Hiller had no chance in that game.

A great outing for Mr. Brian Elliott. #1 on the jersey and #1 in the net.
- Yeah Boyes

Not convinced.

The sub-headline in the paper today regarding the Blues was Oshie saying they were trying to hard to "put on a show" for the fans.

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm tired of hearing that from these idiots. How many years in a row do these guys come out and say they're really going to concentrate on getting more pucks to the net and create traffic and get those rebounds and on and on and on and on.......

Shoot
The
Darn
Puck
- bcallaway

Welcome back.

Like half of the STC, "Ssshhhhhhoooooooooooooottttttttttt!"

Welcome back.

Like half of the STC, "Ssshhhhhhoooooooooooooottttttttttt!"
- carcus

Except usually they are like some bad comedians, poor timing, lol.

Dominating win on Saturday. Expected, but still impressive.

Hiller had no chance in that game.
- carcus

Hiller kept the game from being 7-1 easy. I can't believe no contending teams took a chance on him or maybe he just took the money and ran given what Calgary offered.

I'd have much rather had him over Miller,

Except usually they are like some bad comedians, poor timing, lol.
- stljam

Hiller kept the game from being 7-1 easy. I can't believe no contending teams took a chance on him or maybe he just took the money and ran given what Calgary offered.

I'd have much rather had him over Miller,
- stljam

Maybe it is my hated for lefty goalies, but I have never liked Hiller. He did play a good game though and had no chance on the goals scored.