Jets won't need a goalie to carry them, they just need more consistency form their goalies. They will not struggle to score. Maurice is on a tight leash, he needs to improve special teams and over all team discipline. If he can do that, this team will be fun to watch.
- Ross77

Mason just came off a .908 sv%
Hutch was a .903 & .907 sv% the past 2 years
Helly .907 last year & Pavs .904 the year before

Looking at the start combos the past 2 years....they need better goaltending for sure.

The year they made the playoffs 3 seasons ago Pavs had a .920 % Hutch had a .914

Goaltending matters and sub .910 wont get the job done. Goalies will always carry a team into he playoffs, no team can over come a sub .910 and still make it. You cmay call it consistency, but thats just a nice way of saying be a Top half goalie in the league to make it, bc if they arent, teams are making the playoffs with a start who has a bottom half of the league sv%

Mason just came off a .908 sv%
Hutch was a .903 & .907 sv% the past 2 years
Helly .907 last year & Pavs .904 the year before

Looking at the start combos the past 2 years....they need better goaltending for sure.

The year they made the playoffs 3 seasons ago Pavs had a .920 % Hutch had a .914

Goaltending matters and sub .910 wont get the job done. Goalies will always carry a team into he playoffs, no team can over come a sub .910 and still make it

Avs made it with a Varly .927, and just missed the playoffs by a couple points with his .921 and .914 seasons. You live and die with your goalie
- DDM-Coga

I'm just guessing but the difference between a .910 and a .920 might just be 2-3 bad games? You can't just judge Mason on last year.

Oh, is it time for McCann's annual prediction of Blues struggles again?

2016 McCann: "Blues will miss playoffs"
Result: They easily make playoffs.
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=79842

2015 McCann: "Blues will be worse"
Result: Blues are better, make conference finals
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=71493

2013 McCann: "Predict Blues to make playoffs... but won't be surprised when they don't"
Result: Blues easily in playoffs, almost win division.
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=53903


McCann has been down on St. Louis for years. This year he didn't even look at the roster, just said they were worse on paper when the opposite was true.

Oh, is it time for McCann's annual prediction of Blues struggles again?

2016 McCann: "Blues will miss playoffs"
Result: They easily make playoffs.
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=79842

2015 McCann: "Blues will be worse"
Result: Blues are better, make conference finals
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=71493

2013 McCann: "Predict Blues to make playoffs... but won't be surprised when they don't"
Result: Blues easily in playoffs, almost win division.
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=53903


McCann has been down on St. Louis for years. This year he didn't even look at the roster, just said they were worse on paper when the opposite was true.
- Antilles

eventually he will be right, shooters shoot

The Blues were 15-5 coming down the stretch in their last 20 games to solidify their spot in the playoffs. That in itself should bode well for the coming season. However, when you look at it, 14 of those games were against non-playoff teams and 7 were against the woeful Avs and Coyotes.

They still have a lot to prove between the pipes. Is Jake Allen the one from the playoffs or the one that was left home during that road trip? Stasny will be 32 and had only 40 pts last season with talent around him. Is he a #1 center.

I'm not sure that they won't regress a little this season.
- DougPaz

Blues still went 4-1-1 against playoff teams during that stretch.

Using that metric, it's Minnesota that will be struggling this year. From February first on, they lost 11 of 15 against playoff teams.

Pretty simple why the Hawks made those trades--not to make them better this year, but to help with cap control in the next few years. There is virtually no chance they could have resigned either player in two years unless they got rid of other core players.

Pretty simple why the Hawks made those trades--not to make them better this year, but to help with cap control in the next few years. There is virtually no chance they could have resigned either player in two years unless they got rid of other core players.
- RaleighHawk

And they tried to get teams to trade for Seabrook and Crawford and they werent getting the pieces they wanted for Crawford and no one is taking that contract on for Seabrook

Hawks took a slight step back to move forward in the future

Hawks will be good as long as they have Keith Toews and Kane mayben ot elite but definitely above average

Hey Paul,

I enjoy reading you're blogs, have you thought of doing a blog of how the Pacific Division is looking so far?

Oh, is it time for McCann's annual prediction of Blues struggles again?

2016 McCann: "Blues will miss playoffs"
Result: They easily make playoffs.
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=79842

2015 McCann: "Blues will be worse"
Result: Blues are better, make conference finals
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=71493

2013 McCann: "Predict Blues to make playoffs... but won't be surprised when they don't"
Result: Blues easily in playoffs, almost win division.
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=53903


McCann has been down on St. Louis for years. This year he didn't even look at the roster, just said they were worse on paper when the opposite was true.
- Antilles

What'd he say in 2014?

Great to beat the Blues in first playoff match up. Allen is a head case- don't see him putting a full year together and Yeo is still the coach that got run out of Minny.

What'd he say in 2014?
- mlindsay

He had them 2nd in the Central:

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=62905

I'm impressed to see that he predicted LA to miss the playoffs just months after they won their 2nd Cup and made the Conference Final 3 years in a row.

Great to beat the Blues in first playoff match up. Allen is a head case- don't see him putting a full year together and Yeo is still the coach that got run out of Minny.
- VopatsRash

Allen not putting a full year together was still him being just as good as Rinne (.03 save percentage difference) and Laviolette is still the coach that got run out of Philly.

Great to beat the Blues in first playoff match up. Allen is a head case- don't see him putting a full year together and Yeo is still the coach that got run out of Minny.
- VopatsRash

Don't let one good year in the playoffs go to your head. You guys have a good team, but in the central anything can happen.

Allen not putting a full year together was still him being just as good as Rinne (.03 save percentage difference) and Laviolette is still the coach that got run out of Philly.
- Antilles

Rinne has been solid for a decade, Lavy has taken 3 different teams to the Final and his teams are fun to watch. Yeo is boring, his teams are Boring and it will continue to be boring hockey in St. Louis much like the past 20 years.

Rinne has been solid for a decade, Lavy has taken 3 different teams to the Final and his teams are fun to watch. Yeo is boring, his teams are Boring and it will continue to be boring hockey in St. Louis much like the past 20 years.
- VopatsRash

I wouldnt say a goalie that has put up a .902 and .908 seasons has been solid for a decade. Hes been all over the map from unreal to average to trash. Thats just the career of an above average decent NHL goalie.

As a Preds fan, I won't claim that Rinne is an all-star goalie. He's had a couple all-star caliber seasons, and has been justly recognized for that.

Keep in mind, for years, that Rinne had a stellar, shut-down defense playing in front of him. Trotz had them pack everything in and kept most of the shots to the point. Those were his best years for the most part. And he was really good during that stretch.

He has not adapted nearly as well to a more open style of play, with D-men that are more activated on offense and don't stay at home as much. He's still a good goalie. Above average - sure okay. But he's not great.

In their losses (and even some of their wins) in the playoffs, and the past two seasons, the opposing goaltender has been better than Rinne. I'm not a hater, and I'm happy for Pekka to close out his career in Nashville. They can certainly win a cup with him goaltending. But Allen is a stronger goaltender right now. I don't think theres much question about that.

I wouldnt say a goalie that has put up a .902 and .908 seasons has been solid for a decade. Hes been all over the map from unreal to average to trash. Thats just the career of an above average decent NHL goalie.
- DDM-Coga

Varly is better than Rinne in my opinion. Rinne is probably in the top 20 goalies in the NHL, but Varly is top 10. Playing on the Avalanche isn't doing him any favors. They need someone that knows how to coach bad!

Also Rinne is def out of him prime. Probably has 1 or 2 more season in him.

Varly is better than Rinne in my opinion. Rinne is probably in the top 20 goalies in the NHL, but Varly is top 10. Playing on the Avalanche isn't doing him any favors. They need someone that knows how to coach bad!

Also Rinne is def out of him prime. Probably has 1 or 2 more season in him.
- cuethenoise

I wouldnt say Varly is Top 10 but I do like the praise

Im excited to see what he can do, finally getting that surgery that injury plagued him for the past 3 seasons. Apparently super healthy since he was shut down so early last eyar.

He has a full time goalie coach for the 1st time being on the Avs. Allaire was only part time who would come in for a few times a season. Jussi Parkkila has worked with Tukka Rask back in Finland and was Varlys goalie coach in the KHL.

I wouldnt say Varly is Top 10 but I do like the praise

Im excited to see what he can do, finally getting that surgery that injury plagued him for the past 3 seasons. Apparently super healthy since he was shut down so early last eyar.

He has a full time goalie coach for the 1st time being on the Avs. Allaire was only part time who would come in for a few times a season. Jussi Parkkila has worked with Tukka Rask back in Finland and was Varlys goalie coach in the KHL.
- DDM-Coga

He is pretty good when he has a well coached team in front of him. I had him on my fantasy team when we had that .927 and .921 save percentage. The last couple years the team in front of him just gave up.

He is pretty good when he has a well coached team in front of him. I had him on my fantasy team when we had that .927 and .921 save percentage. The last couple years the team in front of him just gave up.
- cuethenoise

I wouldnt say give up but they were scatterbrained in their own end under Roy.

I like that Varly will be healthy, have a full time goalie coach for him.
They will have a more mobile D core by just getting rid of Beauchemin

and even brining in Ray Bennett to run the PP and Fwds over Tim Army will be a big difference, at least he seemed to run a decent PP with you guys when he did do that as part of his Blues Coaching Role

Check out Harry Zolnierczyk at the Foxboro Sports Center Pro League
www.thehockeyshow.net

I wouldnt say give up but they were scatterbrained in their own end under Roy.

I like that Varly will be healthy, have a full time goalie coach for him.
They will have a more mobile D core by just getting rid of Beauchemin

and even brining in Ray Bennett to run the PP and Fwds over Tim Army will be a big difference, at least he seemed to run a decent PP with you guys when he did do that as part of his Blues Coaching Role
- DDM-Coga

Yeah just need to make sure they don't overplay him like Roy did. I miss Bennett. Coaching really makes a lot of difference.