After the latest St. Louis Blues playoff flameout, big questions need to be answered. You can’t say the team didn’t go all in at the trade deadline… they did. They have excellent defense, excellent talent up front and they are solid between the pipes. So why are we looking at the second consecutive year of blowing a 2-0 series lead to bow out early on the second season? It’s too easy to lay the blame at the crease of Ryan Miller. But to use a phrase that Pred Nation is too used to seeing… the goaltender doesn’t score goals.
The St. Louis power play was brutal in the series, only scoring two goals in six games, and most telling… going 0-6 in Game 6. Their power play finished the series 2-29, and one of those was a 6-on-4 late in game two. The power outage led to offensive struggles, after scoring 8 goals to take a 2-0 lead in the series, the Blues scored only 6 in the last four games, all losses.
I’m going to say it… another factor in this series was Brent Seabrook’s hit on David Backes. The Blues captain was simply not the same player after the hit… and Chicago got to reap the reward, obviously losing Seabrook didn’t hurt the Blackhawks near as much. Something just doesn’t feel right about that, but it is what it is.
If you are looking for someone to blame, you may want to look at the GM. He had excellent goaltending in Jaroslav Halak, but couldn’t resist going after Ryan Miller… Is Ken Hitchcock’s message beginning to turn in St. Louis? Key quote from the coach in the postgame reactions “…it’s the same lesson we learned last year.… Huh? Obviously the Blues didn’t learn it good enough… What is this team missing?
Questions galore follow a bitterly disappointing first round exit for St. Louis.
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Monday Random Playoff Notes
- Nashville captain Shea Weber has been named a Norris Trophy finalist. The other two finalists are Boston’s Zdeno Chara and Chicago’s Duncan Keith. To me, it’s a no-brainer, but I am concerned about a split of the western Conference vote.
- What a comeback in Dallas last night. Big props to the Anaheim Ducks, makes my pick of them getting to the finals look better.
- I am really looking forward to Boston / Montreal. Another O6 showdown. Looks like Boston’s going to get a little rest after dispatching Detroit in five… and Montreal may turn from rest to rust if this first round goes the distance.
Three potential deciders tonight…
- 6pm – NBCSN – Pittsburgh @ Columbus – Pens lead series 3-2. Who knows how this topsy-turvy series will end… wouldn’t be surprised if it ended tonight… or extend to a 7th game. Columbus is amped up to bring it tonight at Nationwide.
- 8pm – CNBC – Colorado @ Minnesota – Colorado can close this one out tonight, but this has been a home dominated series.
- 9:30pm – NBCSN – San Jose @ Los Angeles – This one is a “must watch… … I’m gonna be brewing up the coffee. If San Jose loses tonight, you have to think the pressure on a Game 7 will be incredible.
- Do changes in DC open the door for Barry Trotz? Changes look to be coming in Carolina as well.
- This week’s scheduled Petey’s 5K Face-Off, the annual run/walk to support the Peterson for Parkinsons Foundation has been postponed. Stay tuned for updates. More information is available at the PFP Website.
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