I've got to be honest boys and girls, who cares if other teams fans think we trap.
It just an excuse to explain why their team gets completely dominated when they play us. They can't score, they get outhit, they can't establish any offensive zone pressure and for the other teams fans, I'm sure it's frustrating as hell.
I say good! Let's trap our way to the Stanley Cup!
Actually let's trap, get unearned 5 on 3's, pour hot water all over our sloppy crappy ice, pay off the officials, make sure Petro uses the stanchions at every possibile moment, use the "Hitch Trap" system and our record breaking crappy goalies to shutout the opponent and win all of our games 1-0, because winning is boring, just like watching paint dry!
Just win baby! It's playoff time and for the first time in almost a decade the Blues are a legitimate threat, keep the faith everyone. I think this year we will be in for a treat!
I was just looking/thinking back on our games throughout the regular season and wanted some opposing perspective/conversation.
Basically my question to you guys is... are either of these teams going to score any goals in this series?
Game 1 Oct 15:
Blues 3 5v5 goals, 1 Empty Net - Won 4-2
Sharks 1 5v4 goal, 1 5v5 goal
Game 2 Dec 10:
Blues 1 5v3 goal - Won 1-0
Game 3 Feb 12:
Blues 2 5v3 goals, 1 Empty Net - Won 3-0
Game 4 March 3:
Blues 2 5v4 goals, 1 5v5 - Won 3-1
Sharks 1 5v5 goal
That is a WHOLE lot of powerplay/penalty kill advantage/deciding things. Not saying it wasn't the Sharks fault for taking penalties and having a crap PK, because that's the truth. But the even strength goals were only 4-2 this year total in FOUR whole games. That's crazy... clearly neither of these teams seen to be able to score on each other. The main question will be can the sharks score on the blues? and can their PK continue to suck? or both? neither? we will see...
I was just looking/thinking back on our games throughout the regular season and wanted some opposing perspective/conversation.
Basically my question to you guys is... are either of these teams going to score any goals in this series?
Game 1 Oct 15:
Blues 3 5v5 goals, 1 Empty Net - Won 4-2
Sharks 1 5v4 goal, 1 5v5 goal
Game 2 Dec 10:
Blues 1 5v3 goal - Won 1-0
Game 3 Feb 12:
Blues 2 5v3 goals, 1 Empty Net - Won 3-0
Game 4 March 3:
Blues 2 5v4 goals, 1 5v5 - Won 3-1
Sharks 1 5v5 goal
That is a WHOLE lot of powerplay/penalty kill advantage/deciding things. Not saying it wasn't the Sharks fault for taking penalties and having a crap PK, because that's the truth. But the even strength goals were only 4-2 this year total in FOUR whole games. That's crazy... clearly neither of these teams seen to be able to score on each other. The main question will be can the sharks score on the blues? and can their PK continue to suck? or both? neither? we will see...
quadruple OT marathons anyone?
honestly, I cant hear/read this stuff anymore. facts are:
1: our special teams were better
2: we won!!!
3: it doesn`t mean anything anymore
if we win 4 times this series with 2:0 and score a PP goal and an empty netter every game I`ll be happy
I was just looking/thinking back on our games throughout the regular season and wanted some opposing perspective/conversation.
Basically my question to you guys is... are either of these teams going to score any goals in this series?
Game 1 Oct 15:
Blues 3 5v5 goals, 1 Empty Net - Won 4-2
Sharks 1 5v4 goal, 1 5v5 goal
Game 2 Dec 10:
Blues 1 5v3 goal - Won 1-0
Game 3 Feb 12:
Blues 2 5v3 goals, 1 Empty Net - Won 3-0
Game 4 March 3:
Blues 2 5v4 goals, 1 5v5 - Won 3-1
Sharks 1 5v5 goal
That is a WHOLE lot of powerplay/penalty kill advantage/deciding things. Not saying it wasn't the Sharks fault for taking penalties and having a crap PK, because that's the truth. But the even strength goals were only 4-2 this year total in FOUR whole games. That's crazy... clearly neither of these teams seen to be able to score on each other. The main question will be can the sharks score on the blues? and can their PK continue to suck? or both? neither? we will see...
quadruple OT marathons anyone?
It's not like the Sharks didn't have tons of power plays in the two shutouts. They had TEN in those two games. They failed to execute on their chances.
5 on 5 the Blues were exceptional during the regular season. Only Detroit had a bigger advantage. 4 on 4 they were excellent as well. So even strength is a Blues strength.
It's strength against strength when it's Sharks PP vs. Blues PK. The Blues have really been the league's best PK team for the last seven weeks of the season or so. Killed 96-of-101 and at one point threatened the NHL's all time consecutive kills record. Just a ridiculous percentage to close the season. It was the one thing that stayed solid during their little end-of-season 4-4-4 wobble.
Blues PP is better than their overall standing suggests as well. They started the year 30th and it took a LONG time to climb out of that 3-for-40 basement Payne had them in. Their overall numbers are 18.3% PP and 87.9% PK under Hitchcock. Considering how abysmal the San Jose PK is, that's going to have to reverse itself and/or the Blues are going to have to drop the quality of their 5-on-5 play.
Over a short series these things can happen, but it would have to cut against trend.
honestly, I cant hear/read this stuff anymore. facts are:
1: our special teams were better
2: we won!!!
3: it doesn`t mean anything anymore
if we win 4 times this series with 2:0 and score a PP goal and an empty netter every game I`ll be happy
I really didn't mean to come in and start an argument or to imply that your team hadn't earned their wins, sorry. I would agree with all three of the things you said. In fact, I hope #3 is true because I don't think the sharks could look any worse than they did in those games.
I just thought it was overall a really strange series of games throughout the year and worth discussing/laughing at while we're all dying for the series to start and before everything gets all serious.
I'll just leave before there's some misunderstanding. Sorry again for interrupting your thread.
Last edited by bigPAVELSKI: 04-12-2012 at 03:59 AM.
That's just it. It wasn't that strange a series of games from a Blues perspective. They played stifling defense and dictated the tempo and style of games. They used an exceptional PK to defeat the ordinarily potent Sharks PP. That's consistent with the Blues numbers on the PK under Hitchcock, especially to close the season.
The Blues PP success was higher than average but the Sharks' PK failures are in line with how bad they were over the course of the season. The Blues 4-2 even strength goals edge was consistent with Blues results at even strength where they were excellent.
I understand the series must look aberrant to Sharks fans but the games looked normal to Blues fans. The Sharks couldn't force the Blues out of tempo dictation because they couldn't challenge the Blues with speed (Blues are faster). They couldn't intimidate the Blues physically (Blues are bigger and very physical). Because the Blues are deeper they had more flexibility with matching lines, so the Sharks couldn't force the Blues out of their comfort zone by exploiting a matchup. The results followed pretty logically from there with the Blues comfortably playing the kind of game they chose to play.
I really didn't mean to come in and start an argument or to imply that your team hadn't earned their wins, sorry. I would agree with all three of the things you said. In fact, I hope #3 is true because I don't think the sharks could look any worse than they did in those games.
I just thought it was overall a really strange series of games throughout the year and worth discussing/laughing at while we're all dying for the series to start and before everything gets all serious.
I'll just leave before there's some misunderstanding. Sorry again for interrupting your thread.
Nah I see what you mean. My main worry is, if the Blues don't get PP chances, or the Sharks improve their PK, then can we score? I certainly hope so.
Haha. Hitchcock: "Stewart, for whatever reason the last four games, started really skating, playing well and playing hard, so it kind of gave us a different angle."
"For whatever reason," Stewart decided to play well the final four games of the season so now he gets to be on the third line.
Stewart has the kind of talent that can break a game open......strength....speed....wicked shot.....great hands....can play with an edge. Let's hope he takes his five hour energy, says his prayers, and runs wild on the ice tonight.
Haha. Hitchcock: "Stewart, for whatever reason the last four games, started really skating, playing well and playing hard, so it kind of gave us a different angle."
"For whatever reason," Stewart decided to play well the final four games of the season so now he gets to be on the third line.
Ha...I posted the exact the same thing in the GDT. Hilarious from Hitch.
