Blues Morning Skate/Preview
RALEIGH • Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said a rash of penalties recently (28 in three games) and glut of shots-against is the byproduct of how the Blues are playing. They hope to change that in Carolina tonight.
"The best way to describe it is it's more about … it's about playing the game the right way so the score takes care of itself," Hitchcock said. "When you're constantly playing recover hockey, recovering back in your zone, recovering from a turnover in the neutral zone, you end up playing defense too much.
"That's what is happening. We've had to defend far too much in the last few games, and it's put us in a tough spot. It's not a technical adjustment, it's an attitude adjustment. It's kind of like rebooting the dial."
Fatigue has been a big factor. But as Hitchcock explained, it is the Blues' fault fatigue has come into play. Playing defense is much more difficult, more taxing than playing at the other end of the ice.
"We are tired, but you look at it and say, 'OK, why are we tired?' The reason we're tired is we're playing defense too much," Hitchcock added. "It's no fun playing defense all the time. It's more fun to play offense. We have to play more offense and the only way you play more offense is you manage the puck a lot better.
"When you're not strong on the lines with the puck, you end up having to check the dang thing back all the time. It's hard to play that way. You constantly in retreat. We're a much better team when we're playing on or toes. We're not a good team that plays in a retreat mode. We have to play in an attack mode.We're best when we play a really simple game."
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One of the Blues' strongest assets has been the rocket-boosting play of their fourth line. But the line has been time-contrained of late. At even strength, energy line center Scott Nichol played less than six minutes in Chicago on Tuesday.
"We get a lot of energy from our fourth line, but it's hard to put your fourth line on the ice when you're constantly killing penalties," Hitchcock said.
Speaking of lines, with Jason Arnott on R&R, Vlad Sobotka will move to center between Chris Stewart and Chris Porter. Jamie Langenbrunner is moving to play with Patrik Berglund and Andy McDonald. David Perron will be alongside David Backes and T. J. Oshie. Nichol will center Ryan Reaves and B. J. Crombeen.
Brian Elliott will be in nets against the Hurricanes.
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Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo has climbed into a tie for fifth in the league in scoring among defensemen, with 11 goals and 32 assists for 43 points. Leader Erik Karlsson (Ottawa) is on another planet with 70 points, but Pietrangelo is just one point removed from second place. He is 13th among defensemen with a plus-17 rating.
At age 22, Pietrangelo is the youngest defenseman in Blues history to have back-to-back seasons of 40 points or more - a mark Kevin Shattenkirk will tie before long. Pietrangelo also seems to grow in maturity by the day. He acknowledged the Blues have not been sharp of late, and added some perspective.
"It's going to be a process to get back to where we want to be," Pietrangelo said. "The fact we recognize that, with such a young team, is a start.
"We're allowing more shots. Jaro used to have to make 20 saves, all of sudden he's having to make 40 saves. If you keep pucks in their zone, that's going to keep the (opposing) crowd out of it, that's going to take energy from the other team and tire out their best players.
"That's kind of what we've gotten away from. We haven't been getting the pucks in their zone, or if we do, we're trying to make too many plays."
Morale of the story: keep it simple, stupid.
So excited I get to miss this game for the riveting initiation into Beta Alpha Psi. Nothing worse than being reminded how boring your future career is going to be.
So excited I get to miss this game for the riveting initiation into Beta Alpha Psi. Nothing worse than being reminded how boring your future career is going to be.
There's always the FSMW replay later tonight after the craziness settles down.
There's always the FSMW replay later tonight after the craziness settles down.
Yea and i dont know if you got a DVR but im just recording it and gonna watch it later, no commercials that way too. Anyways, Ive been waiting for a GDT all day but once again Im too lazy to make one. Elliott in net and Arnott is out the next 2 games due to "bumps/bruises." JR tweeted the lines as following:
I made the GDT for Nashville between Christmas and the New Year and they lost so I completely bow to superstition. Maybe after they clinch something and it's safer I'll try again.
Yea and i dont know if you got a DVR but im just recording it and gonna watch it later, no commercials that way too. Anyways, Ive been waiting for a GDT all day but once again Im too lazy to make one. Elliott in net and Arnott is out the next 2 games due to "bumps/bruises." JR tweeted the lines as following:
Damnitt Easton...I had an Epic "Road Warrior" themed GDT made up, and you give us this pile!? Oh well, I guess I'll just have to use it some other time.
Damnitt Easton...I had an Epic "Road Warrior" themed GDT made up, and you give us this pile!? Oh well, I guess I'll just have to use it some other time.
You can always post it and I'll merge the two.
I've had a total of 16 hours of sleep this entire week. There's only so much I can do.
Damnitt Easton...I had an Epic "Road Warrior" themed GDT made up, and you give us this pile!? Oh well, I guess I'll just have to use it some other time.
I'm expecting greatness for the Tampa game then.
But, seriously we can't half ass Schwartz's debut.
I'm sure you've heard this over and over and over again but you guys are TOTALLY my West team this year. Gotta hop on the bandwagon of a team that wasn't expected to do anything this year, right?
Schwartz's debut has to be a Spaceballs theme, amirite?
Well it would be preferred, but since it's going to be St. Patty's day, I'm not gonna complain, because whatever I would produce would just be some random crap thrown on a wall lol.
I'm sure you've heard this over and over and over again but you guys are TOTALLY my West team this year. Gotta hop on the bandwagon of a team that wasn't expected to do anything this year, right?
Well why couldn't you guys have returned the favor for Weight, and sent us Staal, Skinner, or Gleason on some type of loan deal?
Last game against the Canes was really entertaining.
so is their GDT!
we still fly under the radar, the only frontpage-news we`ve got on NHL.com the last week was when we lost against Chi, so let`s be the 1st to reach 100!
LET`S GO BLUES!
btw I saw today there is a new inside access on Blues.com this saturday, hope it`ll be better than last year, they surely deserve better this year!
Spaceballs arrived from Netflix yesterday. My son is 11, a Star Wars fanatic, and he's never seen it. I think he's due for some Star Wars parody. We'll probably watch it Saturday or Sunday, in honor of Schwartz.
Spaceballs arrived from Netflix yesterday. My son is 11, a Star Wars fanatic, and he's never seen it. I think he's due for some Star Wars parody. We'll probably watch it Saturday or Sunday, in honor of Schwartz.
You should show him that latest YT clip of Tarasenko. They play a Star Wars piece after all his goals.
Never too early to start the conditioning process!
VS. 
HURRICANES (26-29-15)
