I haven't been paying as much attention as I like to the NHL this season and I am shocked with what I have missed. The St Louis Blues sit atop the Western Con. And I can't help but wonder why? They have no players anywhere close to the league scoring lead and they lack a super star player. Why are they so damn good?
Great team defense, finally being relatively healthy for the season and having plenty of forward depth. There is no real secret, and no amazing revolutionary "system"; simply a lot of quality blue-collar players.
Pietrangelo's the #1 reason. Having an exceptional #1 d-man is just such a huge deal. The year the Blues added Scott Stevens they went from 81 to 106 points, and it was no accident. Look at how adding or taking away a Chris Pronger has affected teams in recent years. Pietrangelo was great last year, but this year, especially in 2012 where he's added PPG production to an elite defensive game, he's gone to another level. He's hands down a top 5 defenseman in the entire NHL right now. In 2012 he's easily, and I mean easily the best defenseman in the NHL. That's not an overstatement. Ottawa fans can't stand the idea anyone's better than Karlsson but I'd never even consider taking Karlsson over Pietrangelo, just as I'd never consider taking Kessel over Datsyuk.
Elliott's the #2 reason. Conklin was truly an abomination last year. He really hurt the team and made them lose often. It was his fault a lot. I can't emphasize enough how terrible Ty Conklin is. The Blues waived him last year, and Detroit waived him this year. He's long past done. His replacement, Brian Elliott, is about to finish posting the greatest single season save percentage in NHL history for a qualified goaltender. If the team were terribly disorganized in front of him undoubtedly his numbers would be worse, but don't buy into the fiction that it's just everyone else doing all the work for him and you could plug and play any goalie in there and they'd be as good. Lots of teams in NHL history have had excellent defensive systems and their goaltenders haven't set the all time single season save percentage record. Nobody stops over 94% of shots in the NHL for that many games without being really freaking good.
Backes and Oshie have been solid two-way players all year. Perron, Steen and McDonald have been hurt, although very productive while in there. They've shut down some of the top players in the NHL routinely.
Barret Jackman's had one of his best years of his career, if not his best. Shattenkirk has developed game by game and his defense is now miles ahead of what the Avs thought they had when they traded him. Think of a younger Letang. That's what he'll be if he keeps developing like this. That pairing has been huge to have behind Alex Pietrangelo playing 24+ minutes a game. And the Russell-for-Nikitin trade was win-win and allowed Hitchcock to have a defender capable fo skating the puck past the first forechecker on each pairing. Nikitin brought a lot but not that element and it's integral to how Hitchcock wants the Blues to play.
Halak recovered from a terrible start and got his confidence back when Hitchcock came on board. He fixed his practice habits, sensing Elliott was on the verge of completely stealing his job, and since then he's managed to replicate the success stimulated by the Price tandem competition (minus whatever tension might've existed in that relationship because these two get along great).
Finally, the depth on the forward lines has been clutch all year. Arnott proved to be a great add, as he seems to always find a way to get into the slot and get a quick, wicked release. Guys like Reaves, Porter, Sobotka, Langenbrunner, Nichol have been solid all year on those 3d and 4th lines. Effort and structure all the way through.
I haven't been paying as much attention as I like to the NHL this season and I am shocked with what I have missed. The St Louis Blues sit atop the Western Con. And I can't help but wonder why? They have no players anywhere close to the league scoring lead and they lack a super star player. Why are they so damn good?
I see that this may be an April Fools joke, as The Blues had been atop The Western Conference for a long time, and you've waited until they just got knocked off the top, playing their worst game of the season, to mention they ARE on top, and to ask why they are so good. How ironic and provocative (needling).
Taking the high road, and assuming that you aren't a troll, I will attempt an answer:
The Blues have a lot of fast-skating young players, and some experienced veterans, who play a responsible 2-way 200-ft. game in a structured system brought to the team by their successful veteran
coach, Mike Hitchcock.
They have 3 solid scoring (and defensively responsible) lines, and a good 2-way energy/checking line, a super penalty-killing unit, and adequate power play, and a highly-mobile defence corps, and smothering overall team defence, which keeps opponents to the outside, and allows few shots and many fewer scoring chances. They also have two top 10 NHL #1 calibre goaltenders.
The Blues have a lot of fast-skating young players, and some experienced veterans, who play a responsible 2-way 200-ft. game in a structured system brought to the team by their successful veteran
coach, Mike Hitchcock.
Ohh yes Mike Hitchcock....the illegitimate offspring of Ken Hitchcock and Mike Babcock.
Huh? I have Catholic Relief Services? Congressional Research Services? Canada Remote Systems? (may have that due to long periods away from Canada). Country Radio Broadcasters? (actually, I left Canada to get away from that infernal country music!
Huh? I have Catholic Relief Services? Congressional Research Services? Canada Remote Systems? (may have that due to long periods away from Canada). Country Radio Broadcasters? (actually, I left Canada to get away from that infernal country music!
obviously you can't remember **** lol
Last edited by 2 Minute Minor: 04-02-2012 at 12:48 AM.
Huh? I have Catholic Relief Services? Congressional Research Services? Canada Remote Systems? (may have that due to long periods away from Canada). Country Radio Broadcasters? (actually, I left Canada to get away from that infernal country music!
I haven't lived there all year since 1961. But, I visit Winnipeg (my sister, also uncles aunts and cousins and old friends) once or twice a year (totaling 2-3 months). I last left a few weeks ago.
Yep! That pretty well sums up being over 65! If I didn't meet you before age 40, I'm liable to forget your names (that includes my own nieces and nephews). I hadn't learned about Ken Hitchcock before I was 40 even though I did know about him before he started coaching in The NHL as an assistant.
Last edited by 2 Minute Minor: 04-02-2012 at 12:50 AM.
Reason: qdp
Yep! That pretty well sums up being over 65! If I didn't meet you before age 40, I'm liable to forget your names (that includes my own nieces and nephews). I hadn't learned about Ken Hitchcock before I was 40 even though I did know about him before he started coaching in The NHL as an assistant.
I imagine it must be nice being able to forget somethings though right? Like the dark days of Mike Kitchen and Andy Murray...wish I could erase some of those thoughts from my memory.
I imagine it must be nice being able to forget somethings though right? Like the dark days of Mike Kitchen and Andy Murray...wish I could erase some of those thoughts from my memory.
Andy Murray's years were "dark days"? HA! Clearly you didn't suffer through the late '70s and early 80s! 1983 with no draft was the worst!
Yes, the Kitchen season was terrible. But, unfortunately, those nightmares aren't the things one forgets (like the reason why you came into a room, or where you left your glasses (before you sit on them and break another pair).
Andy Murray's years were "dark days"? HA! Clearly you didn't suffer through the late '70s and early 80s! 1983 with no draft was the worst!
Yes, the Kitchen season was terrible. But, unfortunately, those nightmares aren't the things one forgets (like the reason why you came into a room, or where you left your glasses (before you sit on them and break another pair).
Besides the Kitchen days were more like comedy on ice. All 5,000 of the season ticket holders got some great laughs out of that lineup.
Andy Murray's years were "dark days"? HA! Clearly you didn't suffer through the late '70s and early 80s! 1983 with no draft was the worst!
Yes, the Kitchen season was terrible. But, unfortunately, those nightmares aren't the things one forgets (like the reason why you came into a room, or where you left your glasses (before you sit on them and break another pair).
Great coaching, great leadership from Backes, excellent goaltending tandem supported by strong defensive systems play, lots of energy from criminally underrated young players, especially on the blueline (Pietrangelo and Shattenkirk are real blue-chippers), solid depth, wise old veterans to supplement the more inexperienced forwards.
No. The Blues cheat to get points by trapping and clutch and grabbing. The Blues are going to be single handedly responsible for another lockout, this one permanent while all the fans go to a more exciting sport like Nascar.
No. The Blues cheat to get points by trapping and clutch and grabbing. The Blues are going to be single handedly responsible for another lockout, this one permanent while all the fans go to a more exciting sport like Nascar.
Actually, I think the Blues use the body well and use great positioning/stickwork within a proven defensive system. No superstars, but they have some very talented players who will be soon. Want to talk lockout, go bark at the league executives and owners for allowing the ridiculous contracts they do.
Or must I plead senility? 
