The Uphill Battle: Blues lose 2-1
This is what life with the Blues is like these days:
On a second-period power play, Blues winger Alex Steen cranked a cross-ice pass toward the open net with a wicked one-time blast. He caught Blackhawks goaltender Cristobal Huet totally out of position.
Somehow, though, Huet lunged over, reached back into the net and gloved the puck. The referees ruled that no goal was scored.
The initial replays shown on TV were inconclusive.
But when the crack Fox Sports Net production team blew up the overhead replay and slowed it down, the puck was clearly visible passing under the crossbar, over the goal line and into Huet’s trapper – which extended well into the goal.
Did the Toronto War Room have access to this enhanced replay?
Apparently not, because the review team in the Great White North there ruled that this goal was, in fact, not a goal.
So it goes for the Note these days. This goal would have tied the game 1-1 and given the Blues a huge lift in front of a packed house of 19,250.
The goal would have rewarded their energetic and persistent play. It would have given them a chance to build some momentum.
Instead, the Blues had to soldier on through more adversity. They quickly got a two-man advantage – referees Mike Leggo and Don Koharski have a heart, after all – but they flubbed the 5-on-3 opportunity.
From there, the Blues misfired on one glorious scoring opportunity after another. For instance, normally reliable Brad Boyes had a clean break-in down the middle and couldn’t finish.
With a little more than a minute left in the period, rookie T.J. Oshie led a two-on-one break, faked out the lone defenseman back with deft puck-handling, froze Huet and slid the puck across the crease to the unattended Brad Winchester.
Somehow Winchester failed to tap the puck home. Maybe the famously choppy ice got him. Whatever the case, the puck rolled to the corner instead into the empty net.
Such is the thin margin between success and failure in the NHL. A bounce here and a bounce there decide most games. The Blues don’t get those bounces on most nights.
After Winchester’s whiff, the pesky Oshie got the puck back and centered it to Carlo Colaiacovo in the slot. This was another golden opportunity . . . but Carlo rifled his point-blank shot over the net.
The Blues kept up the pressure, building a 22-12 shot advantage over the first two periods, despite all those misses. But they still trailed 1-0, because Chicago was able to convert a power play back in the first period.
In the third period, rookie Patrick Berglund yanked a power-play rebound wide of the net. But after Colaiacovo made a great play to keep the puck in at the right point, Berglund fed an unattended David Backes in the right circle.
Backes took his time and measured Huet. Then he snapped a goal over Huet’s glove and into the upper right-handed corner of the net to tie the game 1-1.
Finally! At this point of the game, the Blues had a 27-12 shot advantage and an even score to show for it.
Tying the game on this night was lick mountain climbing for this team, which was Keith Tkachuk in addition to Andy McDonald, Paul Kariya, Eric Brewer and Erik Johnson.
On this night, the Blues battled their way into overtime . . . and settled for the single point when Martin Havlat beat them with a wraparound shot.
Here is your Blues season in a nutshell.
For once, I’d like to see one game where the Blues don’t allow a soft goal. I’m so tired of the average/adequate goaltending that we have that is never broached with Murray or Davidson. This town would go nuts if we were ever able to land a goalie with the talent of a Brodeur or Luongo!
It’s time for an overhaul of the Blues again.
Murray doesn’t have any control of this team anymore… exactly what happend in LA. Guys like Tkachuk, berglund, Perron can only take so much abuse, before they start to realize that this guy is crazy like Mike Keenan. Why does Murray find the need to always blame our best players. It’s either Kariya’s fault, or Perron’s, or Tkachuk’s, or legace or Berglund…. he never puts any blame on our idiot defenseman like jackman, McKee or Brewer. never on somebody like Janssen, who rarely contributes any type of offense.
He trades away Wideman (who’s been great for Boston) b/c he apparently isn’t good enough on Defense for Murray’s liking. And then, Murray complains that we don’t have enough offensive production from our defenseman after he trades him away. ?????? That’s Mike Kennan-like lunacy, and he needs to go now.
We have 3 superstars the build-on: Johnson, Berglund, possibly Oshie or Perron. get some fast, skilled, scorers in here on both the forward an ddefensive lines, and learn how to be a real NHL team.
p.s. What is the difference b/w this management team and the others. The last four, have all seemed to prefer muckers an grinders to skilled europeans. it’s never worked, it never will, and this new group led by J Davidson, is just as mistaken about what it takes to win as the others.
Tony: Could you be more wrong? If Murray had no control of this team, then HOW would they continue to work as hard as they do (opening up a 27-12 shot lead at the time of the tying goal)? Murray most definitely is getting the most out of what he’s got (left out of the infirmary, anyway). Tkachuk is playing the best hockey he’s played since the lockout, Berglund is right in the mix for the Calder, and Perron’s responded positively every time he’s been “abused” by Murray. The fact that you’d blame the defensemen while ignoring the fact that backchecking forwards are lax on their support roles (hence Murray “blaming” them), or blame Janssen for not providing offense (as if that’s his job), is beyond asinine.
But your lack of understanding goes beyond hockey fundamentals, and extends to hockey operations as well, apparently. Murray didn’t trade anyone. Pleau and JD traded Wideman, and yes, it was because he was a defensive liability while here. It’s only in Boston that he’s learned to play a more defensively responsible game. The guy was a train wreck of a defenseman here, and while I’m thrilled for all the success he’s having now (always liked him), to complain over a two year old trade that netted us a legit 40 goal guy seems stupid.
So who are these fast, skilled scorers you would bring in? I’d love to see the moves you’d make… but I’m guessing you haven’t thought that out, have you?
The difference between this management team and others is that they: 1. emphasize improving through the draft (those three young superstars you want to “build-on”, pretty sure they drafted 3 of those 4 guys you named, and resisted more than a few quick-fix trade offers for any of those aforementioned young guns); 2. are drafting high-end Europeans more than any previous management (one of whom you named, another being Eller, yet another being potential-bust Tomas Kana, and still another being Simon Hjalmarsson). But yeah, I’m sure you’re smarter than Murray, JD, Pleau, Checketts, Jarmo, MacInnis, and Armstrong - all of whom are on the same page, and who - for once - have an actual long term plan in place.
It’s not time for an overhaul, but it’s also time to take the rest of this season and truly determine whether certain players should move forward with the team. Even though a heartbreaking loss like Saturday night’s game is tough for many fans to take (including myself), you cannot deny the heart and persistence that they exhibited. However, there are some clear issues.
Oshie, Backes, and Legace were the three best players on the ice last night. Manny got screened on the power play goal in the first period, and he was just flat-out beaten by one of the league’s better forwards on the overtime goal.
I think that some of the players who did not play very well last night are the same players who have had some trouble from time to time this year. It’s time to really closely examine who you’re going to keep and who you are going to part ways with.
I wouldn’t mind one bit if the Blues found new homes for Hinote, Brewer (that may have to wait until the off-season), and even Perron. Other options need to be examined too, especially if they make sense and bring good NHL quality talent in return. It’s time to stop stockpiling draft picks and time to start getting serious about improving the roster and the organizational depth in order to get into the playoffs. I’m willing to give Andy a mulligan for this year because of the injuries, but assuming everyone is healthy next year and injuries don’t bite our boys as hard as they have this season, then you’ve got to expect that they should contend for a playoff spot.
I’m going to keep the faith because I love my Blues. Always have, always will.
I noticed the comment about the choppy ice. Does the ice surface continue to be a problem? I know it has been in the past. Why isn’t more done to make it better. Regarding Andy Murray, I’m not sure what to think. It seems like his personality would tend to make his “effect” wear off sooner than later. He made an immediate difference when he first got here. Things have stagnated since (yes this year is an exception, regardless of who is coach).
I can’t beleive that there is any true Blues fan out there that would want to see Perron get traded. That kid is one of the best players on the team.
He very rarely ever looses the puck & also draws a ton of penalties. His stick handling is the best on the team w/ Berglund a very close 2nd. Injuries a side the biggest problem we have had all year is our goal tending. I have never been one to get down on our net minders cause that’s the easiest thing to do but this year it’s actually true. Almost every game we out shoot our oppents by at least 5 shots or more & yet we loose. I have never seen Manny let in so many soft goals like he has this year. Ever since that fall on the ice before the game he has not been himself. Saturday night was the best I’ve seen him play since that fall. Last nights game a side ( which I don’t blame Manny for) both goalies have been letting in a bunch of soft goals. When your getting scored off of from the blue line w/ no one in front of you that’s sad. It seems to me that ever since that fall Manny had, he’s been letting in 3 goals a game. If i’m not mistaken I would think that its some where between 3 & 4 goals a game on average. Regardless, this has been the greatest team to watch play since the lockout. They give it there all every game (but 4 or 5) & have been close to winning everyone of those games. I would love to see us draft another Oshie or Perron & pick up an offensive defensman & see us make it deep into the playoffs next year. We just need our goalies to play a little bit better & this team will be a cup contender for years to come.