Brewer says he didn’t know where puck was on Calgary’s first goal
PHILADELPHIA - The Blues landed in the “City of Brotherly Love” about an hour ago, and I had a chance to talk with Blues defenseman Eric Brewer about the play last night that led to Calgary’s first goal in the Flames’ 2-1 OT victory.
There hasn’t been much love for Brewer on the radio and on the fan forums today. In case you didn’t see the play, here it is . . .
The replay shows that Brewer took a swipe at the puck and knocked it into his own net. Here’s what he said a few minutes ago . . .
“I didn’t see it,” Brewer said. “I saw the puck go through (goalie Chris Mason’s) pads . . . when ‘Mase kind of leaned back, I didn’t actually see it. So I just took a mad swipe at it, but I didn’t know where it was to be honest with you. But I’m trying to get it out obviously.”
Brewer hasn’t seen the replay.
“If it was over before I hit it . . . apparently it wasn’t . . . I don’t know. I was just trying to scoop it out. The whole play wasn’t very good, from us having a good transition opportunity to coming back out of their zone as quickly as it went in . . . to me losing a guy on a line change . . . then trying to swipe the puck and not doing a good job of it.”
Blues President John Davidson said of the play: “He went to swipe at it, it went off the goal post and in. It’s going to happen. It’s a bang-bang play, it just happens. What are you going to do? The key is to shake it off and he did. He played well the rest of the game . . . real well.”
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Every player on the Blues’ active roster made the trip to Philadelphia, including Andy McDonald (upper-body), Barret Jackman (ankle) and Carlo Colaiacovo (recovering from the flu). I don’t expect McDonald or Jackman to be ready to play Saturday, but I will know more about their status tomorrow morning.
JR
Brewer is obviously not up to par (to say the least) and making some very costly mistakes. Can we trade him for some used practice pucks???
It will be a sad day when the nice and loyal fans of the Blues run Brew out of town. You just have to wonder if everyone is talking about the same player.I for one support Brewer and the Blues.
This isn’t about not supporting him or the team. That is such a misguided argument. It is about numbers. In 3 games, he is tied for 2nd to last in +/-. That is a trend over the past 3 years.
I think Brewer made a not so good paly. I have never been a fan of his and think he has been underachieving his entire time in St. Louis. That said, The fact the puck was knocked in by his was secondary to the real cause of the goal. Mason let an easy hsot beat him, then blindly slapped it away from himself.
Blame Mason - with his EXTREMELY high GAA for that goal.
THE PROBLEM IS MURRAY’S SYSTEM & GAME PLAN. The “keep it simple” philosophy Murray keeps espousing is antiquated in a league full of skilled players. The Blues won’t sneak up on anybody with a team full of 1st round draft picks. Last year’s success was more an aberration than an endorsement of Murray’s system. And for those fan that feel last year was a success, this year is surely an indictment. Look around the league, successful teams do the little things but not at the expense of their skilled players. Teams don’t get points by “keeping it simple”, they get points for wins… and to win in the league you must score. Skilled players MUST be given the freedom & confidence to play as skilled players, NOT 2-WAY ROBOTS. The more Murray preaches “keep it simple” the more Vanilla the skilled player’s games look. Honestly, is there an easier team to prepare for than the Blues in the NHL. MURRAY NEEDS TO FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGE THE WAY HE COACHES OR HE NEEDS TO BE LET GO.
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Please get this guy out of here. I would rather give the playing time to one of our talented youngsters. Brewer is highly overrated and does not deserve to wear the “C.”
Brewer is miscast. He’d be fine as a second or third pairing d-man. But he’s been asked to carry too much of a load and it has exposed the flaws in his game. His Craig Janney demeanor doesn’t help. He seems like an odd choice to wear the C. Glad he finally had the stones to talk to the media.
JD and Murray have it right. Brewer was assertive, played physical and skated very well. The goal was a fluke and he hustled just to get back and have a chance at clearing it. The fact that he is playing that strongly in his 3rd game back after back and knee surgeries is impressive, but of course the critics don’t have any clue, nor do they care, about that, and the catcalls at Scottrade are an embarrassment for Blues fans.
I think Brewer made a not so good paly. I have never been a fan of his and think he has been underachieving his entire time in St. Louis. That said, The fact the puck was knocked in by his was secondary to the real cause of the goal. Mason let an easy hsot beat him, then blindly slapped it away from himself.
Blame Mason - with his EXTREMELY high GAA for that goal.
HUH? When did stopping Iginla on a breakaway become a routine save for a goalie?
Brewer is not Pronger. Only the simple minded have been expecting him to be that replacement.
He is a high quality top 4 defenseman. He is better than munchkin Weaver. He is better than the creaky Sydor. He is one of those players that does so many little things that the simple minded fan doesn’t notice.
As for the captaincy. It is the team’s choice not yours. They want him to be their leader, so that should be the end of that discussion.