St. Louis Blues Morning Links: Jaws Ain’t Got Nothing On Blues
By Todd Panula
Good morning Blues fans! How about that eh? The Blues managed to keep a loss from turning into a streak by dominating a team that looked so much better than them a year ago.
The St. Louis Blues have learned their lesson about learning lessons it would seem. Earlier in the season when they would lose, they would say they knew what they had done wrong and how to fix it. We would see the same or worse the next game and things would turn into a losing streak.
This current incarnation of the Blues seem to be a little bit different. Sure, they still drive us crazy with their ability to pass their way out of goal scoring chances and turning pucks over in their own zone. Even so, they are a much better team overall.
St. Louis took what they did wrong against the Anaheim Ducks just a night before and turned it into positives. The Blues kept things tight defensively and took the offensive game to the Sharks instead of waiting around.
St. Louis had double-digit shots in two of the three periods, giving them a total of 26. San Jose was held to single-digit shots in every period and only had 20 total.
It was the kind of game that coaches find fault with, but even their comments that are negative are a bit of a stretch. During the postgame, Mike Yeo said he felt the team had to defend a little too much during the first period.
That statement is not untrue. The Blues and Sharks were both a little slow out of the gate. However, when you hold your opponent to six shots in the period you had to defend a little too much, then things are not going too badly.
If you want to nitpick at other things, the Blues did not get enough from their top lines until later in the game. The first two goals came from the fourth and third line.
Those are the kinds of things you need to have happen in the playoffs. Scoring lines are usually the first to be shut down in those crucial tight games. Even so, you don’t always want to depend on your bottom six to be hitting the back of the net. Your top line guys need to be your top line guys.
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In the end they would be. The Blues got a nice snipe from Scottie Upshall and saw Zach Sanford‘s first goal in the Note. Then they got two goals from Vladimir Tarasenko.
While Vlady was a bit of a ghost in the game in Anaheim, he seemed to not let that affect him. He was strong on the puck, making plays and looking to make his mark on the game instead of deferring as he is want to do at times.
This was the kind of performance that if we see in the playoffs from both Tarasenko and the team, perhaps it will not be one and done. There is still plenty that can happen between now and then, but this team is becoming dangerous in giving us hope again.
We can’t forget the goaltenders either. Even as a die-hard supporter of the position, I have to marvel at the turnaround that both Carter Hutton and Jake Allen have shown.
Hutton, like Allen the previous few games, was just on top of his game. He was on top of his crease, seeing plays before they fully developed, making smart decisions and coming up with the crucial stops.
It’s a little bit exciting to see this team when they are clicking. Time will tell if this is the real Blues or another mirage.
Here are your St. Louis Blues Morning Links to get your day started off right.
While the Blues were happy with the result and their performance, the Sharks were ruing missed opportunity. Not so much in the game, but a missed chance to overtake Minnesota and also since the Blues just put a big cloud of doubt should the two meet again. (NBC Bay Area)
If you had told most Blues fans that the team would be using not one but both Magnus Paajarvi and Ivan Barbashev in key situations this year, we’d have all said the team was in the toilet. How wrong we have been since both have been key contributors to this recent turnaround. (STLToday)
Speaking of turnarounds, I’m not sure anyone would have predicted David Perron’s return to form this season. A big part of that was his time, even if brief, with the Anaheim Ducks. So, returning to the southern California city was a bit emotional for the Blues winger. (Post-Dispatch)
Personally, I still think Jordan Binnington is an AHL goaltender and an NHL backup at best. He’s doing his best to stick that kind of sentiment right up the doubter’s backsides with his recent play. Making the most of his recent opportunities, Binnington has caught fire and goose eggs have followed. (Wolves)
Hockey goaltenders are known for their protection. They have painted masks, pads that grow and shrink depending on the moods of the league and pants that have taken on stories of their own. However, it’s a certain personal protection underneath that would surprise people how much it matters. (NHL)
The last few years seem to have been rifled with odd plays that led to justified suspensions. Add another one to the list as a minor league player got booted for the rest of the season for a truly boneheaded action that injured a trainer. (ESPN)
A certain former Blues coach has risen from the dead so to speak. A name we all might like to forget at times is taking charge of a Chinese-based KHL team. (ESPN)
Have a great day Blues fans!