St. Louis Blues Pros And Cons From Game 56 Vs. Arizona

The St. Louis Blues came into their game at Arizona knowing they could move up the ladder even further with a win. Keeping those thoughts away, as well as not getting full of yourself, was going to be key.

The St. Louis Blues are no longer in must-win scenarios at the moment. Their seven game winning streak put them in a position to not only be a wild card team, but even a crack at the guaranteed spot of the third Central Division team.

The Dallas Stars got crushed by Tampa Bay earlier in the night. So, while the game was not yet final when the Blues dropped the puck, they had to know they could tie the Stars on points and still have a game in hand with a win.

Even if they did not know this, the Blues came out like they had a point to prove. St. Louis grabbed the game right from the word go, just as they had against the New Jersey Devils.

It was not as dominating a performance as the one against the Devils, but the first 20 minutes went pretty well. The Blues were up 2-0 after one and really had not allowed any quality chances against either. That would be the story the rest of the game.

St. Louis did not manage to pull away as they did against the Devils, but they did the little things needed to win. They did not allow many rushes and kept things simple. There were not cutesy plays that ended up going the other way.

It was not the best game of the season, but it was what it needed to be.

Pros: Vladimir Tarasenko

Vladimir Tarasenko has not become quite as much of a copy/paste option on the pros as the power play has on the cons, but he’s gaining ground. He is basically proving the old axiom that when your best players are your best players, you are going to win some games.

Cons: Sending Mixed Messages Through Officiating

One of the things that Chris Kerber used to say, and likely still does, is that the NHL is the most inconsistently officiated sport out there. That is saying something given the amount of high-profile bad officiating we have seen in the NFL and MLB, but it is still true.

Something that should have been rather small struck a chord here. Hockey has always prided itself on being an ultimate team game, where guy stick up for one another no matter what. So, it does not sit well when a member of the Blues gets penalized for just that.

Pat Maroon received a penalty in the second period that was nowhere near as ridiculous as some we have seen called this season, but outlandish nevertheless. After Jordan Binnington made a routine save, an Arizona player was crashing the net. Keeping this player away from his goaltender, Maroon gave him a solid shove.

It was not a flop, but mere strength on the part of the larger Maroon. However, this cost him two minutes and his team a potential goal by giving Arizona an unearned power play.

While the Coyotes did not manage to score, the punishment was unnecessary here. This is part of the game and should be allowed to continue. If the same thing happened to one of the Blues for crashing the net, there would be no complaints here if they were taken out in a similar fashion.

We have had so many more reasons to be upset at referees in this 2018-19 season, but this just did not sit well. Players should not be punished for doing as they are told and are expected to do, especially when there was nothing egregious about it and no chance anyone would be hurt.

Pros: Keeping Things Calm

I try to balance these things with the good and the bad, but I could not really think of another item to add to the con list.

So, one of the things that impressed me during this contest was the Blues ability to keep things calm and even keel. There were no moments that you put your hand on your head and asked what was he thinking.

The Blues did not ask Binnington to make any big saves, so all he had to do was keep up the steady work. The defense was always in decent or good position because they were not put out of it by poor play up front or bad zone exits.

The forwards were not constantly cycling the puck to no end. They were driving the net when it made sense, making the smart passes and getting shots on goal when it made sense.

This was not an offensive game, despite the Blues scoring four goals. However, the Blues were smart with their chances and made the most of them.

There have been and will be plenty of games in this season where more is needed or expected. However, when you just need to play smart, then you just need to play smart.

We have seen the Blues fail at that plenty of times earlier in the season, but now they have their wits about them. The only major broken play was a failed two-on-one with the top line in the third period. Even then, they forced the goalie to cover the puck, so there was no sudden transition for the Coyotes.

That is a big mark of a good team. Don’t get cute and start making plays that are not there. Do your job, win the game and pack your bags for the next town. That’s what the Blues did.

Overview

In the end, you might describe this game as dull or boring even though there were a good amount of goals scored by the boys in blue (mostly white, but there is blue).

The bottom line is they won. They finally made the Coyotes look more like what they are, which is a team that is still years away from being a true contender. I use the word finally because the Blues had 12 goals scored on them the last two games against Arizona.

The Coyotes are not your prototypical bad team. They have talent and you have to respect them or they will take you down as they had against St. Louis in recent history.

When you are the better team on paper, as the Blues are, you have to go out and show that to be the case. The Blues did that.

It was not flashy or full of highlights. There were no big checks or knock out fights.

The Blues got goals through hard work and kept them out with steady play. Additionally, the defense joined in the scoring multiple times, climbing closer to the top of the league in terms of defensive scoring.

What is impressive about this game is that it was a coach’s game. It was just about everything you could ask for from the bench.

You had guys in front of the net, driving hard, deflecting pucks and putting in the work. You had your stars coming up with goals of their own.

The defense was steady in their zone, but not afraid to join the play and let loose on some shots of their own. Nobody was out of their lane, but there was a freedom about how the game was played.

Blues Stars Playing Well, But Secondary Players Fueling The Streak. dark. Next

The fact the Blues extended their winning streak to eight almost slips by the wayside. It is not forgotten, however.

As great as the team has played lately, anyone that says they could envision the Blues climbing all the way back into the divisional slots is a liar. Yet, here we are and the Blues are currently in third place in the Central, even if only tenuously so. What a ride this has been and more to come.

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