cardsfan04 wrote:I just looked at our remaining schedule. Had no idea we have a 6 game road trip coming up. At least we finish with 6 of 8 at home.
Remaining schedule is brutal-probably the toughest in the league. Dense (only three breaks of more than one day between games and three back-to-backs still to go) and the only sub-500/not in the playoffs or playoff race team the Blues face the rest of the way is the Blue Jackets. Nashville by comparison, has no back-to-backs, has four breaks of two days or more between games and has games remaining against post-fire sale Phoenix and Buffalo as well as fading Calgary. And they have what is likely the second-toughest remaining schedule.
Time to show what we're made of, methinks. I know the playoffs are a "different season," but I have a feeling the way the team plays in these remaining games will reflect their true nature. We have the chance to take over the division, or we have the chance to drop in the standings. I would much rather them make a statement by entering the playoffs on a strong run and have their opponent dreading the matchup, rather than giving the impression to a lower seed that we are beatable.
Completely agree. The whole "different season" thing to me is a red herring. You're still on whatever streak you were when the season ended. Not that it can't be reversed of course.
Also, to be clear: the Blues schedule is rough after the game against the Maple Leafs-Toronto itself being no particular challenge, obviously.
cardsfan04 wrote:I just looked at our remaining schedule. Had no idea we have a 6 game road trip coming up. At least we finish with 6 of 8 at home.
Remaining schedule is brutal-probably the toughest in the league. Dense (only three breaks of more than one day between games and three back-to-backs still to go) and the only sub-500/not in the playoffs or playoff race team the Blues face the rest of the way is the Blue Jackets. Nashville by comparison, has no back-to-backs, has four breaks of two days or more between games and has games remaining against post-fire sale Phoenix and Buffalo as well as fading Calgary. And they have what is likely the second-toughest remaining schedule.
Time to show what we're made of, methinks. I know the playoffs are a "different season," but I have a feeling the way the team plays in these remaining games will reflect their true nature. We have the chance to take over the division, or we have the chance to drop in the standings. I would much rather them make a statement by entering the playoffs on a strong run and have their opponent dreading the matchup, rather than giving the impression to a lower seed that we are beatable.
Completely agree. The whole "different season" thing to me is a red herring. You're still on whatever streak you were when the season ended. Not that it can't be reversed of course.
Also, to be clear: the Blues schedule is rough after the game against the Maple Leafs-Toronto itself being no particular challenge, obviously.
That said, watch the Leafs come out guns blazing and win the damn game.
Hawks currently losing at home 0-1 to Edmonton...15 min to go in the 3rd....but the Hawks have been all over the Oilers in the 3rd. Seems to just be a matter of time before they score.
I can't believe how Nashville is collapsing. Now the Hawks are only 2 points behind the Blues. In the Chicago media they are already talking about catching the Predators and surpassing the Blues!
Nashville isn't done by any means - they are just hitting their first rough patch of the season after having everything go their way for 5 months. Looks like Anaheim is going to win our conference.
JesusNEVERexisted wrote:I can't believe how Nashville is collapsing. Now the Hawks are only 2 points behind the Blues. In the Chicago media they are already talking about catching the Predators and surpassing the Blues!
They're two points behind us and actually talking about surpassing the Blues?!?!? Say it isn't so!!!
Nashville lost again. 2 points behind with 2 points in hand which means we're now on pace for a higher point total.
I think it's funny that I didn't buy into them all year until recently. As soon as I started to buy in a little, this 6 game losing streak they're on started. In related news, I have decided that I completely buy into detroit and chicago now too.
2010-2011 Official LGB Sponsor of Kevin Shattenkirk
2016-2017 Official LGB Sponsor of Dmitri Jaskin
2017-2018 Official LGB Sponsor of Jake Allen
cprice12 wrote:I'd love to see Nashville play Chicago in Rd. 1.
That would be nice. Most important part of that would be that we finished the season strong and won the division.
I'm not sure who I would want to win between those two. I mean, by default I root against the blackhawks always. But, in addition to how nice it would be for us to knock them out, the one thing between those two teams that would be somewhat out of our control is Rinne getting red hot. Facing a red hot Rinne in the playoffs terrifies me.
2010-2011 Official LGB Sponsor of Kevin Shattenkirk
2016-2017 Official LGB Sponsor of Dmitri Jaskin
2017-2018 Official LGB Sponsor of Jake Allen
eh - I don't care who I play - I just prefer home ice. There are no easy teams even if you do get a matchup against a wild card. You have to beat good teams to win it all. The Rangers seems to be the strongest at this point in the league but Minnesota looks like they could be the sleeper that surprises everyone. My Hawks struggled with Edmonton Friday night. I won't know if the team I've been seeing is still this bad or if just taking it easy until the playoffs start. Some good signs I've seen is when we played you guys in St. Louis beginning of February and actually played like the Hawks of old. We stepped it up against Detroit as well. Other than that we seem to play down to the competition. So what would normally be an automatic 2 points against Edmonton turned out to be a fight for our lives.
Kerfuffle wrote:eh - I don't care who I play - I just prefer home ice. There are no easy teams even if you do get a matchup against a wild card. You have to beat good teams to win it all. The Rangers seems to be the strongest at this point in the league but Minnesota looks like they could be the sleeper that surprises everyone. My Hawks struggled with Edmonton Friday night. I won't know if the team I've been seeing is still this bad or if just taking it easy until the playoffs start. Some good signs I've seen is when we played you guys in St. Louis beginning of February and actually played like the Hawks of old. We stepped it up against Detroit as well. Other than that we seem to play down to the competition. So what would normally be an automatic 2 points against Edmonton turned out to be a fight for our lives.
Yeah, for sure. Everybody in the West will be tough. 2 of the Kings, red-hot Wild and improved Jets are the most likely wild cards and I'm not excited to play any of them. Same with every other team. But, once the bracket is set, I'll definitely think about which team I'd rather face in subsequent rounds. The answer may be that I'm not sure each round lol.
2010-2011 Official LGB Sponsor of Kevin Shattenkirk
2016-2017 Official LGB Sponsor of Dmitri Jaskin
2017-2018 Official LGB Sponsor of Jake Allen
Kerfuffle wrote:eh - I don't care who I play - I just prefer home ice. There are no easy teams even if you do get a matchup against a wild card. You have to beat good teams to win it all. The Rangers seems to be the strongest at this point in the league but Minnesota looks like they could be the sleeper that surprises everyone. My Hawks struggled with Edmonton Friday night. I won't know if the team I've been seeing is still this bad or if just taking it easy until the playoffs start. Some good signs I've seen is when we played you guys in St. Louis beginning of February and actually played like the Hawks of old. We stepped it up against Detroit as well. Other than that we seem to play down to the competition. So what would normally be an automatic 2 points against Edmonton turned out to be a fight for our lives.
Yeah, for sure. Everybody in the West will be tough. 2 of the Kings, red-hot Wild and improved Jets are the most likely wild cards and I'm not excited to play any of them. Same with every other team. But, once the bracket is set, I'll definitely think about which team I'd rather face in subsequent rounds. The answer may be that I'm not sure each round lol.
Much as we groan and moan about the Blues down the stretch, I doubt a single coach or player in this league is like "You know who I really want to play for 7 games? THE BLUES!" If you turn off the internal pessimist lens, we look scary as shit too.
Kerfuffle wrote:eh - I don't care who I play - I just prefer home ice. There are no easy teams even if you do get a matchup against a wild card. You have to beat good teams to win it all. The Rangers seems to be the strongest at this point in the league but Minnesota looks like they could be the sleeper that surprises everyone. My Hawks struggled with Edmonton Friday night. I won't know if the team I've been seeing is still this bad or if just taking it easy until the playoffs start. Some good signs I've seen is when we played you guys in St. Louis beginning of February and actually played like the Hawks of old. We stepped it up against Detroit as well. Other than that we seem to play down to the competition. So what would normally be an automatic 2 points against Edmonton turned out to be a fight for our lives.
Yeah, for sure. Everybody in the West will be tough. 2 of the Kings, red-hot Wild and improved Jets are the most likely wild cards and I'm not excited to play any of them. Same with every other team. But, once the bracket is set, I'll definitely think about which team I'd rather face in subsequent rounds. The answer may be that I'm not sure each round lol.
Much as we groan and moan about the Blues down the stretch, I doubt a single coach or player in this league is like "You know who I really want to play for 7 games? THE BLUES!" If you turn off the internal pessimist lens, we look scary as shit too.
We look scarier with Shattenkirk. 6 goals against Toronto is supposed to happen. We'll see down the stretch, but I'm jonesing for Shatty's return pretty badly.
Figures- Nashville plays that powerhouse Arizona tonight. They may get their first win in 7 games. Too bad we weren't able to catch them during that time.
We did kinda catch the leaders in the west... 2pts. back of Nashville and 4pts. back from the Ducks and we have 2 games in hand. We are right there. Just need to make good on our games in hand.
Remember,
Amateurs built the ark ....
Professionals built the Titanic
