GDT Game 59: 2/13/18 | 7:00 PM CT | @ Predators | FSMW/KMOX

[Robb_K]

Good to see Bortuzzo back on the ice. I wouldn't have wanted to see Butler taking a regular shift in a number of games.

[gaijin]

And... there went the lead.

[theohall]

40 minutes of great play isn't enough vs the Predators. It takes 60 at a minimum.

[Robb_K]

Ahead 3-0 10 minutes into The 3rd, and had power play leading 3-1 with 6 minutes left, and blew the lead. TERRIBLE! Now they'll be lucky to get even the "loser point". Bah!

[gaijin]

Oh bullshit. That was not worthy of a penalty shot call.

[theohall]

This is exactly why I didn't like Pietrangelo's "... if you look at the overall effort, it was there" line. Effort for 60 full minutes. Not 40. Not 49. Not 55. A full damn 60. Blues let up in the 3rd with that 3-0 lead and the Predators took advantage of it. Do that, and it doesn't come down to a BS PS call.

Speak the truth, not cliches team captain.

[Robb_K]

I'm speechless. Just speechless. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[gaijin]

Not that I'm blaming Hutton, but I wonder what his Save % was in the last 10 minutes of that 3rd period. After that first Preds goal, it seemed like every shot was going in.

[Robb_K]

Not that I'm blaming Hutton, but I wonder what his Save % was in the last 10 minutes of that 3rd period. After that first Preds goal, it seemed like every shot was going in.

Hutton nwasn't the problem at all. The Blues' Skaters allowed that to happen. There's no excuse for giving up that shorthanded goal, and then caving in, not holding their own in puck battles. They have no killer instinct. 6 minutes left AND having the man advantage for the next 2 minutes. There's no excuse for not bringing the 2 points home.

[flyingnote38]

Pathetic

[Toasted Oates]

This is exactly why I didn't like Pietrangelo's "... if you look at the overall effort, it was there" line. Effort for 60 full minutes. Not 40. Not 49. Not 55. A full damn 60. Blues let up in the 3rd with that 3-0 lead and the Predators took advantage of it. Do that, and it doesn't come down to a BS PS call.

Speak the truth, not cliches team captain.

Agreed.

Also, you should give yourself a pat on the back as not having 2 D on the power play bit them in the ass again tonight. This time it was fatal.

I've been a champion for Yeo, but he had a pretty rough night. You have the power play woes, but there was no reason not to challenge goalie interference on Nashville's 3rd goal. The players deserve most of the blame but Yeo still has to do his job.

That's a rough loss. Stars and Wild aren't going away, either.

[gaijin]

Not that I'm blaming Hutton, but I wonder what his Save % was in the last 10 minutes of that 3rd period. After that first Preds goal, it seemed like every shot was going in.

Hutton nwasn't the problem at all. The Blues' Skaters allowed that to happen. There's no excuse for giving up that shorthanded goal, and then caving in, not holding their own in puck battles. They have no killer instinct. 6 minutes left AND having the man advantage for the next 2 minutes. There's no excuse for not bringing the 2 points home.

I agree, none of those goals are on Hutton, and I don't mean to imply that. But something happened in those last 11 minutes that every time Nashville threatened, there was such a flail among the Blues' defenders that it caused Hutton to be out of position and unable to make the save when the shot finally came. I just wonder how many shots Nashville had during the span of those 3 goals to tie the game- I don't think it was much more than 3 shots. I put that inability to defend/clear loose pucks squarely on the Blues' skaters (like you said), not Hutton.

I also think there might have been some goalie interference on Nashville's 3rd goal. It looked like Watson knocked Hutton in the head, but who knows what counts as goalie interference anymore? And don't even get me started on the decision to call for an overtime penalty shot.

Bottom line, the Blues should have gained 2 points on Nashville from this game. Instead, they allowed it to slip through their fingers and Nashville put themselves 1 more point further ahead. Friday's game against Dallas is now yuuuuge- they can tie the Blues for points with 2 games in hand, which would effectively put them in 3rd and drop the Blues into a Wild Card spot.

[theohall]

None of those goals being on Hutton... for the most part that's what led to Allen's slump and when it started compiling game after game, Allen started trying to do too much, instead of staying focused on fundamentals. Back-to-back seasons where the play of the skaters in front of the goalie is directly responsible for putting the goalie in very untenable save situations. This goes back to the "be consistent" in your own end thing.

Another thing I find interesting - starting the season, Pietrangelo was on fire as the #1 PP QB. He hasn't been there since about half way through Schwartz's injury. What the heck is wrong with putting Dunn and Pietrangelo on the PP at the same time, to prevent these BS short-handed chances? At least a 2nd D has a better understanding when to back off than the forwards, who keep getting caught and not protecting the lone rookie defenseman on that 1st PP unit. I get that sometimes that 1st unit looks ridiculously good - when established in the zone. The problem is any time there is pressure on the points, they seriously struggle and have given up short-handed goals in back-to-back games.

[glen a richter]

What should happen is a whole slew of kids should be brought up and played, sit the vets in the press box for a few games and let them decide whether they want to grow a pair or not. Send a message, don't keep putting the same crap out there on the ice and expecting different results.