GDT #7: 10/20/15 | 6:30PM CST | @ Canadiens | FSMW/KMOX

[KrustyKevo]

Shitty.

[dmiles2186]

I can't blame 'em for a loss here. They put 38 shots on the best goalie in the league and came away with nothing. This is after a 6 game road trip that's gone across basically every time zone. To be honest, going 4-2 on that road trip is fine and dandy with me. 4 days to rest up, recoup, and get amped up for a home crowd.

[Portland Blues]

I can't blame 'em for a loss here. They put 38 shots on the best goalie in the league and came away with nothing. This is after a 6 game road trip that's gone across basically every time zone. To be honest, going 4-2 on that road trip is fine and dandy with me. 4 days to rest up, recoup, and get amped up for a home crowd.

I agree, just wasn't a whole lot of fun to watch though.

[dmiles2186]

I can't blame 'em for a loss here. They put 38 shots on the best goalie in the league and came away with nothing. This is after a 6 game road trip that's gone across basically every time zone. To be honest, going 4-2 on that road trip is fine and dandy with me. 4 days to rest up, recoup, and get amped up for a home crowd.

I agree, just wasn't a whole lot of fun to watch though.

Not at all. Like you were saying, they came out on fire and then just sort of threw up their hands after that first goal. After awhile, it just didn't feel like a goal was coming our way.

[Robb_K]

The Blues were playing the last game of a grueling road trip, playing without 3 key starters, with their 1B goaltender, versus The best goaltender in The World. They dominated most of The 1st Period, and tired themselves out, in doing so, and had a letdown after doing that with bad results. We'll have to live with it. No NHL team wins all its games.

I guessed that they would probably lose this game. They finished 4-2 on the road trip, with mostly 3 key starters out. They did better than I'd have expected with their top centre, second best defenceman and PP leader out, and also a dynamic rookie energetic and very skilled forward out.

I am not discouraged after this road loss to a good team.

[Kreegz2]

Next question: Why can't we have a goalie like Price?

We could have had one (Bishop), but someone decided that Allen was a better bet and we shipped Bishop off to Ottawa for a 2nd round pick that eventually became Vanelli.

[cprice12]

This was a fantastic game until Montreal potted a couple.
We really dominated play in the 1st...but Price was outstanding. He won that game for them. If seemingly anyone else is in net for them, we're likely up 3-0 in the first period.

I thought Backes had a terrible game. Same with Schwartz. They couldn't seem to do very much, and mishandled the puck a lot. Schwartz had a great chance put on his stick in the slot with a LOT of net to shoot at and he never got the puck on net (shot went off a stick and over the glass). Backes had a couple bad giveaways, one in his own end...again.

Allen was eh, ok. Montreal ended up with a lot of shots on net, but there weren't too many that were high quality stops. I don't think he reacted well to the first goal, like he took for granted where it was going and didn't anticipate a change in direction at all (which happens too often with him). Yes, redirections are tough...but he wasn't even ready for the possibility of one, which made the goal look soft.

I thought Allen was out of position a bit on the second goal. If you can't see the puck and it ends up going right smack in the middle of the net, you are out of position. That puck should have hit him in the chest, but he was off to the side a bit. He made some nice saves...but really needed to come up with a couple huge saves to match Price...which he did not.

We've seen this kind of game a little too often for my liking the past few years...where we absolutely dominate play for a chunk of the game, but come up with nothing, nada, zip on the scoreboard, where we make the opposing goalie look like a world class netminder...which Price is...but I'm just sayin'. And we allow a couple of goals that weren't the best chances, but one way or another they end up in the net. We should have had at least a couple goals last night. I don't care how good the goalie is. With that many shots and that many high quality chances, you need to bury some...if you don't, it's on you.

With that said...I don't want to take credit away from Price...he played last night about as good as a goalie can play. He was sound positionally, he made the outstanding saves and the saves he was supposed to make. He looks better this year than last, and that is pretty damn impressive.

[ecbm]

This is the problem of a goalie rotation. Hitch sat the hot guy in a game where premium goaltending was needed...because it was the other guy's turn.

Still waiting for someone to show me any evidence such a set up can be successful.

Oh well. Pretty good for a season-high road trip. And that Price guy is pretty good. On to the next one.

[goon attack]

When's everyone going to realize that Pietrangelo just isn't that great?

[theohall]

Allen was sound positionally most of the game. He definitely wasn't as sound as he could be on the first two goals.

1) Watch how Price was constantly outside his crease challenging shooters. The only times Price seemed to be in the paint defending shots was after the first shot and he had to handle rebounds or the Blues got in tight.

2) Watch Allen. Constantly inside the top of the crease - not outside of it taking away angles. That 2nd goal is a perfect example of not being sound positionally at all - not only to the side, but not out high facing a shooter nowhere near the net.

There is a chance the 1st goal might have been stopped if Allen is 1 foot further out, instead of standing in the paint.

The last goal - yeah the shot hits something and goes to Allen's left, but Allen looked like a damn statue after the initial shot, compared to Price who actually tracking the puck and made a couple really nice diving saves.

IMO, not a good game by Allen at all. Thus far - 3 goals per game. Interestingly, this game was actually considered a quality start for Allen.

Give the job to Elliott until he slips.