GDT Game 1: 4/16/15 | 8:30PM CST | v Wild | FMSW/NBCSN/KMOX

[JesusNEVERexisted]

OaklandBlue, the Blues are gonna sweep right?

[Portland Blues]

"I don't know if it was nerves or too much time off or what, but we didn't bring our 'A' game from the drop of the puck," captain David Backes said.

I've got to agree with Captain Obvious there.

[Robb_K]

[quote="Portland Blues"]"I don't know if it was nerves or too much time off or what, but we didn't bring our 'A' game from the drop of the puck," captain David Backes said.

I've got to agree with Captain Obvious there.[/quote]

It was overconfidence that wasn't warranted, at first, which made them think that all they had to do was to step out on the ice and they'd win. But, because they only know how to bring on their "will to win" and urgency when they are in the middle of a disaster (like when several of their top players are out), they came out just going through the motions. THEN, when they gave up the early goal (on Allen's poor positioning), the air came out of the false "confidence". They finally started playing, but it was too little too late, and the frustration penalties killed any chance of a comeback.

I think this is a very similar situation to the series in which The Blues lost Game 1 to The Sharks. The got serious, worked hard and decided to put everything into winning, and won the next four straight. I have a feeling they'll react in a similar way in this series, and win it 4-2.

[Portland Blues]

I think this is a very similar situation to the series in which The Blues lost Game 1 to The Sharks. The got serious, worked hard and decided to put everything into winning, and won the next four straight. I have a feeling they'll react in a similar way in this series, and win it 4-2.

I sure hope so. It seems every year we bring playoff intensity to the regular season and then look surprised when the opponent turns it up a notch in the playoffs.

[Oaklandblue]

OaklandBlue, the Blues are gonna sweep right?

You must lead a sad and pathetic life to post things like this. I feel sorry for you.

[Toasted Oates]

The Blues played horrible and had the tying goal on their sticks a few times. Luckily, this is a 7 game series.

Would anyone have felt any better if they had won last night? The feeling of dread would still be there based on the last couple 2-0 series leads.

Allen was fine. We have to get over blaming the goalie for all life's problems. Zucker cruised in pretty easily on that first goal. The defensemen aren't out there to look sexy.

Again, it's a 7 game series.

[glen a richter]

On the bright side, blowing a 2-0 series lead is now impossible.

I think they'll come out hitting harder and not look so pathetically lethargic next game. Then take both in their barn and we're back on track.

What I would like to know is when was the last time a team gave up two empty netters in the same game?

[glen a richter]

Two additional things...

#1, I agree with Portland Blues that it's high time to use the foe option on a certain somebody.

#2, Nyghtwynd do you relish the opportunity for "told you so's"? The only time you EVER post here is after the Blues lose a game and you put on your chicken little sky is falling act. Yes, the Blues have a hideous postseason history, we all know it, we're all fans of this team (except perhaps you, and JNE & Kerfuffle). Also, the past does not necessarily dictate the future. If it did, the Kings wouldn't have won two of the last three. You whine ceaselessly about Armstrong and Hitchcock but both of them have been instrumental in a Cup winning team. Have you? If not, then please go away or post something other than your constant mindless complaining. One rotten game does not throw away the last 82 games. Last years Cup champions were down 3-0 in their opening series. The Blues are down 1-0. It happens. It doesn't signal the end, or did you forget it's a 7 game series?

[JesusNEVERexisted]

OaklandBlue, the Blues are gonna sweep right?

You must lead a sad and pathetic life to post things like this. I feel sorry for you.

YOU are the one who said they'd sweep not me!

Kerbs said after the game that the Blues actually looked better last year in game 1 against the Hawks with all the injuries than they did last night.

[JesusNEVERexisted]

I think this is a very similar situation to the series in which The Blues lost Game 1 to The Sharks. The got serious, worked hard and decided to put everything into winning, and won the next four straight. I have a feeling they'll react in a similar way in this series, and win it 4-2.

The situations may be similar but the teams aren't. That 2012 Sharks team was nowhere near as good as this Wild team.

The Blues need to win 4 of the next 6 games to win the series. Anything is possible but with the way the Wild are playing I don't see that happening.

I noticed the Wild's transition game was much better than the Blues. They were able to get the puck out of their zone so fast and start the rush up the ice. That limited the amount of time the Blues had in the Wild zone.

[WaukeeBlues]

On the bright side, blowing a 2-0 series lead is now impossible.

hahah!! That was PRECISELY my first thought when we lost. "Hey maybe this is a good thing. Breaking the 2-0 streak"

I think they'll come out hitting harder and not look so pathetically lethargic next game. Then take both in their barn and we're back on track.

What I would like to know is when was the last time a team gave up two empty netters in the same game?

Or last time the game winner was an empty-netter?

Can't play 1/3 of the game and expect to win. The 3rd period St. Louis Blues last night was the team I was used to watching. The 2nd was even worse than the first, got outplayed, outhustled, outshot... awful.

This game was a swift kick in the balls to the collective Blues players. Heck maybe it was ultimately a good thing they got smacked around in the first two periods of this game. I think they'll be fine. Next game will be a very big indicator on what they learned.

[cprice12]

The Blues came out and played a very good first period. They dominated puck possession.
The Wild were on their heels in the first but were opportunistic with their goal. That was a heck of a wraparound by Zucker. He got around the back of the net quick. Not much you can do about that one. It was just a great individual effort. I'd like to blame someone on that one, but there is really nothing you can do about it.
The Wild blocked 12 shots in the period. This was a problem late in the season for the Blues in that a lot of their shots were getting blocked. They needed to adjust, but didn't. That period was good for the Blues, despite the goal against most Blues fans were happy with how the Blues played and expected them to build on that...but they didn't.

The 2nd period sucked. The Blues came out with zero intensity or urgency. Instead of ramping up their play and crashing the net and getting some shots through, they regressed quite a bit. They lost the game in his period. It was a wasted period and they gave up another goal on a nice shot by Dumba, but Pietroangelo needed to block the shot and not get out of the way. That goal shouldn't have happened. Allen couldn't see it as Petro was screening him, then Petro stepped aside and that was it. Petro played a great game. One of the best games I have ever seen him play...but he goofed on that play...I was like, what are you doing?? The Wild were blocking shots all night long...Petro needed to get his body in front of that one instead of getting out of the way. And to make that goal even more frustrating, Jackman had the puck on his stick behind the net a few moments before Dumba scored...but he failed to clear the zone. Had he cleared the zone, things may have been different.

The first half of the 3rd period wasn't much better than the 2nd. When they finally broke through on Schwartz's goal, that energized the team and they had the better of the play from then on...but it was too little too late. Empty net goal, then the Backes penalty, then Steen's goal, then another empty net goal...ugh. There was also no urgency on the puck carriers on the empty net goals. They need to attack them, and throw their body in front of those shots.

Jaskin had the tying goal on his stick in close on a rebound late in the 3rd, but it was barely tipped just before he got to the puck, which caused the puck to go off the top of his blade when he shot and he put it over the net. Ugh. That was so close.

I'm not pissed they lost the game...I'm disappointed they lost the game. I'm pissed at how they lost the game. The lack of urgency and intensity for half of this game was frustrating to say the least.

I fully expect the Blues to come out like a house on fire in game #2. They can play a LOT better than they did on Thursday. I think that was about as good as the Wild can play, now we just need to get our game back up to our level.

I didn't pick the Blues to sweep. I first picked them in 6, then switched it to 5. The Blues are still going to win this series because they are quite simply the better team. They just have to play to their level they are capable of.

[dmiles2186]

Such a frustrating game. For 2/3 of the game, I felt like the Blues weren't going to score. The Wild were content to clogging the middle of the ice and letting all of our shots come from the point and off to the side. We were really no threat to score, whatsoever. We did dominate puck possession, but the Wild had the more lethal chances early on.

There was some criticism of Allen a few pages back. I don't know how anyone can pin that loss on Allen. He kept us in that game while the other guys on the ice were faltering in ever phase of the game. He gave up 2 goals. Dubnyk gave up 2 goals. But sure, Allen was the issue.

Where was the hitting? Where was the energy? The team had zero jump and honestly, I'm surprised the Blues were able to score late.

Nonetheless, it's one game. Long series ahead of us, hopefully. I'd like to see the STL line, Backes/Osh/Steen, Berglund/Stastny/Jaskin all back together.

[glen a richter]

Such a frustrating game. For 2/3 of the game, I felt like the Blues weren't going to score. The Wild were content to clogging the middle of the ice and letting all of our shots come from the point and off to the side. We were really no threat to score, whatsoever. We did dominate puck possession, but the Wild had the more lethal chances early on.

There was some criticism of Allen a few pages back. I don't know how anyone can pin that loss on Allen. He kept us in that game while the other guys on the ice were faltering in ever phase of the game. He gave up 2 goals. Dubnyk gave up 2 goals. But sure, Allen was the issue.

Where was the hitting? Where was the energy? The team had zero jump and honestly, I'm surprised the Blues were able to score late.

Nonetheless, it's one game. Long series ahead of us, hopefully. I'd like to see the STL line, Backes/Osh/Steen, Berglund/Stastny/Jaskin all back together.

The empty net gave up as many goals as Allen. Perhaps we should start 6 skaters and leave the net empty the whole game?

[STLADOGG]

I was at the game last night, had a blast but man that second period sucked.
Seemed like the Blues of old that played 10 minutes instead of a full 60.
Also thank you people for speaking up about the Foe button. I never have to see JNE's posts again. Thank God.

[ecbm]

For those who felt that starting a rookie in the playoffs thought it was a good idea, look back at posts most of you wrote earlier in the year when such an idea came up. It was dumb then, it's dumb now, momentum or otherwise.

Ells might have stolen this game for us. He IS the playoff netminder. We have thrown Halak, Miller and now Allen in front of him and Ells is still the better netminder. Pure and simple.

You haven't presented an argument there at all. Just a purely subjective assertion. Objectively, Elliott was totally inconsistent over his last 20 starts: he allowed 3 or more goals 11 times, and in 7 of those, he faced no more than 24 shots. Inconsistency is unacceptable from a goalie.

Curt-we saw different first periods apparently. I'm wondering how many times this season I've seen the Blues play a full 60 minutes of fundamentally sound, committed hockey. I feel like the answer to that is less than 20. And while I thought Allen played well overall he was clearly nervous in the first and the wraparound was scored because he came out too aggressively at the near post.

Onto the next one I guess.

[cprice12]

For those who felt that starting a rookie in the playoffs thought it was a good idea, look back at posts most of you wrote earlier in the year when such an idea came up. It was dumb then, it's dumb now, momentum or otherwise.

Ells might have stolen this game for us. He IS the playoff netminder. We have thrown Halak, Miller and now Allen in front of him and Ells is still the better netminder. Pure and simple.

Curt-we saw different first periods apparently. I'm wondering how many times this season I've seen the Blues play a full 60 minutes of fundamentally sound, committed hockey. I feel like the answer to that is less than 20. And while I thought Allen played well overall he was clearly nervous in the first and the wraparound was scored because he came out too aggressively at the near post.

Onto the next one I guess.

You didn't think the Blues played well in the 1st?
I think the only thing they really struggled with in the 1st was getting their shots through. They owned time of possession, they had the puck in the Wild zone the vast majority of the period, they had some scoring chances and put a lot of shots towards the net, but not a lot got through. Minnesota had the better scoring chances, and those came off of the rush. But I was very confident that if the rest of the game had went like first did as far as puck possession went, the pucks would have gotten through, better scoring chances would come and Blues would have won that game. The 2nd period, however, was a vastly different story.

As far as the Wild's first goal goes...
Allen plays aggressive. That is how he has been playing during his hot streak. I don't want him to change that at all.
And I don't think he was overly aggressive on the wraparound goal at all. He was just unfortunate that the rebound went perfectly back onto Zucker's stick, and he cut behind the net and stuffed it around the other side quicker than I have ever seen anyone do that. It was very impressive.
That wasn't Allen's fault at all. If he stays back in his net, he is vulnerable to a top shelf or far post shot. He played it the right way, Zucker got lucky with the rebound coming right back to him and then he just made a great play...so I tip my cap. Usually guys either lose the puck or lose their edge or both when they try to cut that quick and sharp behind the net on a wraparound.

And to those blaming Boumeester on that goal, he was where he was supposed to be. Two Wild players were coming down the slot. He had to protect against the pass...and even if he were to go protect the side of the net, Zucker got there so fast I don't think he could have gotten there in time anyway. If he had bolted to the side of the net, then that leaves guys wide open in front, and if Zucker passes to them, then everyone is blaming Boumeester for leaving them open. I think he played it fine.

[Kerfuffle]

I saw most of the game last night - I didn't think that was a goalie loss by any means. Nor do I see the game as a meltdown by the Blues. They did look a little flat in the 2nd I thought but they were still in the game all the way til the end.

[cardsfan04]

I saw most of the game last night - I didn't think that was a goalie loss by any means. Nor do I see the game as a meltdown by the Blues. They did look a little flat in the 2nd I thought but they were still in the game all the way til the end.

I think this sums it up rather perfectly. Allen was fine. Blues were ok at times, not so much at other times. We were in it at the end. If we lose game 2, I'll be worried, but I still think we win the series.

[Portland Blues]

I saw most of the game last night - I didn't think that was a goalie loss by any means. Nor do I see the game as a meltdown by the Blues. They did look a little flat in the 2nd I thought but they were still in the game all the way til the end.

Nice to see a neutral take on the game - thanks.