GDT: 5/6/12 > Game 4 > Blues @ Kings > 2:00 PM > NBC

[theohall]

Welcome to the Sports Off-Season, kids. Absolutely humiliated in every possible way. Lots of changes still needed.

Same ol' Blues.

Jesus Christ dude, between your posts from last game and this one I'm half surprised you're not slitting your wrists or doing your best to drink a whole bottle of Jack; shit. Pessimism 24/7 is no way to live.

Yea, we got handled this series I'm not going to argue otherwise but your posts still come across as "blow it up start it over" (I know you stated in your last GDT that's not what you mean but it sure sounds like it) and several of these guys I think should stick around.

D'Agostini's numbers are directly proportional to his ice time IMO. He had a lengthy injury this year, and when he was back didn't get much time. Granted he's always been a supplemental scorer but I still think he needs to stick around.

Say what you want about Stewart but that fight was PERFECT timing on his part. We just scored, we were getting back on our horse and he dropped the gloves and gave Nolan a total beat-down. My first thought was that it would be the turning point of the game, and it very well appeared to be.... until Brown made a great play using Petro as a screen and put his sniper hat on

Totally disagree, That fight was STUPID!!!! The Blues had generated a scoring chance in the offensive zone which should have led to an OFFENSIVE ZONE faceoff but #25 dumbass gets in a fight. IDIOCY!!!!! Fight in THEIR end, not YOUR OWN end. #25 SUCKED in Game 4 just like he has done all season after playing a decent game. JETTISON #25s worthless ass!!!!!!!! It's called understanding WHERE you are not just WHO might have hit you.

[WaukeeBlues]

Welcome to the Sports Off-Season, kids. Absolutely humiliated in every possible way. Lots of changes still needed.

Same ol' Blues.

Jesus Christ dude, between your posts from last game and this one I'm half surprised you're not slitting your wrists or doing your best to drink a whole bottle of Jack; shit. Pessimism 24/7 is no way to live.

Yea, we got handled this series I'm not going to argue otherwise but your posts still come across as "blow it up start it over" (I know you stated in your last GDT that's not what you mean but it sure sounds like it) and several of these guys I think should stick around.

D'Agostini's numbers are directly proportional to his ice time IMO. He had a lengthy injury this year, and when he was back didn't get much time. Granted he's always been a supplemental scorer but I still think he needs to stick around.

Say what you want about Stewart but that fight was PERFECT timing on his part. We just scored, we were getting back on our horse and he dropped the gloves and gave Nolan a total beat-down. My first thought was that it would be the turning point of the game, and it very well appeared to be.... until Brown made a great play using Petro as a screen and put his sniper hat on

Totally disagree, That fight was STUPID!!!! The Blues had generated a scoring chance in the offensive zone which should have led to an OFFENSIVE ZONE faceoff but #25 dumbass gets in a fight. IDIOCY!!!!! Fight in THEIR end, not YOUR OWN end. #25 SUCKED in Game 4 just like he has done all season after playing a decent game. JETTISON #25s worthless ass!!!!!!!! It's called understanding WHERE you are not just WHO might have hit you.

Yes, because at that point in the game our greatest concern was where a faceoff was going to take place. Really? That's your argument? Sobotka was battling in the corner trying to get control of the puck IIRC. It's not like Oshie was on a breakaway. This game was about spirit and getting your team going and that fight did it. Our play after that fight looked noticeably better than before and I thought we were about to put another one home.

Agree to disagree.

[not_a_wings_fan]

Good season. Unexpected run to the second round... where we promptly forgot how to play hockey in every phase of the game.

The team needs to learn about discipline. We killed ourselves with stupid retaliation and bad timing. Hitch's statement about burning our selves out killing penalties was spot on.

We need two to three defensemen. Big, physical stay home guys who clear out the front of the net and don't pee down their leg under pressure. Maybe those guys will develop from some of the younger crew, but we got some holes back there that need patching.

I feel comfortable saying we need a minimum of two and prolly three top line forwards. These series shows where our scoring isn't going to come from. Perron might be a top line guy with different linemates. McDonald might be okay on a top line, again, with different line mates.

Oshie is a second line player. Anyone who says otherwise is prolly drinking too much koolaid. IDK what stewart is, but I really don't want to the blues to spend too much more time trying to find out. Backes is a good shut down, two way guy with some offensive upside, but not going to center an elite scoring line. Berglund is a second line or maybe third line guy in the middle of a stanley cup team. Our biggest weakness is scoring punch up front and that showed BIG TIME in this series.

I feel bad for ells. He got hung out to dry early and often. He had a terrible, terrible game three. But when you feel like you need to keep it under two goals or you lose it's hard to play comfortable. Would have been nice to see Halak, but Jackman took care of any goalie controversy.

Good year. Excited to see what happens in the off season. While embarrassed by this series, I am proud of the on ice product and proud of my team.

[dmiles2186]

I've had some time to calm down and assess my thoughts on this. There was a missed opportunity with the Blues being one of the best teams (in terms of seeding) remaining, but it didn't happen. But if you would have said before the season that the Blues would win the Central, contend for the President's trophy, set the franchise record for home wins, and make it to the second round, I think we'd all take it.

Now it's time for the Blues to make the leap. This team has won a playoff series. Lack of playoff experience is no longer an excuse. It will be fun to see what this team will do next year.

I mentioned it earlier but hat tip to the Kings. For a team to get manhandled the way the Blues did, the other team is going to do some things right and the Kings did a lot of things right.

It sucks that the season's over. What am I going to do the next 5 months? (Oh yeah...my son is due in August. :D)

[STLADOGG]

The better team won clearly.

[cprice12]

The better team won clearly.

I hear people say that, and it's just not true.

Yes, the Kings were the better team in this series, clearly. They deserved to win. But when both teams are playing their best, the Blues are clearly superior. Over the course of the season that played out.

For whatever reason, we fumbled passes, made bad decisions, turned the puck over, Elliott forgot how to play goal and when LA came at us in waves, it was a mismatch.

If the Kings were "the better team", they wouldn't have finished 8th in the West. They got hot at the right time, the Blues slumped at the wrong time, things bounced the Kings' way and they rode their "on fire" goalie to a 4-game sweep. It was like a perfect storm for LA.

I don't think I've ever seen so many bounces go one team's way in a series. It was crazy. That play in Gm. 4 where Kopitar knocks the puck off the goal line and clears it right into Quick's glove as he dives back...are you kidding me? That is a microcosm of the entire series right there. Everything bounced LA's way...and even when we got a bounce, LA got a bounce and a goal 2 minutes later to sap any momentum we may have had. Yes, you make your own luck and hard work will get you those chances, but I've never seen anything like that before. It was like the hockey gods didn't want us to be able to do anything at all in that series.

[xbleed83bluex]

The better team won clearly.

I hear people say that, and it's just not true.

Yes, the Kings were the better team in this series, clearly. They deserved to win. But when both teams are playing their best, the Blues are clearly superior. Over the course of the season that played out.

For whatever reason, we fumbled passes, made bad decisions, turned the puck over, Elliott forgot how to play goal and when LA came at us in waves, it was a mismatch.

If the Kings were "the better team", they wouldn't have finished 8th in the West. They got hot at the right time, the Blues slumped at the wrong time, things bounced the Kings' way and they rode their "on fire" goalie to a 4-game sweep. It was like a perfect storm for LA.

I don't think I've ever seen so many bounces go one team's way in a series. It was crazy. That play in Gm. 4 where Kopitar knocks the puck off the goal line and clears it right into Quick's glove as he dives back...are you kidding me? That is a microcosm of the entire series right there. Everything bounced LA's way...and even when we got a bounce, LA got a bounce and a goal 2 minutes later to sap any momentum we may have had. Yes, you make your own luck and hard work will get you those chances, but I've never seen anything like that before. It was like the hockey gods didn't want us to be able to do anything at all in that series.

Blues better than the Kings? No...they have Dustin Brown. They have Jeff Carter. They have Kopitar, Richards, Penner. And of course their alien goalie Quick which was a bit of a surprise for them. Management has built this team with the cup in mind. The Blues have...who? McDonald? Ok, McDonald's alright. Who else?

The Blues had a chance to bring a scorer during the trade deadline and they didn't. Doug Armstrong said "I like his team." That's really just another way of saying "we don't want to spend money if we think we don't have to."

We are lacking superstar(s). The Blues are so deprived that we think of players like Perron and Oshie as our big stars when they're other team's 4th-liners. We're not exactly as bad as the Islanders situation but we're still not built to win a cup. I'll give the Blues this - they play like a team. And playing like a team is truly important and has got them into the 2nd round of playoffs. But playing like a team isn't everything - management also have to be willing to fork out $$ for players. As a GM or president, you can't just sit back in your executive booth and "hope" for the best of both worlds - that your team makes it by spending the littlest amount possible.

If we had one or two moderate superstars, someone to represent the Blues, like Hull, like what Pujols did with the Cardinals, combined with our team ethic, which I think is one of the best in the league, we might actually get somewhere.

[Toasted Oates]

Isn't arguing for the Blues being the "better team" futile? Isn't playing your best part of that equation? If they didn't play their best, they deserved to lose. And I agree they didn't, whether the rumored slew of injuries existed or not. Every team is beat up at this point.

LA swept our guys. The Stanley Cup Playoffs bear more fruit than the regular season. Therefore, the LA Kings are better. It sucks, but it's true.

[glen a richter]

The Kings finishing in 8th compared to the Blues finishing in 2nd does not necessarily make the Kings the worse team.

1. We got whooped, badly I might add, by the 8 seed.
2. It's fair to say we overachieved this season.
3. It's fair to say LA underachieved this season.

What will next season bring? Who knows. I think we all agree on this teams needs, going forward, and the future doesn't look nearly as bleak as it did right after the lockout. If they can tweak a couple of glaring areas of need, and everyone stays reasonably healthy next year, the next playoff run should be deeper, thanks to the experience they gained this season.

[STLADOGG]

The better team won clearly.

I hear people say that, and it's just not true.

Yes, the Kings were the better team in this series, clearly. They deserved to win. But when both teams are playing their best, the Blues are clearly superior. Over the course of the season that played out.

For whatever reason, we fumbled passes, made bad decisions, turned the puck over, Elliott forgot how to play goal and when LA came at us in waves, it was a mismatch.

If the Kings were "the better team", they wouldn't have finished 8th in the West. They got hot at the right time, the Blues slumped at the wrong time, things bounced the Kings' way and they rode their "on fire" goalie to a 4-game sweep. It was like a perfect storm for LA.

I don't think I've ever seen so many bounces go one team's way in a series. It was crazy. That play in Gm. 4 where Kopitar knocks the puck off the goal line and clears it right into Quick's glove as he dives back...are you kidding me? That is a microcosm of the entire series right there. Everything bounced LA's way...and even when we got a bounce, LA got a bounce and a goal 2 minutes later to sap any momentum we may have had. Yes, you make your own luck and hard work will get you those chances, but I've never seen anything like that before. It was like the hockey gods didn't want us to be able to do anything at all in that series.

Blues better than the Kings? No...they have Dustin Brown. They have Jeff Carter. They have Kopitar, Richards, Penner. And of course their alien goalie Quick which was a bit of a surprise for them. Management has built this team with the cup in mind. The Blues have...who? McDonald? Ok, McDonald's alright. Who else?

The Blues had a chance to bring a scorer during the trade deadline and they didn't. Doug Armstrong said "I like his team." That's really just another way of saying "we don't want to spend money if we think we don't have to."

We are lacking superstar(s). The Blues are so deprived that we think of players like Perron and Oshie as our big stars when they're other team's 4th-liners. We're not exactly as bad as the Islanders situation but we're still not built to win a cup. I'll give the Blues this - they play like a team. And playing like a team is truly important and has got them into the 2nd round of playoffs. But playing like a team isn't everything - management also have to be willing to fork out $$ for players. As a GM or president, you can't just sit back in your executive booth and "hope" for the best of both worlds - that your team makes it by spending the littlest amount possible.

If we had one or two moderate superstars, someone to represent the Blues, like Hull, like what Pujols did with the Cardinals, combined with our team ethic, which I think is one of the best in the league, we might actually get somewhere.

You didn't even mention Simon Gagne, who was out the whole playoff series.

[cprice12]

The better team won clearly.

I hear people say that, and it's just not true.

Yes, the Kings were the better team in this series, clearly. They deserved to win. But when both teams are playing their best, the Blues are clearly superior. Over the course of the season that played out.

For whatever reason, we fumbled passes, made bad decisions, turned the puck over, Elliott forgot how to play goal and when LA came at us in waves, it was a mismatch.

If the Kings were "the better team", they wouldn't have finished 8th in the West. They got hot at the right time, the Blues slumped at the wrong time, things bounced the Kings' way and they rode their "on fire" goalie to a 4-game sweep. It was like a perfect storm for LA.

I don't think I've ever seen so many bounces go one team's way in a series. It was crazy. That play in Gm. 4 where Kopitar knocks the puck off the goal line and clears it right into Quick's glove as he dives back...are you kidding me? That is a microcosm of the entire series right there. Everything bounced LA's way...and even when we got a bounce, LA got a bounce and a goal 2 minutes later to sap any momentum we may have had. Yes, you make your own luck and hard work will get you those chances, but I've never seen anything like that before. It was like the hockey gods didn't want us to be able to do anything at all in that series.

Blues better than the Kings? No...they have Dustin Brown. They have Jeff Carter. They have Kopitar, Richards, Penner. And of course their alien goalie Quick which was a bit of a surprise for them. Management has built this team with the cup in mind. The Blues have...who? McDonald? Ok, McDonald's alright. Who else?

The Blues had a chance to bring a scorer during the trade deadline and they didn't. Doug Armstrong said "I like his team." That's really just another way of saying "we don't want to spend money if we think we don't have to."

We are lacking superstar(s). The Blues are so deprived that we think of players like Perron and Oshie as our big stars when they're other team's 4th-liners. We're not exactly as bad as the Islanders situation but we're still not built to win a cup. I'll give the Blues this - they play like a team. And playing like a team is truly important and has got them into the 2nd round of playoffs. But playing like a team isn't everything - management also have to be willing to fork out $$ for players. As a GM or president, you can't just sit back in your executive booth and "hope" for the best of both worlds - that your team makes it by spending the littlest amount possible.

If we had one or two moderate superstars, someone to represent the Blues, like Hull, like what Pujols did with the Cardinals, combined with our team ethic, which I think is one of the best in the league, we might actually get somewhere.

Having a couple superstars doesn't make you a better "team".

Were we a better team than Vancouver that year we finished last overall but swept the season series from them?
Were the Blues a better team than Chicago the year we swept them in the first round?
Were the Sharks a better team than us in 2001?
Of course not.
The better team does not always win a series. It often comes down to who is hot (often a goaltender) and who gets the bounces over the course of a short series.

I give LA all the credit in the world. They played great. But we dropped the ball. Our play regressed to a level not seen since Kitchen was here...and it wasn't all because of what LA was doing. And like I said, add to that all of the bounces that went LA's way and there's your sweep.
Maybe it was nerves, or whatever...but LA didn't see the best from this Blues team, not even close.
Like I said, if we had played at our highest level, we win that series. Call it choking or some players being too young or whatever.

[DaDitka]

The better team won clearly.

I hear people say that, and it's just not true.

Yes, the Kings were the better team in this series, clearly. They deserved to win. But when both teams are playing their best, the Blues are clearly superior. Over the course of the season that played out.

For whatever reason, we fumbled passes, made bad decisions, turned the puck over, Elliott forgot how to play goal and when LA came at us in waves, it was a mismatch.

If the Kings were "the better team", they wouldn't have finished 8th in the West. They got hot at the right time, the Blues slumped at the wrong time, things bounced the Kings' way and they rode their "on fire" goalie to a 4-game sweep. It was like a perfect storm for LA.

I don't think I've ever seen so many bounces go one team's way in a series. It was crazy. That play in Gm. 4 where Kopitar knocks the puck off the goal line and clears it right into Quick's glove as he dives back...are you kidding me? That is a microcosm of the entire series right there. Everything bounced LA's way...and even when we got a bounce, LA got a bounce and a goal 2 minutes later to sap any momentum we may have had. Yes, you make your own luck and hard work will get you those chances, but I've never seen anything like that before. It was like the hockey gods didn't want us to be able to do anything at all in that series.

Blues better than the Kings? No...they have Dustin Brown. They have Jeff Carter. They have Kopitar, Richards, Penner. And of course their alien goalie Quick which was a bit of a surprise for them. Management has built this team with the cup in mind. The Blues have...who? McDonald? Ok, McDonald's alright. Who else?

The Blues had a chance to bring a scorer during the trade deadline and they didn't. Doug Armstrong said "I like his team." That's really just another way of saying "we don't want to spend money if we think we don't have to."

We are lacking superstar(s). The Blues are so deprived that we think of players like Perron and Oshie as our big stars when they're other team's 4th-liners. We're not exactly as bad as the Islanders situation but we're still not built to win a cup. I'll give the Blues this - they play like a team. And playing like a team is truly important and has got them into the 2nd round of playoffs. But playing like a team isn't everything - management also have to be willing to fork out $$ for players. As a GM or president, you can't just sit back in your executive booth and "hope" for the best of both worlds - that your team makes it by spending the littlest amount possible.

If we had one or two moderate superstars, someone to represent the Blues, like Hull, like what Pujols did with the Cardinals, combined with our team ethic, which I think is one of the best in the league, we might actually get somewhere.

Having a couple superstars doesn't make you a better "team".

Were we a better team than Vancouver that year we finished last overall but swept the season series from them?
Were the Blues a better team than Chicago the year we swept them in the first round?
Were the Sharks a better team than us in 2001?
Of course not.
The better team does not always win a series. It often comes down to who is hot (often a goaltender) and who gets the bounces over the course of a short series.

I give LA all the credit in the world. They played great. But we dropped the ball. Our play regressed to a level not seen since Kitchen was here...and it wasn't all because of what LA was doing. And like I said, add to that all of the bounces that went LA's way and there's your sweep.
Maybe it was nerves, or whatever...but LA didn't see the best from this Blues team, not even close.
Like I said, if we had played at our highest level, we win that series. Call it choking or some players being too young or whatever.

Yeah, I had to take some time after the loss to reflect, and I agree.......it wasn't their 'names' that won this series. Our boys clearly didn't come to play. I know they are blaming injuries left and right, but to me the this series was lost in the locker room and between the ears (confidence and leadership). I think those things can easily be fixed this offseason.

LA clearly outplayed us and they deserve all the credit in the world. But I don't believe their team is superior to ours simply because they have some 'names' people are familiar with. Petro, Bergie, and Perron could be three very big 'names' right now had we won.

This team would not have been any better with a 'name' on the ice. The 'team' didn't play their game and DP showed you that one free lancing offensive threat can not make a difference when your 'team' isn't playing their team game.

[not_a_wings_fan]

There is no doubt in my mind that the Kings are a better team. Regular season record is nice, but post season results is how things are measured.

I think what we learned in this series was something many of us, myself included, worried about as the season progressed: The Blues don't have another gear.

It was evident by our struggles down the stretch - when other teams kicked it up a notch, we didn't win crap.

The blues DO NOT have a top line. We will never be "elite" without a top line. The comments about oshie and perron are spot on: we over value them because they are our guys.

At some point we are going to have to make a trade that "hurts" where we give up good parts of this team to get a better part. If you can't draft them, you have to trade for them or over pay in free agency.

The Blues do not "suck" but they are not cup contenders until they get a top socring line.

[WaukeeBlues]

The Blues are so deprived that we think of players like Perron and Oshie as our big stars when they're other team's 4th-liners.

No offense but you're high. The only way this statement is accurate is if you're talking about Olympic squads

[DaDitka]

The Blues are so deprived that we think of players like Perron and Oshie as our big stars when they're other team's 4th-liners.

No offense but you're high. The only way this statement is accurate is if you're talking about Olympic squads

Agreed, I do think these guys are a little over-hyped locally.....but 4th liners? Please share what rosters you're referring to.

Hell.....in a different system, I almost wonder if DP could be a star.

[dmiles2186]

The Blues are so deprived that we think of players like Perron and Oshie as our big stars when they're other team's 4th-liners.

No offense but you're high. The only way this statement is accurate is if you're talking about Olympic squads

Agreed, I do think these guys are a little over-hyped locally.....but 4th liners? Please share what rosters you're referring to.

Hell.....in a different system, I almost wonder if DP could be a star.

Let's also not forget Perron is 23 years old and is one of the better players to come out of his 2007 draft class in terms of points scored so far in his career. I was going to post something in reply to this yesterday but held back. Glad I'm not the only one who found fault with calling Osh and DP 4th liners.