Recap 12-05-09: Blues vs Kings
I apologize for not getting to a Gameday earlier, but chores tend to take up most of my Saturday.
While this game certainly was entertaining to watch, it was also the continuation of a disturbing trend, late game goals to tie. AS the play developed tonight, I was more concerned with David Backes’ apparent injury. Then the puck laid right out there for Alexander Frolov to slide it in past Mason. That now makes three games of the Blues last six that have been tied with the opposing team’s goalie pulled late in the third period. ALl three have been due to an inability to slow the play down or clear the zone. Not sure what the issue is, but the Blues need to correct it.
– Missed Opportunities
The Blues seem to like to try to do too much in the offensive zone. Too much dangling and not enough throwing rubber at the net. As much as David Perron has grown, he is still very prone to over handling and not getting the puck off his stick fast enough. The best teams in the league make fancy plays, but they look fancy because of their speed and simplicity. Yes I know that seems odd, but these are bang-bang plays that work well due to quick movement. The Blues certainly didn’t have that today. Much of the first two periods the Blues were sluggish getting up ice and sluggish moving the puck. As soon as you get an opening, get it to the net. TJ Oshie, Perron, Backes, Brad Boyes…all purveyors of the ” doing too much” problem.
- Transition?
One key area the Blues have improved in over last year is puck movement ofrward from the defensive zone to the offensive zone. Mostly due to Erik Johnson’s return and Carlo Colaiacovo. Johnson was largely invisible in this game. The forwards as a whole, didn’t come back as a group as often to support the play up ice. They were times when they did, but in general the transition was sloppy. I hesitate to use the word sluggish again, but that’s what it looked like.
– The Kid’s Play
TJ Oshie – Speaking of sluggish, enter TJ Oshie. What was with him today? Conditioning issues? Injury? Clubbing late last night with Bergy? TJ was moving at half speed and it was for most of the game. He looked how I feel at about 7am riding the Metro-Link in to work. Half asleep and needing a pot of coffee. I was very surprised after his tireless work the last 4-5 games. He wasn’t working the boards very well and his first step was just not “right”.
Patrik Berglund – Not the kid’s best game as a Blue, but his performances are improving. I liked the power move early on to the net when he had speed and space to cut in on Quick. Berglund just seemed to be more in tune to the flow of the game. Where as he hadn’t before and TJ was, the roles were reversed today. He assisted on the second Kariya goal and finished with a Minus-1 rating and 5 shots on goal.
David Perron – While he still needs to work on distributing the puck, his game is very solid right now. Back-checking well and getting to the net in the offensive zone. He has really become a Grade-A pest for other teams to deal with. Just the right mix of skill and determination to get under you skin. Which is exactly what Perron did in the game today. LA was really taking liberties with Perron (and others) all game. He took it , smiled, and kept going.
Erik Johnson – Maybe his worst game of the season? He was virtually invisible over long stretches of the game. Didn’t really jump in to the offensive play (no defenseman did often) , which greatly reduced his impact. A Minus-3 rating in a 4 goals against game tells a lot, However EJ did have an assist on the second Kariya goal.
– The Dynamic Duo
Barret Jackman and Roman Polak were exceptional again Saturday. Both were a Plus-3 rating with over 20 minutes on the ice in a 4 goals against game. I loved that Jackman carried the chip on his should all the way from San Jose and Polak was all over Anze Kopitar all game. Both were strong on and off the puck. These two are quickly becoming one of the more underrated shut down pairs in the league.
- Goaltending
Chris Mason has not looked good his last two starts. The Columbus game he just didn’t look normal and the same could be said for the Kings game as well. He was back in his net more and looked about as sluggish as the rest of the team. Not sure what the issue is. Mason is still the starter, but Conklin could use an extra start or two this month to give Mason a little rest and get his game back.
– Shootouts
It is a positive sign to see McDonald and Boyes scoring key goals in the shootout when they aren’t doing so hot in regulation. At the same time, you do not want to rely on the shootout to get points. The Blues have been good in the shootout lately, but that has not been their forte since the lock out. None the less, I will take the two points and happily move on to the next game.
Next up for the Blues are the Colorado Avalanche Monday night at Scottrade. It’s a 7p Central start and I-64 should be open again to take to the game. It’s nice that after two years the re-construction is over and fans can take 64 to the games again.
