On the bright side, I don’t wake up looking like Bruce Boudreau so life isn’t that bad

bradleygt89 wrote:

BillP wrote:4 more years

Doug Armstrong.jpg

Is that a new skater on the ice? Haven't seen Armstrong lace them up. Coaches and GM's have some responsibility on the team's makeup and motivation/gameplan, but sorry, the players on the ice are the one's not playing well tonight.

DA can only control so much,and he cannot control the players efforts.

I will say this though, he needs to make a decision on what the plan is, because this current core group lacks something. I know all teams go through spells, but we are seeing this same story way too much the last few years.

Sorry Brad, but Dougie is not a good GM when it comes to roster construction and filling in the pieces. He lacks talent in that area. Now you say he needs to come up with a plan? My goodness, he had that opportunity last year and could of gotten this team to the Finals instead of Nashville IF HE HAD A PLAN. But he didn't and still doesn't. He relies on his management team to get the job done and relies on them to dictate the organizations direction. He's not a proactive GM, he's a reactive GM. I've seen this for a long time but unfortunately a lot of you diehards think he's just dandy. Well, I'm not part of that crowd.

I hope this is the end of the 7 dmen silliness.

BillP wrote:

bradleygt89 wrote:

BillP wrote:4 more years

Doug Armstrong.jpg

Is that a new skater on the ice? Haven't seen Armstrong lace them up. Coaches and GM's have some responsibility on the team's makeup and motivation/gameplan, but sorry, the players on the ice are the one's not playing well tonight.

DA can only control so much,and he cannot control the players efforts.

I will say this though, he needs to make a decision on what the plan is, because this current core group lacks something. I know all teams go through spells, but we are seeing this same story way too much the last few years.

Sorry Brad, but Dougie is not a good GM when it comes to roster construction and filling in the pieces. He lacks talent in that area. Now you say he needs to come up with a plan? My goodness, he had that opportunity last year and could of gotten this team to the Finals instead of Nashville IF HE HAD A PLAN. But he didn't and still doesn't. He relies on his management team to get the job done and relies on them to dictate the organizations direction. He's not a proactive GM, he's a reactive GM. I've seen this for a long time but unfortunately a lot of you diehards think he's just dandy. Well, I'm not part of that crowd.

While we are apologizing to Brad, I’d like to say sorry to hear about Brads wife being fired from Cracker Barrel after many years of loyalty and faithful service

BluesSK wrote:I hope this is the end of the 7 dmen silliness.

You're right. They should go with 9 and just roll with 3 lines.

Dread_Pirate_Westley wrote:Fans have called for roster changes for awhile. Bergy and Steen get shiny new 5 year deals instead.

This team was still running PRV out there til a couple weeks ago.

Now we want for the next wave of young guys, I guess.

Two deals after both had very good seasons; Steen, I don't mind because he at least gives you a good two-way game. Not enough offense from him though. Bergy, yeah, not sure what DA was smoking on that one. And honestly, you could add Sobi to that list too, although 3 ain't as bad 5.

Those are three players who should honestly never be higher that the 3rd line. After Schwartz, Schenn, Tarasenko, and Stastny, there's not a player on the Blues who should be in the top 6 of a true contending team

I do hope the next wave is better than the last 'next wave', or the one before it, or the one before it, or the one...

Dread_Pirate_Westley wrote:

BillP wrote:

bradleygt89 wrote:
Is that a new skater on the ice? Haven't seen Armstrong lace them up. Coaches and GM's have some responsibility on the team's makeup and motivation/gameplan, but sorry, the players on the ice are the one's not playing well tonight.

DA can only control so much,and he cannot control the players efforts.

I will say this though, he needs to make a decision on what the plan is, because this current core group lacks something. I know all teams go through spells, but we are seeing this same story way too much the last few years.

Sorry Brad, but Dougie is not a good GM when it comes to roster construction and filling in the pieces. He lacks talent in that area. Now you say he needs to come up with a plan? My goodness, he had that opportunity last year and could of gotten this team to the Finals instead of Nashville IF HE HAD A PLAN. But he didn't and still doesn't. He relies on his management team to get the job done and relies on them to dictate the organizations direction. He's not a proactive GM, he's a reactive GM. I've seen this for a long time but unfortunately a lot of you diehards think he's just dandy. Well, I'm not part of that crowd.

While we are apologizing to Brad, I’d like to say sorry to hear about Brads wife being fired from Cracker Barrel after many years of loyalty and faithful service

LOL, sorry for you Billy that you want to blame the one person who has zero control over the effort on the ice.

If you think Backes or Brouwer being on this team would have got us past Nashville, we'll have to agree to disagree. We had the Backes show for a decade, and best he got was the WCF. You also seem to conveniently forget that BACKES SIGNED THE FUCKING CONTRACT with Boston. HE too had a choice, yes? IF Backes really bled Blue and wanted to be in STL, he'd have taken the same $$ from the Blues, and worked for that final contract to retire there. But, this must be Billy P's fantasy land world, where the DA can strong arm every UFA, every other manager, and every player into signing the perfect deal.

Jaskin drives the net and buries a shot on a nice feed by Steen! Blues back down by 4.

bradleygt89 wrote:

Dread_Pirate_Westley wrote:

BillP wrote:

Sorry Brad, but Dougie is not a good GM when it comes to roster construction and filling in the pieces. He lacks talent in that area. Now you say he needs to come up with a plan? My goodness, he had that opportunity last year and could of gotten this team to the Finals instead of Nashville IF HE HAD A PLAN. But he didn't and still doesn't. He relies on his management team to get the job done and relies on them to dictate the organizations direction. He's not a proactive GM, he's a reactive GM. I've seen this for a long time but unfortunately a lot of you diehards think he's just dandy. Well, I'm not part of that crowd.

While we are apologizing to Brad, I’d like to say sorry to hear about Brads wife being fired from Cracker Barrel after many years of loyalty and faithful service

LOL, sorry for you Billy that you want to blame the one person who has zero control over the effort on the ice.

If you think Backes or Brouwer being on this team would have got us past Nashville, we'll have to agree to disagree. We had the Backes show for a decade, and best he got was the WCF. You also seem to conveniently forget that BACKES SIGNED THE FUCKING CONTRACT with Boston. HE too had a choice, yes? IF Backes really bled Blue and wanted to be in STL, he'd have taken the same $$ from the Blues, and worked for that final contract to retire there. But, this must be Billy P's fantasy land world, where the DA can strong arm every UFA, every other manager, and every player into signing the perfect deal.

I'll save myself some time in writing another explanation and just cut to the point ------------- Doug Armstrong sucks!!!

Just to be clear: If or when DA is fired or resigns, I won't shed a tear. I don't think he is the greatest GM, but he is very good. And that ain't 'diehards' saying that, pretty much every reporter, analyst, etc will say the same thing; that DA is one of the top 5 GM's in the NHL. If you look at the teams overall accomplishments since he's been GM, there ain't many better.

That's not to say he is above criticism for some of his deals, like just discussed: Bergy, Steen, Sobi, JayBo. Which is why I laugh when some cry about Backes and Brouwer not be re-signed here, because they are the exact same type of deals we bitch about now with Bergy, Steen, etc. But in some alternate reality, those two or one of them would lead the Blues to the Cup.

I also find it funny how personal some make it when it comes to players and DA. Nothing wrong with being critical, but if you cannot acknowledge the good deals, which overwhelm the bad, that's just childish.

peace, and LEt's gO Blues

Stastny stick was a long way lower than the crossbar, when he made contact. The Blues were robbed on that one.

Robb_K wrote:Stastny stick was a long way lower than the crossbar, when he made contact. The Blues were robbed on that one.

nah, the ref's were just kind enough to save us fan's from getting our hopes up

Well, that was fun, not.

As SK said: Need a better effort next game. Need to show more desperation. Got to play as a team. Need quicker execution. blah, blah.

Solid check by Borts on the ref to end this one. Maybe it’ll give the blues momentum heading into their next game

Robb_K wrote:Stastny stick was a long way lower than the crossbar, when he made contact. The Blues were robbed on that one.

Puck was at least 6 inches above the bar. I don't know what Pang was talking about. Majority of stick was below bar, but not point of contact. Right call.

bradleygt89 wrote:

barnburner wrote:This roster needs some serious changes before next season. There is a definite lack of give a shit on this club.
There are no Plager or Sutter type players on this team to hold people accountable. I hope they miss the playoffs. These half assed efforts should not be rewarded.

You've been a fan way too long BB, you know better than that

They'll go on a hot streak in March and early April, just enough to secure the 4th spot and get us all excited again, then...well, you know the rest of the story.

Yeah, you're probably right, but it shouldn't. The up and down efforts of this team is shameful. The Blues teams in the 70s didn't have near this much talent, but what they had, they left on the ice. These guys leave it in the parking lot.

barnburner wrote:Yeah, you're probably right, but it shouldn't. The up and down efforts of this team is shameful. The Blues teams in the 70s didn't have near this much talent, but what they had, they left on the ice. These guys leave it in the parking lot.

That's what makes this team so sad and has for years. We've had enough talent but not enough blood and sweat and guts.

bradleygt89 wrote:Just to be clear: If or when DA is fired or resigns, I won't shed a tear. I don't think he is the greatest GM, but he is very good. And that ain't 'diehards' saying that, pretty much every reporter, analyst, etc will say the same thing; that DA is one of the top 5 GM's in the NHL. If you look at the teams overall accomplishments since he's been GM, there ain't many better.

That's not to say he is above criticism for some of his deals, like just discussed: Bergy, Steen, Sobi, JayBo. Which is why I laugh when some cry about Backes and Brouwer not be re-signed here, because they are the exact same type of deals we bitch about now with Bergy, Steen, etc. But in some alternate reality, those two or one of them would lead the Blues to the Cup.

I also find it funny how personal some make it when it comes to players and DA. Nothing wrong with being critical, but if you cannot acknowledge the good deals, which overwhelm the bad, that's just childish.

peace, and LEt's gO Blues

The team nucleus was already here when he assumed GM duties. The Shatty deal was great ( I loved DA at the time believe it or not ) and hiring Hitchcock was superb. But that's pretty much it. 5 years best record in NHL and no Cup appearance. That's on the GM. All the previous Cup winners had GM's who made deals to catapult their teams to the Finals. Kings made 2 massive deals in both Cup years, the Pens made some game changing deals/moves to get their first Cup, and Bowman with the Hawks made moves every year the Hawks won their 3 Cups. Army isn't a game changer, but I'll keep the door open to say I'm wrong. He has every opportunity now to show his fastball and make a difference because this team needs moves. We'll see where this team is a year from now because after an off season it should be vastly different --- we should hope

Peace

Blues are 19-17-2 in last 38 games which equates to about an 86 point pace.

LA, Chicago, and Pittsburgh all had rosters and systems beefed up from years of top-15 (or top-5 in the case of Pittsburgh) draft picks, while the Blues only had 4 picks in that range over the same years (LA and Chicago each had 9).

It's a LOT easier to make what SEEMS like a 'big trade' when you're adding to a core of Crosby, Malkin, Staal, Fleury, or Toews, Kane, Seabrook, Keith, or Doughty, Kopitar, Dustin Brown, Quick, and have other blue-chip players to deal like Brayden Schenn, Bernier, Simmonds, Byfuglien, Barker, etc. The Blues haven't been able to draft a core like any of those, or rack up the early prospects/picks to trade for players that fill in gaps.

We're just now seeing what Schwartz, Tarasenko, Pietrangelo, Parayko, and Edmundson can do, plus we've picked up Brayden Schenn (Part of one of those trades that helped put LA over the hump). That's hardly a match for any of those core groups above, though (Especially Crosby/Malkin, I think they'll go down as the Sakic/Forsberg or Yzerman/Fedorov 1-2 punch at center of this era). And while that's a good start to add to, no-one wants to trade our young prospects, who were mostly late 1st- and 2nd-round picks to start with, because everyone is sure they'll all be the next all-star players.

The Blues are trying to build a cup-competitive team without tanking for a decade. That's hard to do. REAL hard. It CAN be done, and having lots of top picks isn't a guarantee for success (cough EDMONTON cough cough), but it requires a lot of things to go just right as well.

How is it that the GM is no way to blame for the performance of the players whom he acquired? DA is not to blame because his players regularly put forth a shit effort? If that's true, then I want to be a GM. I could build a team of unmotivated under-achievers and deflect all criticism by saying, "Not my fault that they are lazy, lack grit and don't try very hard. I'm just the GM. I don't lace 'em up, so it's out of my hands. Now, where's my contract extension?"

insideout wrote:How is it that the GM is no way to blame for the performance of the players whom he acquired? DA is not to blame because his players regularly put forth a shit effort? If that's true, then I want to be a GM. I could build a team of unmotivated under-achievers and deflect all criticism by saying, "Not my fault that they are lazy, lack grit and don't try very hard. I'm just the GM. I don't lace 'em up, so it's out of my hands. Now, where's my contract extension?"

I never said that, and if you look at all my posts, I've been critical of many of DAs moves. However, as RA just posted, you can only do so much building when you haven't sucked for a long time. DA's, and LP's before him, biggest fault if you will was getting this team too good, too fast. We've been dealt a good hand as a team, while most SC winning teams have a built a royal flush from years of tanking and hitting on their top picks along with good acquisitions.Be critical of the signings if you want, but also keep in mind that a GM can only control so much. No GM can force a player to sign a contract if they decide they want an extra year, don't like the city, or have some other preference. Just keep it real is my whole belief, because in the end it is the players who do lace them up and are paid to do the work. And if this team keeps this lack of effort up, it wouldn't surprise me to see DA make a major and surprising move, like the EJ for Shatty one.

UMSLBlues12 wrote:Get JBo off this team. What the fuck was he even doing there?

i've been flying that flag a long time. i don't care what he "was", he "is" fucking terrible. i'd rather skate with 5 D.

BluesSK wrote:This team needs some balls and some swagger. I would like to see a move for Domi.

I would love to see a Matthew Tkachuk on this team.

sure, why not? i agree with the first sentence. again, been flying that for a while. no one on this team is willing to play the game this city needs them to play. there is no heart on this team. no one the union bar can cheer for.

BluesSK wrote:It took exactly one season for Yeo to lose this team. One week after a bag skate we get this.

This is sad.

"lose the team"? i know this isn't a popular opinion, but maybe - just maybe - this is just the skill and give-a-shit level for this team. you can't coach someone into giving a shit if they just don't. no one shows any degree of pride in their own game, let alone the team game.

BluesSK wrote:I don't give a shit how much emotion you get from your energy guys/fourth liners. If the top three lines don't give a shit; you are fucked. There is no emotion on this team whatsoever.

yeah, that.

I was at the game last night, and just to reiterate what others have said. The effort was awful. If I wouldn't have known, I would have thought it was a preseason game. They just went through the motions.
On paper, the team Armstrong has put together has some high end talent and a great D core. But emotionally, there is a massive void. We don't miss Backes and Brouwer for their stats. We miss those types of players for their mindset. I wanted to see some frustration boil over in the 3rd. I wanted to see the Blues royally pissed off. Instead, I saw the same team that played in the 1st and 2nd. This team needs a mental shake up badly.

RAFritchey wrote:LA, Chicago, and Pittsburgh all had rosters and systems beefed up from years of top-15 (or top-5 in the case of Pittsburgh) draft picks, while the Blues only had 4 picks in that range over the same years (LA and Chicago each had 9).

It's a LOT easier to make what SEEMS like a 'big trade' when you're adding to a core of Crosby, Malkin, Staal, Fleury, or Toews, Kane, Seabrook, Keith, or Doughty, Kopitar, Dustin Brown, Quick, and have other blue-chip players to deal like Brayden Schenn, Bernier, Simmonds, Byfuglien, Barker, etc. The Blues haven't been able to draft a core like any of those, or rack up the early prospects/picks to trade for players that fill in gaps.

We're just now seeing what Schwartz, Tarasenko, Pietrangelo, Parayko, and Edmundson can do, plus we've picked up Brayden Schenn (Part of one of those trades that helped put LA over the hump). That's hardly a match for any of those core groups above, though (Especially Crosby/Malkin, I think they'll go down as the Sakic/Forsberg or Yzerman/Fedorov 1-2 punch at center of this era). And while that's a good start to add to, no-one wants to trade our young prospects, who were mostly late 1st- and 2nd-round picks to start with, because everyone is sure they'll all be the next all-star players.

The Blues are trying to build a cup-competitive team without tanking for a decade. That's hard to do. REAL hard. It CAN be done, and having lots of top picks isn't a guarantee for success (cough EDMONTON cough cough), but it requires a lot of things to go just right as well.

That's fine and dandy about Chicago and Pitt getting top picks, but that doesn't guarantee success. Look at Edmonton with all their picks and McDavid.

For years the Pens never got back to the finals and their biggest gripe was lack of grit and they corrected that. And Kane & Toews alone doesn't guarantee a Cup. How far did those 2 get last year with Panarin & Hossa on their team? The Hawks had great "character" depth on their Cup winning teams too.

The Blues calling card was their heaviness and quality depth and DA has pushed the wrong buttons since losing the Conf Finals to the Sharks. A lot of fans accept the Blues fate and concede that last year was a year of transition and I say transition to what? At that time we didn't even have the Fab 4 drafted yet. We had nothing in the pipeline on offense waiting to come up. Again, the Blues calling card was their heaviness, their leadership and quality depth. All they had to do was rid themselves of Steen and Shattenkirk, keep Backes and then you had plenty of cap space to improve the team from there. You don't acquire Yakupov and you don't sign Perron as a free agent. This is not good management to me. You beat the Hawks the previous year and make Conf Finals and then your GM comes out the next year and says the Hawks are still the crème of the crop? Please, that's horrible. Give me a GM that has direction and knows what he wants. Blues are still 2nd heaviest team in league and we still keep talking about speed. The Roster composition is stupid, and the money has been allocated wrong.