OBG's Post Patch St. Louis Blues

[onlybygrace]

Blues Mid-Summer Stance: Stand Still

St. Louis Blues President, John Davidson, addresses the media at a mid-summer press conference regarding moves this summer.

By Stephen Holley
St. Louis Post Disgrace

After beginning the offseason with a bang while landing last seasons most dominant 'pressure situation' goaltender Jaroslav Halak for next to nothing (Blues traded 7 games of NHL experience), the Blues seem to have come to a halt with regards to addressing the teams scoring issues.

"Well during the first half of the season we really struggled. After Davis Payne took over we averaged 2.89 goals per game, up from 2.45 under Murray. We'd like to think that with the roster we knew we had, the 2.89 is closer to what we were expecting,"said Davidson. J.D. neglected to mention that the Blues lost over 30 goals and 75 points after the retirement of Keith Tkachuk and refusing to offer Paul Kariya a contract after a dismal performance over the duration of his 3 years in St. Louis.


Davis Payne led the Blues to a 23-15-4 mark after taking over Andy Murray's job on January 2nd, 2009.

With a younger and seemingly more approachable coach the Blues would gel while players who seemed to struggle under coach Andy Murray (most noticeably Patrick Berglund) played with more confidence and purpose under Davis Payne.

The Blues, at this point, are headed toward the 2010-2011 season with the attitude that improvement must come from within.

Brad Boyes scored 14 goals last season after registering 33 and 43 the previous two seasons. If Boyes plans to stick around St. Louis after Christmas this trend must stop.

After putting up 80 points in his first 95 games as a Blue, Andy McDonald registered just 57 points in 79 games last season. He needs to find the 70 point mark 2010-2011.

David Perron, assuming he and the Blues come to terms, needs to work his way from 20 goals in his 3rd year to around 30 in 2010-2011. We need to see a breakout season from the kid with the magic hands.

TJ Oshie played well in 2009-2010 putting up 18 goals and 48 points in just his 2nd season, however he is no longer playing in a group of forwards with hall of fame careers to compete with. He finds himself at the head of the line and in position to step it up along with the aforementioned forwards.


Where's the 'C', already? David Backes is the choice of most Blues fans for the Captaincy in St. Louis if a change were to be made.

If the Blues should ever listen to their fans on anything, it should be to the overwhelming desire of many fans to personally steal David Backes' jersey only to return it with a big 'C' sewn to it's breast.

A leadership change, even if we all know leadership is more than a letter on a jersey, is still a symbolism of a 'changing of the guard'. Backes has consistently shown himself to be of not only high charachter and commitment, but also very personable and articulate. Backes is a far cry from the more reserved Eric Brewer, the Blues current Captain which many fans bemoan his spot on the roster at all, not to mention his captaincy. It's a laughable situation, really.

Someone needs to tell Patrick Berglund that if he wants to stay near his good buddy TJ Oshie, he needs to 'man up' and begin to be the player many think he can be after registering just 26 points after 21 goals and 47 points his rookie season.

At the end of the day here in mid-July, the Blues have gone from putting their eggs in a bunch of 20-year old baskets in 2009-2010 to putting their eggs in a bunch of 21-year old baskets with the help of what may be an amazing goaltender in 2010-2011.

Everything is a question waiting to be answered here in St. Louis. But with 92 and 90 points over the last two seasons, at least a winning attitude has been established.

Go Blues.

[onlybygrace]

Okay, so I'm back. Got the patch and slider pretty solid and now I'm enjoying the game more than I ever did.

This format of this chise will be both be structured and inspired.

Format

Team Update @ 20 game mark with analysis, stats, plays of the 1st quarter.

Team Update at 41 game marker with League Update Plays of the 2nd Quarter.

Team Update @ Trade Deadline with Playoff Race and League Leaders Breakdown Plays of the 3rd Quarter.

End of Season Update With Plays of The Year

[bthomp05]

Nice to have you back OBG, looking forward to another classic Blues dynasty by you.

[Jshson14]

I'm a blues fan everynight that they are not on the ice with my sabres, GO BLUES!

[onlybygrace]

Blues Rage To 9-1-2 Start


Stephen Holley
Operation Sports Hockey Network

In an odd twist of fate, OBG's St. Louis Blues equaled the exact same record set forth by the real St. Louis Blues going 9-1-2 over the 12 games of the schedule as the goaltending tandem of Jaroslav Halak and Ty Conklin have allowed just 17 goals over the first 12 games.

"Its crazy, I really don't know what to say. Even when we played the Bruins, they were 8-1-1--just like they were in real life. Pretty cool", said Stephen of his budding Blues chise.

As the Blues in real life deal with injuries, the Blues of OBG's NHL 11 will most likely not deal with the losses of TJ Oshie, David Perron, Andy McDonald, and Roman Polak. Hopefully this enables the Blues to a successful season going forward.

[bthomp05]

Excellent start - hopefully it continues, unlike the Blues in my chise who our bottom dwellers.

[onlybygrace]

7 Games Later...

Famous Day In Blues History Sparks "Blockbuster Battle"

Erik Johnson, dealt to New Jersey earlier this afternoon, recorded 1 goal and 6 assists for the low-scoring Blues in 18 games, with a +1 rating. The Blues 22-year old defensemen has shown great potential and was the Blues most highly rated trade chip according the GM rating charts.

Zak Parise, 26, the sought scorer traded to the Blues--tallied 4 goals and 12 assists in New Jersey for 16 points. The dynamic forward scored 45 goals two years ago in his breakout season for the Devils.

By Stephen Holley
OSHN Beat Writer

For perhaps the first time in NHL history, two players traded to for each othe would play each other the same night.

"It was crazy. I got to the rink and I was on the other team...then they told me I had to play. There were rumours of my availability and I knew Parise was not happy in New Jersey...but I didn't expect this", said Erik Johnson whose new club soundly beat the Blues 4-1 in a shocked Scottrade Center.

The story was all the buzz in every corner of the building as the Blues faithful knew they were watching a historic event. Fans debated whether the club had thrown its 'build from within' attitude out the window, and some who said it was necessary. Whatever the case, the atmosphere was electric.

Driving in the reality was the Erik Johnson slashing minor drawn before the game was 2 minutes old.

Erik Johnson drove home the point with an assist on Ilya Kovalchuks game-winning goal, his 15th of the season.

"It was crazy, but I'm proud of how I handled it" said Johnson, whose Devils handed the Blues thier 4th straight loss, falling to 11-6-2 after a 9-1-2 start.

Parise, who played a more quiet game, was himself shocked.

"I knew they were looking to move me, but to have it happen this way was a real curveball."

The Devils outshot the Blues 33-22 as the Blues dropped their 4th straight.

THE DEAL: The St. Louis Blues trade Erik Johnson and a 1st round pick to New Jersey for Zak Parise.

New Lines

Perron-Oshie-Parise
Boyes-Berglund-Backes
Steen-McDonald-Dagostini
Winchester-McClement-Sobotka

Defense

Polak-Brewer
Pietrangelo-Jackman
Cole-Colaiacovo

[Taiter]

Damn looking good!