When Jim Montgomery was requested about why generally concern brings out one of the best in gamers.
“Because like even fear of losing brings out the best in you, because you pay more attention to detail, you think about … you’re preparing to stay in the moment because you’re afraid of fear of losing or fear of being embarrassed creates the same thing,” the St. Louis Blues coach stated. “There’s urgency in everything you do and we haven’t had enough urgency as a group and I understand everything I’m saying points directly at me. I lead this team and I take full ownership of my part in us not having hit the standard that I believe we should be at.”
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Well, the Blues forgot the memo of being embarrassed. Because on New Year’s Eve, they had been embarrassed, bludgeoned, bamboozled, no matter one desires to name it.
Tony Duke stated it finest when he was vehemently taking a look at Rocky Balboa within the movie Rocky III to “Throw the Damn Towel.” The Blues didn’t even must drop the puck, as a result of it could have been higher to ‘Throw the Damn Towel’ earlier than the puck was even dropped as a result of the Blues had been overwhelmed within the recreation’s first 5 minutes, and the Colorado Avalanche performed true to type with their workforce identify, placing up an avalanche of targets early and blitzed the Blues, 6-1, on Wednesday at Ball Arena in Denver.
It was actually over earlier than it began, because the Blues (15-18-8) as soon as once more failed to begin a recreation, and towards the workforce that’s far and past one of the best workforce within the NHL proper now (30-2-7) they usually made the Blues seem like mince meat.
Dalibor Dvorsky did rating for the Blues within the third interval, which was all of the offense the Blues obtained.
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Let’s have a look at tonight’s recreation observations (and this will likely be temporary, I can promise you):
* It was over earlier than it began (virtually) – The Avalanche are a well-oiled machine, and in the event you’re not able to play towards them, you may seem like a idiot.
Nathan MacKinnon and Valeri Nichushkin made certain of it, so far as the Blues had been involved.
Each participant scored twice within the recreation’s first 4:39.
Whether it was poor protection, a scarcity of defending their very own web, a impartial zone turnover after which not making up for it by masking your floor on the opposite finish, 5 guys backing into the zone and permitting the Avalanche to dangle the puck on a string. That just about encapsulated every of the Colorado targets.
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And that was that.
All I can say is poor Jordan Binnington, who as soon as once more had a workforce in entrance of him fail him miserably on the day he obtained named to Canada’s Winter Olympic squad.
It was so dangerous that at one level, the Avalanche had been up 4-0 and outshooting the Blues 14-0 earlier than the Blues even obtained their first shot – SHOT – on purpose, and it was a Jimmy Snuggerud one-timer that wanted a terrific Mackenzie Blackwood save.
It took the Blues greater than 35 minutes(!) into the sport to have extra photographs than the Avalanche had targets. That’s surreal even to sort in, however it was true. The ultimate shot clock whole completed 43-13 and shot makes an attempt completed 79-28. Ouch.
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Jordan Kyrou’s fast one-timer on the again publish off a Robert Thomas go was the Blues’ sixth shot of the sport greater than 35 minutes into the sport. Colorado led 5-0 on the time.
This is the form of recreation that exhibits you that the Blues are nearer to the underside of the standings than they’re to the playoffs, though they finish the calendar yr simply three factors out of a wild card within the Western Conference.
But let’s be severe right here. Do you need to end because the second wild card and face this squad and get completely obliterated in 4 video games? I feel not.
So the Blues finish the calendar yr in 2025 with a 41-31-12 document.
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That’s all I’ve obtained, as a result of from a Blues standpoint, apart from Binnington truly making some nice stops and a purpose truly being waved off for goalie interference that truly upset MacKinnon as a result of he was the wrongdoer, they did nothing else.
To make issues worse, Thomas was on the ice within the final three minutes and appeared to have his leg rolled up on and was having bother getting off the ice after the sport.
Happy New Year.
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