WQF (4) St. Louis Blues vs (5) Los Angeles Kings (Kings win 4-2).

[dammage79]

A big ol' "aww he** NO" Stone Cold style at the thought of Chris Stewart becoming a Flame.

Outside of that, the Blues were awesome in that series. Like a lot of others have said already, no reason to hang their heads over there. It will be interesting to see how their off season shakes down with a lower cap and so many UFA/RFA.

[sa226]

I think what's kind of interesting is that the Blues had everything aligned for them to make a bit of a run.

A very good, well coached, disciplined team that took the season to kind of find their identity. But they absolutely peaked a the right time. They were flying high entering the playoffs. That just makes it all the more impressive that the Kings won. They are the champs for a reason.

I agree with whoever said it earlier. This is the time of year where the greats raise their level to the point of being the difference. Detroit really is an average team, but Datsyuk and Zetterberg are carrying them.

St. Louis is missing that elite forward that can be the difference in a series like this.

[puckluck2]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

I'm not blaming the loss of the series on Bouwmeester, I haven't seen anyone put the loss on his shoulders but Bouwmeester was Bouwmeester... he has the total inability to raise his game up at any point.

We'll see if he can actually make the playoffs when he's with the Blues full time next year.

I think people's reading comprehension needs a little work. Nobody has said he has sucked with the Blues just that he's the regular Bouwmeester who's a neutral at best to his team. The Blues didnt lose because of him but they also will never win a series because of anything he does and rarely win a game because of him.

That's not hate that's 3 years of me watching him every single game.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by sa226

I think what's kind of interesting is that the Blues had everything aligned for them to make a bit of a run.

A very good, well coached, disciplined team that took the season to kind of find their identity. But they absolutely peaked a the right time. They were flying high entering the playoffs. That just makes it all the more impressive that the Kings won. They are the champs for a reason.

I agree with whoever said it earlier. This is the time of year where the greats raise their level to the point of being the difference. Detroit really is an average team, but Datsyuk and Zetterberg are carrying them.

St. Louis is missing that elite forward that can be the difference in a series like this.

It isn't always just a forward. A defensemen or even a goalie can win games for a team by playing great.

Bouwmeester simply wasn't that guy. Nor was anyone else on the Blues that guy.

LA is a phenomenal team right now.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by puckluck2

I think people's reading comprehension needs a little work. Nobody has said he has sucked with the Blues just that he's the regular Bouwmeester who's a neutral at best to his team. The Blues didnt lose because of him but they also will never win a series because of anything he does and rarely win a game because of him.

That's not hate that's 3 years of me watching him every single game.

Yep. You don't really notice him that much. From time to time he skates the puck out of the zone, which is noticeable only because he is a beautiful skater.

His PP time was largely a joke because he simply can't QB at all, nor does he know how to actually take a proper shot. Most of the time he flutters the puck in. He isn't physically dominating, and instead chooses to rely on his speed and positioning to do the work for him. Not a big deal, but he never changes the game because of a big hit or strong physical play. Which a lot of great defensemen over the years have done.

He just.....exists. Plays. Logs minutes. He simply has never elevated his game to the point where he makes a huge difference.

At $6.8 million/year, he simply isn't worth it. People expect much better, and he never delivers. So the criticism is worth it in my mind.

[CalgaryFan1988]

Originally Posted by Azure

Yep. You don't really notice him that much. From time to time he skates the puck out of the zone, which is noticeable only because he is a beautiful skater.

His PP time was largely a joke because he simply can't QB at all, nor does he know how to actually take a proper shot. Most of the time he flutters the puck in. He isn't physically dominating, and instead chooses to rely on his speed and positioning to do the work for him. Not a big deal, but he never changes the game because of a big hit or strong physical play. Which a lot of great defensemen over the years have done.

He just.....exists. Plays. Logs minutes. He simply has never elevated his game to the point where he makes a huge difference.

At $6.8 million/year, he simply isn't worth it. People expect much better, and he never delivers. So the criticism is worth it in my mind.

Yup, he's the same as Phaneuf was. Bouwmeester is about .3 million better than Phaneuf, only problem is their contracts should have been 5 million and 5.3 million instead.

Oh well, moving on from the past now, hopefully.

[Mike F]

Originally Posted by puckluck2

I think people's reading comprehension needs a little work. Nobody has said he has sucked with the Blues just that he's the regular Bouwmeester who's a neutral at best to his team. The Blues didnt lose because of him but they also will never win a series because of anything he does and rarely win a game because of him.

That's not hate that's 3 years of me watching him every single game.

Are you serious?!? Did you forget posting:

I wouldn't want Bouwmeester for free. That losing stench is so foul it effects the whole team.

You're entitled to your opinion, but Ken Hitchcock, a damn good coach with a long history in the league, chose to play Bouwmeester 8+ minutes more than any other defenseman on the team not named Pietrangelo, which he would never do with a guy "who's a neutral at best to his team". Hitch had Jackman, Shattenkirk, Leopold, and Polak on the bench, which isn't a group of stiffs, yet time and again Bouwmeester was thrown out there.

[jlh2640]

Originally Posted by Mike F

Are you serious?!? Did you forget posting:



You're entitled to your opinion, but Ken Hitchcock, a damn good coach with a long history in the league, chose to play Bouwmeester 8+ minutes more than any other defenseman on the team not named Pietrangelo, which he would never do with a guy "who's a neutral at best to his team". Hitch had Jackman, Shattenkirk, Leopold, and Polak on the bench, which isn't a group of stiffs, yet time and again Bouwmeester was thrown out there.

Great post, however to many people on here fail to see the solid points you just made and they never will.