The view from St. Louis

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Jeremy Rutherford: Another futile Blues season ends
“For a franchise still looking for its first Stanley Cup and still lamenting many postseason fall-outs, the Blues have another one to add to the collection.”
-Game story

Jeremy Rutherford: Composure was key factor in tight Blues-Kings series
“Cardinals third baseman and Blues fan David Freese, who had a home run to end Game 6 of the 2011 World Series, said in a text message to a Blues staff member Friday that Alexander Steen would have the “hot hand” in Game 6. But Steen did not figure in the scoring, had just one shot and was penalized once in his 15 minutes, 29 seconds of ice time.”
-Notes and analysis

Bernie Miklasz: A lost opportunity, another lost season
“But for some reason, management stays with the same cast of players that can’t put pucks in the same zip code as the opponents’ goal when the Blues desperately need a big score. These guys couldn’t shoot the puck less accurately if you spiked the Gatorade with LSD and sent them on the ice blindfolded.”
-Top-10 list analysis

Jeff Gordon: So what’s next for the Blues?
“The team nucleus appears stale. Crossing off veterans like Andy McDonald, Scott Nichol and Jamie Langenbrunner will be easy enough, but what about David Perron, Patrik Berglund and T.J. Oshie? They have been around for a while. They have become perennial also-rans wearing the Note. We noted earlier that this series would define them and, well, here we are.”
-Roster analysis

Dan O’Neill: Goal caps Porter’s rise this season
“Early on in a rough-and-tumble series with the Los Angeles Kings, the “CPR Line” was the talk of the tournament, leading a physical charge for the Blues. But in Game 6 at Staples Center, Porter became more than a feisty forechecker, he became a goal-scorer.”
-Player feature

Dan O’Neill: Blues are not the same
“Trying to fine-tune a franchise that barely turns over financially, the new ownership group lost half of its home schedule before it ever left the garage. And oh, by the way, since so much depends on the playoffs — so much of your spiritual and economic well-being — how about playing the reigning Stanley Cup champions in the first round?”
-Commentary

Belleville News-Democrat

Norm Sanders: For Blues teams in the playoffs, the song remains the same
“But for Blues fans, it’s time to shave off the playoff beards, take the chicken wing-sauce stained jerseys to the dry cleaners and think about what could have been while watching someone else hoist the Stanley Cup. It’s what Blues fans have been doing during the playoffs since 1968. Whether they lose in the first, second or third round or even the finals — as they did in 1968, 1969 and 1970 — the song remains the same.”
-Analysis

NHL.com

Louie Korac: Five reasons Blues were eliminated from playoffs
“Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick deserves credit for throwing a virtual wall at the Blues’ offense, but St. Louis produced high-percentage looks against Los Angeles throughout the series and could manage 10 goals in six games, six over the final four.”
-Bullet points

St. Louis Game Time

Hildymac: Blues Lose Game 2-1, Series 4-2
“Never before have I seen a hockey team work so much for so little. Such quality play from the Blues, and nothing to show for it. The smart defense has been there for the most part, the Blues had good goaltending that gave them a chance to win, and they had an energy line that should have rubbed off on the rest of the team.”
-Analysis

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