GatewayRedbirds.com

I am ready to get this party started Thursday night!!!

I don't expect much improvement over last year but maybe fewer of those awful games where the D completely disappears. Same players, new D coach and system. Renewed focus on working hard as a unit could put us back in the 95 point range.

Fingers crossed for a better season!!

Honestly, I am not overly pumped coming into the season. They’ll certainly be different than years past, but there wasn’t that huge offseason splash or hot rookie coming in to merit that “new toy!” type of excitement.

It is fine though. Looking forward to having hockey back again after back-to-back dumpster fire sports seasons (Blues last season, then Cardinals). Maybe coming in with tempered expectations will be good for my mood.

#LGB

Projected Lineup:

Buchnevich - Thomas - Kyrou
Saad - Schenn - Kapanen
Vrana - Hayes - Blais
Toropchenko - Sundqvist - Neighbours

Leddy - Parayko
Krug - Faulk
Scandella - Tucker

Binnington

Really good effort against one of the best teams in the league. I liked what I saw. Took it all the way to shootout. Stole a point.

LGB

I’m pretty excited for the season. I still think they can be a bottom playoff team if a bunch of things go right but likely on the outside. It’s just going to take 2-3 years to cycle through some bad contracts and the cap to go up enough. That said I think they can be competitive against 2/3 of the league, and that should make for most of the games to be exciting. I mean, it’s entertainment.

I like the types of guys they got for the bottom 6. There are some kids to watch grow on both offense and defense, and just keep making moves with expiring contracts for pics and prospects. Heck I’m interested to see how binner plays. I could see his numbers slide stopping and him hanging near/just below a 91% save%. I think he can be a very solid goalie who does better with a chip on his shoulder and something to prove. After his last couple of seasons, I think he’ll be hungry.

Lgb!

Good game last night. Binner was amazing. Stopped all 3 shots in the shootout for the W!

The trends I'm seeing so far (small sample size, yada yada yada)...
- Defensive system seems better so far. Should be an improvement from last year.
- Offense is going to have periods of struggle. We might be in the bottom half of scoring.
- Power Play is... not good. Penalty kill will have to be near elite to make up for it.
- Binnington is out of his mind good so far. Will he be able to smooth out the valleys when the peaks dip on him. In the past, he starts out great and then falls apart. Can he get it back together faster than years past??? Hopefully, because they're going to need near-elite goaltending to steal games this year.

Dvorsky’s loan has been terminated and he’s headed to North America.

Odd, but he’s not been getting any playing time in the league so bet the blues want him playing.

Wonder where he’ll end up

AHL probably, for a year or two at least.