The St. Louis Blues fell to the Chicago Blackhawks 6-4 on Saturday night in a game which proved to be back and forth and full of excitement. The Blues left on the wrong end of the score for a whole host of reasons, but one of the most obvious was how weak the team played directly in front of their own net.
Consider this goal by the Blackhawks:
https://twitter.com/myregularface/status/810300137897684997
Kevin Shattenkirk has good positioning, but he completely fails to clear out the crease. Dennis Rasmussen is almost completely free to do whatever he wants right in front of Jake Allen and it resulted in a goal. Skattenkirk’s shove/jab is just far too weak to get anything done.
And here’s another example:
https://twitter.com/myregularface/status/810325910532526080
The Blues may have not known where the puck was on this play, but the overarching theme is the same. When the opponent is standing in a dangerous area near the St. Louis net, the Blues have to be more physical. They have to clear things out or the opponent will have no issue putting the puck in the back of the net.
Ken Hitchcock pointed out this very problem following the game.
Via STLToday:
“They scored three goals in front of the net, beat us at the net.”
The problem has been recognized, but now it’s time for the Blues to do something about it. The team lacks some physicality in its lineup, but the current group of defenders can and should be tougher in front of their own net.
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