St. Louis Blues 2010 Regular Season Thread

[thrill]

Could have been worse, but that was a hell of a choke job last night.

Why is there choke in hockey yet no clutch in baseball?

Choke and clutch are two different things : )

[lukethedrifter]

Could have been worse, but that was a hell of a choke job last night.

Why is there choke in hockey yet no clutch in baseball?

Choke and clutch are two different things : )

Aren't they yin and yang? Twins sons of different mothers?

Did the Blues choke in the third?

[InvincibleCakeEater]

Yes, they choked in the third.

[thrill]

Could have been worse, but that was a hell of a choke job last night.

Why is there choke in hockey yet no clutch in baseball?

Choke and clutch are two different things : )

Aren't they yin and yang? Twins sons of different mothers?

It's possible to be worse than your best, but not possible to be better than your best. If clutch means a player consistently outperforms his career norms, it just means that he's an underachiever most of the time. Thats not so flattering. Choke exists in baseball. Clutch doesn't, unless you just think it means a player performs like he always does regardless of situation.

Back to the Blues, they should have won last night, but I don't know that you can call it a choke job when they lost to a better team in OT. Oshie didn't stick with his man and Kane made a great play. The former happens to everyone and the latter happens all the time. I agree with whoever mentioned earlier that these sudden death losses even out over time. They'll win a few they don't deserve.

[lukethedrifter]

Could have been worse, but that was a hell of a choke job last night.

Why is there choke in hockey yet no clutch in baseball?

Choke and clutch are two different things : )

Aren't they yin and yang? Twins sons of different mothers?

It's possible to be worse than your best, but not possible to be better than your best. If clutch means a player consistently outperforms his career norms, it just means that he's an underachiever most of the time. Thats not so flattering. Choke exists in baseball. Clutch doesn't, unless you just think it means a player performs like he always does regardless of situation.

I don't completely buy that. I'm quite sure that clutch doesn't exist to the extent that announcers and LaRussa types will say it does. Still, I think in most players' world there is room for just a bit more focus, a tad bit of improvement over their normal level of play and that's what I would call clutch. I guess I'll just have to wait for Malcolm Gladwell to write the book.
Anyway, it seems a little too easy to throw "choke" around especially for non clutch believers who understand the randomness of a game.



edit: Cody Ross = clutch

[thrill]

I don't completely buy that.

Well I'm not going to pretend that I'm giving you any original material. I'm just parroting information I read/hear from people who's intelligence and research I decided to trust.

That said, I'll go out on a limb that Cody Ross is still Cody Ross given enough at bat's. He's hot and it looks really good for him at the moment.

[Popeye_Card]

Back to the Blues, it is hard to "choke" under the tremendous pressure of the 5th game of the season (really high stakes there).

The Blackhawks have a really good offensive team. I thought Halak may have stole a win from them with some great saves in the first and second period. But it is only a matter of time before they break through and score a couple. You have to out-score the Blackhawks. Turco played a really good game to thwart some good/great chances for the Blues. Sucks that they blew a 2 goal lead, but tip your cap and try to beat them at home on Friday.

[lukethedrifter]

Back to the Blues, it is hard to "choke" under the tremendous pressure of the 5th game of the season (really high stakes there).

The Blackhawks have a really good offensive team. I thought Halak may have stole a win from them with some great saves in the first and second period. But it is only a matter of time before they break through and score a couple. You have to out-score the Blackhawks. Turco played a really good game to thwart some good/great chances for the Blues. Sucks that they blew a 2 goal lead, but tip your cap and try to beat them at home on Friday.

So they choked?

[Popeye_Card]

No, I would not consider it a choke job. They played with them, matched their play. Goalie play was about equal.

It's hockey. Goals happen.

Good game though. Refs let them play.

[JCShutout]

Of course the Blues choked, they lost a lead. Had the Blues comeback from a 2 goal deficit, it would not be due to the Hawks "choking", it would be because the Blues had determination and other traits you can't measure.