The National Championship game is tonight and I thought I would give a preview on the game and who I think is going to win.
Kentucky has made it to National Championship after winning deadly Midwest Region. They have defeated Kansas State, Wichita State, Louisville, Michigan, and Wisconsin to get here. They start five freshman and they are the first team to reach the finals with five freshman since the Fab Five team at Michigan who did that in 1991. The guards are lead by the Harrison twins, Aaron and Andrew, and James Young. Aaron has made the game winning shot in UK's last three games and his brother has been a solid contributor as well scoring 20 points against Wichita and 14 against Louisville. Young is arguably UK's best three point shooter and he scored 17 points in the semifinal game against Wisconsin. The front court is lead by Julius Randle and Dakari Johnson. One of the top freshman of the year, Randle has been the most consistent player all year for the Wildcats while Johnson has been great in the tournament averaging 11 points and 5 rebounds in his last three games
UConn shocked the world by winning the East Region. They got by St. Joseph's, Villanova, Iowa State, Michigan State, and Florida to reach this final game. They are lead by senior guards Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatright. Napier is one of the top guards in the country averaging 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists a game. Boatright isn't too bad himself averaging 12 points a game while shooting 38 percent from 3 point land. The Huskies best three point shooter though is German Niels Giffey who is shooting an amazing 48 percent in his 3 point attempts. The front court is lead by DeAndre Daniels who has been the x factor for the Huskies in this tournament. He has scored in double digits in every game they have played in the tournament including an amazing 27 points against Iowa State.
I believe UConn is going to win tonight. I really love how well Napier and Boatright are playing right now and Daniels ability to hit shots is hard for anybody to handle with him being 6 foot 10. I believe that if the Huskies hit their 3s, nobody can beat them.
Monday, April 7, 2014
Saturday, April 5, 2014
Why Cardinal Nation is the Best
Fans of the St. Louis Cardinals get the reputation as the "best fans in baseball". There are some people who are sick of hearing this but there are many reasons to believe this.
1. The history of the Cardinals is extraordinary. The Birds have won 11 championships which is more than anybody in the history of the National League. The fans recognize the greatness that the Birds put on the field.
2. They sell out almost every game. While a lot of ballpark struggle with attendance, the Cardinals have top 5 attendance numbers almost every year.
3. They are very knowledgable. A majority of Redbird nation is into every game and is into the first pitch until the final out.
4. They travel well. The Cardinals consistently have some of the best road attendance each year because of all the Cardinals fans that exist around the country.
5. They will cheer for opposing players. If a player makes a great play in the field, our fans can recognize how amazing the play is and will give that player the respect that they deserve.\
6. We will cheer for former players. It is a time honored tradition that anytime a former player has his first at bat with another team, Cardinals nation will give him a standing ovation.
7. Jack Buck and Mike Shannon. Cardinal Nation has been able to listen to two of the greatest voices of our generation and that has attracted millions of fans.
8. The buzz in October. There is no better place to be when St. Louis is making a playoff run. The fountains are red and the town is buzzing.
9. All ages can appreciate the Cardinal's greatness. Whether it is a grandparent talking about Stan Musial, a parent talking about Ozzie Smith, or a child talking about Albert Pujols; every Cardinal fan has a personal hero that has made being a Bird's fan that much more magical.
10. The Cardinals are St. Louis. The first thing most people think of when they think of the city is the Cardinals. That is only happens with a few cities in the country. It is quite a privilege to be apart of Cardinal Nation.
1. The history of the Cardinals is extraordinary. The Birds have won 11 championships which is more than anybody in the history of the National League. The fans recognize the greatness that the Birds put on the field.
2. They sell out almost every game. While a lot of ballpark struggle with attendance, the Cardinals have top 5 attendance numbers almost every year.
3. They are very knowledgable. A majority of Redbird nation is into every game and is into the first pitch until the final out.
4. They travel well. The Cardinals consistently have some of the best road attendance each year because of all the Cardinals fans that exist around the country.
5. They will cheer for opposing players. If a player makes a great play in the field, our fans can recognize how amazing the play is and will give that player the respect that they deserve.\
6. We will cheer for former players. It is a time honored tradition that anytime a former player has his first at bat with another team, Cardinals nation will give him a standing ovation.
7. Jack Buck and Mike Shannon. Cardinal Nation has been able to listen to two of the greatest voices of our generation and that has attracted millions of fans.
8. The buzz in October. There is no better place to be when St. Louis is making a playoff run. The fountains are red and the town is buzzing.
9. All ages can appreciate the Cardinal's greatness. Whether it is a grandparent talking about Stan Musial, a parent talking about Ozzie Smith, or a child talking about Albert Pujols; every Cardinal fan has a personal hero that has made being a Bird's fan that much more magical.
10. The Cardinals are St. Louis. The first thing most people think of when they think of the city is the Cardinals. That is only happens with a few cities in the country. It is quite a privilege to be apart of Cardinal Nation.
Monday, March 31, 2014
Thank You Letter to the Mizzou Football Team
Dear Mizzou Football Team,
This is a little late but I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the amazing season you gave us. I think I speak for all of Tiger nation when I say this. Thank you for ignoring the haters who said you would never succeed in the SEC. Thank you not letting your first season in the SEC be a statement of who you guys were going to be. Thank you for all those hot practices that you endured in awful August Missouri heat just so you could get better. Thank you making a statement in the non conference schedule that you were for real and here to stay. Thank you for shutting up the critics that said the non conference schedule was too soft. Thank you for the absolute butt kicking you gave Vanderbilt and thank you for giving Missouri fans their first win over a top 10 team on the road in more than 30 years when you guys beat Georgia. Thank you for allowing us to do the Gator Chomp as we mocked the Florida faithful. Thank you for not letting the South Carolina game get you guys too down. Losses happen and most fans understand. Thank you for absolutely destroying Tennessee and Kentucky. Thank you for giving all the Mizzou fans that drove down to the Grove an absolute amazing time. Thank you for letting us rush the field after you guys clinched the SEC East Championship. Thank you guys for playing an amazing game in the SEC Championship game even you guys came up a bit short. Thank you for winning the Cotton Bowl in such an amazing fashion at such an amazing venue. Thank you to the Seniors who provided fans with great memories for 4 years. Thank you Henry Josey for overcoming so many obstacles and breaking through the Texas A&M defense on 3 and 1. Most importantly thank you to the entire team for proving that Columbia, MO can be one of the centers of the college football universe.
Thanks,
Dan
This is a little late but I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the amazing season you gave us. I think I speak for all of Tiger nation when I say this. Thank you for ignoring the haters who said you would never succeed in the SEC. Thank you not letting your first season in the SEC be a statement of who you guys were going to be. Thank you for all those hot practices that you endured in awful August Missouri heat just so you could get better. Thank you making a statement in the non conference schedule that you were for real and here to stay. Thank you for shutting up the critics that said the non conference schedule was too soft. Thank you for the absolute butt kicking you gave Vanderbilt and thank you for giving Missouri fans their first win over a top 10 team on the road in more than 30 years when you guys beat Georgia. Thank you for allowing us to do the Gator Chomp as we mocked the Florida faithful. Thank you for not letting the South Carolina game get you guys too down. Losses happen and most fans understand. Thank you for absolutely destroying Tennessee and Kentucky. Thank you for giving all the Mizzou fans that drove down to the Grove an absolute amazing time. Thank you for letting us rush the field after you guys clinched the SEC East Championship. Thank you guys for playing an amazing game in the SEC Championship game even you guys came up a bit short. Thank you for winning the Cotton Bowl in such an amazing fashion at such an amazing venue. Thank you to the Seniors who provided fans with great memories for 4 years. Thank you Henry Josey for overcoming so many obstacles and breaking through the Texas A&M defense on 3 and 1. Most importantly thank you to the entire team for proving that Columbia, MO can be one of the centers of the college football universe.
Thanks,
Dan
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Mizzou Basketball and What Went Wrong
This past season for the Mizzou basketball team was disappointing to say the least. The team went 10-0 before a devastating loss to Illinois started turmoil that could not be stopped. After a 9-9 conference record in the SEC, the Tigers were left out of the NCAA tournament for the first time in 6 years and lost to Southern Miss in the second round of the NIT. The big question that everybody is asking is how could a team with so much talent fail to play to their potential? The answer seems to be the head coach Frank Haith.
Coach Haith has done a fair job in his three years at Mizzou. His first year was spectacular but the disastrous loss to Norfolk St put a dark cloud over the season. In his second year, Mizzou played pretty well but had a hard time putting it completely together which led to another early exit from the tournament. This time from Colorado State. This season can only be described as a failure. What it comes down to is Coach Haith has a hard time making in game adjustments and all the transfers are not jelling together as well as he would have thought.
Whenever Mizzou struggles in a game, Coach Haith never seems to be able to make the in game adjustments needed to help them win. Mizzou always has great talent but they panic when the going gets tough. Haith never seems to help the team regroup in these games and talent can only go so far. Coaching and talent need to blend together to make the perfect team and Mizzou seems to struggle with this at times. It also seems that the transfer do not have enough time to jell together to become a truly cohesive unit. The first team at Mizzou that Haith coached was full of players that had played together for four years and it showed. Haith's recruiting strategy has mostly been to bring in players that wanted to transfer from their old schools. These players have talent but do not mesh with their teammates as well as guys that played together for 3 and 4 years.
I do not believe Haith should be fired at this point but this next season is crucial for deciding what is going to happen to him in the future. I wish him all the luck in the world and hope I am eating my words come next March.
Coach Haith has done a fair job in his three years at Mizzou. His first year was spectacular but the disastrous loss to Norfolk St put a dark cloud over the season. In his second year, Mizzou played pretty well but had a hard time putting it completely together which led to another early exit from the tournament. This time from Colorado State. This season can only be described as a failure. What it comes down to is Coach Haith has a hard time making in game adjustments and all the transfers are not jelling together as well as he would have thought.
Whenever Mizzou struggles in a game, Coach Haith never seems to be able to make the in game adjustments needed to help them win. Mizzou always has great talent but they panic when the going gets tough. Haith never seems to help the team regroup in these games and talent can only go so far. Coaching and talent need to blend together to make the perfect team and Mizzou seems to struggle with this at times. It also seems that the transfer do not have enough time to jell together to become a truly cohesive unit. The first team at Mizzou that Haith coached was full of players that had played together for four years and it showed. Haith's recruiting strategy has mostly been to bring in players that wanted to transfer from their old schools. These players have talent but do not mesh with their teammates as well as guys that played together for 3 and 4 years.
I do not believe Haith should be fired at this point but this next season is crucial for deciding what is going to happen to him in the future. I wish him all the luck in the world and hope I am eating my words come next March.
Cardinal's Season Preview
Tomorrow is a holiday in the city of the St. Louis as the Cardinals begin their 162-game season. Here is a preview of the team this year.
Offense: The lineup will be a powerful force for the Redbirds this season. This team is dangerous up and down the order and can beat a team in many different ways. The lineup starts with the electrifying Matt Carpenter. The former second basement has made the transition to third but do not look for his bat to slow down after hitting .318 last season with an NL leading 199 hits. In the middle of the lineup, the Birds will be led by All Stars: Matt Holliday, Yadier Molina, and Allen Craig. Molina led the team with a .319 batting average, Holliday had 22 dingers and 94 RBIs, and Craig led the club with 99 RBIs and he would have had many more if not for an injury that made him miss all of September. Matt Adams provided a spark last season with the injury to Craig as he hit 8 HRs in September to lead the club. Now that he has the 1st base position permanently, look for him to pulverize pitching all season long. Newcomers Jhonny Peralta and Kolton Wong look to stabilize the middle infield in an area that the Cardinals have had many different players play over the last 10 years. Lastly, newly acquired Peter Bourjos should add speed to a lineup that has been lacking in the stolen department. If everything goes according to plan, the offense could be scary good.
Starting Pitching: The starting rotation is also very solid. The Birds are led by Cy Young candidate Adam Wainwright who is one of the most consistent pitchers in all of baseball. In his last four healthy seasons, Wainwright has pitched 200 innings and has won at least 19 games in 3 of those seasons. Look for him to continue this success. The number 2 and 3 pitchers are the young guns Shelby Miller and Michael Wacha. In his first full season, Miller won 15 games with a 3.01 ERA. He also had a game where he retired 27 straight batters. Wacha made a name for himself in the 2013 postseason when he won the NLCS MVP after winning 2 crucial ballgames against the Dodgers. The young pitchers should continue to develop and look for them to make an All Star team this year. The number 4 spot is held by Lance Lynn. Lynn has won 33 games over the last two years. Not bad for the 4th starter. Rounding out the rotation is Joe Kelly. The man famous for his rec specks and sense of humor isn't too bad on the mound either. During the Cardinal's midseason slump last season, Kelly helped the Cardinals ride the ship with 5 straight victory. The rotation should be ready to take off this season.
Bullpen: The biggest question mark will be the bullpen. The closer will be Trevor Rosenthal who can hit 100 MPH on his fastball and his changeup tops out in the low 90s. Carlos Martinez will be the setup man as he waits to get his shot at the rotation. His slider is his best pitch and his fastball reaches into the upper 90s. The middle of rotation will consist of Kevin Siegrist and Randy Choate from the left and Keith Butler, Seth Maness, and Pat Neshek. The bullpen struggled in spring training and they are very young so it will interesting to see how they do this season.
Overall: This team is ready to make another deep playoff run. This team should win the NL Central and the rotation is strong enough to go to the World Series again. Anything less than that will be a disappointment.
Offense: The lineup will be a powerful force for the Redbirds this season. This team is dangerous up and down the order and can beat a team in many different ways. The lineup starts with the electrifying Matt Carpenter. The former second basement has made the transition to third but do not look for his bat to slow down after hitting .318 last season with an NL leading 199 hits. In the middle of the lineup, the Birds will be led by All Stars: Matt Holliday, Yadier Molina, and Allen Craig. Molina led the team with a .319 batting average, Holliday had 22 dingers and 94 RBIs, and Craig led the club with 99 RBIs and he would have had many more if not for an injury that made him miss all of September. Matt Adams provided a spark last season with the injury to Craig as he hit 8 HRs in September to lead the club. Now that he has the 1st base position permanently, look for him to pulverize pitching all season long. Newcomers Jhonny Peralta and Kolton Wong look to stabilize the middle infield in an area that the Cardinals have had many different players play over the last 10 years. Lastly, newly acquired Peter Bourjos should add speed to a lineup that has been lacking in the stolen department. If everything goes according to plan, the offense could be scary good.
Starting Pitching: The starting rotation is also very solid. The Birds are led by Cy Young candidate Adam Wainwright who is one of the most consistent pitchers in all of baseball. In his last four healthy seasons, Wainwright has pitched 200 innings and has won at least 19 games in 3 of those seasons. Look for him to continue this success. The number 2 and 3 pitchers are the young guns Shelby Miller and Michael Wacha. In his first full season, Miller won 15 games with a 3.01 ERA. He also had a game where he retired 27 straight batters. Wacha made a name for himself in the 2013 postseason when he won the NLCS MVP after winning 2 crucial ballgames against the Dodgers. The young pitchers should continue to develop and look for them to make an All Star team this year. The number 4 spot is held by Lance Lynn. Lynn has won 33 games over the last two years. Not bad for the 4th starter. Rounding out the rotation is Joe Kelly. The man famous for his rec specks and sense of humor isn't too bad on the mound either. During the Cardinal's midseason slump last season, Kelly helped the Cardinals ride the ship with 5 straight victory. The rotation should be ready to take off this season.
Bullpen: The biggest question mark will be the bullpen. The closer will be Trevor Rosenthal who can hit 100 MPH on his fastball and his changeup tops out in the low 90s. Carlos Martinez will be the setup man as he waits to get his shot at the rotation. His slider is his best pitch and his fastball reaches into the upper 90s. The middle of rotation will consist of Kevin Siegrist and Randy Choate from the left and Keith Butler, Seth Maness, and Pat Neshek. The bullpen struggled in spring training and they are very young so it will interesting to see how they do this season.
Overall: This team is ready to make another deep playoff run. This team should win the NL Central and the rotation is strong enough to go to the World Series again. Anything less than that will be a disappointment.
NCAA Tournament Observations
This has been one of the better March Madness' that I have ever watched. There has been drama, excitement, and pandemonium in every round. Here are a few of the highlights so far.
- Best Game: Kentucky vs. Wichita State
This game was my favorite for a couple different reasons. It seemed to be a battle of good and evil. The upstart Wichita team that everybody wanted to see make the magical run to 40-0 vs. the evil powerhouse Kentucky team that gets a new crop of talented freshman every year. This game had a great flow and it never seemed to be lacking at any time. Great shots were made, high flying dunks were slammed home, and stars shined. Wichita's Cleanthony Early was in a zone like no other and finished the game with 31 points on 12-17 shooting. In the end though the Harrison twins of Kentucky proved to be too much as they combined for 39 points and knocked down 10 clutch free throws. Kentucky won the game 78-76 after Wichita's Fred VanVleet missed a last second shot. Sometimes evil triumphs over good but this matchup was too good that it was hard to complain.
- Biggest Upset: Mercer beating Duke, 78-71
Mercer University is a small university of 8,000 students in Macon, Georgia. Duke University is a basketball powerhouse with multiple National Titles in the Mike Kryzewski era. They call it March Madness for a reason though. Number 14 seed Mercer upset number 3 seed Duke in the biggest upset of this year's tournament. Mercer's Jakob Gallon led the way with 20 points while Daniel Coursey added 17 as the Bears were able to hold off the powerful Duke offense at bay. Quinn Cook had 7 three pointers for the Blue Devils but it was not enough. The upset was the second big upset for the Atlantic Sun Conference in a row as number 15 seed Florida Gulf Coast made it to the Sweet 16 last year.
-Biggest Cinderella: Number 11 seed Dayton
The Flyers out of Ohio shocked the nation with their Elite Eight appearance before ultimately being bounced by the University of Florida. Dayton came into the tourney ready to shock their instate rival Ohio State and they did by beating them 60-59 on a Vee Sanford game winning shot with 3.8 seconds to go. Two days later they shocked the nation further by beating Syracuse in a virtual home game for the Orange in Buffalo, New York 55-53. Dyshawn Pierre led the way in that game with 14 points. Dayton continued their success over fellow Cinderella Stanford in a Sweet 16 matchup beating them 82-72. Even though they finally got defeated by the number 1 seeded Gators, a tip of the hat to the Dayton Flyers on a great tournament run.
-Favorite to Win It All: Florida
The Gators came into the tournament as the number 1 overall seed and they have showed why so far. The Gators have played a great tournament defeating Albany, Pittsburgh, UCLA, and Dayton on their way to making their first Final Four appearance since 2007. The team starts 4 seniors and are led by point guard Scotty Wilbekin who has nothing but ice water in his veins this entire tournament making clutch shot after clutch shot. This team seems determined and any team willing to beat them will have to play their best game to defeat the Gators.
The rest of the tournament will be exciting and I cannot wait to see how it unfolds. March Madness never seems to fail and this year is no exception.
- Best Game: Kentucky vs. Wichita State
This game was my favorite for a couple different reasons. It seemed to be a battle of good and evil. The upstart Wichita team that everybody wanted to see make the magical run to 40-0 vs. the evil powerhouse Kentucky team that gets a new crop of talented freshman every year. This game had a great flow and it never seemed to be lacking at any time. Great shots were made, high flying dunks were slammed home, and stars shined. Wichita's Cleanthony Early was in a zone like no other and finished the game with 31 points on 12-17 shooting. In the end though the Harrison twins of Kentucky proved to be too much as they combined for 39 points and knocked down 10 clutch free throws. Kentucky won the game 78-76 after Wichita's Fred VanVleet missed a last second shot. Sometimes evil triumphs over good but this matchup was too good that it was hard to complain.
- Biggest Upset: Mercer beating Duke, 78-71
Mercer University is a small university of 8,000 students in Macon, Georgia. Duke University is a basketball powerhouse with multiple National Titles in the Mike Kryzewski era. They call it March Madness for a reason though. Number 14 seed Mercer upset number 3 seed Duke in the biggest upset of this year's tournament. Mercer's Jakob Gallon led the way with 20 points while Daniel Coursey added 17 as the Bears were able to hold off the powerful Duke offense at bay. Quinn Cook had 7 three pointers for the Blue Devils but it was not enough. The upset was the second big upset for the Atlantic Sun Conference in a row as number 15 seed Florida Gulf Coast made it to the Sweet 16 last year.
-Biggest Cinderella: Number 11 seed Dayton
The Flyers out of Ohio shocked the nation with their Elite Eight appearance before ultimately being bounced by the University of Florida. Dayton came into the tourney ready to shock their instate rival Ohio State and they did by beating them 60-59 on a Vee Sanford game winning shot with 3.8 seconds to go. Two days later they shocked the nation further by beating Syracuse in a virtual home game for the Orange in Buffalo, New York 55-53. Dyshawn Pierre led the way in that game with 14 points. Dayton continued their success over fellow Cinderella Stanford in a Sweet 16 matchup beating them 82-72. Even though they finally got defeated by the number 1 seeded Gators, a tip of the hat to the Dayton Flyers on a great tournament run.
-Favorite to Win It All: Florida
The Gators came into the tournament as the number 1 overall seed and they have showed why so far. The Gators have played a great tournament defeating Albany, Pittsburgh, UCLA, and Dayton on their way to making their first Final Four appearance since 2007. The team starts 4 seniors and are led by point guard Scotty Wilbekin who has nothing but ice water in his veins this entire tournament making clutch shot after clutch shot. This team seems determined and any team willing to beat them will have to play their best game to defeat the Gators.
The rest of the tournament will be exciting and I cannot wait to see how it unfolds. March Madness never seems to fail and this year is no exception.
Monday, March 10, 2014
Why the Blues are ready for a Stanley Cup run
With the win last night, the Blues now have the best record in the National Hockey League and look primed to make a deep run in the playoffs. While the Blues have had good records in prior years, this is the team that is finally going to break through and give St. Louis hockey fans hope when it comes to watching hockey late in to the spring calendar. Here are a few reasons why I believe this
The Blues finally have a goalie that is ready to carry them. The team showed their willingness to win now by acquiring goalie Ryan Miller from the Buffalo Sabres. While they gave up quite a lot in the trade, management is showing how much they believe in this team. Since the trade, Miller has gone 4-0 and he seems to have brought new life to the team. He has only allowed one third period goal and has made the necessary saves that Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliot would struggle with at times. Miller brings a swagger to this team. He almost single handily carried the US hockey team to gold in 2010 and has a career GAA of 2.60. With the Blues amazing defense, that number should only decrease.
Another aspect of the Blues I like is the Olympic experience that they gained in Sochi. Eight Blues played in the Winter Games this year (Vladimir Sobotka would have before his injury) and it seems to have elevated their game in recent weeks. Alex Pietrangelo and Jay Bouwmeester captured gold for team Canada while Alex Steen and Patrik Berglund settled for the silver with team Sweden. All these players though played at a very high level during the Olympics and have brought that back to the States. It should also be mentioned that even though the USA did not capture a medal, all the Blues players for them played exceptional and were one of the reasons that they finished 3-0 in pool play. Playing under the bright lights only increased their play which should help them during the inevitable playoff run.
One last aspect of this team that I really like is the fact that they are hungry and determined to be different than the teams before them. The Blues have lost the last two years in the playoffs to a team that was seeded lower than them (Los Angeles Kings). This team is tired of hearing about how they cannot win the big game and they have played with that chip on their shoulder all year long. The Blues do not have one superstar that is going to shine above the rest but they as a cohesive unit have to come have the best record in hockey. They are ready to show the NHL that Lord Stanley's Cup belongs in St. Louis. They have brought their game to a new level which shows in their complete dominance of their division (18-0-1). I am not going to label them the cup favorites yet (even though Vegas does currently) but this team is going to be a tough out during the 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs.
The Blues finally have a goalie that is ready to carry them. The team showed their willingness to win now by acquiring goalie Ryan Miller from the Buffalo Sabres. While they gave up quite a lot in the trade, management is showing how much they believe in this team. Since the trade, Miller has gone 4-0 and he seems to have brought new life to the team. He has only allowed one third period goal and has made the necessary saves that Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliot would struggle with at times. Miller brings a swagger to this team. He almost single handily carried the US hockey team to gold in 2010 and has a career GAA of 2.60. With the Blues amazing defense, that number should only decrease.
Another aspect of the Blues I like is the Olympic experience that they gained in Sochi. Eight Blues played in the Winter Games this year (Vladimir Sobotka would have before his injury) and it seems to have elevated their game in recent weeks. Alex Pietrangelo and Jay Bouwmeester captured gold for team Canada while Alex Steen and Patrik Berglund settled for the silver with team Sweden. All these players though played at a very high level during the Olympics and have brought that back to the States. It should also be mentioned that even though the USA did not capture a medal, all the Blues players for them played exceptional and were one of the reasons that they finished 3-0 in pool play. Playing under the bright lights only increased their play which should help them during the inevitable playoff run.
One last aspect of this team that I really like is the fact that they are hungry and determined to be different than the teams before them. The Blues have lost the last two years in the playoffs to a team that was seeded lower than them (Los Angeles Kings). This team is tired of hearing about how they cannot win the big game and they have played with that chip on their shoulder all year long. The Blues do not have one superstar that is going to shine above the rest but they as a cohesive unit have to come have the best record in hockey. They are ready to show the NHL that Lord Stanley's Cup belongs in St. Louis. They have brought their game to a new level which shows in their complete dominance of their division (18-0-1). I am not going to label them the cup favorites yet (even though Vegas does currently) but this team is going to be a tough out during the 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs.
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