Western Conference Semifinals: Game 1

Blues, Pietrangelo go down in game one.

Highlights:

How's This For Parity?

You want parity in professional sports? Then look no further than the NHL.

The following list represents the seed number of all eight teams headed to the semifinals:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

That's right. The winners from both the Eastern and Western Conference Quarterfinals have no duplicates, that is, every seed is represented in the next round:

#1 New York (East)
#2 St. Louis (West)
#3 Phoenix (West)
#4 Nashville (West)
#5 Philadelphia (East)
#6 New Jersey (East)
#7 Washington (East)
#8 Los Angeles (West)

This is a shining tribute to the level of competition and parody in the NHL. There are no more favorites and anyone can win once they are in the playoffs.

Not only are the series tight, but the games themselves have been so far as well. The NHL set a first round record with 16 overtime games.

Nothing but fun and excitement left ahead in the playoffs!

No Tomorrow.

The word around St. Louis from some is that the Blues' season has been a success: a division title, third in the NHL, and the first playoff series win in ten years.

Reading a forum on stltoday.com entitled "What do you consider a successful season for the Blues?", many suggested simply winning a playoff series was the goal and anything else is considered gravy.

I hope the players think like myself.

I believe, when you make the playoffs, anything else than raising the Stanley Cup is a failure.

With the Western Conference so wide open, why should the Blues not expect to reach hockey's holy grail? I'll be damned if I am going to watch Phoenix, Arizona or Nashville, Tennessee have a cup parade before us.

Not one team in the Western Conference has ever won the cup. In my opinion, the West is far and away the stronger conference even if the "experts" don't agree (Of course they picked the Pens and Canucks to win it all).

Looking at the East, not one team is strong defensively. There are no stand-out goalies like the West contains. Come Thursday, seeds five through eight could be all that are left. In my honest opinion, most of the Eastern Conference's elite would have struggled to even make the playoffs in the West.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves. The West is were the Blues will really be tested. Nashville and St. Louis have to be the favorites to come out of their conference. Both have strong goaltending, play well defensively, and can score as needed.

Once again, let's not jump over Los Angeles, which will be a real test for the Blues. The number eight seed just took down Vancouver in a physical series where Jonathan Quick was lights-out.

Everyone around town is saying that Los Angeles and Nashville are scary match-ups for the Blues. I have news for you, they are all going to be scary from here on out, it's the Stanley Cup playoffs!

And why should the Blues be scared? To me, if I was another team, I would be afraid to face the Note:

• a red-hot power play.
• a red-hot McDonald (who has a history of being a red-hot playoff scorer on a cup-winner).
• red-hot goaltending.
• Great leadership, from the Captain to Vets like Langenbrunner, Arnott, and McDonald.
• we've been good all season long, never faultering under Hitchcock.
• Oh yeah, experienced coaching, who put in a system that has worked wonders and put belief in some underachieving players (See Oshie, Berglund). And...he's won a cup before.

I know I am looking through biased eyes while writing this, but to me, the Blues have to be favorites, especially if they can get out of the extremely tough Western Conference.

These opportunities are fleeting, fellow Blues fans, and our mantra does not need to be "We'll be good years to come, it's been a success, let's win it next year when we'll be even better." Look how tough the league is, look how tough the West is, and look how tough the Central is. You can bet that early exits by Detroit and Chicago are going to spark change in those organizations to make them competitive next season. Nashville will be back with virtual the same team, and Columbus will  be on the rise someday.

The parody in the NHL is remarkable. A cup contender one year can miss the playoffs the next. There has not been a repeat cup winner since 1998 (Detroit). The Blues were poised in 2009 to break out and be a perennial playoff team. They missed the playoffs for the next two seasons.

There are no guarantees to make it to the playoffs, and once you're there the goal is to win the cup.

"Think how good we'll be next year" is a phrase Blues fans need to lose. The time is now. The opportunity is right in front of this team, and it is time they seize it and not hope for a better tomorrow. There should be no tomorrow in the locker room or the expectations.

July 6, 2011: The Day the Blues Became Contenders

When the Blues power play struggled early on in the season, whose booming shot did they turn to to score on the PP?

Jason Arnott.

When the Blues needed a leader to provide energy and edge, who was there?

Jamie  Langenbrunner.

When the Blues needed a big shift after giving up a goal, or just some good solid two-way hockey, who went on the ice?

Arnott and Langenbrunner.

When the Blues signed veterans Jason Arnott and Jamie Langenbrunner in the off-season, they put the pieces in place to be successful in the postseason.

Look no further than the clinching game 5 over the Sharks in the Western Conference Quarterfinals: The Sharks were in control, up 1-0 on the Blues who had generated little offense. The crowd at Scottrade was mute and preparing for a sixth game in San Jose.

But along came Langenbrunner, scoring a huge goal that set off a 45 second rally and propelled the Blues to the Western Conference Semifinals.

Langenbrunner has a history of scoring big goals in the playoffs, he is the active leader in playoff overtime goals and ranks third in playoff game-winning goals.

And Arnott? He only scored the game-winning overtime goal clinching the Stanley Cup for New Jersey in 2000.

For years the Blues have been a "bubble" team, poised to make the post season and take that next step. But lack of leadership and inexperience seemed to trump their talent, hard work, and potential season after season.

This off-season, Armstrong added Langenbrunner and Arnott on the same day with identical contracts. Both had been captains. Both had won the Stanley Cup.

Darren Pang Tweeted at the time: "These two signings are going to be significant for the development of players ready to take that next step."

It was not just significant for the development of players, but the development of a team as a contender.

Western Conference Quarterfinals: Game 5

Highlights:

"Smile You Son of a ..." Time to Finish off the Sharks

I've heard the golf courses in San Jose are nice. The Blues need to let the Sharks enjoy them next week.

This is the hardest one to win; the forth one. The Blues look to eliminate the Sharks tonight in front of a home crowd that will be rocking. With the series 3-1 in the Blues favor, Coach Hitchcock knows the importance of clinching as soon as possible. He talked before game four about wrapping up the series and not prolonging it for the players or extending travel time.

"I was in a lot of these [series] coming in and out of Dallas and they were not easy series. When it got to Game 5, 6, and 7 they were not easy for players, for coaches, for sleep patterns and they really impacted the next series."

Not to jump too far ahead, but Nashville has already clinched, and the other two Western Conference series stand at 3-1, with the Kings and Coyotes ready to move on as well. The Blues clinching in five will do wonders for rest and preparation for the next round.

Still, the Blues are not looking ahead and know that tonight's game will not be easy.

"We need to realize this next game is going to be the toughest one," Andy McDonald told stltoday.com. "If we don't play our best hockey, they're going to beat us."

Hitchcock added that the Blues are going to get the Sharks' "A-game. We know it. We just have to have an A-plus game."

There's blood in the water. Time for the Blues to clinch their first playoff series in ten years.

Western Conference Quarterfinals: Game 4 Highlights

Western Conference Quarterfinals: Game 3 Highlights

Won't Back Down

The Blues showed their fortitude with a win Saturday night.

Some talking points about the series so far:

• The Blues have been the better team in the first two games, but are tied 1-1 in the series. Will San Jose's experience help them or will the Blues learn fast and rely on veterans like Langs, Arnott, McDonald, and Jacks to show the way?
• Elliot will play game three. Not sure of the extent of Halak's injury but what a job by Hitchcock keeping both netminders on their game late in the season. The Blues are one of the few teams that can put in their "backup" and not skip a beat. (Need I argue...improve?)
• Look for game three to get fights out early, or late, or not at all. My guess, things will calm down due to both team's fear of going down by one in the series. I don't expect much carry over from game two.
• Will the Blues win on the road in the playoffs?
• Blues are easily winning the top two lines battle. (Backes V Thornton)
• Look for T.J. Oshie to emerge as a playoff star. (Followed by Perron)

Let's Go Blues!

Game 2 Highlights:

Bring on the Sharks! But Who Will Hold the Net?

The Blues finished the season with a victory over the Dallas Stars on Saturday night. The Pacific division shuffled around and with a Vancouver win, the Blues were seeded second in the Western Conference. This means they will face the Sharks in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs to begin Wednesday.

The NHL network will reveal the schedule live at noon today.

The Blues were 4-0 against the Sharks this season and have dominated them in recent years. But this is the post season and the Blues have not been at the top of their game of late while the Sharks have been on fire.

The Pacific division came down to the wire. The Coyotes won on the last game of the season (defeating the Blues a night before) to clinch the division and making the final game between the Kings and Sharks a battle for seventh and eighth place.

The Blues' final opponent, Dallas, was in first place in that division five games ago. Now their season is over, sitting in ninth place.

The Sharks had to battle to get into the playoffs and the Blues stumbled on their way in. A few days off should give them time to regroup, rest, and get back to the style that made them an elite team this year.

The time off will also give Hitchcock a chance to think about the roster. The forth line could be made of any number of players. The goaltending situation is a good thing, but no easy task to pick a starter for game one.

Could the NHL leader in GA and Save %  be sitting the first game of the playoffs? It certainly appears so. Elliott did not get much support in his 4-1 loss against Phoenix, and his entire miraculous, best season by a goalie from start to finish that I have ever seen by a Blues goalie may be unfairly summed up by that loss. 


On the other hand, Halak does have more playoff experience which includes that amazing run with Montreal two years ago. Of course, when he did that, he was a back-up goalie that out-shined the starter (sound familiar?)

Blues vs Red Wings, Tonight!

Here's a little something to get us going...

We already know they have tremendous sex...

2012 "Because It's the Playoffs"

Jon Hamm Loves the Blues

With the long anticipated premiere of the hit show Mad Men, it's time to point out the Blues' number one celebrity fan.

       "...I follow the Blues, they're my team..."
                               -Jon Hamm


John Hamm is not just a casual celebrity fan, he love da Blues. He even totes around that old hat that he remembers buying from the Kiel Center (who cares when the date was?).

He recently talked to Toranto.com about being such a big fan. He says that the team's success has given him some bragging rights against his on-screen fiancee from Mad Men, Jessica Pare`, a native of Montreal and avid Canadiens fan:

"It's non-stop hockey talk," said Hamm. "I'm from St. Louis, our Blues are doing very well this year, and I can lay into her beloved Canadiens."

I wonder how much Halak has come up in those conversations...

We've all seen those ads that Hamm did for the 2009 season, but here is an excellent interview where he talks about what hockey and the Blues have meant to him, and the fact that he considers hockey to be "the most immediate, exciting, fun sport on the planet." My thoughts exactly.



Good luck on the show Mr. Hamm, I'm a big fan. The show is fantastic!

Yahoo Video: Are the Blues the NHL's Best Team?

Playoff Bound!

The Blues become the first team in the NHL to clinch a playoff spot with their 100th point on the season.

With a 3-1 win at Tampa Bay Saturday night the Blues reached 100 points, and more importantly, clinched a playoff berth. They became the first team to reach those two milestones in the NHL. The New York Rangers are the next closest team with 95 points.

The game-winning goal came from Jaden Schwartz in his first NHL game. He became the 13th player in franchise history to score in his debut.

Schwartz got acclimated to the "loose Blues" in the warm up skate when the team had him lead them onto the ice, but they all stopped at the bench. Schwartz proceeded to the ice and did two laps alone while the rest of the guys got a good laugh from the tunnel.

Berglund opened the scoring with a short-handed goal in the first made possible by a fantastic set-up from Alex Pietrangelo. Perron added the third goal on a partial break. Halak made 22 saves.

Andy McDonald did not play and is "week to week" as Hitchcock puts it. David Backes left the game early with a foot injury, not great news.

Even with all the injuries, the Blues continue to win. They are surging and doing it on the road. All this is a great testament to the system that Hitchcock has sold to the team.

Blues Blanked by Canes

Can't Hang on In Chicago

May the Schwartz Be With Us

Jaden Schwartz will join the Blues in Chicago.

The Blues were silent during the trade deadline mainly due to the ongoing ownership fiasco, but on Monday they added a player without giving up a thing. The Blues first round pick in 2010 and 14th overall, Jaden Schwartz has signed a three-year entry level contract. He will join the team in Chicago today and be available to play in Tuesday's game.

So the questions for fans to ponder become: Will he play? How much will he play? How big of a contribution is the team expecting from him down the stretch and into the playoffs? Can he make an impact? Who sits? (This is not a good sign for the return of Steen and D'agostini.)

The decision of how much Schwartz will contribute will be in the hands of his almighty, Ken Hitchcock.

"Ken knows hockey, does his research," Blues' GM Doug Armstrong said. "He will make those decisions."

By rule, a player who signs a contract this year has to play in the NHL, so Schwartz will not be shipped to the minors. He will be with the Note for the rest of the season.

Schwartz, 19, lead Colorado College with 41 points in 30 games. Their season came to a surprising end Saturday when they were upset by Michigan Tech in the WCHA playoffs.

More impressively, he was named the captain of team Canada's 2012 World Junior team. A rarity considering he was a college sophomore playing in the United States.

Armstong said that scouts were very impressed with Schwartz's play and thought he was ready for the NHL. Taking in the fact that the Blues are injury depleted, they felt that signing him was a benefit for the team.

There is a good chance Blues fans will see the NHL debut of Jaden Schwartz Tuesday in Chicago.


Que the jumbo tron:

Super Tuesday

With Tuesday's convincing win against Chicago the Blues show they're Presidential contenders.

The Blues came back from a productive road trip to Scottrade on Tuesday. They beat the rival Blackhawks 5-1, outplaying them for 60 minutes. They are used to dominating teams on home ice, but the recent trip, where their record was 5-1, was very successful for several reasons: The Blues nabbed 10 of 12 points, they took over first place in the Central from the Red Wings, and they proved they can win on the road.

The Blues' special teams are also improving. On the trip they shut down the top four power plays: Edmonton, Nashville, Vancouver, and San Jose. On the other end, the Note's power play went 5-for-16.

The Blues are improving in most their trouble areas from earlier in the season, including getting plenty of offensive boost from the return of Andy McDonald.

They are running on all cylinders and there is no reason why they can not make a run at the President's Trophy. The hardware doesn't mean much, hopefully their minds are on a different piece of hardware, but the home ice advantage throughout the playoffs will mean a lot.

"It's hard not to look at the standings and see where we are," McDonald said. "It's exciting. we realize there is a lot of hard work left. More importantly, we have to make sure we're getting our game to a spot where we're ready for the playoffs and improving, not kind of coasting into the playoffs. We want to be playing at the top of our game."

If they continue playing at this pace, they may cruise into the playoffs atop the NHL.

Highlights:

Al MacInnis: Forever a Blue, Flame

It is amazing to think that Al MacInnis produced more for a team than he did for the St. Louis Blues. But that may be the case for his time spent as a Calgary Flame.

MacInnis was inducted to the "Forever a Flame" program in Calgary Monday night. A banner with his picture and number 2 will forever hang above the rink where he started his career. He is the first to receive this great distinction.

MacInnis' Hall of Fame career spanned 23 seasons, 13 with Calgary and 10 with St. Louis. As a Flame he played 803 games, scored 213 goals, and amassed 609 assists which adds up to 1,274 points. He was an all-star eight times in Calgary. But his most lasting accomplishment came in the Flames 1989 run to the Stanley Cup, when the man they call "Chopper" lead the playoffs in scoring with 31 points, and captured the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP. It marked the first time that a defenseman lead the NHL postseason in scoring. MacInnis considers winning the Cup in Calgary his "greatest hockey accomplishment in the NHL."

MacInnis was traded to St. Louis in the summer of 1994. In 613 games with the Blues he had 127 goals and 325 assists for 452 points. In 1999 he won his first and only Norris Trophy as the leagues best defenseman. He also won an Olympic gold medal with Canada in 2002. He announced his retirement in 2005 and took a job in the Blues front office as the vice president of hockey operations. His number 2 is retired and will forever hang in the rafters in St. Louis.

In his career he played in 1,406 games, scored 340 goals, and added 934 assists. He was elected into the hockey hall of fame in 2007.

John Kelly said, "in the history of the NHL he's got to be on the short list of all-time greatest defenseman." Joel Quenneville used to brag that MacInnis was one of the top five players to ever lace up the skates.

Growing up in St. Louis as a young defenseman in the 90's, I idolized Al MacInnis. I practiced my slap shot everyday to mimic Chopper. I took more pride in the way I handled the puck on the blue line after watching him. In school, I wrote a biography in English class detailing his wife. I clipped newspaper articles and have them to this day. I always looked back at his time spent in Calgary with jealousy, seeing pictures of him raising the cup. Although he was unable to lift the cup as a player, it would appear he can do it as a member of the Blues' front office.

It was a fantastic ceremony, and Calgary deserves to be proud. Do yourself a favor and watch it:

The Blues beat the Flames 3-1 in the game that followed. Jason Arnott scored 2 goals. It was their third straight road win:

This Date in Blues History: Blues Acquire Greatness

On February 27, 1996 the Blues shook the hockey world as they announced the greatest player of all time would sport the note. Wayne Gretzky signed with buddy Brett Hull, and Shane Corson gladly handed over the "C" to welcome The Great One to town.


The excitement around St. Louis was amazing. I specifically remember feeling as if it was a dream. It was like a superhero had come down from the big screen to play for the Blues.


Gretzky scored in his first game wearing the Note. He played 18 games with the Blues that season, netting 8 goals and 13 assists for 21 points. No one knew at the time that that would be his career stats in St. Louis.


The Blues defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the playoffs. Next, they faced off against the President's Trophy winner Detroit Red Wings in a memorable seven game series. Chris Pronger, in an off-air sound bite, recalled an encounter early on in the series where Coach Mike Keenan came into the locker room and ripped everyone a new one including Gretzky, who decided then and there that he was not resigning in St. Louis:


Pronger recalls: "Thank f***ing God I wasn't on the ice, because I would have been blamed for it...We got spanked in that series, we lost the first game tight, 3-2, whatever, second game we got blown out 8-1, and it was like an NBC game, or whatever it was, and, oh my God, [coach Mike Keenan] came in and ripped everybody, tore Gretzky a new ass, and I'm sure he'd never had that happen before, and that was it, he was like, 'I'm not re-signing here, I'm done.' That was it. Mike showed up at his hotel that night- it was an afternoon game- that night showed up shitfaced at his room, he was staying at the Ritz in St. Louis..."-The break ends. It would be nice to know what Keenan said to him. He apparently apologized, but the damage was done.


That series ended with a puck being stolen from Gretzky at center ice, and the rest is one of the most famous goals in NHL history, but one of the worst moments in Blues' history.


What might have been? The Blues had 8 Hall of Famers on that 1996 team. If Hull and Gretzky would have played together for a few seasons many feel as if the Blues would have their Stanley Cup.


Amazing News Flashback (Remember when ESPN cared about hockey?)


Gretzky's First Goal as a Blue:

Health is on the Way

Jason Arnott and Kent Huskins will return to the lineup tonight against the Islanders.

Both veterans are ready to go according to Head Coach Ken Hitchcock. Huskins will take Carlo Colaiacovo's spot, as he suffered from a wrist injury in practice Wednesday.

Arnott has been out since February 3 with a shoulder injury after crashing into the boards awkwardly in a game against Los Angeles. He has missed six games. Through 49 games, Arnott has 12 goals and 12 assists (24 points). He has been a pleasant offensive surprise this season, especially on the power play.

Huskins has been out since October 28, when he fractured his ankle. He had surgery November 16 and has missed 46 games. In nine games with the Blues, Huskins, not usually known for his offense, has 2 goals and 2 assists with a plus-6 rating.

Meanwhile, both Matt D'Agostini and Alexander Steen remain on the shelf with concussion syndromes.

Hitchcock is happy to have Arnott & Huskins back:

Central Issue

The Blues must improve their play against their division rivals if they are going to maintain a top spot in the West.

Their recent relapse against the worst team in the league, the Columbus Blue Jackets, is showing a concerning trend with the Blues: they have a horrible record against their Central Division rivals.


That record is 5-7-2, and it is trending downward quickly. In the last seven games against the division their record is 1-5-2. Although the Blues play against the rest of the league overshadows this flaw, it is quite troublesome.


To start, half of the teams in the Western Conference playoff bracket will more than likely be from the Central Division: Chicago, Detroit, Nashville, and St. Louis. If the Blues do not win the division, they will more than likely face one of these rivals in the first round.


Of course, that is assuming the Blues make the playoffs. They have ten games remaining against the Central, four on the road and six at home. The fact that a majority of these games are at home gives some hope to a better record. Those twenty points are crucial to the Blues position in the playoffs. Obviously it has become apparent that home ice advantage would be a huge advantage for the note, and a goal they will strive for as they charge towards the playoffs.

The Blues were 12-8-4 against the Central last season, including 5-5-2 on the road. They are 1-4-1 on the road this season. That lone win was a 2-1 tilt against the Blue Jackets. The Note is 0-3 in Detroit and 0-1-1 in Nashville. They have three games left in Chicago. The club needs to perform better in their division and on the road.


"We've got to play 60 minutes on the road," Jamie Langenbrunner said. "For whatever reason, we haven't been doing that. We've had breaks in our game where we've allowed the team to take control. We can't do that."

Here We Go Again With Berglund...

It's that time when fans get excited about the big Swede down the stretch.


Like clockwork, Patrik Berglund is playing like he should. At 6'4" and 210 pounds, Berglund rarely uses his size to his advantage until the latter stages of the NHL season. Last year he came on about this time and infused belief back into many Blues fans with most of his 22 goals and 30 assists coming down the stretch. His powerhouse performance continued in the 2011 World Championships, where he received MVP consideration.

But also like clockwork, he began the current NHL season flat again. He was nonexistent for the first 50 games. His defensive play was average at best, and he showed little enthusiasm on the ice.

Last year, assistant coach Scott Mellanby allegedly lit a fire under Berglund with his own unique-style of heart-to-heart with the young Blues forward (think of the language that was used). It worked well, but if you are an NHL player, do you constantly need a coach questioning your manhood to get you going? Do the Blues want that kind of player on the roster?

Cup contenders have self-motivated players, and THAT is what it's all about. This fan is not interested in a good season, MVP awards, breakout players, attendance, entertainment value of games, etc. He's interested in a big shinny silver trophy making its way down Market. And I only want players that are interested in that path as well (i.e. David Backes and Perron).

So for the Blues, the big question this season is: Will Berglund's fire keep burning in the playoffs? If it does, I will take the slow start. Cup contenders always have a hot goal scorer in the playoffs. But notoriously, skill players such as Berglund do not fair well in the post season. Time and space, something that Berglund should create with his size but often does not, will be limited to "nowhere to be found" in the postseason. His play in last year's World Championships was encouraging, but that was when he was playing for Sweden, not St. Louis.

Rust Proof

Halak shines in shutout as the Blues show little let down after the longest all-star break in the NHL.

The Blues looked like the same great defensive team that went into the break as they beat Los Angeles 1-0 Friday night. Jamie Langenbrunner scored the lone goal on a great feed from Matt D'Agostini.

That was all the Blues would need as Jaroslav Halak stopped all 22 shots he faced. It was his fifth shutout of the season. Both he and Elliot have five on the season, giving the team ten, tops in the NHL.

That marks the first time that the Blues have had two goalies with at least ten shutouts since Jaques Plante and Glenn Hall did it in 1968-69. They made it to the Stanley Cup Finals that season.

The Blues were weary that the long layoff would cause them to come out a bit rusty, but after firing 12 shots and racking up 15 hits in the first, all worry was gone.

"We started out pretty good actually, but I don't know how that was because I felt terrible," said Matt D'Agostini. "I couldn't skate."

Dags looked good in the second. On a great individual effort, he chipped a puck by a King defender and set up Langenbrunner for the lone score .

The Blues were able to let that goal stand as the winner because of the outstanding play of Halak. He made three world-class left pad saves in the second half of the game. Halak should get the start tonight when the Note face off in Nashville against the Predators.

Highlights:

Backes, Blues Buffalo Sabers

The Blues are almost buffaloed, but with the help of David Backes' four points they put away the Sabers.

The Blues did not look like the same defensive team that had won two games in a row by a score of 1-0 early on in a game that coach Hitchcock described as a "horse race." The game was wide-open in the first period, with both teams exchanging odd-man breaks. The score was 1-0 Buffalo after one.

David Backes went crashing into the boards awkwardly in that first period. He went to the dressing room and most watching doubted a return. Lucky for the Blues he did return, having a point on the Blues' four goals, lifting them to a 4-2 win. Backes won the new "hard-hat award," the Blues call "the weenie of the game."

"We've been doing it for maybe six, seven, eight games here...I'm going to relish this for the rest of the night."

Well put by the articulate captain. Hitchcock had some words of his own to say about the captain:

"We had a lot of good players today, led by our captain," Hitchchock said. "I thought our captain and that line (Perron-Backes-Oshie) really led us. David came back just like a bear and really went to work there. He was a major reason we won the hockey game today."

It is still an anomaly to most how Backes did not make the all-star team. Another all-star snub, Alex Pietrangelo extended his point streak to nine games with an assist.

Halak got the start in net and set a career-best for consecutive shutout minutes (164:38). The first goal was fairly a weak one, but he bounced back and made some saves when he had to. I still believe Halak has some work to do, weak goals can not fly in the playoffs.

The Blues improved to 8-0-1 in 2012, and improved to 64 points, just one point behind Detroit for the Central Division/Western Conference lead. The Central continues to be the most competitive division in hockey, with four teams in the top five in points in the conference.

Lucky for fans, the Blues are in that mix this season.

Highlights:

One and Done, Again

The Blues play "the way hockey was meant to be played," and for the second game in a row shutout an opponent and score late to win.

In dramatic fashion, the Blues got a late goal from Alex Pietrangelo to beat the Oilers 1-0 Thursday. He scored with just 5:14 remaining on a great wrap-around to finally beat Oiler goalie Nikolai Khabibulin. The Blues had the first 18 shots on goal and out shot Edmonton 38-15.


Facing those 15 shots was Jaro Halak, whose second shutout in a row improved his record to 10-0-3 in his last 13 games.

The Blues' record has improved to a league-best 20-3-3 at home and gives them 62 points, the second most in the Conference behind Detroit (63). The Central Division contains the Western Conference's three best teams (DET, STL, CHI).

The Scotty is becoming a nightmare for opponents and now they are starting to take notice:

"They came out with tremendous pressure and intensity, Edmonton Defensman Andy Sutton said. "That's the way hockey was meant to be played."

Highlights:

Two for 1

Brian Elliott signed a two-year extension with the Blues Wednesday.


Elliott could have played the market this summer and possibly cashed in on a good season and earn a starting job with another team, but the attraction of staying with the Blues was too much.


"I like the look of our team, I like the guys, I like the city, and just the whole organization has been great to me and gave me an opportunity," Elliott told the St. Louis Post Dispatch. "I think we have a pretty good thing going right now. I've been on the other side of it and I'm not a guy that will want to roll the dice all the time. I just like to have it done and not worry about it, so I can just play hockey. I think it was a move for me and hopefully the organization thinks so as well."

GM Doug Armstrong summed up what the organization thinks of the signing:

"Brian came in here and helped stabilize our goaltending and make it one of the top tandems in the NHL. Having Brian and Jaro signed through the 13-14 season our goaltending is set. Along with Ben Bishop and Jake Allen in Peoria, out depth at goaltender has never been stronger."

And that depth has shown this season. The Elliot/Jaro tandem has posted a 1.98 GAA which is tied for the top spot in the NHL. Their eight combined shutouts is the outright lead in the NHL.

Elliott's numbers are a big part of that tandem. With a record of 15-5-1 he is second in the NHL with a 1.68 GAA, .937 SV%, and five shutouts. He has also allowed the fewest goals (36) and has the fewest losses amongst goalies with at least 20 starts. He is also a big part of the Blues' dominance at home with his league-best home record of 9-1-1.

Elliott will be the Blues lone representative at the all-star game in Ottawa, where he started his career.

Shooting Stars

The Blues moved into a tie for first in the NHL with Monday's win over Dallas.

The Blues beat the Stars 1-0 Monday night at the Scotty. The win gave them 60 points, and put them in a tie with the Rangers and Blackhawks for first place in the entire NHL. It has been a dozen years since the Blues have been at that spot this late in the season.

Jaroslav Halak made 22 saves for his third shutout of the season. He is 9-0-3 in his last 12 starts.

At the start of the third, T.J. Oshie was placed on a line with David Backes and Perron. The move paid off late in the game, Oshie scored a highlight goal on a great feed from Perron.

That was all the tight-checking Blues would need. They are defining their game as a team that plays a tight checking, defensive game, but has the skill to score when need be.

The young stars are beginning to shine, and the sky is the limit for this first place team.


Highlights:

Monkey Off Their Back

The Blues win their first shootout of the season, hoisting them to first in the Central for another moment.

The Note defeated the Wild for the first time this season Saturday night, 3-2. It was also their first shootout victory on the season, moving their record in the "Shoot-em-ups" to 1-5. They were the last Western Conference team to have a shootout victory.

The Blues moved to first in the division with the win, but relinquished it today with a Chicago win. The Central Division is going to be a dogfight this year; glad the Blues will take part.

David Perron and Alex Pietrangelo scored just 2:35 apart in the second to erase a 1-0 deficit. Pietrangelo continues his fine play and was a beast all night long. It was as if he never left the ice, and made world-class moves while there.

Jaro Halak had another fine outing in net, including stopping all three Wild attempts in the shootout. That allowed for Kevin Shattenkirk's lone Blues' goal to seal the game. It was only their second shootout goal of the season, but enough for their first victory.

"I think this is a big weight off of everybody's shoulders, Coach Hitchcock said. "That's as much joy as I've seen on the bench in a long time."

Highlights:

Number One

The Blues played for a chance to be number one in the Western Conference last night against the Canucks.

Unfortunately they lost by one goal, 3-2.  It came down to one bad call that lead to the game winning goal in overtime. The Blues earned one point in the overtime loss, giving them 56 total points, good enough for second in the conference, and number one in the Central Division.

Number one Brian Elliott was named the Blues one representative to the all-star game in Ottawa. He will return to the city where he played just one year ago.

The Great One was in attendance last night. One must wonder if he is considering being apart of the new ownership group.

Highlights:

Halak's Homecoming is Special

Jaroslav Halak went into Montreal Tuesday for another high pressure game, but this time he was playing against the Habs. His reception was a warm one nonetheless.

After all of the media attention, Halak put on a clinic and lead the Blues to a 3-0 shutout victory, not to mention a first place position in the Central Division.

Halak made 19 saves, not overwhelming, but that did included some highlights. None was better than the one he made against Tomas Plekanec just 3:13 into the game. Plekanec was stopped by Halak's quick right leg on a short handed breakaway.

"I tried to put my pad on the ice and thank God I stopped it," Halak told the Post-Dispatch. "It calmed me down."

But that was not the special moment. After sealing the shutout and getting congratulations from his teammates, Halak made his way off the ice while a capacity crowd stood cheering. His teammates would not let him down the tunnel.

"They told me to come out and enjoy the moment, and it was great," Halak said.

Highlights:


Who Gets the Start?

The rule to start the next game after a shutout was waved for Brian Elliott so that Halak could start the special game in Montreal. Elliott was to get the start against the Canucks Thursday night, but who starts now? I say Elliott, and when he gets a shutout then we start Halak after that, owing him his start from Montreal. They can just keep trading shutouts for all Blues fans care!

Blues Stop Landslide

The Avalanche were one of the hottest teams in the league until they stepped onto Scottrade Center ice last night.



The Blues dominated the Avalanche and cruised to a 4-0, league-leading 17th home ice win Saturday. They scored two power play goals, and jumped into first in the Central Division. It was their first win against the Aves this season.

The first place spot will be relinquished when Detroit and Chicago meet up Sunday, but it is a testament to how well the Blues have been playing and how competitive the best division in hockey is.

Brain Elliot gained his fifth shutout of the season, facing only 15 shots. The Blues played most of the game in Colorado's end, including scoring two power play goals and being just one second shy of adding a third.

Patrik Berglund opened the scoring when T.J. Oshie banged a shot off his leg and past J.S. Giguere. Kevin Shattenkirk remained hot against his old club, scoring on a point shot. In the second, Jason Arnott, our power play savior, scored his team-leading fourth power play goal. Not to be outdone, Captain David Backes added his fourth PPG in the third to cap off a 4-0 route of the Aves.

The Blues are 24-12-5 at the midway point of the season and own first place in the Central Division this late in the season for the first time since January 2001.


Highlights:



Notes:

Elliott gained his fifth shutout of the season. Per Hitchcock's policy, he should get the start Tuesday against Montreal. That will not happen though, given that it is Halak's return to the city. I am not one for conspiracy theories, but it seems like the Blues are always finding excuses to play Halak over the hotter Elliott. Just a thought. ($$$$$$$)

T.J. Oshie was all over the ice. He was hitting and making plays offensively. He is becoming that player that everyone has thought he was been the last few seasons. This is how it should be.

David Backes: what a captain, what a leader.

Arnott: what a pick-up by Army. Think where the PP would be without him.

The Blues are doing all this without Steen, McDonald, Kris Russell, and Kent Huskins (who is set to return soon). They are proving their depth.

Blues show maturity with big comeback win

Blues show maturity with big comeback win

Good article from StlToday.com about the comeback win.

A few notes:

We are seeing who steps up in a playoff-like atmosphere: guys like Backes, Langenbrunner, Stewart, and Pietrangelo.

I am still not sold on Jaro Halak as the number one guy. To me, Elliott has stolen games that the Blues should have lost. Halak gives up momentum shattering goals, still. The second goal he let in Thursday was overshadowed by the poor refereeing. To point it out once more, Halak has been good, Elliott has been great.

Highlights:

Who Own Da Blues?

"Owns...Owns..."


With the NHL terminating Chicago businessman Michael Hulsizer's bid to purchase the St. Louis Blues, minority owner Tom Stillman has emerged as the front-runner to purchase the team.


Stillman is chairman and CEO of Summit Distributing, a St. Louis-based beer distributor. He is an avid hockey fan who plays the game himself, and supports the Blues (I've personally seen him at games).


Many believe, including Bernie Federko, that Stillman may be the best choice for the organization, based on his support for the team and the city of St. Louis.


I have been secretly hoping that Stillman would somehow get the chance to take majority ownership. It would be great for the Blues to have a local owner, especially one that is such an avid fan. It may pay great dividends having an owner that sees the team as more of a passion rather than a business. Many also like the fact that there will be no chance of the team moving, although I think there was zero threat of that happening anyway. The Blues need stability and maybe a little bit of spending to take this team over the top and compete for that Stanley Cup. Doug Armstrong with a little expendable cash could be a very scary thing...scary good. An added bonus is the rumor that Brett Hull is interested in joining Stillman's group in the purchase (Wayne Gretzky's name has also been mentioned).


The clock will most likely begin ticking soon for Stillman and his group. The NHL has rejected previous attempts by the group to buy the club.

Click here for a profile of Tom Stillman.

Blues Begin 2012 with a Win

The Blues halted their longest winless streak at three games by defeating the Phoenix Coyotes 4-1 at home last night.

Christ Stewart is quietly heating up and scored the first goal of the game. Jamie Langenbrunner added a goal in the first on a tip in from Barret Jackman's shot from the point. Phoenix scored late on a power play making the score 2-1 at the end of one. Speaking of things heating up as of late, T.J. Oshie scored on the power play in the Second on a nice neutral zone transition. Berglund added an empty netter to close out the game's scoring.

Jaroslav Halak made 33 saves and was the games number one star. David Perron and Alex Pietrangelo both had 2 assists. Jackman had a notably strong game on defense, which is significant since the Blues are shorthanded in that department due to injuries and suspensions.

The Note improved to 15-3-2 at home, and have nabbed 32 of a possible 40 points. The Blues have become one of the league's best home teams, which should come in handy during January when they play 9 of 11 at Scottrade. In February and March the team goes on the road for 19 of 30. They were in playoff contention last year until an awful January. This team looks to have a great January and rack up the points at home.

Highlights:

Shanabanned: Where's the Consistency NHL?

Ian Cole became the first player suspended by Brendan Shanahan and the NHL in 2012. The league is trying to crack down on "contact to the head," which Cole clearly violated.


But a three game suspension? For a first-time offender?


Here is the hit:





Now let's observe another hit that happened just four nights earlier:





See a difference? I did. The one that got suspend was wearing Blue and the one that is skating scott-free is wearing red. It is funny to listen to the Detroit announcers on both videos. What a couple of stupid-asses. "Oh, of course daisy-Datsyuk didn't do anything wrong." 


There are a few reasons why Datsyuk's hit on Jackman was worse and warranted more punishment than Cole's hit on Abdelkader:


First, Abdelkader had his head down, going across the middle of the ice, with a pass that was suicidal. Keep your head up, you've heard it since mites. Datsyuk literally targeted Jackman's head, which is in the wording of the rule: "targeting the head." Not condoning Cole's hit, but you can see the bias from the league.


Second, Datsyuk is 5'11'' and Jackman is 6', so Datsyuk had to literally leap (charge) and elbow Jackman. Both penalties,and neither were called. Of course, you do not need to be given a penalty for a suspension to be given, but yeah, right, like the league would suspend a Red Wing.


This favorable treatment given to the Swedish National Team is getting rather old. It was old a decade ago. The Wings' day of reckoning is ahead of them and I will be standing and smiling when it happens. Of course, it will not be the NHL that gives it to them, but I think the boys in Blue could. Jackman and others have good memories.


Not time to pout Note, time to get even. Make the playoffs and meet the Red Weaks there. Take them out, and smile as you ride to the next round. The NHL will not be doing you any favors, and we all love an underdog, against the odds story.

Blues Have Reasons to Worry

It is reality check time. A lot of positives have been written about the Blues this year and it's about time we had some pessimism. The Note did not finish out 2011 well (dropping 3 of 4 including 2 to the wings) and need to find a way to fight through some worries so the city of St. Louis can see some Competitive playoff hockey, which has been missing for about a decade now.




Here is a list of concerns the Blues need to address:

1. Offense: Of course this would be number one. The Blues inability to score goals seems to be their biggest weakness. If they fall behind by any number of goals it is tough for them to come back. The main catalyst for this weakness is their power play, which has shown signs of being better of late, but still not good enough. Teams in the playoffs generally have great special teams. Also, minute production from players such as Patrick Berglund and Chris Stewart have hurt the ability to score goals. Stewart has played well, but Berglund looks like his same old self after last Spring's hopefulness that was just a tease for fans. Look for Berglund to maybe be dealt at the deadline if the Blues are in the hunt and they can resolve issue #9 on this list.
2. Schedule Down the Stretch: Have you seen the February and March Schedule? To say it is brutal is an understatement. The Note plays only 11 home games in that two month period. They have 19 on the road, including a 7-game road trip in mid-March. For at team fighting for a playoff birth and below .500 on the road (see #7), that is a tough way to go.
3. Division Record: The Blues are 5-3-2 within their division. Yeah, this is a winning record, but when you take out bottom-feeder Columbus and consider that the rest of the division teams are all playoff contenders, the record does not look as good (3-3-2). They are winless (0-1-2) against Nashville and .500 against Chicago (1-1) and Detroit (2-2). Teams that do not beat those in their division generally miss the postseason.
4. Injuries: They are beginning to pile up. The Blues showed they have depth, but the quality of players that are beginning to go down is hurting them. Andy MacDonald's absence is a big reason the offense is stagnant. Defensemen newcomers Kris Russell and Kent Huskins both played tremendously well until they were sidelined. The most detrimental injury however has been Alexander Steen. The unsung MVP of the Blues for the past few years is out with "concussion-like symptoms," and the Note better hope it is just the symptoms, or they may be looking at missing the playoffs again this season. Steen is a hard player to replace, no matter what your depth is.
5. Current Team has Virtually the Same Record as Last Year's: That is correct, the Blues are 21-12-5 through 38 games, and were 20-13-5 last season at this same point. We know how last season ended, and how horrid January was. But you say, "this January they have a favorable schedule, 9 of 11 at home." Yes, but do I have to remind you of February and March? They better rack up some points in January.
6. Goaltending: Many would say that this has been the Blues' biggest strong suit since the regime change, but one question remains: Can either Halak or Elliott truly be a number one goaltender? Neither one has proved it in the past. Elliott has slowed his spectacular pace he set at the beginning of the season but still remains at the top of GAA and Save%, and Halak has remained serviceable, but can either one lead this team into and through the playoffs?
7. Road Record: 7-9-3. Not good. Needs to be at least .500 to make the playoffs, and you need to be able to win on the road to be successful in the playoffs, especially if you do not have home ice advantage.
8. Shootout Record: 0-5. Do you miss Brad Boyes? The Blues have only scored 1 goal all season in the shootout. That extra point has gotten some teams into the playoffs in recent years (more the reason to get rid of it, but that is a different rant for a different day).
9. Ownership: Will the Blues be sold and the ownership issue resolved anytime soon? We keep getting hopeful news that it will, but it just never seems to happen. It is important if the Blues maybe wish to spend some money down the stretch and go after someone to improve that struggling offense.
10. Experience: The addition of Arnott and Langenbrunner have been tremendous to the team and it has shown, but is it enough? We still have a team full of kids with little to no playoff experience. And those that have that experience remember that is was not good (being swept by Vancouver, anyone?) How much can the veterans help the youngster focus down the stretch, and hopefully the playoffs, remains to be seen.

Of course, even with all of these concerns the Blues have played well this season and seem to have a different attitude about them than any team in recent history. They play tenacious defense and very well in tight games, which will help them in the postseason. This team is also much more disciplined than recent Blues teams. Being virtually unbeatable on home ice also helps. At this point though, if the Blues miss out on the Stanley Cup Playoffs again, there will be some very demoralized fans. And Army will certainly be busy again in the off season.