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.