Will Johnson Ever Grow?

I know that Erik Johnson is "developing" as a defenseman and he is technically only in his second year, but does it seem like he has not grown at all in the NHL? After watching him give away a puck with a blind pass in his own end to seal the deal on a 4-2 Columbus Bluejackets win thus ending a four game winning streak for the note, I had to speak up. I've been keeping relatively calm about Erik Johnson's "development" or lack there of. But that giveaway hurt, and it is not an isolated incident. Watch how many times he rims the puck around the boards instead of being a heads-up* defenseman that is patient enough to find an open teammate. Count how many times he gives away a Blues' possession with a fling of the puck. Stuff like this would be easy to shake off if he were contributing offensively or a physical force on the blueline, but he's not. And those were the two specific things that EJ was advertised as being coming into the league...as the number one overall pick I might add.

Speaking of guys who are heads-up defensemen, does anyone else feel as if Darryl Sydor should be playing on a nightly basis? I thought maybe it was an Andy Murray thing, but he has yet to crack the lineup consistently under Davis Payne. This guy has been to three Stanly Cups and won two; end of argument. After the outstanding play of Mike Weaver and Roman Polak, and the surprisingly consistent play of Barret Jackman this season, Sydor would be my next choice on the blueline, and by a wide margin.

*A player in hockey who keeps their head up to make plays.

Backes takes on Canada (Blaim Canada)

Good story about the whole "Backes vs. Team Canada" theory:
A little patriotic irony behind Backes' fighting spree


Pierre Lebrun lists some potential fights Backes may have with upcoming opponents. My guess: Ryan Getzlaf for his cheap shot on Jackman that cost the Blues at least a point.

Blues Come Home 1-1

The St. Louis Blues come home with a 1-1 record after beginning the season on the road. The Blues lost Thursday to Phoenix 3-2, and then came from behind to beat Los Angeles 5-3.

After dropping their season opener in Phoenix, the Blues fell behind the Kings 3-1 after 2 periods. But four 3rd period goals made sure the Blues would not come back home winnless.

Erik Johnson scored on a power play late in the third to give the Blues a 4-3 lead. It was Johnson's first ever NHL goal.

HIGHLIGHTS OF 4-3 WIN:

Johnson Signs

Erik Johnson, the Blues 2006 first round draft choice, signed with the team and will not return to the University of Minnesota next season.

I had a great time playing for the University of Minnesota and would like to thank all my teammates and coaches,” said Johnson. “It was the right time for me to make the decision to turn pro with the St. Louis Blues and I cannot wait for the season to start.”

“We are very excited about Erik’s decision to join our hockey club next season,” said Davidson. “We wanted to give Erik the proper time to make the best decision for himself and his family.”

Johnson, 19, became the Blues' first ever number 1 draft choice in 2006. A native of Bloomington, MN., Johnson spent this past season with the Minnesota Golden Gophers, leading them to the WCHA Regular Season and WCHA Final Five Championships. He recorded 24 points (four goals, 20 assists) in 41 games played while being named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team. He led all WCHA rookie blue-liners in scoring while ranking third on Minnesota in scoring among defensemen.

Johnson is also 1 of 10 Blues that will play in the 2007 World Championships in Moscow, Russia from April 27-May 13. Andy Murray will coach Eric Brewer, Jay McClement, Barret Jackman, and Jamal Mayers on team Canada. Lee Stempniak and David Backes will join Johnson on team USA, while Petr Cajanek will play for the Czech Republic, and Christian Backman will play for Olympic gold medal winner Sweden.

Turn the Page

The Blues lost their final two games of the season to end with a record of 34-35-13. It is their second losing season in a row.

The Blues lost to two playoff-bound teams to close out the season, Thursday against Nashville 4-1, and Saturday against Minnesota 5-1.

The season was a series of ups and downs, but since the arrival of Andy Murray it's been more ups. It's a great turn around from nothing but a downer season last year.

The Blues have shown great interest in improving and the main goal for next season is to bring the team back where they belong this time of year, in the playoffs.

Read the articleA season of peaks and valleys for Blues fans from stltoday.com.

Blues Are Going Down Swinging

The Blues have started out their 4 game road trip to end the season with two wins. The first was against Dallas on Monday 4-2, and then last night against Phoenix 5-2.

Enforcer D.j. King tallied his first NHL point with an assist in Monday's game, then scored the 5th goal in the Phoenix win to mark his first career goal. King says he is getting bounces in his favor right now, but one can tell how hard he skates by watching him in action. King was just a goal away from a Gordie Howe Hat trick Monday, but finished it with his first career goal Tuesday.

Lee Stempniak scored his 25th and 26th goals on the season in the 4-2 win over Dallas. He became only the Blues' 4th draft pick ever to reach 25 goals in a season while with the team.


Doug Weight continues to be hot recording 2 goals and an assist in the two wins. Weight leads the team in points (59) and assists (43). He has a personal bet with Bill Guerin to see who can score more goals after the trade deadline. As of Wednesday, Weight has 10 and Guerin has 8.

The Blues outplayed their opponents in both wins, and are very excited about next season. For now, Blues fans will have to do what they do best, and wait for the day to come.





HIGHLIGHTS:

Thank Yous

Andy Murray:


John Davidson: