Let 'em Play!

The Blues lost Saturday night to the rival Blackhawks 5-2. Too many penalties, turnovers, and poor special teams led to their demise.

The game was forced into a special teams showdown after some

poor calls by a young officiating crew.

Nearly half-way through the second Patrick Berglund's stick was whacked out of his hand by Merian Hossa, who then proceeded to check Berglund, who did not have possession of the puck. Berglund went to the box, Sharp scored on the ensuing power-play making it a 3-2 game.

Hawks' captain Jonathan Toews got off scott-free after waiting for teammate Dan Carcillo to

come in and tackle Blues Captain David Backes before he began thrashing him with punches.

best penalty killer remained on the ice, literally, to kill the penalty. Carcillo and Backes went to the box. The Blues did come out with a power-play, but the Hawks

As Tony Twist put in the post-game: "Toews went for ice cream, realized he didn't have the

money and waited for one of his friends to pay for it." Well put from a guy who knows about fisticuffs.

At the end of the second, Backes faced-off against Dustin Bolland. The two got into a shoving match and were put in the box. Well played by Joel Quineville, the Hawks would defiantly take that gift, freeing Toews who was being frustrated by Backes all night. Backes should have known better, but the refs should have known better than to call penalties.

In the end, it was the Blues' powerless-play and the Hawks ability to score on the power-play and penalty kill that made the difference.

The Blues' special teams play has got to get better of them to become a true contender. They have another tough test coming this Tuesday against Detroit.

On a positive note, David Perron did make his much anticipated return and scored the first goal of the game. He took a hit after scoring and seemed fine. His level of play was quite high for someone who has missed 13 months. His adrenaline was running high so the next few games may be more telling. This much is sure: Perron will be a difference maker for the Blues this season.

Blues Lose in Shootout to Aves 3-2

Perron the horizon...

As if life could not get any better for Blues fans, it has been rumored that David Perron could make his comeback as early as Saturday.

The Blues are riding a wave of highs the likes of which they have not seen in a long time. The fans are energized at the teams' impressive record under new Head Coach Hitchcock, they have leaped into contention for first in the west, and big games against heated rivals Avalanche, Blackhawks, and Detroit are on the horizon.

Perron's return is one more thing to excite fans. The left winger has not played in 14 months since suffering a concussion last season.

Perron was cleared for full contact practice on November 18 and has been traveling with the team. It is not likely that he will play back-to-back games to start the season, plus making his debut on home ice gives Hitchcock the last change and allows the Blues to let Perron ease his way back into the lineup.

After Friday night's game in Colorado, the Blues' next five are at home, so it is most likely that Perron will make his debut on home ice. It may not get the national attention that Sidney Crosby received in his comeback, but all that matters is the fact that Blues fans are excited. (And shut Crosby down in his second game back, with a 3-2 OT victory!)

Perron Highlights:

Blues Marvel in D.C.

The Blues beat the Capitals 2-1 in Washington last night. It was their fourth straight win and propelled them to 4th place in the Western Conference.

After falling behind 1-0, T.J. Oshie scored late in the first with a dazzling goal, batting the puck out of mid air. Matt D'Agostini scored his sixth goal on a wraparound in the second, and Halak stopped the rest of the pucks that came his way.

The Blues' next game is Friday night at Colorado. It is the first meeting of the season for the two teams. Colorado has had the note's number in recent years.

Highlights:

This Date in Blues History...

November 29, 2000:

The Blues erased a 5-0 3rd period deficit in Toronto, then went on to win the game 6-5 in OT.

The Note became only the second team to come back from a 5 goal deficit and did it in the fastest time, making it what many consider to be the greatest comeback in NHL history.

The late Pavol Demitra scored the game-winning goal in OT. The late Igor Korolev also played in the game as a member of the Maple Leafs. Both players passed away September 7 when the plane carrying their KHL team crashed in Russia. Both wore number 38 for the Blues.

Truly one of the great moments in Blues history.

Relive the game now...(relish Ken Wilson's voice!)

Blues Remain Hot Under Hitchcock

The Blues won their third consecutive game Sunday at Columbus and improved to 7-1-2 under Ken Hitchcock. His .800 win percentage is the best 10 game start in team history, surpassing

Joel Quenneville (.700), the team's all-time wins leader.

Most importantly, the Blues have grabbed 16 of 20 points with Hitchcock at the helm. When he took over November 6, the Blues were in 14th place in the western conference. They now sit in 5th place with 28 points.

Hitchcock now has 541 NHL wins. He won a Stanley Cup with Dallas in 1999 and two gold medals with team Canada in 2002 and 2012.

Game Highlights

Blues Win Season-High Fifth Straight

Highlights: