Erich's Blues Blog

Development Camp was AMAZING!

2007-07-14T21:44:00.000-06:00

I had such a fun time attending the Blues 2007 Development Camp all week. I got to interview many of the prospects for Note Speak.
I will be posting my interviews of Erik Johnson, Lars Eller, Patrik Berglund and others throughout the weekend! Stay tuned to the site for all things Blues!

Development Camp in 1 day!

2007-07-08T02:19:00.000-06:00

I can't wait for Monday... On Monday the Prospect Camp begins!!! This will be my first one attending and I am very excited. I'm sure it will be a great time getting a chance to see all of our picks out on the ice together. I will be covering the camp for Note Speak as well as Captains of Carver, so you can be sure to expect full recaps and what not on each site. I will also be taking pictures which I will have up on this site. I am also looking forward to getting some autographs from some of the future Blues! It should be a blast and I'll be sure to fill everyone in with how it goes!

Kariya Press Conference

2007-07-03T15:43:00.000-06:00

The Blues officially announced Paul Kariya in a press conference today that was open to the public. In addition to the announcement, the Blues were offering an autographed Kariya #9 Sweater for any fan who purchased a pair of season tickets. This was a really cool promotion from the Blues. Unfortunately, the St. Louis media failed to cover the announcement, on TV or radio... The Blues website however has been doing a great job the past year with keeping up on these kind of things. The press conference video and pictures should be up at the Blues' Site. The audio can be found here.
This is an exciting time for Blues fans! The Blues will be holding a prospect camp from July 9th-13th at the IceZone at the St. Louis Mills. I will be attending at least 2 days if not more. Expect a full report both here and at Note Speak

Haven't done this is in a while....

2007-07-02T13:22:00.000-06:00

I know it's been a while, but I'm on the way back. I have been away most summer thus far and I'm looking forward to updating this site regularly.
This has been an exciting off-season thus far for the Blues. They have re-signed Barrett Jackman. Brought back Keith Tkachuk and in the most exciting news in a while, they have signed winger Paul Kariya to a 3 year 18 million dollar deal. The Note are shaping up to be a force this season, as they continue their "return" to the NHL's elite...

Captains of Carver

2007-03-15T09:31:00.000-06:00

Ok... I promise I will update more... I finally got my new site on MVN
settled... Captains of Carver. In addition to my Note Speak site on MVN, which covers our beloved Blues, I am also writing for the Peoria Rivermen... The Blues AHL affiliate. I encourage everyone to check them out!
In other news... The Blues take on the Vancouver Canucks tonight at 9pm Central time... I encourage everyone to stay up and watch and stay tuned to all my sites for upcoming articles... Thank you everyone for the comments and support!!!
Let's Go Blues!!!!

I've Been Slacking!!!

2007-03-08T10:53:00.000-06:00

Hey All! Sorry for the lack of updates... With Mid-Terms going on at school as well as increased responsibilities over at MVN, I know this site has been slipping... I promise it won't last long! Stay posted for imformation on what new oppurtunties I mean and don't forget to visit mvn.com/nhl-blues!
Let's Go Blues!

Blues beat Isles in OT Thriller

2007-03-02T10:09:00.000-06:00

The Blues came from 2 goals behind to defeat the New York Islanders, 3-2 in overtime... I have embedded the videos behind... the first video includes the last 3 minutes of regulation. The 2nd video is of OT. Enjoy
Last 3 minutes of regulation

Stempniak's Overtime Winner

Thanks to Bluesfan928 on YouTube for the videos!

Deadline Dealing...

2007-02-28T09:24:00.000-06:00

Tuesday was the Trade Deadline as many of you know. Here's what the Blues did over the past week...

Eric Brewer was re-signed to a 4 year deal
Manny Legace was re-signed to a 2 year deal
Keith Tkachuk traded to the Atlanta Thrashers for at least 3 picks and Glen Metropolit
Bill Guerin traded to the San Jose Sharks for 1st round conditional pick, Ville Neminen and prospect Jay Barriball
Dennis Wideman traded to the Boston Bruins for Brad Boyes... more to come later, however enjoy the video below...

In honor of Dennis Wideman's trade, you can be assured you will not see this anymore!

Tkachuk is Traded!!!

2007-02-25T10:16:00.000-06:00

As TSN reported this morning, Keith Tkachuk was dealt to the Atlanta Thrashers for a 2007 1st round pick, 2007 3rd round pick, 2008 2nd round pick as well as Glen Metropolit. I feel that the Blues got a good return for a possible rental player, that may be back in the Note next year. There is some confusion though on what will happen if Tkachuk re-signs with the Thrashers next year. Some reports are saying that the Blues would pick up an additional first round pick while others are saying that the 2nd round pick in '08 would become a 1st... We shall see... Let's Go Blues!!!

How I met Al MacInnis

2007-02-23T11:49:00.000-06:00

I was finally able to catch Blues Practice on Wednesday. It was the first practice I've been able to attend in a few weeks. Overall it was a pretty good practice. Jay McKee was out there skating, it's good to see him back in action. The best part though came about 20 minutes in to practice. I was just sitting there observing, when Chopper (Al MacInnis) came in and sat 3 rows behind me. He started to talk to a few of the writers that were nearby and then started to watch practice. I called my friend Evan to come down and bring something to get signed... However despite the fact that the St. Louis Mills Mall is the home of the Blues Practice Facility as well as the home for training camp, they have NO hockey related stores (save the Blue Note shop that hardly ever has anything!!!) He looked frantically for a puck or anything and finally settled on 2 stick blades from the aforementioned Blue Note Shop. When he finally came back, he gave me the blades and had to leave for work.

After a few minutes I approaced Al. He had only signed a few autographs in the time he was there, with most others not even realizing either who he was, or that he was sitting right there. I got a chance to talk to him for a few minutes and he was very polite. He then signed the stick blades for Evan and myself. At that time, he excused himself and went into the locker room. Andy Strickland, a great local Blues writer then came in and I got the chance to talk to him for a few minutes.

After practice concluded, I was able to get 10 other Blues to sign our stickblades. Although this may have brought down the monetary value of the blade, it increased the personal value. The players were very cool about signing for all of the fans that were there. Except for maybe Radek Dvorak, who was mistook for Marty Rucinsky and then walked away. Jeff Woywitka threw a couple pucks over the netting and I was able to catch one of them. He then signed it for me! Overall it was a great time and I owe Evan for getting the blades. Thanks Evan!

The Blues are off until Sunday... Will we see a deal by then? Stay posted here at Erich's Blues Blog as well as Note Speak for the latest!
Let's Go Blues!!!

Emery takes on the Sabres

2007-02-23T09:03:00.000-06:00

Following a big hit on Chris Drury, the Ottawa Senators and the Buffalo Sabres took on anyone and everyone, with the coaches even shouting at each other... Enjoy!!

Note Speak

2007-02-22T00:23:00.000-06:00

"Note Speak" is up and running! You may wonder what I am talking about... A couple weeks ago I was contacted by the guys over at MVN.com about becoming the Blues writer for their site. Of course I accepted the position and now run the Blues site, titled "Note Speak" over there.
You can find it at http://mvn.com/nhl-blues/

Don't worry though, this site will still be updated regularly with videos, news, etc. I encourage you to visit me over at MVN along with the other team's sites there as well. Thank you to everyone who has helped me make this blog successful!
Let's Go Blues!!!

Blues at .500

2007-02-21T14:16:00.001-06:00

The St. Louis Blues beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-4 in a shootout last night. Once again, the game was not televised. However, thanks to NHL Video, the highlights are below... Enjoy!

Manny wants to stay!

2007-02-20T12:24:00.000-06:00

This comes as no real surprise to any of us that follow the team and local reporters. We also know that at this point the Blues have talked to Manny Legace's agent and are trying to hammer out a deal. When Manny was on "The Morning Grind" radio show, he mentioned that the two sides were discussing a 2-3 year deal. In the following video clip Manny Legace is interviewed following the Blues 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators. He discusses the game as well as asks JD to resign him.. Very entertaining interview!

TJ Oshie Goal

2007-02-18T23:25:00.001-06:00

This is a nice goal by TJ Oshie, a prospect in the Blues System... more on him to come later... check it out...

Blues tame the Wild

2007-02-18T23:15:00.000-06:00

The Blues defeated the 8th place Minnesota Wild at home tonight with a final score of 5-3. David Backes continued his hot streak with 2 goals and the Young Gun line of Lee Stempniak, David Backes and Jay McClement had 6 points total. Due to an increased workload as well as an exciting new oppurtunity for me (More to come on that very soon!) a recap of tonights game will not be available. Sorry everyone!!! I promise I will have a new post up soon, explaining some things! Everyone have a great night, great tommorrow and of course, Let's Go Blues!!!

And the 3rd star goes to.... DJ King!

2007-02-17T10:24:00.001-06:00

As many of you know, the Blues took on the Nashville Predators last night at the Scotttrade Center. The Blues were looking to end a 14 game losing streak to the Preds... and they did! This was only the 2nd game of the season that I got to go to and it was the 3rd of 5 "Decade Celebrations". This celebration covered the Blues from 1987-1996. It included the Official Dedication of Brett Hull Way as well as video segments during the intermissions. These videos will be added to the others at the bottom of the blog when they go live.

The game itself was amazing. We had great seats and were able to see so much! The first period was rather dull... Pretty much just back and forth hockey between the teams. The second was another story. The Preds seemed to pick up their physical play, when DJ King was sent out on the ice. Right after a faceoff, King and Darcy Hordichuk squared off. In my opinion I give the fight to King. The players traded punches with Hordichuk losing his balance and King getting the takedown. This not only fired up the crowd, but also the players.

The Blues instantly stepped up their physical play as well and late in the 2nd, Doug Weight fed a streaking Bill Guerin down the left wing. Guerin played the puck of his skates, between his legs and fired a shot past Predator goalie Chris Mason's left shoulder, giving the Blues a 1-0 advantage. The crowd of 15,00 erupted and had the Scott rocking. The 3rd period was a tension filled period. Everyone in attendance as well as those watching were thinking Shutout, but noone wanted to say it. Both teams swapped chances, with neither able to bury the biscuit. Nashville pulled Mason with just under 2 minutes left and really applied the pressure. They had numerous chances, but couldn't score. The Blues had a chance to put it away, but Jamal Mayers couldn't net the puck from the red line, hitting the post instead. After a flurry of chances by Nashville, that Legace all stonewalled, the Blues pulled out the 1-0 shutout victory.

Guerin's goal from last night!

The 3 Stars of the Game
1)Bill Guerin: Was all over the ice! Scored a beautiful goal for the only score of the game.
2)Manny Legace: Played a strong game in net in getting his 5th shutout of the season.
3)DJ King: His fight in the 2nd period fired up the team and crowd!

Player Profile of the Day - David Backes

2007-02-15T12:30:00.000-06:00

New feature here on the Blog- On off days where there is no big news (which may not be often with the trade deadline looming), I am going to start doing player profiles on here… This is going to be a section with some information about a player including stats, college and minor league info, personal information, and whatever else I choose to add. Today’s Player is Blues Rookie David Backes.

David Backes
Position: Right Wing
Height: 6-2
Weight: 200
Shoots: Right
Born: May 1, 1984
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Acquired: St. Louis' second-round selection, 62nd overall, on June 21, 2003
College: Minnesota State

College
David played his College Hockey at Minnesota State, where he led team in points, two years running, 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 seasons. He was selected to the All-Western Collegiate Hockey Association Third Team for the 2004-2005 season. For 2005-2006 he was named to the 2006 Academic All-American First Team with a 4.0GPA in electrical engineering. David was also selected to the 2005-06 RBK Second All-America Team, named to the 2005-06 All-WCHA Second Team, as well as named team MVP for the second consecutive year. He also only missed 1 game throughout his 3 years in college.
In 115 collegiate games, he scored 46 goals and had 73 assists totaling 119 points.

AHL Career
Signed by St. Louis on March 15, 2006 and was assigned to the Peoria Rivermen. David played in 12 games for the Rivermen in the 2005-06 season, tallying 10 points (5g, 5a). He started the 2006-07 season on the Rivermen roster, playing in 27 games with 9 goals, 2 assists and 11 points.

NHL Career
Backes was called up on Dec. 19th 2006 and played his first game that night against the Penguins, notching an assist. He scored his first NHL goal 2 days later against the Kings. In 25 games he has totaled 9 points with 4 goals and 5 assists and a +4 rating. 3 of those 4 goals have come in the last 3 games, with 2 coming last night against the Blue Jackets.

Fan Favorite in the Making
At the recent Dream Night with the Blues, the players that you would expect to have the large crowds did. These included Keith Tkachuk, Bill Guerin, Doug Weight, Barrett Jackman, and recent “Super Blue” Lee Stempniak. One player whose line surprised me was David Backes. The 22 year old Blues rookie had fans waiting to meet him most of the night. This is just the newest thing to David in a year full of brand new experiences. Earlier this year David Backes proposed and became engaged to his now Fiancée. Shortly thereafter he was called up to the NHL, tallying an assist in his first game. What does he think of everything? “It’s great!” David said at the Dream Night. When I finally got a chance to meet him and get his autograph, he told me that he was having the time of his life. He was very personable and thankful to all of the fans who have supported him and the team throughout the season. In speaking with other fans, many said they liked David for his work ethic. They have noticed his hustle and effort on the ice, and in typical St. Louis fashion, the fans have begun to embrace him for it!

David has been criticized earlier in the season, after his call-up. Some fans have said that he needed to be sent back to Peoria and work on his game. However, in the last 3 games, he has tried his best to prove them wrong. He has 3 goals and 1 assist in the last 3. He has worked hard on his skating in practice and is trying to be better on the puck. He has skated well in the last few practice and looks to be getting stronger in his game.
Good Luck with the rest of the season David and keep up the hard work!

Last Night's Game
Last night the Note skated to a 4-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. David Backes has 2 goals, Bill Guerin had his 4th goal in 2 games and Dallas Drake added an empty netter late in the 3rd period. Lee Stempniak had 2 assists and Jay McClement had 1, giving the “Young Guns Line” of Backes, Stempniak, and McClement, 5 points in last night’s game. This line has looked brilliant at times. They have not gone without their struggles however. Coach Andy Murray was quoted as saying ““I looked down on the bench and they were all with their heads (down), and their eyes were down,” Murray said. “If they look like they’re not believing in themselves, then I can’t believe in them. I’m not going to put them out there.” after Tuesday night’s loss to San Jose. Overall this line represents a good chunk of the Blues’ Future and that future looks bright!
As always… Let’s Go Blues!!!!

Dream Night with the Blues!!

2007-02-11T21:28:00.000-06:00

Today, February 11th, the Blues held a fundraising event for the St. Louis chapter of the Dream Factory, called Dream Night with the Blues! The event was held at SidePockets bar in nearby St. Charles, Missouri. The event cost $15 in advance and $20 at the door. I bought my tickets as soon as I found out about this event! I had never been to one and couldn't wait to go. I got there before the doors opened and anxiously waited with some friends of mine. Once inside we had to wait for about an hour for the players to arrive. Throughout the bar were signs, explaining the various costs. To play a video game, pool or darts with a player cost $5. To get an autograph was $5, so were pictures. The players were queued behind a curtain towards the back of the bar and would come out, one at a time. First out was Keith Tkachuk. He was very polite and shook my hand, told me to have fun and I wished him good luck for the rest of the season. Next out was David Backes. He is a big guy. I congratulated him on his goal last night and he thanked me. I told him to have fun and he said "right back at ya". Next Dennis Wideman came out. I was able to stop him and pay the Dream Factory "handlers". He was very polite and seemed more than happy to sign one of the pucks that I brought. Next came Jamal Mayers, who said hey, but was then rushed away by his "handlers". Next out was Manny Legace. He came right up to the family in front of me, took pictures with them and then talked to me for a few. While he signed a puck for me, I asked him how he was feeling (He was "trucked" by Tomas Holmstrom of the Flying Tires) and he said he felt great. What happened next was what I was most looking forward to.

My favorite player on the Blues, Lee Stempniak, was the next player to come out from the back. He came out, signed a few autographs and then hopped up on stage to play NHL 2K7 on a PS2 that was set up. I was fourth in line to challenge him to a game. I was the last person that was able to play against him. When I got up on stage, he introduced himself and I did likewise. I wished him a belated birthday and congratulated him on his goal last night as well. We were allowed to play for 3 minutes. We played Blues v. Blues. I scored pretty quickly with Lee Stempniak. He asked me if I played often, which I admitted too, I asked him if he did, and he said not in a long while. We continued with the small talk and I asked how I would go about interviewing him. He said that I would have to go through the PR department more than likely. He then asked me how often I got to the games and we just talked a little more. I ended up beating him 2-1. Overall he was a very cool guy. Very personable and polite. After we finished, he signed a few pucks for my friends and took a picture with me, as seen below...

After meeting my favorite player, I walked around the bar, basically looking for a short line. I found one at a bowling game featuring David Backes. This time I was able to get him to sign a puck for me. We talked for a minute and then was asked to move along. I then went to an autogrpah table to wait for Bill Guerin. He had a line forming 15 minutes before he even got there. The line moved quickly and I was able to talk to him for a few. I told him that he looked great in the Note and that I can't wait to see him in it again next year. I then got a picture with him as well...

Next, my friend Evan and I basically just turned around and almost ran into Bryce Salvador. He also signed a puck for each of us. Next I headed towards Dan Hinote. He signed a puck for me and told me how great the fans in St. Louis were. I then went on to Doug Weight's stationa and got him to sign one for me as well. He was very nice, complimented me on my paint pen and told me thank you for supporting the team. Before we left, I also got to talk to Barrett Jackman, another class act. Keith Tkachuk had to leave early so I was unable to get his signature. Also a few of the players were kind of by themselves alot, like Dallas Drake and Vladmir Orzagh, however the Dream Factory reps were hesitent to let non-paying fans just go up and talk to the platers... oh well..

Overall, I had a GREAT time! All of the players were amazingly cool. They were great with the fans did a great job to raise money for the Dream Factory. The Blues were very personable and seemed genuine in wanting everyone to have a great time. I will definitely be back next year!!!!

Where we stand... 2/11

2007-02-11T21:16:00.000-06:00

Current Western Conference Standings as of 2/11/06
The Note Currently sit in 11th place...

GP Points

1) Nashville 57 79

2) Anaheim 56 74

3) Vancouver 56 66

4) Detroit 57 78

5) San Jose 55 71

6) Dallas 56 70

7) Calgary 56 66

8) Minnesota 57 66

9) Edmonton 55 58

10) Colorado 55 56

11) St. Louis 56 53

12) Phoenix 56 52

13) Chicago 56 51

14) Columbus 56 49

15) Los Angeles 58 47

Bring out the Zamboni!

2007-02-09T13:27:00.000-06:00

The Blues defeated the Detroit Red Wings 1-0 last night, ending the Red Wings streak of 175 games without a shutout!

Big Game Tonight!!!

2007-02-08T12:26:00.000-06:00

The Blues host the Detroit Red Wings tonight at the Scotttrade Center. The Blues currently sit in 12th place in the Western Conference, 12 points behind the Minnesota Wild for the 8th and final playoff spot. The Blues need to come out with a big game tonight and get their second straight home win against the Flying Tires. Let’s Go Blues!!!

Grading Checketts...

2007-02-06T10:53:00.001-06:00

Yesterday the St. Louis Blues announced that they will be reducing the price of season tickets for the 2007-2008 season. There will be an 8% blended decrease. What this means is that some tickets will go down by more than 8% whereas others may only go down about 3%. This is a great move for the Blues. I really commend Blues owner Dave Checketts and co. for making this happen. This move got me to thinking about how I feel the “new” ownership group has done.
I have always been a fan of the Blues. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been cheering on the Blues, rooting for Hull and Oates or Chopper and Pronger, but I have never been as passionate about St. Louis Blues Hockey as I have been this past year. After the lockout, a lot of people lost faith, not only in hockey, but also in the Blues. Last season, the first following the lockout, the Blues lost Al Macinnis, a Hall of Famer to retirement and Chris Pronger, a future Hall of Famer, to a trade. The owner at the time, Bill Laurie, for the most part dismantled the team. We finished last in the NHL as well as near the bottom in fan support. We needed some help.
Some help came in the form of Dave Checketts and his SCP business group, the group who currently owns the team. They enjoyed the luxury of having the first overall pick in the Amateur Draft, taking Erik Johnson. They also brought in well know television analyst, John Davidson, to be the team’s president of hockey operations. During the off season they brought in numerous veterans, including Jay McKee, Bill Guerin, Manny Legace and Radek Dvorak. Many of these players seemed unwanted by any other teams, however J.D. brought them in, to try and help lead the young Blues. The team also started a unique ad campaign, a sort of viral marketing strategy, urging fans to “Join the Blue Revolution!” This seemed to work for awhile, at least until the season started. The product on the ice wasn’t much better, until a coaching change occurred, which was right about the time this blog was started.
Overall the team has increased production on the ice and concurrently fan response has increased as well. Another thing that I commend the ownership on is the fact that they have incorporated the Blues past into the Present. So far this season they have retired the greatest player to wear the Note’s number, Brett Hull. They have also begun celebrating the various decades in the 40 year history of the Blues. These celebrations take place during various games and include alumni appearances, video highlight packages and jersey lotteries. These are a great way for fans to connect with Blues History. I for one did not know that much about Blues history and have learned a lot more because of these along with other things… This ownership has done a great job bridging the two together and “blending” the generations of Blues Fans. Bob Plager, who you will see with me, to the right of this post, has become the face of the organization, appearing for autograph events, alumni events, and various other things. He does great in this role. He is full of stories as well as passion for the organization that he has been with since its birth. Now if only they would retire his #5.
One more thing that needs to change is the fact that there are a number of games not on television… Tonight’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs is not locally televised, which is a major bummer!! Hopefully next year we can get all the games on T.V.!!!!! Overall I give Checketts and co. a B+!
As always, Let’s Go Blues!!!
Here is Blues Enterprises CEO Peter McLoughlin explaining the new season ticket price reduction!

Firesale? Probably Not...

2007-02-01T12:34:00.001-06:00

Fire Andy Murray!!!!! Ok, just kidding!!!! Seriously, Just Kidding… This man was called the savior of the organization just a week ago, and now some people are calling for his head. Why? You may ask… Because the St. Louis Blues have lost their last 2 games, both to teams higher than them in the standings might I add. Mind you, this is the same team that lost 8 games in a row earlier in the season and went 11 games without a regulation win. Same team, different coach. In both games it was painfully obvious that the Blues were outplayed. They also have only scored 6 goals in their last 3 games, or 2 goals per game. Compare that to the 57 goals they scored in Murray’s first 20 games, or 2.85 goals per game. Has the “savior” lost his touch? Has the rest of the league figured him out? The short answer is no. This Blues team was overachieving for the start of Murray’s run and now they are realizing that they have to buck up and continue to play great in order to make the postseason. The problem is that this realization is coming right now, a month before the trade deadline. This is where many Blues fans differ in opinion.

Some fans believe that the Note have no shot at the playoffs and should sell, sell, sell!!! Ex-Blue Craig Conroy, an aging center was dealt this past week from the Los Angeles Kings to the Calgary Flames. The Kings in return got fourth round pick Jamie Lundmark as well as two draft picks. This trade has given us a preview of what the trade market may look like, which if true, would very good for the Blues. It appears that contenders are looking for veterans to help them get the cup. The Blues have valuable trade options in their many veterans with short contracts, such as leading scorer Bill Guerin, winger/ center Keith Tkachuk, defenseman Eric Brewer and possibly even one of the hottest goalies in the league in Manny Legace. The Blues, if they decide to trade these players off, could stand to receive a good number of picks in the next few drafts.

The other side of the argument is made by those wanting the Blues to hold on to who they have, in order to make a last ditch playoff push. This argument is fine and all, however if the Blues fall short, then they will possibly lose out on said veterans and not get anything in return. Blues president John Davidson has gone on record saying that the team will use the wait and see approach. The team will evaluate where they are in the standings closer to the deadline, as well as talk to the players and see who would come back next year and who wouldn’t if traded.

Rumors are flying around the league… Petr Prucha from the Rangers for Keith Tkachuk, Bill Guerin to Nashville for Alexander Radulov, Eric Brewer to the Oilers for some draft picks… I could go on and on. I think all of us as Blues fans just want our team to pick up a few good players or draft picks that will help the organization for a number of years. We all want to avoid receiving players with short deals that will be one and done here. As the market has shown thus far, I think we should be able to avoid this.

I think that we should just try and be patient, let the season run its course and see where we fall close to the deadline. I think we will win a few games, lose a few and gain a nice profit come the deadline… Most importantly though, with this ownership group in place, Blues fans can confidence that they will do what it best for the team. We need to make sure we are supporting our team! Tell your friends to watch the games, go to the Scott, have fun and enjoy the greatest sport out there… Let’s Go Blues!!!!!!!!!!!!

Blues vs. Kings

2007-01-19T13:44:00.000-06:00

What a difference a month makes! Flashback: Dec 19th 2006, 1 month ago today. The Blues were last in the Western Conference with 7 wins and 20 points overall. They were playing the Penguins and looking for their first win in 11 games, including four games under newly hired head coach Andy Murray. They ended up beating the Penguins handily, by a score of 4-1. They went on to win 5 of their next six and had gone 10-2-2 in their last 14, which brought us to last night's game against Murray's former team, the Los Angeles Kings. The two teams faced off for the 3rd time in less than a month. The Blues won the first two and this game was no exception. The Blues won 3-1, in possibly the sloppiest game they've played recently. The Blues are now 12th in the Western Conference and 3rd in the Central Division with 18 wins and 44 points.

The Kings held the momentum early in the 1st period, despite an early tripping penalty by Dustin Brown. However, Oleg Tverdovsky turned the puck over deep in the Kings zone. David Backes centered the puck to Jay McClement, who in turn let go a soft backhander that Dallas Drake was able to redirect past Barry Brust, giving the Blues a 1-0 lead. Just 2:32 later Drake got his second goal of the game when David Backes shot from 40 feet out deflected off Drake's skate for his 5th goal of the season. This gave the Blues a 2-0 lead. An interesting thing happened with about 1:30 left in the first period. After the puck deflected off a piece of glass, the Staples Center officials came out to fix it. However, instead of just replacing the glass and playing on, they needed to bring out the Zamboni. They decided to send both teams to the locker room, repair the glass and the ice, then have both teams come out, finish the last minute or so of the 1st period, switch sides and then play the 2nd period.

After the "early" intermission, the Kings brought out Yutaka Fukufuji to replace Brust, just as he did in the Jan. 13th game. The Kings once again seemed to gain control of the flow of the game. 3 minutes into the 2nd period, Raitis Ivanans was fed a beautiful centering pass from Brian Willsie, that he put past Manny Legace, making the score 2-1 Blues. Before the Kings could rally though, Bill Guerin took a feed from Martin Rucinsky ,who was behind the net, and put his shot past Fukufuji, recapturing the Blues 2 goal lead at 3-1. The play the rest of the period remained back and forth, with Manny Legace making some key saves to keep the Blues lead.

The 3rd period was much like the 2nd, only with no scoring. The Kings pretty much dominated play over the sloppy Blues, but due to outstanding goaltending were unable to get any closer. The Kings were pretty much done for good when Ivanans hit Dennis Wideman in the face with a high-stick, resulting in a 4 minute minor. After the penalty ended, the Kings pulled Fukufuji and the Blues had a couple chances at an empty net goal, but were unable to light the lamp again.

Overall a decent effort by the Blues. This was definitely not their strongest game and they actually looked kind of sloppy, but they were able however to hold on for their 11th victory in their last 15. In the last month, the Blues have been able to leap frog 3 teams in the Western Conference and come within 7 points of a playoff berth. Their consistent good play over the past month has put them at 12th in the Western Conference and have them looking forward to Saturday's Game against a strong San Jose team. Let's Go Blues!!

Blues vs. Ducks

2007-01-16T21:25:00.000-06:00

After yesterday's wild game the Blues traveled up the west coast to Anaheim to face off against the Ducks... The Ducks currently sit atop the Western Conference. The Blues sit 13th, needing the points from a win. The game featured the return of Curtis Sanford in net for the Blues, giving Manny Legace a much needed rest. He had started 15 straight games for the Note, the longest such streak this season for any one goalie... He had been nursing a groin injury, his second in two years, and after a decent conditioning stint in Peoria, he got the start tonight.

The game started off much as you'd expect, with the Ducks getting most of the scoring chances. However, unlike their last 3 games, the Blues actually led the Ducks in face offs... WoW... A few minutes in, things started to get chippy. Newly called up D.J. King got into some pushing and shoving near the Duck net. Right after the ensuing face-off he dropped the gloves with Sean Thorton... He won, easily! He was able to get a number of good punches in, then removed Thorton's helmet and got a few more in. This led to a good tempo for the Blues. They were able to get a power play and then score on that power play about 7 1/2 minutes in. Eric Brewer of all people was able to put it in. It was his 2nd of the season. The rest of the period was filled with back and forth play. The Blues were able to fight off a pivotal 4 on 3 and then concurrent 5 on 4 disadvantage. They also were able to kill off the first minute of a weak call to end the 1st period, keeping the score 1-0 Blues. The real story of the first period was Curtis Sanford's play. He was sharp out there and made the saves he was supposed to make. He was able to stop Selanne on a one on one chance. He did not show any signs of rust at all. Another key player out there was the aforementioned Eric Brewer. He looked like a power forward out there. He was all over the ice, especially on the power play.

The Blues started the 2nd period on the penalty kill, but were able to easily kill it off. They bounced right back when Radek Dvorak and Petr Cajanek played a little give and go with Cajanek ultimately getting the goal, his 2nd point of the game, making the score 2-0 Blues! After a great penalty the Blues were able to kill off, Marty Rucinsky and Doug Weight broke out on a 2 on 1 break. Rucinsky brought the puck into the Duck's zone, stopped as if he was going to shoot and then led a beautiful pass to Weight, who stuffed it home, making the score 3-0! Even Doug Weight thought it was a "Great Fucking Pass"! The Ducks quickly called a timeout and increased their physical play in response to the scoring. The increase in physicality led to a fight, if you want to call it that, between Matt Walker and George Parros. Not that much of a fight, but Parros did get the takedown... Later in the period, just after a Blues power play ended, Keith Tkachuk fired a laser from the Duck's blue line extending the Blues lead to 4. Eric Brewer got his 2nd point of the game with an assist. This brought a goalie change. Out comes Ilya Bryzgalov, in steps Sebastien Caron The Blues weren't done there however... After Christian Backman took a hooking penalty, Barret Jackman led Jamal Mayers with a great shorthanded outlet pass. Mayers skated down the right side and fired a slap shot past Caron for the shorty. His goal made the score 5-0. That's right, 5 to nothing against the Western Conference leading Ducks!! The entire period they skated hard, picked up the toughness and limited the Ducks chances. They also had an outstanding penalty kill. This was the best period of the season for the Blues thus far!

The Blues followed up the amazingness that was the second period with a stinker that was the third period.The Ducks were finally able to get on the board 7:30 in. The Blues were unable to clear the puck from their zone and Corey Perry was fed the puck right in front of Sanford and shot it right over his glove, making the score 5-1 Blues. The Ducks made it 5-2 when Teemu Selanne was able to score a power play goal 12 minutes in. They had numerous other chances, both on even strength and on multiple power plays. With 4:44 left Dennis Wideman took a penalty giving the Ducks another power play. The Ducks, instead of just taking the 1 man advantage, decided to pull Caron and give them a 2 man advantage. That greed came back to haunt them as Dallas Drake scored a empty net shorthanded goal, the Blues second shorthanded goal of the game. This goal put the game firmly out of the Ducks reach, making the score 6-2.

Overall I feel that this was the Blues best game, minus the middle 10 minutes of the 3rd period. I know that the whole best game thing may be getting redundant, however I feel that this proves that the Note are playing their best hockey. They beat the best team in the west handily. The Blues now with 42 points sit 3rd in the Central Division and 12th overall in the Western Conference, 9 points behind the Minnesota Wild.

3 Stars

#1. #18 Radek Dvorak: +3 with 3 assists... Caused a couple key penalties and was all over the ice.
#2. #4 Eric Brewer: +3 with 1 goal and 2 assists... His best game as a Blue. Was all over the ice, did an outstanding job on the power play.
#3. #26 Petr Cajanek: +1 with 1 goal and 1 assist... Great game for Petr.

Hardhat Award
#19 D.J. King: Early fight help set tempo of the game!

Blues vs. Coyotes

2007-01-15T15:11:00.000-06:00

Come On... It's 2007 and we still are not showing games on television? We are able to watch hot dog eating contests, strongman competitions, cheerleading tryouts and take your pick of reality shows but we can't even have our professional hockey teams on tv? It's a shame... The game was at least broadcast on 550 AM, which I was able to listen to for the first part of the game before work. Rant over, this game featured two of the hottest teams in the NHL. Both teams were 7-2-1 in their last 10 games and the Coyotes led the Blues by 3 points in the Western Conference standings, 42pts to 39pts... After this games the Blues were 4 points behind. The outcome of the game? 5-4 Phoenix with a shootout victory... Similar to the Kings game, the Blues started off very slow. They picked it up during the remaining periods, but could never recover. They were outshot(again) and lost the faceoff battle(again)! They are not going to be able to keep their hot streak going if they do not improve upon this quickly...

In the 1st period the 'Yotes were able to come out quickly and get on the board. The Blues looked(sounded) sluggish from the start. They were icing puck after puck and had numerous giveaways in the first 2-3 minutes. One of the hottest players in the league right now, Yanic Perrault was able to put Phoenix up 1-0 just under 3 minutes into the game. The Blues were able to get basically back to back power plays later in the first, but were unable to tie it up and instead Doug Weight took a hooking penalty towards the end of the second power play. Bryce Salvador then tried to clear the puck and sent it over the glass, leading to nearly a minute long 5 on 3 for the Coyotes. The Blues killed the 1st one off and then Dallas Drake took another stupid penalty, giving the Yotes another 5 on 3! Jeremy Roenick was finally able to convert with help from Ed Jovanoski after nearly 2 minutes of 5 on 3 hockey for Phoenix giving them the lead 2-0. The rest of the period concluded with another Blues penalty and Phoenix with some decent chances... So far, not so good. The Note look like they wanted another day off for the holiday. In the first period the Blues were outshot 19-7 and lost the faceoff battle 11-7. They have struggled mightily the last few games on the faceoff, having been outdrawn 84-54 in the last 3, including today's game. It seemed to be an ugly period for the Blues and needed a talking to from Coach Murray.

In the Second... Right after the first minute, the Blues were given a man advantage. As seemed to be their theme for this game, they were unable to do anything with it. However at 3:36 in, Christian Backman was able to weave past 2 Coyotes and bring the Blues within 1 with a wrister making the score 2-1 Phoenix. Quickly after that, Radek Dvorak was able to tie the score at 2 with a wrist shot of his own. 2 goals in less than 2 minutes to make it 2-2! He was hurt however after rushing right into the goalpost on his goal. Late in the period, Dennis Wideman took an interference penalty and Ed Jovanoski, who had a great game was able to score and put Phoenix up 3-2.

I had to be in at 5 so I missed the 3rd period and the rest of an exciting game! In the 3rd the Blues were trailing 3-2 until a powerplay slap shot by Dennis Wideman tied it at 3. Phoenix however retook the lead on Ed Jovanoski's 2nd goal, making it 4-3 Coyotes. The Blues bounced right back less than 2 minutes later on Peter Sejna's (fresh from Peoria) 1st goal of the year. This made it 4-4 and it would stay this way until overtime.

In overtime the Blues were outshot 7-0... Not a very good stat. They were however able to hold the tie until they got to the shootout. In the first round of the shootout the Blues had Martin Rucinsky, Lee Stempniak and Doug Weight shoot. Only Weight scored. The Coyotes countered Jermey Roenick, Yannic Perrault and Shane Doan. Only Doan was able to score. In the sudden death round the Blues brought out Peter Sejna who was stonewalled. The Yotes brought out Ladislav Nagy, a former Blue, who was able to put it past Manny Legace, giving the Coyotes a pivitol 5-4 win.

The win allowed them to gain a point on the Blues in the standings. The Blues however should be relieved. After the first period it looked like the Blues were going to get crushed. They were able to fight back and at least gain a much needed point. I digress... I know we're all looking forward to the game tomorrow against Anaheim, who without Chris Pronger and possibly without Jean Sebastian Giguere, don't look AS tough as they did earlier in the season... Let's Go Blues!!!

P.S.- You'll notice that there is no TOI or +/- on today's post... Did you all like the stats? If so I can add them, however they can be rather time consuming... If you want them back however just lemme know and I'll keep doing them!

Blues vs. Kings

2007-01-13T13:29:00.000-06:00

Bring out the Zamboni!! Blues Win 6-5!!! Are now 13th in the Western Conference!! Wahoo!!
I didn't have to work until late, so I got to watch another game! Yay! Anyways, the St. Louis Blues took on the Los Angeles Kings here at the Scottrade Center. It was only their second "nationally televised" game of the season, the other against the Pittsburgh Penguins. This was a huge game for the Blues, as they try to work their way up the Western Conference standings. This was also the "free food game". Blues owner Dave Checketts offered every fan in attendance certain items free up until the 2nd intermission. Great Promotion! (See yesterdays post) Despite some not so great weather here in St. Louis, there still looked to be a great turnout at the Scott. The fans were in the game almost the whole time, enjoying the goal fest. What an exciting game it was too.

We'll start with the first period:
The Blues came out quick and got a power play just 33 seconds in and had a couple nice chances. However they were unable to put it into the net. After the penalty expired the Blues started to look flat and were unable to clear the puck from their zone. After a break down in the defense behind the net, Michael Cammalleri was able to wrap around from behind the net and put it in over Manny Legace... The Blues got another chance on the power play at 7:42 and this time were able to convert with Marty Rucinsky scoring at 8:24 on a rebound. The Blues were the next to receive a penalty, this time for too many men on the ice. David Backes served the bench penalty for the Blues. On the power play the Kings got a number of great shots but Legace was able to stop all of them.
After the penalty expired though, the Kings showed renewed momentum and Tom Kostopoulos was able to put the Kings up 2-1 at 14:29. The Blues were able to rally back, reminiscent of the New Jersey game with Dan Hinote feeding Jay McClement with a great pass that McClement put in to tie the game 2-2 at 18:52. McClement has looked really good since his benching by Coach Murray. He has 2 Assists and a goal in his last 3 games. They seemed to respond well to the King goals, however they look lifeless at times as well...

On to the second period:
Once again the Blues looked horrible in their defensive zone. Rob Blake, after receiving 20 stitches in the first period, came out an buried a slap shot from the right point... Legace was screened and left his 5 hold open, which the puck eventually found and rang in off the post. As was the theme of this game, the Blues responded while on a 5 on 3 power play. After a few good chances, Dennis Wideman broke his stick. After receiving a new one, he was fed the puck on the right point. he then slid a nice pass to Keith Tkachuk who slammed it in to tie the score at 3-3 at 4:01. I really like seeing Wideman and Stempniak on the power play. They show a lot of energy and put forth a lot of effort. Pretty much immediately after we tied it up, Rucinsky received an interference penalty. The Kings had a few good chances and Legace made some great saves! During the second period the NBC commentators interview Blues President John Davidson. They discussed the free food promotion, Murray's impact, whether or not John misses the broadcast booth, Erik Johnson and some other things. During the interview, Lee Stempniak made an outstanding play in the neutral zone stealing the puck, then went into the Kings zone and fired a wrister past Kings goalie Barry Brust, making the score 4-3 Blues!!!
Stempniak, who will be in the NHL Young Stars game has looked great this season. He is full of effort and always plays his heart out! Great to see him get some recognition! The Kings were the ones to respond this time... With only 3:24 remaining the period, Kings rookie Anze Kopitar fed Mattias Norstrom with a nice pass that he was able to put it, once again tying the score, this time at 4-4. As expected, the Blues bounced right back when Doug Weight took a feed from Bill Guerin in the neutral zone, skated down to the right point and put a slapper right past Brust, once again giving the Blues the lead 5-4.

Here comes the 3rd:
The 3rd period saw history before the period even started. The Kings brought in rookie goalie Yutaka Fukufuji, the first Japanese born and trained player ever in the NHL. He had only played 2 games in the AHL, but Kings coach Marc Crawford needed a change from Barry Brust, who allowed 5 goals on 20 shots. The Blues started the period on the penalty kill, but were able to kill it off. The Blues got their own chance on the powerplay and had some great chances... However their best was when Eric Brewer had an open net but was stonewalled bu Fukufuji's sliding leg. Going back down the ice, Barret Jackman laid a crushing hit on Kings winger Raitis Ivanans, causing the Scott to erupt! This also led to Ivanans to grab Jackmans face, resulting in a penalty. On the ensuing power play, Doug Weight sent a cross ice pass to Dennis Wideman and Wideman scored, making the score 6-4 Blues!
Later in the period the Blues had a 2 on 1, that turned into a 3 on 1 for the Kings, after neither team was able to put it in, it started getting chippy around the net. Wideman was called for roughing, and that led to a Kings power play. The Kings then scored on the power play with a goal by Rob Blake bringing it within 1 at 6-5. One again though, both teams started to push and shove, with the Kings bringing down multiple Blues players, however both teams had a man taken off, resulting in a 4 on 4. Shotty calls and officiating... However, the Blues did get another power play shortly after, resulting in a 4 on 3 for a few seconds, then a regular power play... The Blues however were unable to add to the lead... The Kings pulled Fukufuji with 43 seconds remaining in the 3rd, but the Kings were unable to convert and the Blues pulled it out with a final of 6-5!!

This was a great win, coming from a great game, all in front of a great crowd!! I hope that this will show some who went to the game, who are not so sure about the Blues, that Blues hockey is on its way back and a hell of a good time to watch!! This win helped us leapfrog the Kings in the standings and will hopefully give us good momentum leading into a vital 4 game western road trip... Let's Go Blues!!!

Points, +/- and Time of Ice

Forwards
#13 Guerin 2 A +1 20:18
#39 Weight 1G 2A +1 18:40
#62 Rucinsky 1G -3 18:06
#12 Stempniak 1G 1A +0 15:54
#7 Tkachuk 1G 1A -1 15:50
#21 Mayers 0pts +0 15:04
#18 Dvorak 0pts. -3 14:31
#26 Cajanek 0pts. -2 13:43
#9 McClement 1G +1 13:15
#10 Drake 0pts. +1 13:02
#42 Backes 0pts. +1 11:14
#58 Hinote(inj) 1 A +1 10:01
Defense
#5 Jackman 1 A +0 22:45
#27 Salvador 0pts. -1 22:21
#4 Brewer 0pts. +1 20:31
#25 Wideman 1G 2A -1 17:08
#55 Backman 0pts. -1 16:23
#74 McKee(inj) 0pts. +0 12:55

My 3 Stars:
#1 Doug Weight- Possibly his best game this season.. He was all over the ice, working hard on the power play as well as dishing the puck to his teammates. 1 Goal and 2 Assists today.
#2 Dennis Wideman- Not Weed-Man.. Great job on the power play, still struggles a little bit with his even strength defense, Very Good Game though... 1 Goal and 2 Assists as well
#3 Lee Stempniak- Still continues to amaze me. Another great outing. Great heart and effort out there today. Increased playing time shows that Coach Murray is noticing his play. 1 Goal and 1 Assist today.

Here Comes the Food!

2007-01-12T08:37:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow the Blues face off against the Los Angeles Kings at 1p.m. However the buzz surrounding the game doesn't seem to actually be coming from the game itself, instead it stems from the fact that all fans in attendance will receive free hot dogs, popcorn, chicken strips, soda and water from the time the gates open at noon until the second intermission. There really are no strings attached except for limiting customers to 8 total items at a time. This really is a unique promotion and one that I feel ended up being timed almost perfectly. The Blues are playing very good hockey right now and the added attendance should hopefully expose some of the "fair weather" fans to how great they are playing and encourage them to come to some more games. Blues CEO Peter McLoughlin says that they are expecting about 17,500 at the game and said that he was really surprised at the interest surrounding this promotion. So come on Blues fans! Go to the game, enjoy the free food, cheer on the note and have a hell of a time! Let's Go Blues!!!!

Blues vs. Devils

2007-01-10T20:09:00.000-06:00

Finally got off work to see another game.... This time on 1/10 v. the New Jersey Devils.
A very eh 1st period to start the game... We came out kinda flat, however responded well to the NJ goal by John Madden...no not the football announcer... Keith Tkachuk took a great between the legs pass from David Backes and shot it into an open net tieing the score at 1-1. Pretty uneventful rest of the period.
The 2nd started off great for the Devils with a goal just 19 seconds in from Brian Gionta... Once again though the Blues rebounded with a goal from Dan Hinote just over 2 minutes later. Dallas Drake redirected a wrister by Barrett Jackman 9:35 in to make it 3-2 Blues. Overall this was a much better period, possibly their best in a week or so. They were physical, fast and could have scored maybe another goal or two (if Rucinsky could only find the net). Late in the Period Michael Rupp and Bryce Salvidor got into a case of fisticuffs...Neither laying too many punches, Rupp got a couple in and then proceeded to tackle Salvador like a pansy..
3rd Period was not so good.... We went into a "prevent defense" of sorts and played very safe... We were able to hold off the Devils though, despite a nerve wracking final minute and a half after they pulled Marty Brodeur. After some great defensive plays by Tkachuk and some great saves by Manny Legace we were able to pull out a huge victory to the tune of 3-2 over the New Jersey Devils, the top team in the Atlantic Division!
I feel that this win could be right up there with the win over Buffalo in giving momentum to the Blues! If we can continue to play well we may just eek into the playoffs... We shall see....

Blues Players +/- and Time of Ice
Forwards:
#13 RW GUERIN, BILL -1 16:40
#39 C WEIGHT, DOUG -1 16:08
#21 R MAYERS, JAMAL -1 15:50
#7 L TKACHUK, KEITH +1 15:47
#18 R DVORAK, RADEK -1 15:13
#62 L RUCINSKY, MARTIN -1 15:03
#26 C CAJANEK, PETR -1 14:57
#42 C BACKES, DAVID +1 14:52
#12 R STEMPNIAK, LEE +1 14:35
#58 R HINOTE, DAN +2 12:53
#9 C MCCLEMENT, JAY +2 12:39
#10 R DRAKE, DALLAS +2 12:14

Defensemen
#74 D MCKEE, JAY +1 24:29
#5 D JACKMAN, BARRET +1 24:02
#4 D BREWER, ERIC +1 21:52
#27 D SALVADOR, BRYCE +1 18:54
#25 D WIDEMAN, DENNIS -1 16:17
#20 D RIVERS, JAMIE -1 11:30

MY 3 STARS
#1 Barret Jackman- 2 Assists, 1 SOG, 4 Blocked Shots. Overall Great Effort!
#2 Manny Legace- 24 Saves and another great game overall. Superb effort in the 3rd Period.
#3 Dallas Drake- GWG, About time he has a good game.

Looking ahead to the next game... Dec. 13th vs the Los Angeles Kings @ the Scottrade Center aka. Free Food Day!