InGameBlog 2-14-11: Blues vs. Canucks

I don’t intend on doing these too often, but since the Versus blackout prevents FSMW from carrying the game and I have Center Ice… Well, it’s time for another live update GameBlog.

Feel free to comment away! Updates posted as often as I can make them.

PreGame

Per Louie Korac Pens, Habs, Yotes, Isles, Canucks, Wings Scouts in the house.

Janssen out. N64 in as 7th Dman. Winnie + D’Ags w/ floating forward(s).

First Period

- First minute spent feeling out each other. Canucks get first scoring chance. Bieksa stopped by Halak.

- Canucks with two easy penetrations off the rush. Sedins follow up Bieksa’s chance.

- Ehrhoff takes first penalty with a hook. Blues to the PP. Canucks have killed 36 in a row.

- Nikita Nikitin throws the puck down on net and Andy McDonald tips it in. Blues up 1-0 on the PPG!

- Good follow up shift after the goal. Prevent a chance against as Oshie gets a chance from the point at the other end.

- Blues doing a good job of getting pressure north. Lots of back and forth play over 200 feet. Not many shots after 10 minutes.

- Henrik Sedin scores. Offense generated below the red line burns the Blues again. Game tied 1-1. Alex Burrows extends point streak to 10 games and 12 points.

- Bobby Lou comes out too far to play the puck and puts it straight on Steen’s stick. Back hand in to an open net. First goal in 12 games for his 16th of the season. 2-1 Blues. Resilience! Bounce Back!

- Big hit Winnie on Raymond by Blues bench. Not much going on after the goal. Just up and down.

- What moves by Steen and Oshie. TJ dangles through on net and his low backhander across the grain tested Luongo. Quick pad save keeps it 2-1.

- Lots of Canuck offensive possession set up below the red line and behind the net.

- At the end of the first, Blues lead 2-1.

Second Period

- Burrows takes interference penalty on Backes. Second Blues PP.

- Too many pedestrians on the early PP entry. Can’t set up.

- As PP ends as Bobby Lou stuns Winchester off a Brewer rebound. Luongo’s rebound control hasn’t been good. Lots of solid pad saves.

- Sedins has pressure but no chances. All kept to outside on the cycle well.

- Vancouver is playing very loose in their own zone. Looks just like the Blues first 5 game skid in November.

- Third PP. Not much clicking, but one nice give and go set up by Petro trying to hit Berglund.

- This game feels a lot like Friday’s. The PP is failing to push the lead. Allowing Vancouver to hang around.

- Ticky Tacky call on Backes leads to first Canucks PP. HUGE kill as the entire PP was in the Blues zone.

- More back and forth play. Bikes goes off for delay of game. Fourth PP.

- WHAT A PLAY BY PETRO. Stops Kesler in his end, comes up the ice and dangles though the PK coverage to set up Bergie for the PPG. Blues up 3-1.

- Another big hit by Winchester. Not a penalty. It’s not, sorry Canucks announcers. It’s a hockey play. Winchester is bigger than glass. Rome’s post whistle nonsense puts Blues on 5th PP.

- At the end of two Blues up 3-1.

Second Period

- Canucks make it 3-2 less than 2 minutes in to the period. Ehrhoff fakes the shot, changes the angle and the Torres tip ends up on Hansen’s stick and in the open net.

- Blues trying to create scoring chances, but Luongo up to the task.

- Blues really pulling up and not driving to the interior in the third. Pucks not getting through.

- The Blues offensive zone time has been reduced in productivity by not taking the puck in the middle.

- Interesting that Canucks announcers saw nothing wrong with Samuelsson hit on Petro. But Winchester’s was horrible…

- Will the Blues survive? In bend but not break mode with less than 3 minutes left.

- Luongo pulled with a minute left. Here we go…

- Puck might be in, but officials wave it off. Burrows crammed the net. Pushing Halak in.

- Steen misses the ENG. Blues hold on to won. For once in a blue moon special teams made a positive impact.

- Monster game by Alex Pietrangelo!

Blues defeat Canucks 3-2. Big pair of points. Such a tease!