GameRecap 3-24-11: Blues Shut Down & Out Oilers
What’s it like to kiss your sister? Ask Blue Bleeders who took in last night’s game between the Blues and the Edmonton Oilers. A win is a win, but a 4-0 walloping of the worst team in the league? Might as well be kissing…
The game didn’t start off so hot. The Oilers had some early energy going. Really out skating the Note and preventing them from opening the game up. A good chunk of those troubles had to do with how careless the Blues were with the puck at times. They also seemed a little out of sync. Case in point would be Phil McRae bunching up with and running in to TJ Oshie on more than once occasion. Andy McDonald too had issues getting up to game speed.
The game did remain tight on the scoreboard as neither side could bury a puck (and they had some good chances) till Oshie’s sniped the roof like it was the pregame warm-ups late in the second and put the Blues up 1-0.
At that point Edmonton seemed to be done. Because in the third period the Blues flat out dominated. So much so that Jaroslav Halak could have taken a nap. His 12 save shutout looks more like an NHL 11 stat line than a real life one.
Even if the Oilers could break up the Blues possession, they would hand it right back. In the form of a turnover or a blocked shot. As if they already pulled out the cigarettes and rolled over. They just didn’t exert any effort above what was needed to just get through the night. Which lead to some gaudy numbers in the final period.
- Blues out shot the Oilers 14 to 2.
- The Oilers didn’t register a shot in the third till Jordan Eberle did at the 18:52 mark.
- The Blues scored 3 goals in between the 2:12 and 15:07 mark.
- The Blues blocked 26 shots total on the night.
- Edmonton tool 6 minor penalties
Goals By:
TJ Oshie – 10th
Matt D’Agostini – 18th (PPG)
Chris Stewart – (23) (PPG)
Adam Cracknell – (2)
If you are a visual person, here are the highlights from NHL.com.
Quick Hits
- Chris Porter was a beast. Excellent game for the long time AHL winger trying to earn a role position in St. Louis. His stat line was good too, 3 shots, 6 hits and 2 takeaways in 16:17 TOI.
- As good as Oshie was, he made a few too many blind cross ice passes in his own zone.
- The fights were awesome and really helped to get the Blues juices flowing in the first.
- Stewart is up to 10 goals and 14 points in 18 games with the Blues.
- Kevin Shattenkirk made a great play to step up in the neutral zone, pick off a stretch pass, dart up ice and feed Adam “Release my Crackn(ell)” Cracknell for his second career NHL goal. A sweet one time from the slot. Brett Hull, Adam is not, but his shot recalled images of #16 doing the same. Captain Kirk now has 7 helpers, 8 points and a Plus-4 rating after18 games in St. Louis.
- Roman Polak is rounding back in to form. Took a while following his wrist injury.
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