Throwdown Lowdown – Blues @ Wild 03-26-11

Looks like Subban wants Staubitz to leave. Image via Zimbio

Sure, the Edmonton Oilers are probably the worst team in the National Hockey League, but that doesn’t make the dominating 4-0 Blues win over them any less sweet.  “Dominating” may not be the right word, but the absolute correct word might be one I won’t mention on this blog (but I probably would at Game Time).  And guess what?  There were three fights in the game!  And how different these three fights were to each other, I say.  First, it was a mini-epic dance fest between Jim Vandermeer and Cam Janssen that was rightfully scored a draw (video here).  Then, Ryan Reaves and Theo Peckham went at it with Reaves taking it quite decidedly (video here).  Finally, after a questionable hit from behind by Jean-Francois Jacques to Chris Porter, BJ Crombeen sparred with Jacques and despite giving inches and pounds to him, Beej was determined the winner (video here).  The Blues slide up to 72 fighting majors, and in so doing, slide into first place by themselves in fights.  The two wins and a draw move the fight record up to 30-21-21.  That record is starting to turn back to the good side!

Why is it, exactly, that we (technically, anyway, this time) play TWO home-and-homes with the Minnesota Wild?  Sure, they are a Western Conference foe, but why not do this more often with the likes of Chicago or Detroit or Columbus or Nashville?  You know . . . DIVISIONAL OPPONENTS?!   I digress, though.  So as you know, we HAVE covered the Wild on two occasions (February 11th and 12th).  If you ask me, THAT was probably the weekend where the Blues were put in the can for the season, with playoff dreams flushed down the toilet.  The Wild are not a huge fighting team, but in that weekend home-and-home they fought the Blues four times (you’ll find video links in the next paragraph).  The Wild are currently tied for 19th in the NHL with 30 fighting majors, sitting level with the Atlanta Thrashers and Montreal Canadiens.  For a team that doesn’t fight much, they do a good job when they do, as their fight record on the season shows – 14-8-8.

Brad Staubitz (6’1”, 215lbs, 7-5-2 including a loss to Brad Winchester and a draw with Janssen) leads the team with 14 fights on the season, obviously almost half of the team’s fights.  Following him is Clayton Stoner (6’3”, 225lbs, 3-1-1 including a victory over David Backes with plenty of “Inglourious Blood”) with five.  Following him are five guys with two fights each: Matt Kassian (6’4”, 232lbs, 2-0-0, currently with Houston in the AHL), Eric Nystrom (6’1”, 193lbs, 1-1-0), Cam Barker (6’3”, 215lbs, 1-1-0 including a loss to Matt D’Agostini), Brent Burns (6’5”, 219lbs, 0-0-2) and Kyle Brodziak (6’2”, 209lbs, 0-1-1).  Chuck Kobasew (6’0”, 192lbs, Draw) has only fought once and is the only Wild to fight only once this season.

With the makeup of the Blues team markedly altered since the last meetings with the Wild, it’s hard to tell if the bad blood from the first two games will spill over here.  But if you’re the betting type (and believe me, if I had money, I WOULD be one), I would go with Reaves and Staubitz.  But as with the last set of games with the Wild, A LOT of things are possible here.

Can the boys get a modicum of redemption on the Wild?  We shall see.  Also, thanks for the birthday wishes yesterday, all.  It is much appreciated.  DIRTY THIRTY!

LET’S GO BLUES!!!!!

Information obtained via the incomparable Fried Chicken’s Hockey Fights