Throwdown Lowdown – Blues @ Stars 10-13-11

How ‘bout taking your gloves off first, Steve? Jackass. Image via Zimbio

That’s more like it. The St. Louis Blues, following an opening night loss, turned things around in a Monday matinee with the Calgary Flames, winning 5-2 and pretty much dominating the on-ice action. The sad news here is that there were no fights in the contest, keeping the Blues in a massive tie for fifth in the National Hockey League, including a whole bunch of teams that have one fighting major apiece. The Blues’ fight record, of course, still stands at 1-0-0 on the young 2011-2012 season.

Now the team’s attention turns to the Lone Star State. The Dallas Stars took a while last year to find out exactly what they were – a team that, while able to mask deficiencies for a good amount of time – not good enough for the prime time lights of the Stanley Cup Tournament. This happened despite the fact that they beat the Blues in all four meetings between the two clubs last season. Since it took so long to find a team identity, the Stars took a while to figure out they could scrap with other teams, but in that regard they did end up finishing with a flourish, even if their fight record did not show as much. The Stars finished ninth in the NHL in fighting majors with 51 of them. The problem, as noted, falls in their lack of success when fighting last year – 9-25-17, to be exact. The Stars have fought twice thus far this season, good for an early three-way tie for second in the NHL, with an early 1-0-1 fight record.

Among players on the current Stars top-level roster, noted brawler Krys Barch (6’1”, 237lbs, 1-7-4) leads the Stars with 12 fights contested last season. The insufferable Steve Ott (6’0”, 190lbs, 2-4-4) fought 10 times last season. Former Blackhawk Jake Dowell (6’0”, 198lbs, 3-4-2) fought nine times. Jamie Benn (6’2”, 205lbs, 1-1-2) is not only the Stars’ answer to David Backes, but checks in with four fights last season. Four players fought twice each – Captain Brenden Morrow (6’0”, 205lbs, 1-0-1), Adam Burish (6’0”, 191lbs, 1-1-0), Vernon Fiddler (5’11”, 197lbs, 0-1-1) and Mark Fistric (6’2”, 233lbs, 0-1-1). Fighting once last season was Nicklas Grossman (6’4”, 230lbs, Loss . . . to George Parros. Oops!).

The Blues and Stars fought a lot against each other last season, but most of the players that contested those fights are no longer with their respective teams. Ryan Reaves squaring off against Barch would surely get a rise out of the Dallas crowd, as would a fight between, say, Backes and Benn. And any player that beats the living crap out of Ott will earn my everlasting adoration. Maybe former teammate Jamie Langenbrunner, after rushing to Andy McDonald’s aid against Mark Giordano on Monday, may fit that bill? Probably not, but you never know.

And it’s time for a Western road trip! Let’s start it off with a win, gang.

LET’S GO BLUES!!!!!

Information obtained via the incomparable Fried Chicken’s Hockey Fights