Game Day Preview- Calgary Flames vs St. Louis Blues 11-25-2011
Calgary Flames
(8-11-1)
vs
St. Louis Blues
(11-8-2)
at
Scott Trade Center
Game Time- 7:00pm CDT
Blues Team Recap- If you would have told me that the Blues would swing in to Pittsburgh and dominate almost all of the match up between the Pens and the Blues I probably would have laughed at you prior to the game being played. It was evident from the drop of the puck that Ken Hitchcock’s Blues had come to the Consol Energy Center to play some hockey. Time and time again Sid the Kid was hounded by Ian Cole and the likes of the Blues defense. He was frustrated and kept once again from the score sheet against the Blues. In his 6 career games against St. Louis the Golden Child has no goals to show for his efforts. In what turned out to be one of the most entertaining games I have watched in a long long time both teams battled fiercely for a full 60 minutes ending up in a 2-2 tie. The blues would not be happy with just one point and with less then 2 minutes left in over time an awesome play by Vladamir Sabotka put the puck right on a breaking Alex Pietrangelo’s stick in front of the net. With a nifty forehand back hand Theo Fleury sprawled out and Pietro back handed in the game winner as Jordan Staal stood with his tail caught between his legs. I am pretty sure I took a victory lap around my house as the Blues piled it up after the win. It was truly great to see this team work hard and come out on the right end of a great game. There were few things other then the Blues abysmal power play that could taint the night for fans. Ken Hitchcock will have to address the power play and get it back on track. One would swear that the Blues should play all of their games at 5v5 instead of going on the PP. Tonight the Blues take on the Calgary Flames at Scottrade Center for their 3rd meeting of the season. The season series is tied 1-1 and should be an interesting games as is usually had when these two teams square off.
Blues Keys To The Game- Tonight against the Flames lets keep the game plan simple. Mikka Kiprusoff has killed the Blues over the years. Get bodies in front of him so that he can not track the puck and do it often. If you allow Kiprusoff to settle in and get his groove going the Blues will find it difficult to plant the biscuit in the basket. Chris Stewart, David Backes, and Jason Arnott should make it a point to never leave the crease. Get a lot of shots in on the Flames and jump on a team that has not played all that well this season should help to sink the boat early. The Blues have to find a way to get that second and third goal when they sustain pressure in the oppositions end. The note has not done a very good job of getting that next goal to keep the momentum from swinging in the game and have had to either come from behind or push from a tied game all to many times this season. Good teams will find ways to beat you when you allow them to crawl back into the ring. The Flames are no slouch and the Blues had better take them seriously tonight when the puck drops at center ice.
Calgary Flames Team Recap- The Calgary Flames come in to town tonight having lost 3 of their last 4 games. With a GAA of 3.50 in their last 4 games the Flames have been giving up some prime scoring opportunities to their opponents who have been capitalizing on their mistakes. Running into penalty trouble against the Detroit Red Wings is never an advisable thing to accomplish and the Wings made them pay dearly with 3 power play goals in the Flames last game played. Tonight look for Calgary to look to get back to playing solid defensive hockey while trying to break into the Blues zone with some odd man rushes. Jarome Iginla is a Blues killer and will look to add to his lofty points tally while facing St. Louis. It will be up to the St. Louis Defense to step up and make sure this does not get to out of control in front of the net minder. Calgary will push the Blues physically and look for them to not back down in the face of any scrum tonight at 14th and Clark.
Calgary Flames Keys To The Game- Puck possession. Against the Penguins the Blues held onto the puck like it was glued to their sticks. Keeping them out of the offensive zone more in their defensive zone. The Flames can’t allow St. Louis to maintain puck possession tonight if they wish to stop the bleeding and get the boat headed in the right direction. The Flames will need to pay special attention to the St. Louis defense as lately they have been joining the play in the offensive zone and racking up a ton of points. Catching St. Louis in a mismatch (forward covering defenseman when they pinch) could give Calgary that advantage with their big forwards going in the other direction. Be cognizant of the Blues defense moving in and get the puck transitioned quickly and don’t allow them to get their defenseman back into the play. The Blues have been out working and out chancing their opponents since Hitch took over at the helm. The Flames will have to come out with a fire under their asses and turn the heat up against a hot team (and a hot goalie as Brian Elliott makes the start for the Note) that shows no signs of slowing down. Will the Flames be able to match the physicality of the Blues and the pace at which they transition the puck? To grab two points tonight the Flames will have to earn it. Can they do it? We will have to wait and see.
Blues News - Ownership remains up in the air at this point. No new news has hit the wires since it was last reported that Mathew Hulsizer had signed a purchase agreement to buy the Blues for somewhere in the neighborhood of 180 million dollars. The sale was/is to include the Peoria Rivermen, the Scottrade Center Lease and possibly the Peabody Opera House which was recently renovated by Dave Checketts group and re- opened.
David Perron continues to skate with the team in full contact drills and looks better and better each day he goes on to the ice. Only a matter of weeks before dp_57 returns for the Blues or so fans hope. No set backs have been reported up to this point but Perron has not sustained any vigorous or challenging contact. Look for David to be back in the coming 2-3 weeks baring any set backs. Andy McDonald remains on IR with concussion symptoms with no time table for return. Kent Huskins is sidelined after having surgery to repair a fracture in his right ankle which came against the Calgary Flames in the two teams last meeting in Alberta. Kent is expected to be out for at least 4-5 more weeks baring set backs. BJ Crombeen remains out with a fractured shoulder and has returned to light skating but is not practicing with the team at this point. BJ hopes to be back some time in early January. Carlo Colaiacovo remains out with an injured hamstring and is listed as week to week on IR. No official time table has been set as to Colas return.
Tonight should be a spirited match up between two teams who play a very physical type game on most nights. Strap in and get ready for some hard hitting and fun action between the lot of them. Yell it loud and clear for the masses to hear… LET’S GO BLUES!!!
