Will Patrik teach SoCal how to Bergie?

Game Three: St. Louis Blues at LA Kings

The first TWO games did not go as planned on the scoreboard. Can the Blues follow the path set in round one?

Who will score first for the Blues tonight? Give us your best guess! Remember, you just need to comment on this post to be entered into the contest; the person with the most correct guesses at the end of the season will win an autographed BNZ 2011 Race for the Cure shirt (Includes 9 player signatures). *Comments must be dated/time stamped prior to the game start time*

Game Info:

Game Three Preview on Hockeybuzz.com

Location: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA

Opposing Netminder: Jonathan Quick (per Daily Faceoff)

Blues Probable Line Combos:
Forward Lines:
McDonald - Backes - D’Agostini
Steen – Berglund – Oshie
Perron - Sobotka – Stewart
Langenbrunner – Nichol – Crombeen

Defensive Pairings:
Jackman – Pietrangelo
Russell – Polak
Colaiacovo – Shattenkirk

Starting Goalie: 

Brian Elliott

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Perhaps David Perron will find the back of the net on the new look not so kid line.

Game Two: LA Kings vs. St. Louis Blues.

The first game did not go as planned on the scoreboard or in the injury department. Can the Blues follow the path set in round one?

Who will score first for the Blues tonight? Give us your best guess!  Remember, you just need to comment on this post to be entered into the contest; the person with the most correct guesses at the end of the season will win an autographed BNZ 2011 Race for the Cure shirt (Includes 9 player signatures). *Comments must be dated/time stamped prior to the game start time*

Game Info:

Game Two Preview on Hockeybuzz.com

Location: Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Mo

Opposing Netminder: Jonathan Quick (per Daily Faceoff)

Blues Probable Line Combos:
Forward Lines:
Perron – Berglund – Oshie
Steen – Backes - McDonald
Sobotka – Arnott – D’Agostini
Langenbrunner – Nichol – Crombeen

Defensive Pairings:
Colaiacovo – Pietrangelo / Cole
Jackman - Shattenkirk
Russell  - Polak

Starting Goalie:
Brian Elliott

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How Long Will Alex Pietrangelo Be Out?

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The primary trend that the first round of the 2012 NHL Playoffs will be remembered for is the volume of questionable/dirty acts.

It all started with the league’s lack of strict discipline administered to Nashville’s captain, Norris finalist Shea Weber, slamming Detroit’s superstar Swede Henrik Zetterberg’s face in to the glass in move better suited for WWE or Moral Kombat action. Open season was declared and the boys ran amuck from the wild west to the northeast. It seemed that when Sheriff Brendan Shanahan stepped in and dispensed stiff justice on Phoenix forward Raffi Torres for his brutal and blatant attempt to injure Chicago winger Marian Hossa that peace had been restored heading in the the conference semifinals.

Obviously not.

Late in the second period of the St. Louis Blues’ 3-1 loss last night LA Kings depth winger Dwight King recklessly boarded defenseman Alex Pietrangelo.

Intent is pretty clear in this case.

With Pietrangelo facing the boards and Jordan Nolan covering Kris Russell there is no dangerous counter transition play available. All King has to do to be an effective role player is follow Pietrangelo in to the boards and create an opportunity for Nolan to out muscle Russell for position to dig the puck out.  If unable to follow to the boards then match pace and go shoulder to shoulder as he turns to go north. Really, it’s not overly complicated. The correct play is made countless times a night. Instead King puts his forearm in to the numbers and pushes off. The resulting face first crash prevented the Blues top defenseman from returning from the game and appearing at practice today.

No. The “c” word hasn’t been discussed or confirmed, but given the situation and the Blues luck with such injuries over the last two years, not many would be surprised if that’s ends up being the case. Although head coach Ken Hitchcock is a little more optimistic.

Will the league handout supplemental discipline? After watching the video over and over one may think so, but as of early Sunday afternoon there won’t be.

Disgusted? Most Blues fans would be as they should. This hit was not like the one TJ Gallardi put on Andy McDonald. Where a hockey play that could have happened didn’t because the player being hit didn’t put himself in wise position. The hockey play in the King hit was avoided in favor of a dangerous attempt to separate the defender from the puck.

Does anyone expect Kings fans to be? Even the most egalitarian of us have their doubts. What about the Kings media? Certainly most of the MSM will steer clear of discussing the event other than to report what happened and what the involved parties have said. Among the blogging community, well that’s a different story.

Many of you know I cover the Blues for Hockeybuzz.com now. Matthew Barry is my Kings counterpart. A blogger I’ve been reading for a long time and have suggested to Blues fans as someone covering a team not their own worth investing sometime in following. Needless to say, I was more than a little shocked and disappointed when I read his recap blog.

The Ancient Art of Asian Justice?

Revenge is a dish best served cold (noticed Ek beat me to the punch). The Japanese culture is big on waiting for the right moment to dish out revenge (I’m not the forgiving type. I’m very big on revenge), even if it takes years.

It took nearly 14 years but Dwight King began to even the score for what ****** Courtnall did to Jamie Storr. In an otherwise pretty clean game, it was nice to see one of their warriors NOT return to the game. It’s only a matter of time before Carlo Coliaccovo crumbles to pieces like a coffee cake.

For those who need a refresher on what transpired in the 1998 Playoffs between the Blues and Kings, here’s the video:

I pride myself on going out of my way to see all the shades of gray possible. I want to find every angle, learn from them, discuss  and grow my own perspective because of them. How many times have Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott been trampled in their crease this season and it wasn’t called? How many times have other illegal acts not been called – Pavel Datsyuk elbow to Barret Jackman’s head anyone… – resulting in negative impacts to the Blues chances of winning a game. I completely understand why Kings fans would hold bitterness in their hearts for the outcome. Think of how Steve Yzerman is remembered in St. Louis. Storr didn’t return to the game and the retribution on Geoff Courntall earned a five minute major that turned in to four power play goals and one of the most thrilling comebacks in franchise history.

It’s a sore spot. One any of the other 29 teams would claim. One they all have.

However, in this instance I cannot promote the notion. There is no gray area on the King hit. It’s as black and white as they come. The defense of such for any reason is reprehensible, immature, and wreaks of a complete lack human decency or sensationalistic attention whoring. To celebrate the injury goes beyond to an indescribable depth of moral depravity. Even the most well known of knuckle dragging former players turned commentators refrain from opening that door and walking down to the crypt.

I’m not one for throwing any writer under the proverbial bus. Especially colleagues in the community. We all put our opinions out for anyone to read knowing full well that someone will disagree with us. Beating up on each other is not productive. That said, there are times when peers have to be hard on each other for the benefit of the whole. The glorification of potentially career threatening injuries to settle scores is not acceptable. It may generate hits and discussion, but can only perpetuate the stereotypes that keep bloggers in the basement and out of the press box.

So sad that once again the glorious event that is playoff hockey has been overshadowed by the games darkest elements.

Just a little more to the right...

Game One: LA Kings vs. St. Louis Blues. Round Two finally kicks off for the Blues. It doesn’t get any easier from this point on. Time to see what this team is made of…

Who will score first for the Blues tonight? Give us your best guess!  Remember, you just need to comment on this post to be entered into the contest; the person with the most correct guesses at the end of the season will win an autographed BNZ 2011 Race for the Cure shirt (Includes 9 player signatures). *Comments must be dated/time stamped prior to the game start time*

Game Info:

Game One Preivew on Hockeybuzz.com

Location: Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Mo

Opposing Netminder: Jonathan Quick (per Daily Faceoff)

Blues Probable Line Combos: (No changes expected from the series vs SJ)
Forward Lines:
Perron – Backes – Oshie
Steen – Berglund – McDonald
Sobotka – Arnott – Stewart
Langenbrunner – Nichol – Crombeen

Defensive Pairings:
Colaiacovo – Pietrangelo
Jackman - Shattenkirk
Russell  - Polak

Starting Goalie:
Brian Elliott

Healthy Scratches:
Cole, Huskins, Porter, Reaves, Schwartz, Stewart.

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Moving On. Finally...

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Took a few more days to get confirmation of when the St. Louis Blues and LA Kings will start their semifinals series than we all hoped for. Here it is:

Game 1 – Saturday April 28th – 6:30pm CST – @ Scottrade Center – NBC Sports Network

Game 2 – Monday, April 30th – 8:00 CST – @ Scottrade Center – CNBC

Game 3 – Thursday, May 3rd – 9:00pm CST – @ Staples Center – NBC Sports Network

Game 4 – Sunday, May 6th – 2:00pm CST – @ Staples Center – NBC

Game 5 – Tuesday, May 6th – Time TBD – @ Scottrade Center – CNBC

Game 6 – Thursday, May 8th – Time TBD – @ Staples Center – TV TBD

Game 7 – Saturday, May 10th – Time TBD – @ Scottrade Center – TV TBD

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FYI – Post updated on 4-27 to include new dates, times and TV Networks.

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It’s official… St. Louis has finally caught Blues Playoff fever. The only cure?

Wear more blue clothing.

St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay tweeted today that a proclamation has been submitted to ask all St. Louisians to wear blue this Friday, April 27th…. “St. Louis Blues Day”.

You heard the man. Dig out that old powder blue tux from the 70′s if you have to. Be creative. Be boring. Whatever you do, just wear blue!

Sticktap to BNZ reader, tweep and Facebook fan Tim Salib for sharing this picture of his daughter’s playoff beard.

Better than Toews'...

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"Damn, I would look so badass on the cover of NHL 13..."

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As a long time support of EA Sports titles, I will surely pick up NHL 13 when it comes out. Hopefully it will have a face on the cover my four year old can recognize.

St. Louis Blues forwards TJ Oshie and David Perron have qualified for the NHL 13 Cover Vote Quarterfinals. Basically whoever gets the most votes wins their matchup and moves on to the next round so they need all the help they can get.

Oshie takes on Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit Red Wings and Perron goes head to head with round two of the NHL playoffs opponent, Anze Kopitar of the LA Kings.

Voting for Perron started today and runs through May 2nd. On May 3rd voting for Oshie opens and wraps up on May 10th.

Click here to head to the balloting site. Register for an account – just do it, it only takes 30 seconds – and vote up to 10 times each day.

For those too young to remember… Yes, the Blues have had one of their own grace the cover. Defenseman Chris Pronger did so for NHL 2000.

Oh glory days.... Where have you gone...

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No Spoilers?

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Following the Blues defeat of the San Jose Sharks Saturday night I posed the following question on our BluenoteZone.com Facebook Page:

“Who Is Your Series MVP”

Voting Breakdown
Name – Total (%)

Brian Elliott – 36 (53.7%)
Andy McDonald – 17 (25.3%)
Patrik Berglund – 8 (11.9%)
Ken Hitchcock – 3 (4.4%)
“I want to give it to Elliott and the checking line” – 3 (4.4%)
Total:  67

What do you think? Did the Facebook fans get it right? Originally I was on board with the Elliott contingent (and voted that way), but I shifted my vote to McDonald.

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Brett Hull... in the slot... NHL 94... OHHH BABY!

I am a sucker for nostalgia.

It explains why I never really quit playing World of Warcraft and complain about how Vanilla and the Burning Crusade are far superior to the last two expansions. Why I play very few games not made by Blizzard (or EA for that matter). Why no movie going experience will ever top Trilogy Tuesday. Why I watch Star Wars and Voltron with my daughter. Why I will always love Breaking Benjamin’s first album far more the other three combined. Why I will compare every single concert I attend to my first Taproot experience at the Galaxy. Why McKendree University can never be as good as McKendree College. Why Showmes will always be my favorite place to eat out.

I came to this conclusion very long ago, but have struggled accepting it. As if there is some fault in remembering days past fondly and wishing they were still possible. I guess there is if admiration for once what was holds you back from enjoying what can be. Never reached that point… or maybe it has based on the length of the ramble above…

Enough digressing. This is a hockey blog after all. Not chicken soup for the encroaching on 30 and premature midlife crisis soul.

Since the start of the playoffs I’ve developed a routine of listening to Bleed Blue by Brookroyal and the St. Louis Blues March by Glenn Miller every weekday morning on the MetroLink ride in to work. followed by the entire Saturate album by Breaking Ben… Something about the old timey jazz/big band song just seems to put me at ease. Takes the edge off knowing what is to come for the day.

It has to be the nostalgia talking.

Transport me back 15-20 some odd years to a dark bedroom, KMOX on the radio, and the end of a night’s worth of OH, BABY!’s and a west coast Blues game. A reminder to get to sleep before I was caught awake and the national news segment intro jingle would start. Damn thing scared the hell out of me. Like the newsman was going to break in that aliens has landed a la War of the Worlds.

Remind me of spring nights passed in the living room cheering on Hull, Oates, Stevens, Duchense, Janney, Shanny, Brown, Housely, Cujo, Zezel, the Cavallini brothers, Lowry, Bassen, Butcher and the whole Golden Brett era cast of characters. The joy entagled in the acquiring of Wayne Gretzky and the pain of that Steve Yzerman shot. For those who saw it, no one could forget Geoff Courtnall plowing over Jamie Storr and the epic third period comeback that ensued in the 1998 playoffs.

There are so many memories both good and bad. While there are countless other important and life altering ones from the post-Hull / Tkachuk/Pronger led years, I identify more with those that predate the 2000’s. Those were my formative hockey years. A time I can’t forget. A time I don’t want to forget. It’s a happy place I don’t want lose my connection to.

Nostalgia has been yapping loudly at me about a connection – yes, here comes the fascination with connections – explaining why the new song must accompany the old. Because I have to have a reason, right?

My daughter is four. She’s jumping aboard the Blues bandwagon at just the right time. She won’t remember the horror stories that have defined the Dave Checketts ownership era. She’ll remember Oshie, Perron, Berglund, Backes, Pietrangelo and others in the same way that I recall that long list of names above. As an exciting team that wins more than its fair share and makes the playoffs.

She also loves music and knows Bleed Blue by heart as much as a preschooler can.

..and the light bulb flashes on. Connection made…

The songs are a link between generations. Putting them together bridges the gap between my days past and my daughter’s days ahead. Offering encouragement to pass along the passion and pride in being a Blues fan from me to her. A means to keep my memories alive and grow hers.

This personal story can be extrapolated to the greater blue bleeding fan base my family is just one small member of.

Whether we as Blues fans realize it or not, this season is a major milestone in the franchise’s history. Nearly a decade’s worth of young fans has had only a brief glimpse of what success in the NHL really is. One flash in the pan post season run in 2009. They don’t know what 26 consecutive years of playoffs looks like.

Defeating San Jose in the first round and the change in ownerships signals the dawning of a new era. One where homegrown talent stays in town to bring back a winning tradition long dormant. It’s the next generation’s first memory creating event. It’s “nostalgia in action”.

As round two opens up against the LA Kings take a step back and look what’s going on through your kid’s, grandkid’s, cousin’s, sibbling’s, etc. eyes. It’s something pretty special.