Provided by Brood_Witch

Blues fans everywhere last night cringed at the site of Blues forward Matt D’Agostini going down on a hit that knocked the winger out of the game and has beat writer Lou Korac tossing around the dreaded C-word. This morning there has been no update on D’Ags status and whether or not it was just precautionary to keep him out the rest of the game. Evgeny Grachev has officialy been recalled from Peoria per Jeremy Rutherford’s twitter feed. Grachev has spent an extended stay in Peoria after having a very sluggish and non-productive few months with the big club.

With St. Louis already short top 6 talent, the Blues may be pushed a bit more into a trade or aqusition type situation if Andy McDonald, Alex Steen, and now Matt D’Agostini miss too many more games. The Blues can ill afford to take a swing in the wrong direction at this point on account of lack of scoring depth. Keep your eyes and ears open on the trade wires as Army takes a good look at his available options. This in no way shape or form is a calling of any sorts by me for the Blues to make a trade that is not necassary. That being said, if we are truly in a “win now” situation as Army has stated, you have to wonder if he will sit idlely by this time of year.

The Blues have cancled practice for today and will fly from Ottowa to New Jersey to take on the Devils in another East vs West showdown tomorrow night. Former Blues Forward and tough guy Cam Janssen will look to get into the line up against his former mates and stir up a little havoc. Cam has said he has relaxed his fight to stay in games attitude and has tried to round out his game and be a more versitile player in a phone interview on the Thom and Jeff show pod cast. The Blues will look to stay on the winning track tomorrow night and keep pace with the elite teams in the West as the conference makes the turn for the home stretch toward the playoffs.

It’s time for the 2012 NHL All Star Game. Brian Elliott may be the lone St. Louis Blues representative, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be much to talk about. Indoor pond hockey does have its high points. Consider this post an open thread to share your thoughts on the game in general, Ells’ performance or just share your hate on the Hawks’ and Wings’ contingents in Ottawa.

Are you with Team Alfie or Team Chara?

The mask features Casey Jones from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on one side (as does his “everyday” mask) and the Blues logo and Arch on the other.  According to In Goal Magazine, the back plate features a faded All Star Game Logo that Elliott plans on having teammates autpgraph as a momento.

The creators of this mask, Head Strong Grafx, are located in Belleville, IL.  For those of you not too St. Louis Metro savvy, Belleville lies about 20 minutes east of St. Louis, and is where beat reporter Norm Sanders does his coverage for the News Democrat.  The are also the creators of Jaroslav Halak’s Tribute to Pavol Demitra on his mask.

Have to show some love for our St. Louis players using a local business to make their masks.  In a time when the economy isn’t so great, using local businesses can be important, especially if you are a “celebrity” of sorts.  In Goal Mag says that Head Strong Grafx has “burst onto the NHL scene” since Halak used them for his mask this summer.  Elliot’s current mask is also from Head Strong.  In fact, their gallery only lists Halak and Elliott as NHL clients, while they have numerous Junior League masks and a couple of AHL masks listed.

Big shout outs to Head Strong Grafx, In Goal Magazine, Greg Wyshynski of Puck Daddy, and Norm Sanders for all of the info on this mask.

(24-12-5)

vs

Montreal Canadiens

(16-18-7)

at

Bell Centre

Game Time 6:30pm CDT

TV- FS-MW(HD) Radio- KMOX

Blues Team Recap- The St. Louis Blues are coming off an impressive 4-0 beat down of their kryptonite foes the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night. With a record of 1-8-1 in the last 10 games against the Avs, it was good to finally see the good guys lay down a full 60 minute effort and make the most of their opportunities. The Blues sit tied for first place in the central division with the Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings at 53 points. It has been more the 9 years since the Blues sat at the top of the Division. A long long 9 years it has been since the fans in St. Louis could open up the Post-Dispatch glance down at the standings section of the sports page and go “Whoa… Our Blues are in first!” It has been a rough and bumpy ride to get to where we are today. I for one hope and pray that the Blues continue to put forward max effort and keep this team near the top. The Blues stroll in to Montreal tonight to take on a team that has not been able to get things going. My advice to the production crews wearing the blue note, try to avoid the protesting mobs that are ticked about a non-French speaking coach.

Blues Keys To The Game- When you go up against teams that are having down years the last thing you want to do is allow them to gain any confidence. The Blues can not afford to go into Montreal and take the Canadiens lightly. The atmosphere in Bell Centre will be electric as it is every time the home town Canadiens hit the ice. Tonight will be an extra special night as Jaroslav Halak takes the ice for the first time as a member of the opposition when the puck drops at 6:30 tonight.  Halak was responsible for helping the Canadiens on their post season run toward the Stanley Cup Finals in 2010, coming up one game short of the big dance.  The Blues need to continue to put lots of traffic in front of the net and continue to funnel pucks toward the net minder. The Power Play has found new life taking a shot first mentality into consideration instead of trying to pull “Datsyuk-ian” type moves and dangles from the stars. Will the Blues be able to clear the glitz and glamor of playing in one of hockey’s prestige palaces? Tonight we will see how the show on the road matches up.

Montreal Canadians Team Recap- Troubled times in Montreal are looming. With a record of 16-18-7, the Canadiens sit a sad 12th in the Eastern Conference. With the hiring of non-French speaking coach Randy Cunneyworth, the atmosphere in Montreal appears to be that of great desperation and despair. With the fans threatening to protest the non-French speaking coach, the winter days are long and the cold blustery nights are even longer. The Canadiens need to find a way to have success for a full 60 minutes. Whether they are getting blown out or shot down by one goal, this team has lost its way and its identity. It will be interesting to see if any more changes occur as we near the trade deadline and Montreal becomes a possible “sell” team rather then becoming a “buyer.”

Montreal Canadians Keys To The Game- It may seem like a broken record game in and game out, but if you want to beat St. Louis there are some key things that you must accomplish. Number one- You have to get in St. Louis’ face with physical pressure. You cannot allow them to freely transition the puck out of their defensive zone and get the puck moving north. The Blues are one of the best teams at getting the puck out of their own zone and getting the play moving in the right direction. The next key component to beating the Blues is to get them to take bad penalties by out working them along the boards. Put traffic in front of Halak on the Power Play and you will find tips and opportunities to get a few quick goals. Third Key- Never ever ever ever let your foot up off of the gas when you get St. Louis down a goal or two. Look back to the recent game the Blues played against the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers had the Blues down 3-1 and the Blues stormed back and beat them 4-3 in regulation. If the Canadiens want to steal away two important points for the Blues they will need a maximum home town effort tonight when the High Flying Blues come calling.

Blues News- The ownership saga remains in limbo as Tom Stillman is rumored to be putting together his next offer for the team. The NHL shot down Matthew Hulsizers attempts to buy the Blues after it was said he put together three different finance options. Time will tell if it was a wise decision by the league to cut the legs out from under Matthew Hulsizer or will they look like kings when Stillman and crew take control in St. Louis. Defenseman Kent Huskins continues to skate with the team in practice. No time table has been set for his return but one could speculate that a mid to late January return is possible for the veteran Defenseman who lead the team in goals and assists at one point early in the season. Forward Alex Steen is also progressing toward a return to the team. Again it has been rumored amongst the twitterverse that Steen is feeling better and may be able to get back to practicing in the near future. Andy McDonald also continues to improve coming back from post concussion syndrome. Gaining Steen and McDonald back in the line up will be like making a trade. A healthy Andy McDonald and Alex Steen add a level of play and skill to your line up that will make it that much harder for teams to compete against the Blues. Ian Cole will be available tonight as he has served his three game suspension for his “Illegal Hit To The Head” on the Red Wings Justin Abdelkader, a hit in which Cole miss timed his body position not trying to injure or make a dirty hit and earned a three game suspension from the NHL Player Safety director Brendan Shanahan. Look for a post regarding this mockery of a disciplinarian coming soon to BNZ as I look to call in to question the validity and down right favoritism shown in the leagues discipline today.

Grab your snacks and those tasty adult beverages and get up off your couches St. Louis! It’s time for BLUEEEEEEEEESSSSS HOCKKKKEEYYYYY! LET’S GO BLUES!

The first debate people seem to bring up is: “Why did the Blues trade away home town tough guy Cam Janssen.?” If the Blues wanted an enforcer type to get underneath the skin of the opposition and to protect the team when playing those in the league who tend to take cheap shots, why on earth would you trade away Janssen? Folks, without offending you too much, let me lay it out in a plain and simple way. Ryan Reaves can skate better, has better hands, has more offensive ability, and is better defensively in his own zone then Cam Janssen could ever dream of being. Not to mention Ryan is 6’1″ 230 lbs and matches up better with most of the remaining tough guys in the NHL than Cam ever could. That is not to say Cam was afraid or would ever back down from a fight against anyone, but when you lock up with the likes of Chicago’s John Scott who stands 6’8 and weighs in at 270 pounds you need to have at least some sort of frame to match him. Cam will be more suited to fill a role similar to Kelly Chase. Chaser is one hell of a media guy for the St. Louis Blues and I think that Cam would be very comfortable bringing it to the people in some sort of role close to what Chaser does.

Now that we have covered the “why Reaves and not Janssen angle,” lets look at a few other key notes to clue in on. Going forward the Blues will look to add more skill to their line up. With the strong possibility of Blues prospects Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko making the team out of camp next season the Blues have some decisions to make. The Blues 4th line is the current home of the Blues tough guy, and will most undoubtedly be his home for the tenure of his career here in St Louis. When you peek in on the possible line ups including those players and the current roster of the Blues you start to notice that there are a good amount of guys that fall in the bottom 9 role. Forwards Chris Porter, Scott Nichol, BJ Crombeen, Evgeny Grachev and Ryan Reaves all compete for time on that line. Of those forwards, Scott Nichol and Chris Porter are unrestricted free agents at the end of this season. BJ Crombeen has 1 year after this season, good for 1,000,000 dollars.  Evgeny Grachev is still on his entry-level deal through the 2012-2013 season, after which he becomes a restricted free agent.  It would seem that St. Louis has a bit of a log jam at the bottom of the order and the Blues have taken a interesting path with the signing of Reaves. Will the Blues look to not re-sign Chris Porter in the off-season? I am willing to bet that they may take Porter back on a 2 way 1 year deal if he agrees to it, but I would look for Porter to end up on a 3rd or 4th line some where else in the NHL, likely with a team whom might be looking for an energy guy with some offensive skill. As for Scott Nichol, the Blues will need to evaluate the need for Nichol at the end of the season. In my opinion, if Scott Nichol continues to play the way he has for the Blues up to this point, I want him to retire as a Blue. No one on the team has a better face off percentage than Nichol, and he brings a feistiness to his game that is refreshing considering he is all of  5’9 and 180 pounds. Nichol has become one of my favorite players to watch on this St. Louis Blues team. With Jason Arnott being a UFA after this season along with Jamie Langenbrunner, Nichol may be the guy the Blues fore sure want to look at holding on to.

Onto the subject of BJ Crombeen… It is hard for me to come to say this because I am a very big BJ Crombeen fan…. I find it hard for the Blues to keep BJ if the trend is for the new kids on the block to come calling next season. I think there are enough teams out there at the deadline who are looking for someone to fill a fourth line role that could use BJ that the Blues may look to send him out. I know that in and of himself Crombeen does not bring much in the way of trade value but he does bring the possibility to be a player you can add to a package that may put it over the top (think Jay McClement-ish). Reaves gives you everything BJ Crombeen offers and at a lower price with less miles on the tires. What package and what deal possibly sends BJ packing is above my pay grade to speculate upon.

No matter how things fall, the Blues and Doug Armstrong have made it clear that they are not only in the business of winning right now, but they also want to be in the business of winning for many years to come. Locking up Ryan Reaves for a 2 year one way deal at $600,000 is a cost effective and smart way to fill a role the Blues will need to stay team tough and competitive in a Western Conference that is loaded with players that need to be kept in check. To not leave the fans who love a good knock down wanting more out of this article here is a little tasty treat from last season. What will the face of the St. Louis Blues look like after this season? Time will tell my friends but along the way let the speculation and water cooler trash talking commence !

Backes knows about speed and big hits. Richards knows about concussions. Is NHL doing enough to protect game quality and players themselves?

Connections.

I love them. I hunt them down like 15 year old girl does TJ Oshie after a practice at the Mills.

Yeah, it’s like that.

My fascination goes beyond the mere fact that they exist. I am enamored with the entire process. Researching as many angles and takes on relevant information I can find. Then running them through the puzzler till conclusion. A methodical venture that brings a sense of order in completion. No matter the outcome.

The quest for connections defines how I think, act, feel, work and play.

It is also in this alleviation (or affliction some may call it) that I cannot un-see the revelation I saw in the Blues poorly officiated 4-3 victory over Edmonton Thursday night.

Each call in the second period stands out like the FedEx arrow. All pointing to a seemingly ludicrous proposition when lines are drawn to previous events this season.

Some Blues fans have cried “conspiracy”. After last night, although I know better, I find myself struggling to disagree.

The belief stems from more than one game in January. It goes beyond the 5-minute major for slashing and game misconduct Roman Polak was given. More than the pair of pretentious calls on David Perron. They are the latest in a line of questionable calls by the orange banded zebras.

- The 5-minute major spearing and game misconduct handed out to Scott Nichol against Florida.

- The interpretation of the hit by Ian Cole on Detroit forward Justin Abdelkader and subsequent suspension.

- The lack of even a two minute penalty or league review of the headshot Pavel Datsyuk put on Barret Jackman.

Those may be more recent, but the list carries on and on this season. Those outside St. Louis who read this may not understand (doubters can check beat writers timelines and blog comments on game recaps), but those of us who bleed blue know. We’ve watched it ourselves in our Scottrade seats and with cautious DVR aided examination on our couches.

I’ve watched the Shanahan videos. I’ve read blogs from Vancouver to Miami, Halifax to Anaheim. I’ve seen the length and breadth of inconsistent decision making. It’s troubling. The players are only getting bigger. The game only getting faster.

There is no conspiracy. There is no nefarious plot to promote East coast hockey supremacy. The truth is becoming obvious. The league is struggling to keep up. They’ll never admit it, but they are. The pace of play is too much for even eight eyes to provide adequate management services.

What troubles me, the connection I see, is that game trends are still scaling in a manner that promotes the exponential growth of speed.

Instead of adding leniency to minor stick offenses and holding along the boards players are told “just let up”.

Just make the squared glass around the benches rounded. Don’t address the issues leading to the play where a player can have his head pinned between forearm and stanchion.

Why decriminalize clearing the puck over the defensive zone glass down to equal an icing? Why add hybrid icing to make calls simpler and safer?

Speed, speed and more speed!

The lack of root cause identification (or ignorance) and appropriate response leads me to believe the league will always work by whatever misguided logic they employ to determine the best way to produce a quality product. Far too many important players and teams have been hurt to suggest otherwise.

Sure, Blues fans see decisions tilting in a rival’s favor and think big brother is against them. But look at this year’s Winter Classic. Look at the Bruins and Marc Savard. The Penguins and Sidney Crosby. If consideration was truly being given to protecting the best and showcasing the beauty of the sport more substantial changes would have been made by now. It’s a problem for all. Not one of 30.

My conclusion? A crisis of faith as mine begins to wane in the NHL.

In the face of proof they snark saying more is needed. Providing the illusion of progress. Transparency is wonderful. It’s even better when coupled with continuity. Hopes were high that with a changing of the guard in the department of safety times would be better. So far, they are not. Sacrifice one area to improve another somehow feels like a step forward and two steps back.

Thoroughbreds are beautiful when allowed to run unabated within the confines of a properly maintained track. Today they sit and watch too often. Either in a box, on the bench or at home waiting for headaches to stop.

When will the fans headaches stop? Probably when the players’ do. Hockey gods only know when that will be.

St. Louis Blues

(21-10-4)

vs

Detroit RedWings

(22-12-1)

at

Joe Lewis Arena 

Game Time- 6:00 pm CDT

TV- Versus(HD) Radio-KMOX

Blues Team Recap-  Last night the St. Louis Blues showed why its tough to play against them. The Note were all over the Dallas Stars and did not allow them time and or space with the puck. When the puck came in front of the net there were always 2-3 Blues players present to gobble up the puck and get it away from Jaroslav Halak. Though late in the third Period the Blues gave up a few bad luck goals they stuck it out and secured another important two points. Evgeny Grachev buried his first NHL career goal on a rebound as he crashed the net. Grachev said after the fact that now he has his first goal out of the way and can get on to playing a consistent good game. Adamn Cracknell also scored his first of the season last night on a shot the flutter through the Dallas net minder. The Blues are getting timely scoring and from young players that are striving to make a name for themselves. Healthy competition is never a bad thing in this game that we love so much and I would encourage the Blues front office to continue to foster that environment. Tonight The Blues ship up to Detroit to take on a surging Redwings team. Over the last 3 meetings the Blues have done nothing short of dominate Detroit. The Wings have looked pretty terrible against the Note going back to a 10 goals against beat down at the hands of the Blues last season. It is always a tough time when you have to play at the Joe. It will be especially hard tonight as the Blues are coming off a hard fought gain against Dallas. The only fortunate thing for the Blues is that the Detroit Redwings played in Nashville last night and will be as equally tired. Returning to the line up tonight for the first time this season forward BJ Crombeen will play tonight. Coming back from a fractured shoulder blade Crombeen will look to give the Blues even more physical grit along with a touch of scoring ability. Crombeen has been known as the team moral officer for the last several seasons and is always a vocal presence in the locker room. You can count on BJ to get the troops fired up and be another leader when the noses have to be put to the grind stone down the stretch.

Blues Keys To The Game- When talking strategy on the Detroit RedWings one of the things that any hockey mind would tell you is this, Do not give the Detroit RedWings the man advantage. With the skill and ability that the Wings have on the Power Play they can make your worst dreams come true with a crisp clean pass and a tip in. No one in the League is better then the Detroit Redwings when it comes to finding the seams in the passing lanes even when conventional wisdom would lead you to believe the pass isn’t there. The Blues will look to remain disciplined tonight facing Detroit at home. Physical play and puck possession have to be the friend of St. Louis tonight. The wings are playing great hockey lately and it is apparent as their Goals for are on the increase. You can not give the Wings time and space to work with the puck. If the wings have time and space to move the puck where they want it they will make the Blues look very bad. The Note have not allowed the opposition to have time and space nor have they allowed the the scoring opportunities against. If the Blues can execute their fast defensive, physical game plan tonight they will stand a good chance at taking 2 very import points against the team that trails the Blues in the standing by only 1 point.

Detroit Team Recap- Winning 5 out of their last 8 games the Detroit RedWings are playing better hockey in the month of December. Detroit was in the music city last night to take on the Nashville Predators. The Wings strolled out of Nashville with 2 more points after putting up a 4 spot on Vesna finalist Pekka Rinne. Detroit returns home tonight to take on a very good St. Louis Blues team. In recent past the Wings have struggled against the Note loosing their last 4 games. Detroit will look to plug the holes on that leaking ship tonight and get back to their winning ways against St. Louis. If the Wings and their fans think it will be an easy task they are sadly mistaken. Look for Mike Babcock to have his team well prepared to face the Blues tonight at the Joe.

Detroit Keys To The Game- The Detroit RedWings need to goad St. Louis in to taking bad penalties. The Blues physical game play can lead them down a path of taking those hooking and tripping calls that today’s NHL refs seem to love to call. If Detroit can make this game more about special teams then 5 on 5 they will have a very solid chance at procuring 2 points and leap frogging St. Louis in the standings. Funneling pucks to the net and getting traffic in front of Brian Elliot will be one of the only ways Detroit will have a successful night. Goal tender Brian Elliot is tops in the league in SV% and Goals Against. It will be interesting to see how the Wings approach the game tonight against the Blues. Will they be successful?

Blues News- Forward Andy McDonald is skating again and is progressing toward a come back from a concussion, his second in less then a year. Forward Vlad Sobotka will also make his return to the team in the very near future leaving the Blues with a log jam at the forward position. With the team playing so well it is a tough choice the Blues will have to make when it comes to sending someone or a pair of someones back to the AHL. Jamie Langenbrunner will not play again tonight. Langs did not travel with the team to Detroit and is out of service with the Flu. Look for number 15 to get back into the lineup Friday night in Nashville. Blues ownership is still in limbo as no news has come out about Matthew Hulsizers attempt to purchase the team. Hulsizer has until December 31st to get a deal done per the NHL front office or it will be re-opened to the likes of Tom Stillmann and his group to make a go at purchasing the team. Stay tuned for the latest details regarding the sale of the team.

Tonight is a match up that many Blues fans enjoy. Its Blues RedWings and its on national TV. Let your Blues pride show through and root your team on to an ass whooping of the wings!

LET’S GO BLUES!!!

(18-9-3)

vs

Nashville Predators

(16-11-4)

at

Bridgestone Arena

Game Time 7:00 pm CDT

TV- FS-MW(HD)  Radio-KMOX

St. Louis Blues Team Recap- The St. Louis Blues are quickly becoming a team to watch across the NHL. at 18-9-3 on the season, The Blues sit in a 2 way tie for fourth place with the Detroit Redwings in the Western Conference. Thursday night the Blues showed once again they can compete and out play top NHL talent when they cruised to a 4-1 victory of the New York Rangers. Take in to account that the Blues have changed head coaches, have a bottom of the league payroll, and ” no name players” to many in the hockey world the Blues are starting to creep into more circles of conversation as each new day comes and goes. While perusing through the GDT thread from the Rangers point of view on HF Boards I could not help but give a few good laughs as page by page I read the discord and discontent that was Rangers fans clamoring about their team having no physicality and getting out matched and out played hands down by this ” Mediocre Blues Team.” Big market fans still have no idea who the St. Louis Blues are.   Ask any St. Louis Blues fan what they think about that and more often then not their answer will be that’s just fine by me. Let the big markets bask in their self absorbed ways and when the time is right St. Louis will sneak in a steal the show. Look for the pace of play tonight against Nashville to be very spirited and physical. As always, Blues Predators games have that gritty edge that Western Conference matchups always bring.

St. Louis Blues Keys To The Game- The Nashville Predators have given the Blues fits for the last several years when it comes to close games. Not very many match ups between these two teams end up in 1 goal difference games. One could expect this game to be boring if you did not understand the way these teams compete. Nashville fans as well as Blues fans appreciate the hard work their respective teams put in each night to bring home points. Tonight will be nothing short of a tough test for St. Louis. Bridgestone Arena has not been kind to St. Louis in the recent past. With several come from behind wins last season the Preds have a knack for showing up at the end of games to sneak out two points from an unsuspecting opponent. With Pekka Renne back stopping for the Preds it is always possible for this group of hard working NHLers to show teams why you have to play a full 60 minutes of hockey. Tonight the Blues need to stick with what has been winning them games. Hard and relentless puck possession and control. Keep the play headed out of the Blues zone and in the offensive zone. The Rangers would be the first to tell you that the Blues did not give them an inch to move in the neutral zone and get plays set up in the Blues end. It will be good to see what they can do against the Preds tonight in Nashville in front of their home fans.

Nashville Predators Team Recap-  When you think of teams that never quit on a hockey game what team comes to mind? The Nashville Predators are the team that come to the fore front of my mind. Winning 5 of 7 games in the month of December the Preds are doing the little things it takes to win games. They are crashing the net relentlessly after shots on goal, They are clearing pucks from in front of their own net and not forcing Pekka Rinne to make multiple saves every night. Around the league there is no team that I admire as much for their work ethic each night then the Predators. The Blues have finally figured out how to put themselves on par with the work ethic of the Predators and its about time. Berry Trots has done nothing short of work miracles in Nashville. With a payroll that is also near the bottom of the league the Predators have made the Playoffs for the past several years and for the first time in team history won a round of the Playoffs last season when they knocked out the Anaheim Ducks out of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Heading into this next off season the Preds have some difficult choices ahead of them. Two defensive stalwarts in Shea Weber and Ryan Suter are due for new contracts. Both Weber and Suter will command big contracts and long term deals when push comes to shove will the Preds have the money to get them both signed long term? Only time will tell where this situation ends up in Nashville.

Nashville Predators Keys To The Game-  The Preds have to keep this game against St. Louis simple. Some how they must win the puck battles along the boards and find ways to funnel pucks to the front of the net. If they can get their big bodied players in front of the Blues net minder then they may get some rebounds that they can plink into the back of the net. There’s no doubt that Nashville will come out with fire behind them. Only three point separate these two teams in the standings and count on Berry Trots to have his boys fired up to play the Blues. Nashville has to get the Blues to take bad penalties and then capitalize on those mistakes. It will be a long night for Nashville if they allow the Blues to dominate the flow of play.

Blues News- Vlad Sobotka remains out on IR with a lower body injury. No timetable has been given for his return. Forward Andy McDonald remains out on IR with post concussion symptoms. In recent days it has been reported that Andy is starting to turn the corner to feeling better but has not taken the baseline testing to get back to practicing with the team. Kent Huskins remains on IR with a injured ankle. Huskins should be returning to the team in the coming weeks. Forward BJ Crombeen out with a fractured shoulder blade has been practicing with the team with a no contact jersey for the last two weeks. Crombeen should get back into the swing of things and in to games in the next two weeks.

It still remains to be seen if perspective owner Matthew Hulsizer will sign on the dotted line and take control of the Blues as Majority owner. It was reported last week by Blues beat writer Jeremey Rutherford that a deal Between Hulsizer and SCP world wide was coming to a close and could be done by this week. Stay tuned for the very latest information regarding the sale of your St. Louis Blues.

Tonight will be a a fun game to watch. Make sure you have plenty of cold drinks on hand and something good to eat. Put on your Blues apparel and get up and cheer your team to another 2 points!

The LA Kings are one such team searching for a live preserver with a 30 point effort after 29 games. Their 13-12-4 mark puts them 4th in the Pacific Division and 12th in the conference. Far behind league consensus expectations after a whirlwind summer of acquisitions meant to push them over the top. From just a playoff team to a Cup contender.

Big expectations brings largely than life responsibilities through the organization. Coaches must coax every ounce of skill, talent and will from the players. The General Manager has to make sure the right personnel are on ice level. Both on and behind the bench. Rarely will either sit idle as their season slips in to mediocrity.

It appears their head coach may be out of tinker time. At least according to Helene Elliott of the LA Times.

Kings executives are poised to dismiss Coach Terry Murray this week, hoping to halt a string of disappointing performances and revive an offense that has produced a league-low 2.24 goals per game despite a beefed-up payroll that puts the team near the salary-cap limit for the first time.

People familiar with the situation but not authorized to comment publicly said a candidate has not been found to replace Murray, who took over before the 2008-09 season. Murray installed a solid defensive foundation but has not been able to take the team to the next level and capitalize on resources enhanced by the off-season additions of skilled forwards Mike Richards and Simon Gagne.

If the report holds true and the Kings’ brass axes Murray, he’ll become the fifth coach fired the last six weeks. He would be preceded by Davis Payne (St. Louis), Bruce Boudreau (Washington), Paul Maurice (Carolina) and Randy Carlyle (Anaheim).

The obvious intent would be to send a message to the locker room that they need to shape up or be shipped out because one way or another the “problem will be fixed”. So far that has been the actual outcome only in St. Louis. The desired effect has not taken hold in the other three instances.

Could one of the dismissed be a potential replacement, as Boudreau was for Carlyle? Not likely. Payne will finish out his contract with the Blues as a pro scout. It’s doubtful the Blues will block Payne from taking a new job, but he is very reserved. A quality some believe is the issue with Murray and his teams response to adversity this season. Elliott adds in her report that the Kings are not believed to be interested in Carlyle.

Josh Rimmer, NHL Home Ice Producer, suggests via Twitter that another former head coach could be an option.

So If Terry Murray is indeed fired this week, look for LA Kings to name assistant coach John Stevens their new coach.

Stevens took over in Philadelphia following the departure of current Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock. From 2006-07 through his firing in 2009-10 he coached 263 games earning a 120-109-34 mark. Twice taking the Flyers to the playoffs.

Whatever the outcome, a weaker Kings team is good news for the boys in blue. The So Cal based club has really owned the Blues this season. Winners in both chippy games to date. The two teams do not play again till February 3rd. The fourth and final meeting is on March 22nd. Whatever shakeup happens in LA will come to pass long before the Blues can even up the season series.

Needless to say there is little to no direct impact on the Blues. Sure, another team could be powering up the standings if the Kings react to their new boss as the Blues did to Hitch, but being chased in the standings in December is nothing new for teams in the Western Conference.

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Update: Kings make it official today. Murray has been relived of head coaching duties and Stevens takes over.

Change has been needed, but as typical in modern society, things that are not broken are not fixed till they are.

The blueprint for rebuilding once the collapse comes at the end of the season was finalized, approved by the NHL’s Board of Governors and relayed to the masses of puckheads across North America and the ice hockey playing world Monday night.

Gone are the Western and Eastern Conference. Gone are all six divisions. A four conference format, two of seven teams and two of eight, will be in place for the 2012-13 season. The composition of each is as follows:

Conference A: Los Angeles, Anaheim, Phoenix, San Jose, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Colorado

Conference B: Detroit, Columbus, Nashville, St. Louis, Chicago, Minnesota, Dallas and Winnipeg

Conference C: Boston, Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Buffalo, Florida and Tampa Bay

Conference D: New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Washington and Carolina

In terms of scheduling the league will likely maintain an 82 game campaign. As Dan Rosen of NHL.com writes, how often teams play each other will be very different.

The new alignment also enables the NHL to create a balanced schedule in which all teams will play each other at least twice every season, once at home and once on the road, giving fans a chance to see every team and superstar in the League. The remaining games will be played within the conferences.

Simple and straightforward. Where the system gets convoluted is in how often intra-conference opponents play each other. As Rosen states:

In the seven-team conferences, teams would play six times — three home, three away. In the eight-team Conferences, teams would play either five or six times in a season on a rotating basis; three teams would play each other six times and four teams would play each other five times. This process would reverse each season: An eight-team Conference member that plays an opponent six times in one season would play it five times the following season.

Confused regarding the eight team conferences? After reading through a few times the basic premise becomes distinguishable amid the jargon. Each season some teams play each other five times, the next season six. Just keep it simple like that for now.

What about the hallowed Stanley Cup playoffs? Rosen has details there as well.

The top four teams in each Conference qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The first-place team would play the fourth-place team; the second-place team would play the third-place team. The four respective Conference champions would meet in the third round of the Playoffs, with the survivors playing for the Stanley Cup.

Translation: Each conference hosts two rounds of playoffs, the third round will be the four conference champs and the final two play for the cup.

What Does This Mean to the Blues?

- The loss of potentially one home game per season against Detroit and Chicago. There are likely significant revenue impacts considering that a contest against lesser desired opponents like Minnesota, Winnipeg or Dallas will take an assured sellouts place. That said, losing one game against Detroit is better than losing two had they moved out of conference.

- A guarantee of getting every original six team in Scottrade Center. Getting the major east coast draws like Washington, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia in town once a season. Surely the Blues marketing guru’s can come up with some amazing ticket plans. Something like a two pack of “Former 1st Overall Picks” to see John Tavares and Steven Stamkos.

- The retention of the budding rivalry with Nashville and a major opportunity to grow it. Proximity and some fabulous regular season battles have really pushed the intensity level up when the Predators are on the docket. Imagine what a playoff series or two could do? Might be hard to fathom for some, but a rivalry of Chicago-like importance can now be more easily had.

- Potential to rekindle rivalries with the old North Stars now in Dallas. I know some old blue bleeders who would like this…

- Make the rivalry with Columbus two way because up till this point it’s been one way. If the Blue Jackets can bring in more local fans with more earlier start times then they have the primary building block to a successful franchise finally in place. They could build out from there and legitimize themselves. A stronger opponent means more Blues fans show up and care. Winning all around.

- On a superficial level the impact on the Blues travel budget and needs doesn’t seem too pronounced. An increase in shorter trips will replace multiple long distance jaunts to western Canada and California.

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What say you Blues fans? Yay or nay? Why?