St. Louis Blues

(29-12-6)

at

Detroit Red Wings

(32-15-1)

at

Joe Louis Arena

Game Time- 6:30 pm CDT

TV- NBCSN(VS) Radio- KMOX

Blues Team Recap- The St. Louis Blues don’t seem to be slowing down in their quest for the top of the mountain. The Blues, led by Captain David Backes, trounced Buffalo on Saturday night 4-2. In the game Backes had two goals and 2 assists adding yet another line in the book of get this man a Selke. In the NHL today, what team has a player that does all of the things that David Backes can do and do them consistently better than he? That’s right folks, there is not a forward in the league that can do all of the facets of the game as well as Backes. Count the Blues fortunate and lucky to have his services for the next 5 years. The Blues look to continue their impressive 8-1 January with a game in the Motor City. Detroit has won 18 home games in a row, which is a franchise record for the Red Wings. Detroit also sits one point ahead of the Blues in the standings, so tonight we will either leap frog over them or be three points behind. Tonight is a very important game and will be a good test to see just how serious the Blues are about competing with the big boys in the league.

Blues Keys To The Game- Domination. Plain and simple the Blues need to be on top of Detroit every second of every moment in this game. Do not give them any time or space to think or move. Puck domination with an overpowering forecheck will be a second key. The Blues have to be the more physical of the two teams when the puck drops tonight. The Blues should look to be disciplined and stay out of the box, but push the envelope right to the edge with feisty, hard nosed checks. Jimmy Howard has been phenomenal lately and will test the Blues and their ability to score goals on a consistent basis. The Detroit Red Wings need to be taught who the big dog in town is now, and tonight would be the perfect time to place the tail of the Red Wings squarely between their legs and make them run home to mama. Stay out of the penalty box!!!!! Do not give Detroit the chance to use special teams against you. If they Blues loose their cool and give Detroit chances with the man advantage it will be a baddddddd night.

Detroit Red Wings Team Recap- The Wings are 8-2 this month and own a 18 game winning streak at home, which is a franchise best. The Wings are coming off of a shoot out victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets in a game where Henrik Zetterberg was assessed a major penalty and a game misconduct for a from behind push that sent defenseman Nikita Nikitin into the boards awkwardly, injuring his knee. After reviewing the video one can clearly see that Nikitins skate catches a valley and the slight hand placement on his back from Zetterberg is enough to send him sailing. Zetterberg is not known for being a dirty player and it was not his intent to injure Nikitin. The league decided to take no action against Zetterberg and, for once, the league got one right. That does not excuse them from the atrocities they have handed down to countless players and the countless suspensions and fines that have not be given out. Detroit will look to cool the jets on a red hot Blues team tonight when they come calling at the Joe. Detroit currently sits atop the Western Conference with 65 points and with a win tonight could pull out to a three point lead in the Central Division. If the Blues win they would trail St. Louis by 1 point in the standings.

Detroit Red Wings Keys To The Game- Find a way to get more shots on goal and traffic in front of the goal tender. Tonight the Red Wings will have a tough task on their hands. The Blues will be coming at them with a lot of physicality and speed in transition. The Wings will have to be able to match the physical play and keep the puck out of their zone. St. Louis will be hunting in front of Jimmy Howard tonight for any rebounds that may squirt away from his capable hands and bury them in the twine. If Detroit can lure the Blues into taking minor penalties and then capitalize on those man advantages, they will have a good chance at grabbing the two points from St. Louis. If Detroit allows St. Louis to get their game plan in action, which is tough defensive with quick transition and traffic in front of the net, its going to be all over but the crying in Detroit. Look for a strong effort from the Wings tonight as they are well aware of how hard this Blues team works. Do not think that Mike Babcock will let them forget just how talented they are.

Tonight’s Blues Line Up  (per Jeremy Rutherford)

Forward Lines  

Perron-Backes-Oshie 

 Sobotka-Berglund-D’Agostini

Langenbrunner-Arnott-Stewart

 Porter-Nichol-Crombeen

Defensive Pairings:

Colaiacovo-Pietrangelo

Jackman-Shattenkirk

Russell-Polak

Starting Goaltender- Halak

Game Night News- Blues forward Alex Steen did not accompanying the team on this one game road trip.  Only tomorrow’s night home game against the Penguins is left for the Blues prior to the All-Star Week break. Though Steen may return tomorrow at home, it is likely Steen will use this time to continue to rest and skate to get his legs under him as well as make sure he is fully ready to return to the line up when play resumes in a week and a half. Andy McDonald has not taken off the red jersey yet and, according to rumors, is closing in on that date in the very near future. With the long ALL Star break upon us, I would look for Andy to shed that red jersey in the very near future. Kent Huskins still has no definite time table for return but is headed in the right direction working on conditioning and getting himself back to game ready condition. Huskins has been out of the line up since blocking a shot in Calgary in October with an ankle injury that required surgery.

Tonight Detroit will be with out the services of Patrick Eaves as he remains on the IR. No additional players are listed on Detroit’s IR for tonight’s game.

Red Wings Line Up (per Daily Faceoff)

Forward Lines:

Franzen-Datsyuk-Bertuzzi

Filppula-Zetterberg-Hudler

Miller-Helm-Cleary

Emmerton-Abdelkader-Holmstrom

Defensive Pairings:

Lidstrom-White

Kronwall-Stuart

Ericsson-Commodore

Starting Goaltender- Jimmy Howard

Tonight is a big night for St. Louis. I know we keep saying that the next game is the most important game yet. Tonight it holds true once again and will take maximum effort for the Boys in Blue to secured two more points and the top spot in the Western Conference! LET’S GO BLUES!!!

(17-24-4)

vs

St. Louis Blues

(27-12-6)

at

Scottrade Center

Game Time 7:00 pm

TV- FS-MW(HD) Radio- KMOX

Blues Team Recap- The Blues are coming of a tough, hard fought game against the Dallas Stars in which forward TJ Oshie scored the games only goal on a pretty pass from David Perron. The win catapulted the Blues into a tie with the New York Rangers for the top spot in the NHL in points. Since that time, with the Blues sitting idle, the team has fallen to 5th place in the Western Conference and has not played a game to slide that far. The Western Conference proves to be a tightly stitched network of good teams that do not seem to be letting off the gas pedal. How will the rest of this season shake out for the Blues? If they continue to put forward the effort each night they should remain securely inside a play off spot for the first time in 2 years and only the second time since the lock out.

Blues Keys To The Game- Tonight the Blues face the young but talented Edmonton Oilers team. The Oilers have shown flashes of great brilliance this season and also some dismal failures. The Blues will need to keep track of the young stars like Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Jordan Eberle. Luckily, Hall will be sitting out tonight.  Tonight in front of the home crowd the Blues need to continue to push their fast defensive strong on the puck mentality and make the Oilers make bad plays. Puck posession has been the strong suit of the St. Louis Blues since Ken Hitchcock took over and will remain to be the sole focus for tonight.

Edmonton Oilers Team Recap- Taylor Hallhas been put on IR and is listed as “out indefinitely” after suffering a skate to the face in warm ups Tuesday. Hall received 30+ stitches to close the laceration. The Oilers are coming off  a 4-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Oilers this season are confusing to watch: one game they absolutely dominate the opposition, and then the next night they get completely blown out. This seesaw battle of the mind should sounds very familiar to Blues fans as it was not all that long ago our very own team dealt with this exact issue. The issue of inconsistency is a sore spot that the Oil will have to figure out how to mend. Edmonton will remain a bubble team with the potential to slide well into the cellar of the NHL if they can not turn things around in a hurry.

Edmonton Oilers Keys To The Game- Puck Possession…. Can the Oilers keep the puck away from the St. Louis Blues? With as strong as St. Louis is playing right now it will be very hard for the Oilers to come in to Scottrade Center and sneak away 2 points. The Blues own the best home record in the NHL with 19 wins already in a season that has just crossed over the half way point. Edmonton will look to get the Blues to take bad penalties, put traffic in front of the net, and try and create some havoc in front of the Blues net minders. The Blues don’t give up very many odd man rushes anymore, so hard work on the end boards and lots and lots of pucks to the net with traffic are about the only way you will see your shot total rise above 20 when you play St. Louis. Can the young Oilers team keep pace with the soaring Blues? We will see tonight at 7:00 pm.

Blues News- Forward Andy Mcdonald will be shedding the red jersey in the very near future. A return of the nimble soft handed goal scorer will be a much needed increase to the Blues ability to pot goals. Forward Alex Steen may return to the line up tonight after missing several games with a concussion. The hard working Winnipeg native will look to lace up the skates on the Blues top line with David Backes and Chris Stewart. This leaves a ton of ran rumblings on who will sit out of tonight’s game. Lou Korac believes it will be Ryan Reaves, but fans on Twitter are speculating that BJ Crombeen or even Matt D’Agostini could be in the press box tonight.  Defenseman Kris Russel will be looking to get back into the line up tonight aw sell, and it appears Ian Cole will drop out of the top 6 defensemen if that happens.  Kent Huskins continues to skate and is likely to return in the coming weeks creating a bit of a log jam at the defense position.

The sale of the St. Louis Blues remains to be a mystery.  Tom Stillman the only perspective buyer left in the pool of potential has entered in to his exclusive window to buy the team according to the NHL front office. Rumors have been rumbling in the last few days the Stillman may be soon ready to sign a purchase agreement to buy the team. Details of the alledged agreement have not been verified.

Get up off your butts and get your hands up in the air! It’s time once again for some BLUES HOCKEY! LET’S GO BLUES!

- – -

A good bit of news came out Wednesday from the Blues beat writers and MSM folks. If you missed anything, here is what you need to know.

On Alex Steen…

The Blues’ Alex Steen is on the ice working with asst coach Scott Mellanby. #stlblues

— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) January 11, 2012

Hitch says Steen will skate tomorrow too. Not out of realm of possibilty that he plays. “We’ll see how he feels,” Hitch said.

— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) January 11, 2012

Steen confirmed he passed baseline. Felt good after coming off ice today. #stlblues

— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) January 11, 2012

Steen said he’ll talk to docs in the morning about playing tomorrow night. #stlblues

— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) January 11, 2012

On Andy McDonald…

I would expect Andy McDonald to shed red jersey at any time now. #stlblues

— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) January 11, 2012

On Barret Jackman…

Jackman getting some rehab work done today. 50-50 for tomorrow. Depends on how today goes. #stlblues

— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) January 11, 2012

Rivermen will lose rookie D-man Cade Fairchild to call-up by the Blues late this afternoon. Blues will send Evgeny Grachev down to Peoria.

— Dave Eminian (@icetimecleve) January 11, 2012

The Blues have assigned Evgeny Grachev to Peoria. Cade Fairchild has been recalled from the Rivermen. bit.ly/wN2XTR #stlblues

— St. Louis Blues (@St_Louis_Blues) January 11, 2012

On Kris Russell…

Also talked to Kris Russell, said he’s feeling better; probably another week or so with him. Hitch was encouraged by today’s skate #stlblues

— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) January 11, 2012

Impact & Analysis

Alex Steen is on IR per the Blues website, but no corresponding move would need to be made to accommodate his return. The lineup head count is currently at 22 and Steen woudl push them to the max of 23. Where does he fit back in? With his spot on David Backes‘ line filled nicely by David Perron he is candidate to take Matt D’Agostini‘s place on Patrik Berglund‘s left. Personally, I like the idea of Steen and Berglund with D’Agostini to provide a ton of speed and shooting ability down the side, but TJ Oshie provides the necessary playmaking tendencies to make the line click.

Make no mistake, the Blues will miss Barret Jackman if he is unable to dress tonight. Anecdotally he has had success containing the Sedin twins. Though the back pressure is usually strong, the defense will need to be prepared to handle the Canucks highly skilled attack. Jackman provides a presence that keeps the opposition on their toes, reducing their effectiveness. His absence also breaks up a strong pairing at Brad Shaw’s disposal. Who will Kevin Shattenkirk skate with? I’d bet Ian Cole.

How should we take the promotion of Cade Fairchild and demotion of Evgeny Grachev? As I’ve said before and will continue to beat like a dead horse, it means management (and the coaching staff) want to Grachev to play. They need to see how he reacts to the challenges presented to him and how he performs in game situatuions. This is a good thing for now. Peoria needs the help.

As far as Fairchild is concerned it means he continues to be the best healthy recall option on the blueline in Peoria. He will not see big minutes, save for a big injury or game misconduct to a fellow defenseman. Still, any recall is a good recall for a first year pro.

With Kris Russell still a week or so away from a return, what does Ian Cole need to do till then? Continue to prove he belongs in the NHL. That means better positioning, fewer mistakes and less time spent in the box. The front office wants him to see as much game time as possible. Just like Grachev. He may stay up when Russell returns, but if all are healthy when Kent Huskins does, Cole is destined for Peoria. A good showing now makes sure Fairchild doesn’t get the first recall after that.

- – -

Open Question: Who means more to the lineup upon their return? Steen or McDonald?

(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!

Alex Steen is not ready to return to the lineup.

Bluenotes is a dose of news and views from all around St. Louis Blues nation and the greater NHL beyond.

- – -

Yes, we know… Ian Cole was suspended, words from the Twitterverse: JR and Norm…

Army on Cole “I don’t think it was a wreckless play. I think it was a hockey player that was legal 12 months ago thats not legal today (1/3)

— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) January 2, 2012

I understand the sensitivity with hits to the head and we respect that, but I support Ian in the sense that it was a play that … (2/3)

— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) January 2, 2012

(Abdelkader) coming across middle has to be aware & unfortunately he wasnt. We accept decision cuz we understand importance of safety” (3/3)

— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) January 2, 2012

Blues GM DOug Armstrong talking about COle’s 3-game suspension: “To me, it’s a hockey play that at the end goes awry.”#stlblues

— Norm Sanders (@NormSanders) January 2, 2012

More Army on suspension: “The only issue I have is with the term reckless. I don’t think Ian Cole is a reckless player. ” #stlblues

— Norm Sanders (@NormSanders) January 2, 2012

Army:”It’s a hockey play that went awry in a difficult situation.” #stlblues

— Norm Sanders (@NormSanders) January 2, 2012

More Army on Cole: “There’s no sense getting upset over it, you just take it and move on.”#stlblues

— Norm Sanders (@NormSanders) January 2, 2012

Army: “The difficult part is I feel for Ian knowing that he had a chance to get in the lineup knowing he was going to be counted on.”

— Norm Sanders (@NormSanders) January 2, 2012

- – -

You want injury updates, Lou Korac has injury updates…

Forward Ryan Reaves (hip) skating here this morning. He was placed on IR last week. #stlblues

— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) January 2, 2012

Andy McDonald also on the practice ice today wearing red jersey. #stlblues

— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) January 2, 2012

T.J. Oshie skated pre-practice but left the ice & hasn’t returned. Not out here at all: Roman Polak. #stlblues

— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) January 2, 2012

Alex Steen (concussion-like symptoms) also not on the ice. #stlblues

— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) January 2, 2012

Polak & Oshie will be good to go tomorrow. Both did cardio today. #stlblues

— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) January 2, 2012

Alex Steen status quo. Not ready to skate. Don’t expect him tomorrow. #stlblues

— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) January 2, 2012

Hitch has an idea who he’d like to call up. Waiting for management to make the call. No callup yet after Peoria played 3 in 3. #stlblues

— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) January 2, 2012

- – -

Chris Kerber on potential Cole replacement…

Fairchild played well on 1st recall this year. Blues need a call-up. Fairchild is a staggering +21. +15 better than next best total on team

— Chris Kerber (@chriskerber) January 2, 2012

- – -

It comes from #stlblues…

Transparency? Check. Consistency?Not so much… Ian Cole & his brand new 3-game suspension bit.ly/vFKY4n #stlblues

— Matt Reitz (@ViewFromMySeats) January 2, 2012

@NormSanders – If Cole’s hit on Abdelkader is worth 3 games, Datsyuk’s hit on Jackman should be at least 1 game. #stlblues #nhl #redwings

— Curt Price (@curtprice) January 2, 2012

@jprutherford Seriously, Shanny can do to himself what he did to Janney’s wife. #stlblues

— Mouse in catspeak (@Meouse) January 2, 2012

I bet Ian Cole feels the same way Craig Janney did:Shanahan took away something he loved. #StLBlues

— Kent Dragonfinger (@KDragonfinger) January 2, 2012

As of this second, I predict the #StlBlues finish __ in the Western Conference. Fill in the blank.

— David Rogers (@FrozenNotes) January 2, 2012

- – -

Links

Rutherford’s updated post on Cole’s suspension. [STLToday.com]

Norm sander’s post on the same topic. [BND.com]

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!!!

(20-13-1)

vs

St. Louis Blues

(20-10-4)

at

Scottrade Center

Game Time- 6:30 pm CDT

TV-Versus(HD) Radio- KMOX

Blues Team Recap- The Blues are coming off of a win against the Phoenix Coyotes 3-2. Jason Arnott scored the game wining goal and the Note took soul possession of second place in the Central Division, just 4 points back of pack leading Chicago. Tonight, the Blues host the Dallas Stars. The Stars have had flashes of greatness this season and were once atop the western conference. The match up between these two teams is always a tough and physical battle. Tonight it will be no different. Look for the Blues to continue their winning ways as Head Coach Ken Hitchcock continues to impress with his 200 ft game of quick defensive fast transition hockey.

Blues Keys To The Game- Tonight, let me just say that it would be refreshing if the Blues could score a few power play goals. In the recent years, it has been an up hill battle for the Blues to score man advantage goals. The Blues sit dead last, 30th place, on PP goal conversions. It would be scary to think just how much better this team could get if they could convert on a more consistent basis. Going hard for 60 minutes tonight against Dallas is what the Blues will look to accomplish. Dallas is another one of those teams that usually never gives up on games. It has been seen time and again with these two teams that Dallas has come back late in games to sneak a point or two away from the Blues. The Note can ill afford to let the Stars walk with any points tonight.

Dallas Stars Team Recap- The Stars are coming off a bad game in New Jersey. Giving up 6 goals against a mediocre Devils team is not what the Stars had in mind when they trekked east for the match up with the Devils. Tonight, the Stars are in St. Louis and will be looking to shake off a poor performance. Dallas sit tied for first in the Pacific Division with the San Jose Sharks. They are in 7th in the Western Conference, which has been proving to be the dominate conference in recent years.  If the Stars can be consistent and gain momentum, it is easy to believe they will continue to be in a play off position come April.

Dallas Stars Keys To The Game- Puck possession, physical presence, and making the Blues take bad penalties are they keys to victory tonight for the Stars. If the Stars can out hustle St. Louis to pucks and force them to take lazy minor penalties, they will put themselves in a position to out score the Blues. The Blues have been stingy this season giving up shots on goal; the Note still averages less then 25 shots against per night. Dallas will have to bring their best effort tonight as the Scottrade Center will be packed to capacity with screaming Blues fans. Will Dallas be able to match the level the Blues have been playing at as of late? I am not convinced that they will be able to keep up with the Blues as the crowd pumps up the Boys in Blue.

Blues News- Rumblings that forward Andy McDonald are feeling better seem to be gaining some traction. It has been reported that Andy is doing some work outs and possibly some light skating. It will on serve as a positive shot in the arm for the Blues should McDonald be able to return to the team in the coming weeks. No new news on the ownership front has surfaced and as I reported last week Matthew Hulsizer has until December 31st to finalize a deal for the Blues. After that date the moment will swing to Tom Stillmann and his local group of investors to try and get a deal done with Dave Checketts and SCP World Wide. With the deadline for Hulsizer closing in fast, stay tuned for the latest on this ownership saga!

Scottrade will be a packed house tonight just one night removed from Christmas. Cheer loud and proud and lets bring home another two points for the Boys in Blues! Let’s Go Blues!!!

Bluenotes is a dose of news and views from all around St. Louis Blues nation and the greater NHL beyond.

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Progress on the McDonald Front: Lou Korac reports that Andy McDonald continues his road to recovery from this third concussion in two years.

Back to the rink: Andy McDonald skated here at Scottrade this morning before team’s pregameskate. #stlblues

— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) December 26, 2011

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Release the Crackn(ell) on St. Louis!: Jeremy Rutherford reports that a new, old face appeared on the Scottrade ice this morning.

Adam Cracknell on the ice at #stlblues practice.

— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) December 26, 2011

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It’s ALWAYS something with the #AmericanBadAss…: Hockey gods love TJ Oshie. The kid is a true joy to watch play hockey, but he just can’t stay healthy. At least he recovers quickly. Tangent: This is why spending the money and trade capital on depth was so very important this summer. A second big opportunity for one young Russian.

Oshie’s delay at morning skate was injury-related. I believe his wrist is bothering him, maybe something else too. #stlblues — Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) December 26, 2011

TJ Oshie wont play next two games with wrist injury #Blues bothered with ligament issue — Andy Strickland (@andystrickland) December 26, 2011

Oshie will be out the next 2 games with an injury. Expected back Friday. — Chris Kerber (@chriskerber) December 26, 2011

Oshie has a ligament issue but Hitch said it will not require surgery. #stlblues — Lou Korac (@lkorac10) December 26, 2011

Hitch said Oshie’s left wrist is the issue now, not the right wrist he aggravated in Minnesota earlier this season. #stlblues — Lou Korac (@lkorac10) December 26, 2011

Hitch on Oshie: “We’ve opted to keep him out for these two games and put him in against Nashville.” #stlblues — Lou Korac (@lkorac10) December 26, 2011

Grachev will play with Perron/Berglund tonight. Stewart staying up with Backes/Steen. #stlblues

— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) December 26, 2011

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What’s up with the Flu this season? Did someone forget their shot?: The flu takes continues to bother the Blues locker room. Per Andy Strickland:

Jamie Langenbrunner probable tonight with the flu #Blues

— Andy Strickland (@andystrickland) December 26, 2011

Langenbrunner (flu) is expected to play tonight. If he does, Reaves (ribs) likely to be out. #stlblues

— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) December 26, 2011

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Could two be ready to return?: Good news being reported on a couple of needed role playing forwards.

Crombeen has shed the no-contact jersey. #stlblues — Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) December 26, 2011

Sobotka also skating but doesn’t look like he’ll play. #stlblues — Lou Korac (@lkorac10) December 26, 2011

Asked B.J. Crombeen (shoulder) how close he is. His response: “Hopefully this weekend.” #stlblues

— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) December 26, 2011

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Links

It looks like Jaroslav Halak will start in goal per reports. [Bluenote Zone]

Norm Sanders takes a look at what 2012 will bring for the St. Louis Blues and the other local pro sports franchises. [BND.com]

Dave Eminian of the Peoria Journal Star reports the injuries continue to pile up in Peoria. [@icetimecleve]

Here is the Rivermen press release on the recall of their captain. [Rivermen.net]

THE 2012 WJC Viewers Guide. [TheHockeyWriters]

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My Views – Quick Hit Style

- It’s great to see Cracknell recalled, one has to think, “what will it take to get Phil McRae to St. Louis”. The answer is simple. Play better. Not that he is performing poorly for the Rivermen. He’s not. However, if he is not going to actually play, the Blues don’t want him here. They want him and the other first and second year pros playing. Ian Cole is an exception due to injuries and depth issues.

- Getting Crombeen back is a major plus for the Blues, but it also calls in to question who heads down to Peoria when he’s off IR. The answer is simple, Evgeny Grachev. That is so long as Oshie is healthy when BJ returns.

- The Blues are 0-4 in the shootout. The only team, besides Carolina, to not have won in the skills competition. Imagine for a moment if they had won all four. They’d be tied with Chicago for tops in the West with 48 points. They’d own the tie breaker with a league leading 24 wins. While it’s great to see the Blues winning games with skill players not executing in the skilled aspects of the game, at some point they have to if they want to stay in the top eight.

Just to prove how important the shootout can be, Colorado has won all six of theirs. Putting them in 10th with 37 points instead of 9 points back of the playoff cutoff line in 13th. That’s the difference between planning on a lottery pick scouting second half and adding at the deadline to make a final push

(12-8-2)

vs

Washington Capitals

(12-9-1)

at

Verizon Center

TV- FSMW(HD) Radio- KMOX

Game Time- 6:00 pm CDT

Blues Team Recap- The St. Louis Blues stroll into Washington tonight to take on the Capitals in the first meeting of the season between these two teams. The Blues are coming off of a 2-1 win in Columbus 2 nights ago and are playing some very gritty hard nosed hockey. Tonight will proove to be a new challange for this Note as the Caps recently fired head coach Bruce Boudreauand named Dale Hunter as the new commander and chief. Hunter takes over after spending the last 11 seasons in the OHL as head coach of the London Knights. A shot of energy is what the Caps are hoping for tonight against St. Louis with the coaching change. The Blues will need to put their best foot forward if they wish to take yet two more points on to their next desination on this three game road trip.

Blues Keys To The Game- Contain number 8. Do not give him break aways, do not leave him in front of the net alone, and for god sakes do not give him room to skate. Yes,Washington has plenty of capable skaters and play makers but no one can finish like Ovi can. Like him or not, he is one of the most prolific goal scorers in the NHL. Keep the great Russian quiet and the rest of the team should fall into place for the Blues. Check them hard and keep them in the offensive zone. Do not allow Washington to dictate the flow of the offensive puck possession time. If St. Louis allows the Caps to handle the puck for a majority of the play, they will find themselves looking at the little black rubber bicuit behind Halak A LOT tonight.

Washington Capitals Team Recap- After having one of the best if not the best start in franchise history, the Caps have fallen flat on their faces. Losing 6 of their last 8 games and giving up a 5-1 beat down at the hands of the tattered Buffalo Sabers in their last game prompted the front office to vote Bruce Boudreau off the island. A record of 17-20 in post season play has been hard for Captials fans to swallow after their team played so well and dominate like during the regular season. It seemed under Boudreau the team lost its ability to play during the playoffs. Call it fatigue, call it lack of preparation, call it plain being out coached the Caps no longer have to worry about that. Dale Hunter has taken over the reigns and if it is any indication from his past history in the NHL the Caps players are in for a rude awakening if they think they can just skate by and not give a 110% effort each night. Hunter was known for being hard nosed and determind player around the puck and did not shy away from contact. Will the Capitals become a more physical team? I am not convinced with the group of players assembled that they can be a truly physical team. The Caps rely on a fast transition game that allows them to use their speed and offensive ability to overwhelm the oposition. Time will tell if this switch is what the doctor order or if it will be a complete mega star melt down.

Capitals Keys To The Game- The Caps have looked just awful in thier last 6 games. They can’t score goals, they can’t keep the puck out of their zone, and they can’t keep the puck out of the net. Simplify the game… Be responsible in your own end and get the puck out of the offensive zone quickly. Do not allow St. Louis to get the cycle set up along the low boards. Inevitibly, some one will come open in front of the Caps net minder and it will end up not a pretty picture for the team from DC. The Blues play a very physical and up tempo game. The Capitals must match the speed and the physicality the Blues will bring to the rink tonight. The Blues take a lot of penalties. If the Capitals can “Capitalize” ( I know right..) on the Blues mistakes they may have a shot at winning this game tonight. If they sit back on their heels and let the Blues dictate the pace of the game the Caps are going to loose this game by a large margin.

Blues News- Tonight Alex Pietrangelo will not be in the line up. Petro has been sick per a Jeremy Ruthuford tweet earlier today and will not play in tonights match up. Cade Fairchild has been recalled from the Peoria Rivermen and will play in his place tonight. No word on possible pairings has been released yet. Pietrangelo is not expected to miss more then one game at this point. David Perron might get back into the line up as early as this saturday against the Chicago Blackhawks. Blues beat writer Jeremy Rutherford has a hunch that David could get back into the action this weekend providing a shot in the arm in terms of scoring and puck handling ability. Andy Mcdonald remains sidelined with a concussion with no time table for return. Defenseman Kent Huskins is still nursing a fractured ankle back to health and is expected to miss 3-4 more weeks. BJ Crombeen has skated with the team wearing the red no contact jersey and is slated for a late December or early Janurary return to the line up. Defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo is nearing a return from the IR with a hamstring injury. No exact date is available but it is assumed he will return soon. Vladamir Sabotka will miss tonights game as well after suffering a fractured maxilla (upper jaw bone) when he blocked a puck with his face against the Calgary Flames in St. Louis this past weekend. Sobotka is traveling with the team and may return to play against the Colorado Avalanche on Friday night at the Pepsi Center in Denver.

With Sobotka and Pietrangelo out tonight, the Blues will need to work together to get through this match up. Play strong, hard, and fast and get us another two points to bring home! LET’S GO BLUES!!!

]]> http://bluenotezone.com/2011/11/29/game-day-preview-st-louis-blues-vs-washington-captials-11-29-2011/feed/ 0 http://bluenotezone.com/2011/11/27/game-day-preview-st-louis-blues-vs-columbus-blue-jackets-11-27-2011/ http://bluenotezone.com/2011/11/27/game-day-preview-st-louis-blues-vs-columbus-blue-jackets-11-27-2011/#comments Sun, 27 Nov 2011 15:09:00 +0000 Tony Timpe http://bluenotezone.com/?p=9354 St. Louis Blues

(12-8-2)

vs

Columbus Blue Jackets

(6-13-3)

at

Nationwide Arena

Game Time- 5:00 pm CDT

TV- FSMW(HD) Radio- KMOX

Alex Steen has been a beast lately on the puck. One of the best two way forwards in today's NHL.

Blues Team Recap- The St. Louis Blues are coming of a 2-0 shout out victory over the Calgary Flames Friday night at Scottrade Center in which goaltender Brian Elliot stopped all 24 shots he faced. Elliott improved to 9-1 on the season with 3 shutouts and has been nothing short of amazing this season. “Ells” focus and positioning are out standing and he always seems to be in the right place at the right time. When a goalie is riding a streak like this its hard not to play him even if he is the “back up goaltender”. Ken Hitchcock has said he will play those guys who earn their minutes and give them more opportunities to shine as they earn the time.

Under Hitch the Blues are 6-1-2 and sit in a three way tie for 6th place in the ultra tight western conference at 26 points. This afternoon the Blues face off against his former team, the Columbus Blue Jackets who sit last in the NHL with a dismal 6-13-3 record. After replacing Steve Mason with Curtis Sandford the Jackets have gone 3-0-2 in their last 5 games and beat up on Buffalo 5-1 in their last outing. This afternoon’s game should be a good physical contest as these two divisional rivals have developed some tainted blood over the past few season going back to the  ”soccer gate” incident when in Columbus. RJ Umberger and others decided to interrupt the Blues pre-game hack-n-sack style warm up in the underbelly of Nationwide Arena which did not sit well with the Blues.

Elliot working hard in practice

Blues Keys To The Game – Hello Power Play.. Calling the Power Play… Kindly pull your head from between your cheeks and get this thing moving in the right direction.

The Blues man advantage crew sits dead last in the NHL. How bad is it? So bad that the note has scored more short handed goals in their last five games then they have power play goals. This aspect of the Blues game is a must fix. I do not care how good you are at even strength, special teams are crucial. The power play most of all. If a team doesn’t capitalize on those chances you leave the door open for the other team. It has been very scary to watch these one goal leads the Blues have played with lately and quite frankly they could have lost every one of those games had it not been for solid performances in net by the netminders of the Blues. Getting that next goal after scoring the first is a vital component to winning in today’s game. Against Columbus tonight it will be no different. Score a few early goals and get a team that has struggled gravely back on their heels. Take away their will to fight and 2 points will fall to the Blues like the apple fell for Newton. Treat the Blue Jackets with not enough respect and you will end up getting blown out like Buffalo did. Play hard nosed and get the early goals are the keys for this game against the Jackets.

Blue Jackets Team Recap –  Who would have thought that a change in goaltender could make such a difference? Who am I kidding.. Steve Mason was on most accounts playing worse then a rookie ECHL goalie on a good night. Coming out of the gate at 6-13-2 the Jackets are clinging to a tiny floatation device and praying the crashing waves are about over. The Blue Jackets have seemed to turn things around touting a new goalie in Curtis Sandford who is doing what any goalie in this league is tasked at doing each night. Giving his team the chance to stay in games and win them. With prolific goal scorers like Jeff Carter and Rick Nash in their lineup that is all you can ask for. Time will tell if they have turned the corner or if this is just a brief respite before they sink to the bottom of the well and stay there for good.

Blue Jackets Keys To The Game –  No fancy bull crap here folks.

The Jackets are too far down to get to creative. Good goaltending, hard work and determination in the offensive zone are all they have to rely on at this point. If they get away from any of these three points it will be lights out on the guys from Columbus this evening. The Blues and former Jackets head coach Ken Hitchcock come to town tonight playing a very physical checking game. They are very tough on the puck in the defensive zone and they are transitioning the puck as well as any team in the league right now. Tonight will be a tall order for the Cannon touters of Ohio but all is not sticks and stones. The Blues take a LOT of penalties because of their physical play. Forcing the noted to play a man short can lead to opportunities for a struggling team to take the reigns and drive wagon. Will Columbus be able to play a full 60 minute hockey game at Hitch’s 200ft? If they hope to continue their climb from the basement they had better bring their best effort and then some. When the Blues come calling you can count on a tough game. Jackets. Will you respond? We shall see.

Starting Goalies – If you couldn’t tell by the two goalies I talked about, the Blues are starting Brian Elliott in goal and Columbus will counter with Curtis Sanford.

Blues News – Reported as breaking news last night blues beat writer and sports columnist for the St. Louis Post Dispatch, Jeremy Rutherford stated he had sources that link former Forward Brett Hull to Tom Stillman’s collection of investors who are trying to buy the Blues. It was stated that he may have more aspirations then just becoming an investor and play some role in the Blues front office. I along with ever Blues fan in existence would love nothing more then for the Golden Brett to come home to St. Louis where he never should have been forced to leave. Stay tuned to Blue Note Zone for more information as it becomes available!

Crombeen with the red no contact jersey

Forward David Perron continues to fly around the ice in practice and look better and better every day. Hitchcock has indicated that David will be put into the line up the very instant he says he is ready to go. Most sources close to the team say David is most like 1-2 weeks away from his 2011-2012 debut with the Blues. Andy McDonald remains sidelined with a concussion and is not slated to return any time soon. Kent Huskins remains out while recovering from surgery to repair a fractured ankle. Husk is expected to be out another 3-5 weeks. Defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo is most likely ready to come off of IR in the near future. No date has been given for Colas return but it should be with in the next week. BJ Crombeen skated with the team in practice yesterday wearing the red no contact sweater and shot some pucks while participating in a few drills. Crombeen has been out since suffering a fractured shoulder blade in the teams last preseason game.

Get ready for a hot and heavy match up between two teams that do not like each other very much. Fully expect a good amount of PIMS tonight and a spirited debate after most plays. Most of all… LET’S GO BLUES!!!