No Spoilers?

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

“Who Is Your Series MVP”

Voting Breakdown
Name – Total (%)

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

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

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Please feel free to follow us on Twitter: @BlueNoteZone.

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The St. Louis Blues have won their third straight game against the San Jose Sharks after losing game one of the playoffs. The Sharks were hungry and aggressive but Ken Hitchcock’s harpoon called defense killed almost every opportunity by San Jose as the Blues took the fourth game of the series 2-1.

The teams traded chances fast and early including a breakaway by Logan Couture. Skating in on Brian Elliott on his own, Couture went forehand-backhand but was denied by the leg pad of Elliott who set his tone in the beginning of the game.

Stopping 24 of 25, Elliott was dominating again. With help from his defense, Elliott back stopped four killed penalties and a barrage of pressuring shots. Only one shot beat Elliott and that was in the last minute of the game.

The Blues kicked off the scoring with a goal from BJ Crombeen. A big spark of energy from David Perron had him skating circles around the Sharks defense. Perron passed the puck to Patrik Berglund behind the net who quickly centered a feed in front. Berglund’s perfect pass to Crombeen allowed the checking forward a prime scoring chance and he buried it.

Some fans have been complaining that the rough and tough Ryan Reaves has been scratched in favor of Crombeen. But the move has paid off for Hitchcock with Crombeen’s defensive presence along with his first playoff goal.

The Blues weathered a fierce second period attack from the Sharks to keep their one goal lead into the third.

Twelve minutes into the third, St. Louis took a two goal lead thanks to the suddenly lethal power play and the always lethal Andy McDonald. Working the half boards was Perron who fired a shot in with Berglund screening the net for the deflection. The puck bounced in the air off Berglund’s stick and off the back of Antti Niemi right to the middle of the crease. That is where McDonald stood and he slammed in his third goal of the playoffs.

Perron’s two assists went through Berglund who also had two assists. Another big game by the Swede has him at six playoff points.

Another too little too late rally by San Jose brought the home team within one in the final minute. With a pulled goalie and six attackers, Andy McDonald scored the Sharks lone goal of the game. A pass from the corner by Couture found Thornton in the slot.

Up Next: The Blues return home for game five Saturday.

Don't Open My Door...

The opening round series between the St. Louis Blues and the San Jose Sharks shifted location but not the momentum. After winning the second game in dominating fashion, the Blues followed their first playoff victory in eight years with another beating the Sharks 4-3.

Multiple Blues had multiple points and most came on the power play. Going three for four on the man advantage, the Blues exposed the poor penalty killing of the Sharks to take the series lead 2-1.

Patrik Berglund started the scoring fifteen minutes into the first period capitalizing on the Blues first power play. After dishing the puck to the point Berglund crashed the net and tapped in the rebound for his third goal of the playoffs.

Moments later the Sharks would respond. Joe Thornton dumped a puck in and Kris Russell tried to glove it out of the zone. Not getting enough of it, Russell knocked it down for Brent Burns who skated by him and crossed the crease to lift one by Brian Elliott to tie the game.

But it was all St. Louis from then on. Hard work in the corner by Alex Steen set up Carlo Colaiacovo on the point who fired a shot that deflected off Berglund to the stick of Andy McDonald who scored his second of the series.

Later in the second another power play goal gave the Blues a two goal lead. On the point, Steen dished the puck to McDonald who made a beauty cross ice pass to Jason Arnott. The veteran with all his playoff experience had no trouble beating the out of position Antti Niemi.

The Blues third power play goal of the game came a minute into the third period. Steen manning the point again pulled up and took a big shot. The big Swedish body of Berglund limited the view of Niemi and Steen’s shot got through him for his first of the playoffs.

McDonald’s four point night came with assists on all goals except for his own. Colaiacovo also had three assists in the game while Berglund and Steen added two points a piece.

The Blues took the pressure off in the end of the game allowing late goals from Colin White and Logan Couture. But this only gave the Sharks false hope as the Blues finished the game still on top.

Up Next: Game Four in San Jose Thursday.

I will not be one of those people looking to jump off the bridge, though, if the Blues start slow. This team is built to win at all phases of the game, in all zones and at all places, and they are led by a man – head coach Ken Hitchcock – who has done this playoff thing a time or two, including one Stanley Cup Championship with the Dallas Stars in 1999 and another Cup Finals appearance with the Stars in 2000, as well as several playoff runs with the Philadelphia Flyers, the only Playoff appearance for the Columbus Blue Jackets thus far and playing a role with Team Canada 2010, which won the Olympic Gold Medal in Ice Hockey. Jamie Langenbrunner, as told by just about anyone that the media will listen to on the matter, is thought of as the team leader in the clubhouse, and he was a member of both the 1999 and 2000 Stars Cup Finals teams as well as the 2003 Stanley Cup Champions, the New Jersey Devils. This version of Hitchcock, a kinder and gentler version of the gruff disciplinarian that those previous teams knew and either loved or despised, still knows what it takes to lead a team through the grind of a postseason run. You don’t forget how to do that when you’ve been in this business as long as he has.

Other players on this roster who have had their names engraved on the Stanley Cup include Jason Arnott (2000 Devils) as well as Kent Huskins and Andy McDonald (both prominent members of the 2007 Anaheim Ducks Cup-winning team). You can also bet that current Blues front office member, Al MacInnis, can impart some of his knowledge from many Cup runs by the Calgary Flames, including their 1989 Stanley Cup title year. There is enough veteran presence on this team, making me less concerned about the abundance of youth on this roster headed into the postseason.

While the Blues defeated the Sharks in all four regular season meetings between the two clubs, I do not expect this opening round series to be easy. That said, I do expect the Blues to win this series handily. It’s very odd how this works, but surely it will turn out this way, as did the 2009 series between the Blues and Vancouver Canucks, a series in which the Blues had chances to win all four games but lost all four. I expect this to be a similar series to that.

What do you think, folks? You may have fears about how this team will fare in the playoffs as we all do, but do you expect them to falter in the first round? Leave a note in the comments.

What was seen as most concerning after Saturday’s game, if you read between the lines from player comments after the game, is that the team lacked toughness. In watching the game, is a claim that holds a lot of truth. Players like Chris Porter and Ryan Reaves – guys known more for their grit and toughness than their ability to put pucks behind goaltenders – did not suit up on Saturday in favor of the likes of Matt D’Agostini – just coming off IR – and a guy who must play in every game if the Blues hope to do anything in the postseason, Andy McDonald. It was widely thought that entering D’Agostini into the mix would not be a problem even if you took the likes of Porter and Reaves off their usual fourth-line spots to put him in, but after Saturday’s game was over, people aren’t so sure. Some people wonder if Porter and Reaves aren’t exact kind of players Hitchcock needs to have on the ice in every game, especially during the playoffs, to keep the grinders and scorers from the other side at bay.

It’s an interesting conundrum, one that may not seem to have a correct answer. Would I play Porter and Reaves over anyone on the “Top Nine”? No. Would I play one them ahead of a still-rusty D’Agostini in a playoff push? Most likely. Which one would I choose? Probably Reaves, but not because Porter doesn’t also deserve a shot.

Unfortunately, with only three games left in the season, Hitchcock doesn’t have a lot of time to choose his lines and forge chemistry among linemates that have just arrived back in the game. But at the same time, you like your coach to have these kind of problems. It means the team is good and the team is healthy.

What do you think, gang? Is this team’s health a big threat to the team’s chemistry heading into the playoffs, or do you think they’ll continue their winning ways (as far as “overall performance” is concerned, not recent results)? Let me know in the comments.

(46-19-8)

vs

Anaheim Ducks

(31-32-11)

At

Honda Center

Game Time 9:00 pm CT

TV-FSMW(HD) Radio- KMOX

Blues Team Recap- The St. Louis Blues were the first team to clinch a playoff birth in the 2011-2012 NHL season. The Blues with 100 points on the year head out west to finish up their road trip with three games. The Blues will look tonight to clip the flailing Ducks and snatch up another W in a quest for home ice advantage in the play offs and only their second presidents trophy in their 44 year history. The Blues are also on the mend. Alex Steen is skating with the team in a fresh red no contact jersey and Matt D’Agostini has begun skating with the team as well. With Kent Huskins back and Andy Mcdonald looking to get back into the line up sooner then later the Blues organization and especially coach Ken Hitchcock could not be happier. All of the pieces of the Blues puzzle are starting to fall together and if they all make it back prior to or for the start of the playoffs the Blues will be sitting in a very good position. Defensemen Kris Russel has been reported to be close to returning for the Note and has been given the nod by Hitch to be back in the line up as soon as he knocks on the skippers door. It is becoming an exciting time here in St. Louis and for good reason. The Blues are headed for the playoffs and the buzz can be felt in the warm breezes of spring. Look out NHL… The Blues are here to stay!

The starting line ups for the Blues can be found here.

Ducks recap- The Ducks have all but fell out of contention for a play off birth this season. Hanging on by a mathematical thread the Ducks are but a few losses away from getting out the golf clubs come april. With the likes of Getzlaf, Perry, and Ryan having seasons that did’t get kickin until it was too late fans in southern Californina are left to shake their collective heads and wonder just why in the Hell the last two seasons the Ducks play god aweful until January. By the time Anaheim decides to start playing they have failed to collect enough early season points to make a play off push almost impossible. Blues fans, count your four leaf clovers on account of the massive amount of points the Blues racked up in the early portion of the season.

Ty Rattie- The Blues prospect playing for the WHL Portland Winterhawks is headed to the WHL playoffs having had one block buster of a season. With 57 goals and 64 assists on the season Rattie more then doubled his production from a year ago as a sophomore in the WHL. Ty will have a chance this fall to come to Blues camp and see if he can impress the likes of Doug Armstrong and company. Should Russian prospect Vladimir Tarasenko remain in Russia next season Ty Rattie could have an outside shot at making the Blues roster. Rattie will not be eligible for the AHL Peoria Rivermen as he did not turn 18 years old in time to qualify. It will not hurt Rattie to have to be returned to Portland for one more season but it would be interesting to see if the youngster can work his tail off and earn a spot.

Get your game faces on and get those chants going. It’s time for BLUESSSSSSS HOCKKKEEYYYYYY! LET’S GO BLUES!

Comparing 1999-2000 to 2011-2012? Makes you miss Demitra...

It’s game day St. Louis Blues fans! The good guys, all of them, are in California and the healthy ones will take on the Anaheim Ducks. You should know the drill by now. The Bluenotes Podcast audio is below. Listening time is right about 10 minutes.

Links & References

Jeremy Rutherford’s Morning Skate blog from Anaheim

Rivermen Game Recap on PJStar.com

My Blues Info List on Twitter

Jaden Schwartz at Blues Practice Sunday

With St. Louis Blues Radio going on hiatus for a while my podcasting efforts will be moving in to new areas. One will be turning the sometimes daily Bluenotes post in to a daily podcast with updates on the St. Louis Blues and more. In Monday’s episode are updates on David Backes, Andy McDonald, Jason Arnott, Alex Steen, Kris Russell and Matt D’Agostini.

Just click the Download link below which will take you to the audio.

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Links from Tidbits

David Backes is on the cover of The Hockey New’s April 2nd Issue.

Brookroyal’s Website – Go get Bleed Blue on iTunes today!

Link to the Blues Komen Team Info - Reminder: BNZ will have a sub-team again this year. Be on the look out for info.

References

My Blues Info List on Twitter

Andy Strickland’s Sunday article on TrueHockey.com

NOT SEEN: Matt Martin, fighting. Image via clydeorama/Flickr

And . . . thud. The St. Louis Blues had every opportunity to extend the winning streak to five games against the Central cellar-dwelling Columbus Blue Jackets, but just never capitalized on opportunities given and overall played very sloppily in a 2-1 loss in Ohio’s capital on Tuesday night. Derek Dorsett, who acted like an ass in general in this contest (Really? Going after Andy McDonald, who just came back from a concussion? Okay, bro. Okay.) but also scored the game-winning goal, got into a *MEH* fight with BJ Crombeen in the second period. The fight was a draw and was recapped on the Fight Card. With the fight, the Blues move up to a tie for 10th place in National Hockey League fighting majors with the Winnipeg Jets with 27 of them. With the draw, the team’s fight record moves to 12-3-12.

Back to St. Louis and a home game with . . . the New York Islanders. Far removed from their glory years of four consecutive Stanley Cup championships back around the time I was born, the Isles are a team with a rebuilding plan in place, even if they don’t know where their team will play in future seasons. The funny thing, though, is that the Isles are in the playoff hunt. As it pertains to fighting . . . one thing that most rebuilding teams do is have a couple “goons” around to handle the dirty business, but this team let Zenon Konopka walk after the 2010-2011 season, and now the Isles are left with one guy who somewhat plays the enforcer role and not much else (we’ll get to him in the next paragraph). As a result, the Isles are now near the bottom of league standings in the fighting major category. The Isles are 3-3-9 in 15 fights on this season, good for 25th place by themselves in the NHL.

Of those 15 fights by the Isles, EIGHT of them have been contested by de facto enforcer Matt Martin (6’3”, 210lbs, 1-3-4). He is followed by Micheal Haley (5’10”, 204lbs, 1-0-1, currently with AHL Bridgeport, and yes I DID spell his first name correctly) and Travis Hamonic (6’2”, 203lbs, 0-0-2, out indefinitely with a broken nose) with two fights each. Solo fighters are former Blues prospect Steve Staios (6’1”, 200lbs, Win), Mike Mottau (6’0”, 190lbs, Draw, on IR with a concussion) and Dylan Reese (6’1”, 201lbs, Draw, on IR with an MCL sprain).

I do not anticipate a fight in this contest, but if there’s anything, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a rematch between Martin and Crombeen, who worked a draw in the one contest between these two teams last year. I will not be holding my breath for ANYTHING, though.

Back to winning, please? Thank you.

LET’S GO BLUES!!!!!

Information obtained via the incomparable Fried Chicken’s Hockey Fights

All that said, the early scrap between BJ Crombeen of the St. Louis Blues and Dorsett of the Columbus Blue Jackets did nothing to deter the later actions of the latter, and his team won a game in which the Blues played like ass and the Blue Jackets just simply wanted it more. Though it still seems apparent which one will be golfing come early April and which one won’t. Division rivals suck like that sometimes, and I’m just now remembering that feeling from the mid-90’s when the Tampa Bay Lightning (inexplicably put in the Norris Division on their outset) would jump up and bite another Norris team in the ass. Weird how this happens. Anyway . . . FIGHT VIDEO!

This was a Janssen-esque marathon. It was not exactly a good fight. I have seen some give Crombeen a win here, but I can’t even grant that. This is the personification of a draw.

Happy Valentines Day! Or something.