Deryk Engelland has my utmost respect. If you like hockey fights, he should have your utmost respect as well. Image via Dan4th/Flickr

A good effort is not good enough in Detroit, but it shows you’re ready to battle. The St. Louis Blues played well enough to beat just about every team in the league last night, but they did not play well enough to beat the Detroit Red Wings at home. The 3-1 win, while it derails a hot stretch by the team, does not kill too much of the momentum the team held up to this point. Also, quite unexpectedly, there was a fight in this contest. Brad Stuart, after planting Alex Pietrangelo on a hit I felt was legal but some have thought to be dirty, answered the bell against Chris Stewart and got his ass handed to him. Serious demerits went to Stuart for punching Stewart (confused yet?) after both had fallen to the ice. That’s crap, Brad. (The video of the whole skirmish can be found here.) So the Blues now have collected 24 fighting majors on the National Hockey League season, which remains good for 10th alone in that category. With yet ANOTHER fight victory, the Blues’ fight record stays impressive, now at 12-2-10.

You may skip this, or wipe your ass with a printed copy of it, if you wish. That’s my official comment on the first time I’ve ever been personally flame-bombed by a Red Wings blogger. They couldn’t pay me to care.

Moving on . . . let’s welcome the red hot Pittsburgh Penguins to town! Yes, even though this team is missing Sidney Crosby, this team has seemed to find cohesiveness, in addition to finding ways to win hockey games. Evgeni Malkin might have a lot to do with that (I hear he’s pretty good at hockey). The Blues were able to defeat the Penguins in Pittsburgh in overtime on November 23rd (here’s the report from prior to that game), and there was a fight in that contest (you’ll find video in the next paragraph). In fact, the Pens are not in the least afraid of fisticuffs, unlike last night’s opponent. The Penguins have collected 25 fighting majors on the NHL season, good for a tie for eighth in that category with the New Jersey Devils. Their fight record is relatively average at 9-7-9.

The Pens are led in fights by Arron Asham (5’11’, 205lbs, 5-1-1, out indefinitely with a concussion), who has seven. Deryk Engelland (6’2”, 202lbs, 2-2-2 including a loss to Ryan Reaves) has worked six scraps. The awesomely-named Tyler Kennedy (5’11”, 183lbs, 1-1-1) has fought three times. Craig Adams (6’0”, 197lbs, 0-1-1), St. Louis native Joe Vitale (5’11”, 205lbs, 0-1-1) and Eric Tangradi (6’4”, 221lbs, 0-1-1) have each fought twice. Solo fighters include Matt Niskanen (6’0”, 200lbs, Win), Ben Lovejoy (6’2”, 215lbs, Draw) and Chris Kunitz (6’0”, 193lbs, Draw).

With Asham out, your best bet for a scrap would be a rematch between Engelland and Reaves (being that he sat out last night and the team lost, I will assume Reaves plays this game). I think it would be a great tilt, as the first one was. Otherwise, I’d love to see hometown kid Vitale mix it up with someone, just because it would be incredibly fun, and funny, to watch.

Last game before the All-Star Break. A home win would be an awesome send-off.

LET’S GO BLUES!!!!!

Information obtained via the incomparable Fried Chicken’s Hockey Fights

Steve Ott has an ‘A’ on his sweater, and I always imagine it stands for “A**hole”. Image via ladybugbkt/Flickr

The St. Louis Blues can win a game in the shootout? Holy crap! And so it was done on Saturday, as the Blues played the Minnesota Wild to a 2-2 tie in regulation and a scoreless five-minute overtime period, and took the victory in a shootout, most undoubtedly the single dumbest way I can think of ending a hockey contest (JUST END IT IN A TIE). The great news, aside from the win, in this one is that there were three (!) fights in this game. For starters, David Backes earned 19 minutes of penalties in sticking up for David Perron on what turned out to be a clean hit, “fighting” Justin Falk to a draw (video here, and this situation is exactly why the Instigator Rule is a load of crap). Then, rather inexplicably, Clayton Stoner went at it with Chris Stewart, with Stewart taking the win (video here). Finally, in what has to be the Blues’ fight of the year so far, Ryan Reaves and Brad Staubitz squared off in what I thought was a pretty excellent fight, a fight that displayed all the reasons why fighting should never be taken out of the game (A BIT OF NSFW LANGUAGE IN THIS LINK). Somehow, a decision was rendered in this fight, and it was given to Reaves (video here, and if you don’t like what you see, I’m sorry . . . but you are not a fan of hockey fights).With these three fights to add to the total, the Blues ratchet up to a tie for 11th place in the National Hockey League with the Buffalo Sabres, Calgary Flames and Pittsburgh Penguins, who each have collected 20 fighting majors on the season. The fight record, with the two wins and the draw added, now goes up to 9-2-9.

We now welcome to town former Norris Division mate and possible future division or conference mate, the Dallas Stars. You might recall that the Stars did pay a visit recently. The Blues and Stars have played one in Dallas (October 13th) and one in St. Louis (December 26th) this season. As you can see by the date, the St. Louis meeting was very recent, and some foul happenings took place in that game. It was also a close contest that was won by the Blues, one of very few the Blues seem to have won over the Stars recently. Is it an indicator of what is to come tonight? Probably not, as momentum is usually only as good as your next game. The Stars have fought 18 times this season, currently good for a tie for 16th in the NHL with the Colorado Avalanche and the Florida Panthers. The Stars’ fight record is not bad – a solid 5-4-9.

The Stars are led in fights by former Blackhawk Jake Dowell (6’0”, 198lbs, 1-2-2) with five fights. Following him is well-known pest and one of my least-favorite players ever, Steve Ott (6’0”, 190lbs, 1-0-3, including a “victory” over Barret Jackman), who has fought four times this season. Then, there’s Krys Barch (6’1”, 237lbs, 1-1-1 as a Star and 2-3-3 overall, traded to the Panthers on December 7th) with three fights as a Star. Team Captain Brenden Morrow (6’0”, 205lbs, 1-0-1) has fought twice. Among solo fighters for the Stars are future superstar Jamie Benn (6’2”, 205lbs, Win), veteran defenseman Sheldon Souray (6’4”, 237lbs, Draw with Stewart), hulking defenseman Mark Fistric (6’2”, 233lbs, Draw) and a son of former Islanders royalty, Eric Nystrom (6’1”, 193lbs, Loss).

These two teams have a recent past of brawling each other, and with the kind of fight matchups that happened in the first two meetings of the two teams, I would not be shocked at anything at this point. For posturing purposes, my pick for the night will be Dowell and Reaves, but don’t bet on it . . . bet on something else (ANYTHING else).

Two home wins in a row? As long as it doesn’t go to overtime, I’m cool.

LET’S GO BLUES!!!!!

Information obtained via the incomparable Fried Chicken’s Hockey Fights

On paper tonight’s tilt down at 14th and Clark doesn’t look all that exciting. The Oilers are floundering around the bottom third of the conference again and are without one of their young guns, 2011 1st overall draft pick Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Blues don’t help very much based on their lack of goal scoring proficiency at regular strength and the man advantage.

Safe to say NHL Tonight isn’t likely salivating to get their hands on the highlights.

Sure, the good guys have a respectable chance at bringing home two points in regulation, but that doesn’t always get the blood going when getting ready to head to the game. There just really aren’t any obviously enticing storylines to follow. Fear not though. Interesting secondary storylines are there for the following.

Dig deeper with me. Here is what I’ll be watching for tonight.

Dueling Enigmas: Blues winger Chris Stewart and Oilers centerman Sam Gagner come from very different backgrounds, but they meet in the NHL with similar situations. Both have earned high praise and expectations with solid efforts in their first full NHL campaign.

Stewart scored 28 goals in 77 games for Colorado in 2008-09. Gagner was part of the young core that nearly made the 2008 playoffs with a strong late push. His 36 assist and 49 point effort had many thinking he would develop in to a very good playmaking center.

In the years that have followed Gagner stagnated and Stewart has glided up and down between the waves of production multiple times. Both stand to become Restricted Free Agents come season’s end and neither are in a great position to demand a raise.

But opportunity comes for both early in 2012.

With RNH out and captain Shawn Horcoff ailing, Gagner has the chance to take over the top center role at a critical juncture of the season. Edmonton sits 10 points back of the playoff line. A road heavy month of January could easily sink them. If amid the strife he can keep the ship stable, it speaks volumes to what he can still become.

With Alex Steen out with a concussion, Andy McDonald still trying to return from his third in two years and the Blues in the bottom half of league scoring, Stewart’s scoring touch is in desperate need of return. It seems as if captain David Backes may have sparked it’s return as evident with Stewart’s performance Tuesday against Phoenix.

Edmonton is exactly the team to play against now to get Stewart rolling. In two games with the Blues against the Oilers last season he buried 3 goals. Two of which game on the power play. It’s going to happen, tonight is as good as a chance as there will be.

With Backes likely taking matchup duty against the oppositions top line, Stewart and Gagner will be on the ice together quite often. Who wants it more?

The Stealthy Dangler: Shuuuush… Don’t tell anyone but David Perron has been back for 14 games and has 13 points (2 goals, 11 assists). A mark good enough to lead the team over that stretch. He’s returning to puck wizard status and is creating more scoring chances than anyone else in a bluenote sweater. He’s quietly playing very well.

Time to break the silence against a weak defensive team? Probably.

The Return of the Monster: Jaroslav Halak had a horrible start to the season. The death of Pavol Demitra surely had something to do with that. The time of troubles may have felt like an eternity, but they truly were not. With the closure that the memorial night brought so too came an improved Halakness Monster.

His recent numbers show he is returning to form. In his 13 games for all of November and December, Halak was 6-2-5 and allowed only 24 goals on 344 shots against. A .930 save percentage and allowing 1.85 goals per game isn’t too shabby. Neither is taking 65% of the points possible.

Despite the success on the ice and in the stats book, many fans still cut him down. Thought Edmonton is without Nugent-Hopkins, they still have a deadly duo in Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle. Those two have combined for 28 goals and 69 points in 70 games. Don’t forgot the Oilers own the second best power play in the league. Halak will be tested.

Will he continue to perform up to the same high level he has for two months? Keep an eye on him so you can tell the doubters “I told you so” later.

Techno Viking Power: Speaking of whipping boys – boy that’s been the whole post – Patrik Berglund needs to get back to his confident ways in the same manner Stewart does. Much like Stewart again, there is no better team than the Oilers to break the dam with.

Last season Berglund lead all Blues skaters with 1 goal and 4 points in 4 games against the Alberta based club. A weakened blueline corps (see today’s GameDay preview for the extensive list of injuries to the Oilers backend) certainly plays to his advantage.

Will he find the bull and run north in to the china shop? He better, because if he doesn’t ans Stewart does, Berglund may find himself in “Erik Johnson’s skates”.

Enjoy the game my fellow blue bleeders. There is much to see, if you’re looking for it…

, a former Blackhawk brawler that isn’t hot garbage! Image via clydeorama/Flickr

A win is always fun to get, even when it’s earned. The St. Louis Blues took the battle to the Phoenix Coyotes Friday night on a night when the Yotes honored one of the best to ever play for BOTH franchises – one Keith “Walt” Tkachuk – and came out with a 3-2 victory. Being that neither team is overly ambitious when it comes to fisticuffs and being that neither Paul Bissonnette nor Ryan Reaves played in this game, the fact that no fighting majors were issued nor even close to happening should not come as much of a shock. So the Blues stay at 13 fights on the season, still good for a tie for 16th with the Nashville Predators, Winnipeg Jets and tonight’s opponent in that category. The fight record stays at 5-1-7.

After a short two-game Mountain Time Zone swing, the Blues come back to the friendly confines of the Scottrade Savvis DrinkScotch Kiel Center (yes, I still call it that) to square off against a team that has turned out to be quite a nemesis to The Note recently, the Dallas Stars. These matchups with the Stars are soon to become a bit more important due to the new four-conference realignment plan including them in the same conference as the Blues, so it might be imperative for the two teams to get their pleasantries (or lack thereof) out of the way soon. We have covered the Stars previously this season (October 13th, to be exact), and there was a scrap in that game, so we’ll have some video for you later. But for now, it should be noted that the Stars have fought 13 times this season and are pulled even with the Blues, Predators and Jets in the same tie for 16th that I noted earlier. However, their record in fights this season is a bit more mediocre than the Blues, currently standing at 4-4-5.

The Stars are led in fights by former Blackhawk Jake Dowell (6’0”, 198lbs, 1-2-1) with four fights. Following him is the recently-traded Krys Barch (6’1”, 237lbs, 1-1-1 as a Star and 2-2-3 overall, traded to the Panthers on December 7th) with three fights as a Star. Well-known pest Steve Ott (6’0”, 190lbs, 0-0-2) has fought twice. Among solo fighters for the Stars are Captain Brenden Morrow (6’0”, 205lbs, Win), future superstar Jamie Benn (6’2”, 205lbs, Win), veteran defenseman Sheldon Souray (6’4”, 237lbs, Draw with Chris Stewart) and Eric Nystrom (6’1”, 193lbs, Loss).

I won’t anticipate a fight in this game, but if Reaves is playing and he would kinda go ahead and destroy Ott, I would not be totally opposed to it. We’ll see what happens, but anticipating a fight in this game might be a touch ambitious.

As we flip the calendar page to January soon, it’s nice to have a hockey team that is playing well to root for. I’d love it if this squad kept up the good work.

LET’S GO BLUES!!!!!

Information obtained via the incomparable Fried Chicken’s Hockey Fights

Count out the former kids, Patrik Berglund, David Perron and TJ Oshie. They’re far too mature now. It can’t be Andy Murray, Eric Brewer, Brad Boyes or Cam Janssen. They’re no longer hanging around Scottrade.

Barret Jackman? Nope. His minutes are down and is playing his best hockey since early 2009.
David Backes? Nada. His game is off the charts and has seemingly resolved lingering consistency issues. He IS the Ingorious Captain America.
Alex Pietrangelo? Nuh-hah. He might only be pacing for 35 points, but the kid is a man now.

Nikitin? Traded already.
Colaiacovo? Either too hurt to play himself in to the dog house or reaping the rewards of playing next to Pietrangelo.
Arnott and Langenbrunner? Actually doing very well for their age.
D’Agostini? Doesn’t make enough to get the hate.

Jaroslav Halak? Close. He’s probably number two thanks to Brian Elliott and his slow start. A resurgence started under Davis Payne and continued under Ken Hitchcock has mellowed the calls for mob action with a guillotine outcome.

Who is left? Clues provided below.

6′ 2′, 228 lbs.
Plays forward.
Acquired via trade with Colorado in February.

Oh yeah, that guy. Chris “God Damn(it)” Stewart.

Yes, the same Chris Stewart who powered his way in to the hearts of a depressed fan base who was too busy consoling themselves with his short term, no pressure offensive outburst from the thought of watching three of their biggest rivals battle in the playoffs while they’re team was left to April golf once again than to consider his history.

Surely he would carry over his ruthless goal scoring proficiency in to this season. Right? The change of scenery worked out? All problems have been resolved. He’s the beacon in the sky in which hope can be wished upon?

In the dark of night, the first star becomes a grand focal point of attention. No matter how big or little. Stewart was that star in the final two months of the 2010-11 campaign. It was his prowess inside the opposition’s blue line that really was the catalyst for the Blues last season climb to 10th in the Goals Scored per Game and power play rankings.

But the more stars that appear, the less that first one stands out. It is in that dynamic that Stewart has gone from the fan’s penthouse to the outhouse. All the other stars have come out to play. Even if they aren’t the brightest and gathering attention through statistical virtue, they’re finding other ways to contribute to the well lit sky. All sparkling in their own way.

The Star of Stewie is the dimmest of them all right now.

After scoring 15 goals and 23 points in his first 26 games as a Blue he’s followed up in the next 29 with just 4 goals and 11 points. Just barely good enough for 9th in team scoring. Only one point ahead of that point machine known as Vladimir Sobotka. Such a regression on the stat sheet would be acceptable if contributions were coming in other areas. They just aren’t. The one word that comes to mind when watching his lack of assertive, confident play: malaise.

Stewart has to be better. He knows it. He just has to DO it. If he cannot, the Hitchcock honeymoon doesn’t stand a chance to continue in to a prosperous marriage. The Blues simply do not score enough goals, currently ranked 19th with 2.56 GF/G, to sustain their pace through and past game 82. It’s a safe bet that Rev. Doug Armstrong who brought everyone together won’t allow a massive blowup. If number 25 is not a positive influence, then he will be divorced of the situation.

Removal. Therein lies the heart of the heated debate surrounding Stewart. The scenario makes him the whipping boy. The disagreement of resolution cements the status. Some are calling for a trade citing the team’s success while a core producer is not producing as proof the team can do better without him. Others preaching patience.

There truly is no right or wrong answer in matters of opinion, but there are ones that make more or less sense. Currently, a trade right now makes about no sense.

Other GM’s are very likely calling about Stewart’s availability. They know he’s not performing well which brings the asking price down. Before Armstrong can even utter a word in response, he’s in a weakened position. Not exactly where a GM wants to deal a player who has 30 goal potential.

Do the Blues have any holes to fill? They could use some depth on the backend, but more from a depth perspective, not a core minute eater. Moving Stewart for someone of a Kent Huskins level would be a massive overpayment considering the potential he still possesses.

Although scores are tight, games are still being won. In the end, wins are all that matter. Time is still on the Stewart side of the equation. No matter how many lashes he takes.

Don’t confuse a lack of desire to trade today for an exoneration of charges against. The lashings are fully deserved. The phrase “Stewert needs to be better” has not been repeated enough. As good as the Blues have been, they can be better. It’s time to see Stewart rise and shine again. To meet expectations. Then and only then, will it be someone elses turn tied to the post.

(19-9-4)

vs

Colorado Avalanche

(16-17-1)

at

Pepsi Center

Game Time 8:30 pm CDT

TV-FS-MW(HD) Radio- KMOX 

Blues Team Recap- Here comes Santa Claus here come Santa Claus right to 14th n Clarrkkk… One could make an argument that Christmas has come early here in the Arch City. With the return of David Perron from over a year on the IR with post concussion syndrome, the Blues have many things to be thankful for this Christmas season. The front office and GM Doug Armstrong recognized a pattern early in the season and decided it would be a good thing to hire a coach with a proven track record of winning and a new look on life and the way he coaches hockey. Little did the fans here in St. Louis know, but the arrival of Ken Hitchcock has jump started this team to one of the most incredible stretches of hockey that I have seen them play in a number of years. Tonight will be another chance for this Blues team to secure two more points allowing them to leap frog Detroit for a second time in less then a week in the standings. Now is not the time to regress and play weak hockey. The hill only gets steeper from here going forward with less games at home over the next few weeks. It was a interesting development the other night against Columbus to see forward Chris Stewart playing fourth line minutes. Hitch is sending Stewart a message that his next stop is the press box if he does not light a fire under his butt and get to playing the hockey we all know that he is capable of playing. There really is no excuse for his lack of effort and inability to win puck battles along the boards. Stewart is 6’2 232 lbs, clearly he should be capable of using his size to his advantage. Stewart had best wake up and in a hurry or Army just might find a way to make him ship out of town.

Blues Keys To The Game- Do NOT go to overtime with the Avs tonight. The Avalanche are 8-1 this season when the game goes to overtime. In their last game the Avalanche bested the Philadelphia Flyers in a shoot out winning the game 3-2.  Earlier this season the Avalanche beat the Blues in overtime in a shoot out in a game that the Blues most likely should have won. That being said, if you can not protect leads in this league and extend them by adding goals in the later half of games your going to find yourself on the short end of the stick more nights then not. The Blues are known for being a team that, since Ken Hitchcock took over as a team, never quits. The Blues will go into Denver tonight looking to seal up two more points and another W in the win column. The Avalanche always seem to get up for the Blues and it makes Blues fans shake their head every time we play the team from the Mile High City. There always seems to be this ability for them to score goals and make the Blues look really silly when they do it. Last season when the Blues traded for Chris Stewart and Kevin Shattenkirk we all believed that we had just pulled off the best trade in hockey. With Kevin “Captain Kirk” showing Blues fans every game why it was an amazing trade the same can not be said about Chris Stewart. Stewart came to the Blues last season in the trade that sent former first round first overall pick in the 2006 NHL entry draft Erik Johnson to the Avs. Stewart immediately started to produce scoring multi-goals on several nights after his arrival. This season rolled around and it was touted that the combo of Berglund and Stewart would be one of the hottest combos in the entire league. Where as Berglund has held up on his end of the deal to this point Stewart has been a complete and utter wash. With 4 goals (229th in the league) and 7 assists (254th in the league) for 11 points (265th in the league), Stewart has not given Blues fans many reasons to sing his praises this holiday season. The Blues could use the big man to open his eyes and get to the front of the net where he belongs instead of circling like a nurse shark in shallow waters along the boards. Tonight The St. Louis Blues need to take the heat to a good Colorado Avalanche team. Get some goals in early on a very young team and let them make the mistakes that the Blues should be disciplined enough not to make. The note need every 2 point game they can come up with and tonight should be nothing different.

Colorado Avalanche Team Recap- O Colorado Avalanche, where do I begin… A team that has stars like Paul Stasny, Matt Duschene, and up and comer Gabriel Landeskog should have a better record then they do. Sitting 12th int he West with only 33 points the Avs need to get this boat headed in a better direction. At 5-4 on the month of December Colorado will look to get to .500 on the month when they take on St. Louis tonight at Pepsi Center in Denver. For what ever reason the Avs have had the Blues number for the past several seasons. Winning over 75% of the meetings between these two teams in the last two seasons is nothing short of an interesting stat when you consider just how terrible Colorado has been in recent past. Now you might ask, gee, why so harsh in regards to the Avs? The Avalanche organization has made it perfectly clear to most that it is in the midst of a revitalization or rebuild. There are going to be a lot of problems and issues that creep up on a young team such as the Avs are now. I expect the Avalanche to grow in to a very talented and well oiled team in the coming seasons. As many Blues fans know all too well, those rebuilding years can be some painful and frustrating times to go through. Avs fans will be rewarded for their patients so long as the front office does not continue to fire sale its talent.

Avalanche Keys To The Game- Make the Blues take bad penalties. Get the Note to sit in the box and capitalize on those mistakes. The Blues are giving up fewer then 25 shots a night to their opponents and are 2nd in goals against. When the opportunity for the Avs comes to score goals tonight they had best be on their toes. Brian Elliot will be in Goal for the Blues an currently holds a 13-2 record with a .948 SV% and a goals against average of 1.43. Those numbers are tops in the NHL. Elliot also has 4 shut outs to his name this season. The Avalanche will need to keep the puck in the Blues zone and work the cycle effectively. Time and time again the Blues show that if you wear them down and make them go extra long on shifts you will get wide open chances in fron the the Blues net minders. Clearing the puck out of the defensive zone has been some what of a hindrance for this Blues team this season. Look for Colorado to try and take advantage of those situations tonight and keep that puck low in the zone. Keep a close eye on #9 Matt Duschene as he loves to slip in front of the net and get that tip in type goal on the weak side.

Blues News- It was reported last week that Matthew Hulsizer was getting very close to closing a deal that would make him the majority owner of the St. Louis Blues. No information has come out in the recent days that would suggest to fans that this deal is getting anything closer to a sure thing. It is always advisable to take things with a grain of salt until they are announced officially. The NHL has set a deadline of December 31st for Checketts to sell the team to Hulsizer. After December 31st, Tom Stillmann and his group are expected to take another shot at purchasing the Blues. With Brett Hull and the billionaire Taylor family (Enterprise Rental Car Company) looking to be on board with his group, Stillmann is sitting eagerly awaiting the chance to own his home town franchise.

Blues fans, Get up off your butts and get your hands in the air. The Blues are on the airwaves tonight from Colorado. Lets bring home two more points and another big W in the win column for the good guys! LET’S GO BLUES!!!

Anyways… On to hockey related rambling….

Of Blues & Blue Jackets

After watching last night’s 6-4 Blues win over Columbus the BJ’s faithful took to Twitter to air their complaints.

…Just take a quick glance at the #CBJ hashtag…

Not at an inept front office, overmatched coaching staff or even an underperforming lineup. They preferred to snark and snivel their way further in to the that perverted little niche we all have. That one where you just love to poke and prod at someone even though you know you shouldn’t. Kind of like the middle child taking out his frustrations on the baby of the family because the oldest picks on the middle.

A little jovial bantering between rivals is one thing. A PhD student blogger saying Blues fans are on drugs is something else. Of course those of us who called him out we’re told to “go away”.

Much like the team he roots for, can dish it out, but can’t take it.

Yes, I did call RJ Umberger, “Toolburger”. I also called captain Risk Nash, “Captain Douchebag”.

Why?

In my best Jim Carey’s Grinch voice: “I don’t LIKE’UM!”

For Umbergler it all goes back to “Soccergate” and his contribution to the clusterf*** that was November 2010. Add in his meager contributions to my keeper team and there is my disdain.

Nash… I just don’t think he’s THAT good. Oshie blew him up twice and he bounces like a ping ping ball off guys now unless he’s throwing them in to the boards. Love ya TJ, but you aren’t that big of a hitter in the NHL. That’s be like Backes being blown up by Patrick Kane. Just sayin’.

An irrational perspective? You betcha. But that’s how rivalries work. It’s good to see another taking hold.

Especially with it one sided in the good guy favor.

Don’t worry Columbus. The bad times will go away. I mean this in all sincerity. The Blues know how it feels. Hell, it was their reality more often than not before Doug Armstrong. Give Howson, Arneil and the rest of that staff the boot, get some better hockey people in charge and you’ll be fine.

I’m pretty sure Doug MacLean is available. He took the Panthers, yes the PANTERS, to the Finals. He’s just sitting around Sportsnet. Pierre McGuire would look good as GM. If Jay Feaster can transition back in to the game after hanging out in the media world, he can, too!

Low blow? Yeah…sorry. Go get Randy Carlyle to start.

Paging Chris Stewart

Where have you gone, Stewie? No more lowered shoulder drives to the net. No more bull in a china shop mentality? Oshie, Sobotka and McDonald are half your size and they muck it up better than you do right now.

Get that mojo back before Army sends you packing.

Quick Hits Around the NHL

- Has anyone in Ottawa asked Kyle Turris what he will and won’t do? Hopefully he does rebounds and goals.

- How can Carolina even consider releasing Justin Faulk to the US WJC team? They’re banged up and bad. Get him some NHL minutes. Worth more to him long term than another tourney. Right? That is unless they think their so bad that it’ll burn the young man. If that’s the case, send him. Sounds like they aren’t though.

- Ray Emery has “Elliott’d” Corey Crawford in Chicago. Sticktap to the Dobber for coming up with that one first.

-Speaking of Chicago, Dan Carcillo, I really don’t like you as a player. A left handed Tootoo. Ugh… Blame the game last night for bringing that mini rant on!

Another is line role.

While teams are asking for more offensive production out of their plumber lines than ever, the top two are still expected to carry the load. To be the “go to” trios that score the majority of the goals. Ken Hitchcock, as updated as his system has become, hasn’t gone so far in to the nu-era to diverge from this norm. The system isn’t cute, so don’t expect him to bring cuteness anywhere.

He’ll leave that to Oshie…

For those paying attention to the Blues, or their fantasy leagues, their is a clear top line in St. Louis. Alex Steen, David Backes and TJ Oshie have combined to menace opposing teams with their relentless attack in all 200 feet. Again, no cuteness. No fancy suits. Just a blue collar and lunch pail. Registering a grand total of 28 goals, 28 assists and a Plus-26 in 29 games this season. Some of that success has come from shifts and games apart, but in general they’ve done the wrecking together.

With three players as dominant as those three have been and the Blues record sitting pretty (ok a little cuteness) at 17-9-3, surely the secondary unit is getting in on the action, right?

Wrong.

The Blues wrapped up the 2010-11 season 10th overall in scoring with a 2.88 GF/G rate. To date this season their dead last, 30th, in the NHL with 2.03 GF/G. Yes, you’re reading that right. Just two goals per game.

Don’t dwell on how bad that number looks. Then you’ll start thinking about where they’d be without Brian Elliott…

The numbers to look at are of those who aren’t getting their job done.

Chris Stewart: His torrid run following the late night blockbuster trade acquiring him has fizzled in to distant memory. Gone are the dreams of his 15 goal and 23 point in 26 game pace materializing in to an elite scorer. No, he doesn’t look like Jarome Iginla 2.0.

The reality is that 4 goals and 10 points in 26 games this season is not acceptable. Nor is his periphery play and deferral of the puck. As a goal scoring threat he has to have the puck in a favorable position. This season has been spent in the exact opposite place he should be.

Matt D’Agostini: For all the reasons why his 2010-11 season stood to be a breakout there were equally as many saying it was a flash in the pan. After netting 21 goals and 46 points last season expectations were high for a repeat. So far D’Agostini’s 6 goals and 11 points have him 15 points behind last season’s mark. Fortunately his well rounded overall game has been a continued bonus. At least if he isn’t scoring he’s working hard on both the fore and back check.

Can he get going again? Sure, anyone can, but the odds are not in his favor. A good chunk of his production came as a part of the top unit with Backes and Andy McDonald. With the captain steering his line in the right direction and McDonald on IR with post concussion symptoms, Dags just may not be the secondary punch the front office hoped he would be.

Patrik Berglund: The brass certainly consider the big Swede part of the secondary attack this campaign if he isn’t one of the primary threats. Especially following his strong second half of 10-11 and his performance at the World Championships. At least in terms of the figures on the score sheet, he hasn’t. His stat line runs the same as D’Agostini’s: 6 goals and 11 points in 29 games. The disparity in pacing between this season and the last is worse. Berglund is 21 points off last season’s mark.

Also like D’Agostini his play otherwise has not been adversely affected by his lack of pucks in the net. Berglund has become a solid two way center who is taking care of the details in all three zones perhaps better than he ever has before. Sadly his work is not paying off as well as it should be. Yet.

A reason for reduced concern (and optimism) regarding big number 21 is that most of his season has been spent with the at times apathetic Stewart and without the playmaking abilities of McDonald or David Perron. With Perron’s return Berglund is likely to get a boost and begin padding his stats once again. Stewart went south instead and has fallen down to the dirty work lines to rediscover his edge.

Credit the foresight of Doug Armstrong to bring in Jason Arnott, Jamie Langenbrunner and lockup Vladimir Sobotka. Not only for veteran presence, but for adding extra offensive depth. Arnott is 5th in team scoring with 4 goals and 10 assists. Langenbrunner has kept up with the kids. Potting a pair of goals and adding 10 points to the bottom line. Sobotka has provided speed, passing and playmaking ability (sorely missed McDonald traits) when called upon, leading to numbers that match Langenbrunner’s.

As thankful as Blues fans are, there is still a real problem the Blues must address with secondary scoring. The road to the playoffs is not going to be paved on the backs of the offensive efforts of Arnott. Too few pucks are going behind opposing goalies that don’t originate off the sticks of the SOB line. It’s surely something Armstrong will have to address because Ken Hitchcock’s efforts aren’t making a difference. The team is still winning, but by the skin of its teeth.

As division rivals of Nashville, we’ve seen that dynamic produce positive results only for so long. More aggressive changes will need to be made to prevent it from traveling west to St. Louis. All eyes are on your Mr. Chris Stewart. Time to get it together. Everyone else is pulling their weight one way or another. If you can’t, it’s probably going to be time to move again.

Ericsson vs. Clowe is Swede-On-Newf violence. Image via pyle313/Flickr

What started out as awesome ended up being . . . not so much. David Perron scored a goal in his long-awaited return to the St. Louis Blues, but the Chicago Blackhawks carried the day with an impressive 5-2 win over the Blues. It was testy throughout, and there were several times that I was sure there WOULD be a fight, but never was there to be one. So the Blues stay put at 11 fights on the season and remain at a 5-1-5 record, but now that number of fights puts the team at a tie for 11th in the National Hockey League with the Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild and Toronto Maple Leafs in that category.

When we last saw the Detroit Red Wings (November 15th, to be exact), the team had a total of four fighting majors on the season. Coming into tonight’s game, the Wings have . . . a total of four fighting majors on the season. That is good for a tie for DEAD LAST in the NHL with the Tampa Bay Lightning in that category, so this report is nice and concise since it has already been done in the previous issue. If you want to look up who has fought this season for the Wings both this season and last plus fight records for the team and all parties involved, please click on the link in the first sentence of this paragraph.

Will there be a fight in this game? I would say it is highly doubtful. But if I had to put money on someone fighting in this contest, being that Ryan Reaves is likely to be a healthy scratch in this one, it would have to be Scott Nichol fighting someone bigger than him . . . someone such as, say Justin Abdelkader. It seems like a very good match, really. Despite the big hit by Chris Stewart on Niklas Kronwall in the previous matchup, I just don’t see a big opportunity for a major bout in this one.

It’s Hated Rival Weekend, Extended. Can the Blues at least win one of the two contests at home? We’ll find out.

LET’S GO BLUES!!!!!

Information obtained via the incomparable Fried Chicken’s Hockey Fights

(10-8-2)

vs

Pittsburgh Penguins

(12-6-3)

at

Consol Energy Center 

Game Time 6pm CDT

TV- FSMW(HD) Radio- KMOX

Blues Team Recap- The Blues are coming off a regulation loss to the LA Kings last night at the Scott Trade Center. With a few botched plays from defenseman Barret Jackman and a couple of undisciplined minors later the Kings skated out of the Lou with two more points handing Ken Hitchcock his first regulation loss since taking over as head coach. Emotions were high in last nights game and none was more evident then a very dirty cross check from behind laid down by Kings defensmen Drew Doughty on Blues forward TJ Oshie. The hit sent Oshie head first  the boards who had no idea Doughty was going to check him from behind. Leave it to the good ole NHL officials to only call a 2 minute minor cross checking penalty. Another awesome development this morning would be the NHL sheriff Brendan Shanahan only fining Doughty 2,500 bucks for the hit and rendering no suspension. Just last week the front office Lawmaker laid out a 3 game suspension to Chris Stewart for a VERY identical hit on Redwings player Nikolas Kronwall. Shanny is not doing himself any favors by giving punishment that is not equal for hits that the NHL and the NHPLA want to remove from the game. I find it completely absurd that Shanahan delved out the punishment that he did and I feel disrespected and slapped in the face. If you can’t handle disciplining big name athletes from big name teams but you can hand out huge fines and games missed to the smaller ones you have no business being in control.  Do I think Stewart deserved the suspension that he received? You bet your sweet ass I think he deserved it. Stop giving Blues fans reasons to doubt and hold grudges against the people at the top.

Blues Keys To The Game- Score goals. Gee Tony, Isn’t the goal of every game? Yes, Yes it is but the blues have not done a good job of tallying marks against their opponents in the last several games. The power play has once again regressed and gone of for o well hell you get the idea. Scoring chances are coming the Blues way but they have not been able to finish on those chances like their opponents have. If you can’t finish on your chances you wont go very far in this league. Crash the net.. This is the bread and butter of this teams offensive ability and it seems they have lost touch once again with this idea. Shots are coming through but the opposing goal tender is able to see the puck thus making an easy stop from perimeter shots. A few lucky bounces is all the Blues need to get back to the winning ways that they have become accustom to under Hitch. Play hard, choral the Kid and fore check them into next week and the Blues should have a good night in P-Town. O by the way.. STAY OUT OF THE PENALTY BOX!

Pens Team Recap- After missing the last 10 months due to a concussion Pens center-man Sidney Crosby returned to the line up against the New York Islanders a few nights ago. It did not take Sid long to find his touch. Crosby went on to polish off 2 goals and 2 assists for 4 points on the night. The only place the Penguins are headed from here is a steady climb upward in the Eastern Conference. Look for the polar aquatic birds to make a big splash come playoff time if this roster of offensive giants can remain healthy.

Pens Keys To The Game- Get the Blues to take bad penalties and score power play goals. This should be every teams MO from here on out against this team. The Blues have been very undisciplined over their last three match ups and have taken penalties that have lead either directly or indirectly to their demise. With a mediocre PK unit and a terrible Power Play the Pens could dominate this game if they keep possession of the puck time way up and force the stingy defensive Blues to play in their own end. The Blues will make mistakes and it is how the Pens react to those mistakes that will ultimately define this match up. Can Sid the Kid and company capitalize on some mistakes by a young team? Or will the Pens take a lazy approach to a very good team and get shown some humble pie? The puck is in the Pens court and it is up to them whether or not they dominate St. Louis or cough up two points.

Blues News- David Perron continues to skate with the team in full contact practices. No time table has been officially set for his return but all indications point to him being just a few weeks away from his 2011-2012 debut with the Blues. Andy McDonald remains on IR with a concussion and no time table for return at this point. Kent Huskins remains out on IR with a ankle fracture. BJ Crombeen is sidelined with a fractured shoulder blade and is expected to return some time in early January. Defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo was placed on IR with a hamstring injury. Cade Faichild has been recalled from Peoria to be the Blues 7th Defenseman.

I again as a Blues fan shake my head at the decision making of the disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan. When you let hits like this go you set a precedence that top teams and top players will get a free pass but those who are lower on the popularity pole will get crucified and made an example of. Shame on you Shanaban, Shame shame shame….