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.

In lieu of an actual fighting picture, there’s this. Image via Chris Breikss/Flickr

Backing into the division title? Yeah, that happened, but that shouldn’t diminish what the St. Louis Blues have accomplished all season. What SHOULD diminish things a bit is what exactly happened in their home game with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday, looking a bit out-of-sorts in a 5-2 loss to the worst team in the league. Sure, the Jackets wanted it more, but that loss shouldn’t happen in your own building. There was a fight in the game, as after a clean yet harsh hit from Jared Boll, Scott Nichol decided to take matters into his own hands in a fight that was recapped in this Fight Card piece. After this was written, the fight was ruled a victory for Boll, which I can’t exactly argue with as even though the fight didn’t last long, Boll did throw and land a few more punches than Nichol even if Nichol got a bit of a takedown. So the Blues now boast 39 fighting majors on the National Hockey League season, good for a tie for ninth place overall with the New Jersey Devils. With the loss, the team’s fight record moves to a still-spectacular 16-6-17.

And now, the final Central Division game of the season, and who better to stage it with than long-time nemesis, the Detroit Red Wings? We’ve covered the team five times in this space this season (November 15th, December 6th, December 27th, December 31st and January 23rd). It’s long-known that they seem to have their gloves glued to their hands and don’t fight much, and when I pointed out this fact in the most recent edition of this report against the Wings, it didn’t settle well with some of their brethren. I embrace the hatred. Anyway, what still holds true is that the Wings are dead last in the NHL with 15 fighting majors on the season. To put it this way, there are six individuals with more fights than the whole Wings team, and one player – Brad Staubitz – has been waived once this year and still has as many fights as the Wings. Yikes. The Wings fight record? Predictably not good, at 5-9-1.

Of those 15 Wings fights, Justin Abdelkader (6’1”, 219lbs, 2-4-0) has taken part in six of them. Three of them were battled by veteran Mike Commodore (6’4”, 227lbs, 0-2-1 including a Loss to BJ Crombeen and 0-3-1 overall, traded to Tampa at the deadline) and two of the fights involved Todd Bertuzzi (6’3”, 229lbs, 1-1-0). The solo fighters have been Jonathan Ericsson (6’4”, 221lbs, Win), Brendan Smith (6’1”, 199lbs, Win, currently with Grand Rapids of the AHL), youngster Jakub Kindl (6’3”, 216lbs, Loss) and Brad Stuart (6’2”, 213lbs, Loss to Chris Stewart).

And while I expect this to be a tightly-checked and physical contest, I do not expect any fighting. It’s just not the Wings’ Modus Operandi, and the Blues probably don’t want to go down that path tonight.

I would love that top seed in the West.

LET’S GO BLUES!!!!!

Information obtained via the incomparable Fried Chicken’s Hockey Fights

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.

Want proof? Here’s your proof:

What has really endeared many St. Louis Blues fans (including yours truly) to Nichol has been his outright tenacity and true grit. If he were a baseball player, his name would be David Eckstein and he would play shortstop even though he should play second base. He wins face-offs, he stands up for himself and his teammates and he fights people he should not fight, including Boll, who has long been the Columbus Blue Jackets’ top enforcer, despite the fact that he’s about half a foot shorter and about 40 pounds lighter. Oh, and he gets pissed off . . . INCREDIBLY easily, like in this instance.

All that said, the fight was a definite draw as it didn’t last more than a few seconds and a few punches from both guys, not much of which landed. In many ways, it was the epitome of Nichol’s season . . . fast, furious and full of a lot of “GET THE HELL OUT OF MY WAY I’M GOING TO KILL YOU” moments.

So yeah, the fight sucked, but that was an insane moment, and I’m not about to give the man low marks because it was fun to see.

Game Info:

Location: St. Louis

Opposing Netminder: Allen York (Unconfirmed per Daily Faceoff)

Blues Probable Line Combos: (per Lou Korac)
Forward Lines:
Steen – Backes – Oshie
McDonald – Berglund – Perron
Sobotka – Arnott - Langenbrunner
D’Agostini- Nichol – Stewart

Defensive Pairings:
Huskins – Pietrangelo
Jackman - Shattenkirk
Russell  - Huskins

Starting Goalie:
Jaroslav Halak

Healthy Scratches:
Colaiacovo, Cole, Crombeen, Reaves, Schwartz

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Jared Boll usually isn’t left licking wounds after fights. Image via BridgetDS/Flickr

Well, the division title is still in range for the St. Louis Blues, as they gained a point in a game they probably didn’t deserve to get one in after losing to the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 in a free-throw shooting contest. But while there were a few mild skirmishes, there were no fights to speak of in this game. So the Blues stay at 38 fights on the National Hockey League season, good for a tie with the New Jersey Devils, Vancouver Canucks and the Hawks on that ladder, and the team’s fight record sticks at a very good 16-5-17.

I could spend an hour talking about how horrible tonight’s opponent, the Columbus Blue Jackets, has been this season. But, it would do no good, really. This is the last meeting of the season between the Blues and Jackets, so we’ve covered them on five occasions on this report (November 27th, December 18th, February 14th, March 10th and March 11th), and there have been seven total fights between the two teams in those five games, with videos to each below. The Jackets are currently tied for fourth in the NHL with the Ottawa Senators with 52 fighting majors collected on the season, sporting a fight record that’s relatively average at 18-20-14.

The Jackets are led in fights by Jared Boll (6’2”, 219lbs, 5-6-5 including a Draw with Ryan Reaves and a Draw with Chris Stewart) and Derek Dorsett (6’0”, 192lbs, 5-8-3 including a Loss to BJ Crombeen), who each have fought 16 times this season and Cody Bass (6’0”, 205lbs, 2-3-1 including a Win over Reaves, currently with Springfield in the AHL) with six. Dane Byers (6’3”, 204lbs, 0-1-2 including a Draw with Roman Polak and a Loss to Crombeen) has fought three times this season, while Derek MacKenzie (5’11”, 180lbs, 1-0-1, out indefinitely with a concussion) and Derick Brassard (6’1”, 202lbs, 1-1-0) have each fought twice. Seven former and current Jackets have fought once each this season, and they are current Blue Kris Russell (5’10”, 172lbs, Win), James Wisniewski (6’0”, 208lbs, Win, Day-To-Day with a concussion), Fedor Tyutin (6’2”, 216lbs, Win, out with a broken hand), Jack Johnson (6’1”, 231lbs, Win, acquired in trade from the Kings), Colton Gillies (6’4”, 208lbs, Draw, claimed off waivers from the Wild), Darryl Boyce (6’0”, 200lbs, a Draw with Chris Porter, claimed off waivers from the Maple Leafs) and RJ Umberger (6’2”, 220lbs, Loss).

Even with the Blues now boasting a full roster and even with the fact that the “goons” will probably sit out, I still anticipate a fight or two in this contest. Look for Scott Nichol to get involved somehow. The best possible matchup size-wise might be Dorsett, but that may be a bad fight for Nichol to take.

Win the game. Win the division. Clinch at least a 2-seed in the West. Do it.

LET’S GO BLUES!!!!!

Information obtained via the incomparable Fried Chicken’s Hockey Fights

I think Brandon Bollig is trying to tell Daniel Carcillo that he sucks. He might be right. Image via HockeyBroad/Flickr

The St. Louis Blues needed to escape that weekend with, at the fewest, three points. They got four from the downtrodden Columbus Blue Jackets, and the second one was practically stolen by the goaltender. Sunday’s 2-1 victory was a beauty, in which Jaroslav Halak showed why he will likely be the first choice in net come postseason time by flashing the leather, padding and sticks the way he so skillfully can do, with some help from his defensemen. Not only was the goaltending brilliant and the offense timely, there was a tussle in this game between Chris Stewart and Jared Boll. Sure, the fight was horrible and ended in a draw, but at least it happened, I guess. That fight, along with the pair of scraps from Saturday’s game, are all recapped with video in the most recent edition of Fight Card. Now up to 35 fighting majors on the National Hockey League season, the Blues now find themselves in a tie for eighth in the category with the New Jersey Devils and Vancouver Canucks. Adding the draw, the Blues’ fight record now stands at a very robust 15-6-14.

Didn’t we play these guys, like, last week? Yeah, that happened. Now, the Blues travel to Chicago to face the Chicago Blackhawks. Whereas the Blues’ fortunes have been on an upward trend since mid-November, the Blackhawks – while still firmly entrenched in a playoff spot – have been slipping a bit since January. We’ve covered the Hawks four times this season (November 8th, December 3rd, February 19th and March 6th). The Blackhawks have fought 34 times on the season, good for 11th by themselves in the NHL in that category, and their fight record is not bad at 13-10-11.

The Blackhawks are led in fights by one of my favorite former Blues players of all time, Jamal Mayers (6’1”, 222lbs, 4-1-5), who has fought 10 times this season. Following him is a guy I despised even before the Blackhawks signed him, Daniel Carcillo (6’0”, 203lbs, 1-3-1 including a Loss to Ryan Reaves, Out for the season after having knee surgery which happened because of an illegal hit that he got suspended for), who fought five times this year before doing the “most Carcillo thing ever” and, somehow, earning a two-year contract extension in the process. Recently-traded John Scott (6’8”, 270lbs, 4-0-0 including a Win over Reaves, traded to the Rangers at the deadline) and recent call-up and St. Louis area native Brandon Bollig (6’2”, 223lbs, 3-1-0 including a Win over Reaves) have fought four times each as Hawks this year. Andrew Shaw (5’10”, 180lbs, 1-2-0) and Steve Montador (6’0”, 210lbs, 0-2-1, on IR with the dreaded “Upper Body Injury”) have each fought three times. Bryan Bickell (6’4”, 233lbs, 0-0-2) has fought twice. Solo fighters include Dave Bolland (6’0”, 184lbs, Draw), Sean O’Donnell (6’2”, 238lbs, Draw) and Jimmy Hayes (6’6”, 221lbs, Loss). Also, be on the lookout for new acquisition Johnny Oduya (6’0”, 190lbs, Draw, acquired from Winnipeg at the deadline).

We’ll see what happens in this game, but after Reaves was replaced in the lineup on Sunday and with the arrival of Jaden Schwartz, the feeling here is that the goons for both clubs will stay in the stable for the most part, and there will be no fights. That said, a fight between Bollig and BJ Crombeen would not be the worst thing that ever happened.

Keep winning, eh?

LET’S GO BLUES!!!!!

Information obtained via the incomparable Fried Chicken’s Hockey Fights

We start with a fight that came seemingly out of nowhere . . . Darryl Boyce vs. Chris Porter. Have a look:

Boyce took exception to a hard-but-clean Porter check by flying in and . . . blasting Porter with a hard-but-Interference check. Porter didn’t like that too much, so the two dropped gloves and traded jabs. Boyce had early control but let Porter into him late, and Porter scored a takedown. Quality of punches gives Porter a win here.

Next, the other fight from Saturday’s home contest and a fight that was to be expected . . . Dane Byers vs. BJ Crombeen. Here it is:

Byers’ only tangible skill is to be an enforcer. If it weren’t for injuries and the fact that the Blue Jackets are hockey’s equivalent to a garbage can fire this season (unfortunately for them, obviously), Byers would not be playing in the NHL. That established, with this being his most tangible skill, he got his lunch handed to him by Crombeen. Don’t get me wrong, Byers threw well, but he let Crombeen basically sweater-jab him to death. And as much as I hate the sweater jab, well . . . that’s not good. Crombeen gets the victory here.

Finally, on Sunday, perhaps the most pointless fight of the three . . . Chris Stewart vs. Jared Boll, who is fresh off Injured Reserve. Here you go:

Look, I have no problem with a player standing up for a teammate after a bad play. That’s fine and dandy in my book. But Stewart should not be fighting the likes of Boll. Sure, Ryan Reaves was in the press box for this contest, and that’s fine. But how would it look if a Top Six guy got his hand broken fighting a goon on a last place team? Not good. Thankfully, nothing bad happened in this fight . . . in fact, it’s pointless to even cover the fight as it not only was horrible, but was a draw. As good a fighter as Boll is (he’s one of the top fighters in the league, in my eye), he should’ve done better against Stewart, even if he is knocking off the rust from an IR stint.

You may be wondering . . . what about that scuffle between Boyce and Kevin Shattenkirk? Well, fighting majors were not issued in that fight, so it didn’t count. Too bad, but that’s the way it goes.

Game Info:

Location: Columbus

Opposing Netminder: Curtis Sanford (per Lou Korac)

Blues Probable Line Combos: (Lou Korac reports on Twitter that the lineup tonight is likely the same as last night)
Forward Lines:
Sobotka – Backes – Oshie
McDonald – Berglund – Perron
Porter – Arnott – Stewart
Crombeen – Nichol – Reaves

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

Starting Goalie:
Jaroslav Halak

This, an AHL uniform, is the only kind of hockey uniform Dane Byers would be wearing this year if the Blue Jackets were, y’know, good. Image via BridgetDS/Flickr

Beat the teams you’re supposed to beat. The Columbus Blue Jackets, no offense to them, are a team the St. Louis Blues are supposed to beat, and after a shaky beginning, that’s exactly what happened in a relatively dominant 4-1 win in the first leg of a home-and-home with our blue-coated division mates. We even got a couple scraps thrown in there . . . after a hard but clean hit by Chris Porter, former Leaf Darryl Boyce took exception, hitting Porter, causing both to drop the gloves in a fight Porter appeared to win (video here). Then, when the momentum had clearly switched to the Blues in the middle of the game, noted goon Dane Byers decided to have a go with BJ Crombeen, a fight Beej won handily (video here). A full Fight Card recap will be available at some point after tonight’s contest to capture the whole home-and-home. The Blues now stand in 10th by themselves in the National Hockey League with 34 fighting majors collected on the season. Adding the two wins, the Blues’ fight record now stands at a very robust 15-6-13. Wins in the standings, wins in the fight column . . . way to go, boys.

And now, the Columbus portion of the home-and-home with the Blue Jackets. I’ll cut the crap here, because we’ve covered them four times now this season (November 27th, December 18th, February 14th and last night). With the two fights from last night, the Jackets move into a third place tie with the Philadelphia Flyers with 49 fighting majors collected on the season, and with last night’s two losses, their fight record now dips to 17-21-11.

The Jackets are led in fights by Derek Dorsett (6’0”, 192lbs, 5-8-3 including a Loss to Crombeen) with 16, followed by Jared Boll (6’2”, 219lbs, 5-5-3 including a Draw with Ryan Reaves, on IR with a broken foot) with 13 and Cody Bass (6’0”, 205lbs, 2-3-1 including a Win over Reaves, currently with Springfield in the AHL) with six. Adding last night’s fight, Byers (6’3”, 204lbs, 0-1-2 including a Draw with Roman Polak and last night’s loss to Crombeen shown above) now has fought three times this season. Two Jackets have fought twice each, and they are Derek MacKenzie (5’11”, 180lbs, 1-0-1, out indefinitely with a concussion) and Derick Brassard (6’1”, 202lbs, 1-1-0). Seven former and current Jackets have fought once each this season, and they are current Blue Kris Russell (5’10”, 172lbs, Win, still out with a concussion), James Wisniewski (6’0”, 208lbs, Win), Fedor Tyutin (6’2”, 216lbs, Win, out with a broken hand), new Jacket Jack Johnson (6’1”, 231lbs, Win, acquired in trade from the Kings), Colton Gillies (6’4”, 208lbs, Draw, claimed off waivers from the Wild), RJ Umberger (6’2”, 220lbs, Loss) and Boyce (6’0”, 200lbs, the aforementioned Loss to Porter).

More fights? I do believe there will be, as there’s about an 18-hour turnaround from the end of last night’s game to tonight’s contest. It tends to bring out the best in the scrappy ones of the bunch. Look for not just one fight, but multiple fights. After Reaves’ misconduct from last night, I fully expect him to be involved in at least one fight, if not more.

All they do is win, or at least it seems like it. Keep up the good work, gang, and beat the teams you should beat.

LET’S GO BLUES!!!!!

Information obtained via the incomparable Fried Chicken’s Hockey Fights