Ryan Malone usually picks fights with people his size. Like here. Image via clydeorama/Flickr

The way the St. Louis Blues played on Thursday night, I was surprised to find out they were able to get 40 shots on goal in the game against the Carolina Hurricanes, because it just looked like the Blues were outplayed all game. Alas, that happened and the Hurricanes came away with a 2-0 shutout victory. Not only did that happen, but there were no fights in the contest either. BORING! But, by and large, the lack of fighting was to be expected. The Blues stay at 37 fighting majors on the season, still good for seventh in the National Hockey League in that category. After recalibrating the win-loss-draw total, the fight record now stands at a very stout 14-6-17.

Further south the Blues go to visit another squad in the Southeast Division that seems allergic to fisticuffs despite having a lackluster (but in this squad’s case, very much improving) season . . . the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning started out with one of the worst starts you could have, but have come on strong lately, jumping into the Eastern Conference playoff picture. I had covered the Lightning on one occasion this season (November 12th), but that post is nowhere to be found. Rest assured, I wrote one . . . but oh well. Anyway, the Lightning are currently tied for 25th with the Montreal Canadiens and New York Islanders with 20 fighting majors collected on the NHL season, sporting a fight record of a measly 7-11-2 in those fights.

Basically because the Lightning don’t possess one sure-fire enforcer, they’re all over the map on the card rundown. Leading the team in fights? A guy who isn’t even there anymore – Steve Downie (5’11”, 191lbs, 2-2-1, traded to Colorado) – with five fights. Following him is Ryan Malone (6’4”, 219lbs, 2-1-1) with four fights and Pierre-Cedric Labrie (6’2”, 218lbs, 1-2-0, currently with Norfolk of the AHL) with three fights. The rest are individual fighters – Pavel Kubina (6’4”, 258lbs, Win, traded to Philadelphia), Keith Aulie (6’6”, 217lbs, Win, recently acquired from Toronto), former Blues Captain Eric Brewer (6’3”, 220lbs, Loss), Nate Thompson (6’0”, 210lbs, Loss, Day-To-Day with the dreaded “Upper Body Injury”), Adam Hall (6’3”, 213lbs, Loss), Brendan Mikkelson (6’3”, 205lbs, Loss), Mike Angelidis (6’1”, 210lbs, Loss, currently with Norfolk of the AHL) and Mike Commodore (6’4”, 227lbs, Loss with Tampa and 0-3-1 overall, recently acquired from Detroit).

Just like Thursday, I’m not expecting much in the way of fisticuffs . . . unless Brewer finds someone to have a go with, I guess.

I repeat . . . it’s time to transform back into “Road Warrior” mode. Do it now before going west!

LET’S GO BLUES!!!!!

Information obtained via the incomparable Fried Chicken’s Hockey Fights

The Lightning are lead by one of the leagues brightest stars, Steven Stamkos. Stamkos, only 21 years of age is tied for the team Tampa’s team lead with 16 points (10 goals, 6 assists). He shares the spotlight with a surprising name, Marc-Andre Bergeron. Bergeron’s three goals and 13 assist have him atop the NHL with points by a defensemen.

The 31 year old defender is on pace to shatter his career high in points. His highest season offensively was back with the Edmonton Oilers back in the 2005-06 season in which the offensive defender registered 15 goals, 20 asssists for 35 points. Bergeron is on pace to more than double that point total, if he continues to produce.

With the Lighting coming to St. Louis, it’ll be the first time former Blues captain, Eric Brewer, returns to the city he played in for six years. While he struggled with injuries and his hot-and-cold play here with the Blues, his leadership in the locker room was unquestionable. It should be a good reunion for the 32 year old veteran.

Peter Pupello wrote an article on Brewer’s return to St. Louis. for the Tampa Bay Lightning’s official webpage. In the article, Brewer expressed his desire to return and face his former teammates, “I’m looking forward to having a quick chat with a lot of the guys,” Brewer added. “I played with a lot of them for a long time and we had some really good times there. I have nothing but good things to say about their organization.”

Brewer has played in 15 games this year for the Lightning, registering four assists and eight penalty minutes.

Newly acquired defensemen, Kris Russell, will be in the line up tonight as Ian Cole will be the healthy scratch for the Blues. Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock stresses that this isn’t because of Cole’s play and this doesn’t mean Cole with become the 7th defender, he just wants to get Russell into the game and make him apart of the team early one. You can read more about that in Jeremy Rutherford’s blog over on Stltoday.com.

Brian Elliott is in for Jaroslav Halak tonight as Ken Hitchcock wants to see what Brian can do between the pipes for the Blues. Interesting move as Halak is has played well his last three games.

In other Blues news, the 2012 All-Star Ballot is out and voting is set to begin the 14th of November! The St. Louis Blues have three players on the ballot this year. Captain David Backes, sophomore defensemen, Alex Pietrangelo, and goaltender, Jaroslav Halak. For more information, head on over to the Blues official webpage for more!

Matthew Hulsizer’s group is still bidding for the St. Louis Blues as the deal still has not been finalized. While there was spectulation weeks ago that Hulsizer and the St. Louis Blues had signed a purchase agreement, neither side have publicly acknowledged the deal.  For more information on the sale of the Blues, Jeremy Rutherford brings us all up to speed, check it out.

Per the Blues official website, Ben Bishop gets the start in goal.

Here is the lineup.
*Will with update lines and pairings if they become available

5 – Barret Jackman
6 – Kent Huskins
10 – Andy McDonald
12 – Scott Nichol
17 – Vladimir Sobotka
19 – Stefan Della Rovere
21 – Patrik Berglund
23 – Ian Cole
25 – Chris Stewart
26 – B.J. Crombeen
27 – Alex Pietrangelo
29 – Brett Sterling
30 – Ben Bishop
33 – Brennan Evans
43 – Jake Gannon
45 – Jordan Binnington
47 – Kyle Hagel
61 – Ty Rattie
64 – Nikita Nikitin
65 – Chace Polacek
67 – Yannick Veilleux
75 – Ryan Reaves
77 – TJ Hensick
78 – Evgeny Grachev
79 – Adam Cracknell
81 – Stephen MacAulay
82 – Cade Fairchild

The Bolts saved the big guns for tonight’s affair per Tampa Bay Online beat writer Erik Erlendsson.

Line combinations
Tom Pyatt-Vladislav Namestnikov-Blair Jones
Brett Connolly-Vinny Lecavalier-Teddy Purcell
Richard Panik-Tyler Johnson-Michel Ouellet
Cory Conacher-Steven Stamkos-Marty St. Louis

Defense
Mattias Ohlund-Eric Brewer
Marc-Andre Bergeron-Matt Gilroy
Mike Vernace-Bruno Gervais

Goaltenders (split time)
Dwayne Roloson
Jaroslav Janus

A sticktap goes out to friend of the blog and Hockey Independent Lightning scribe Bill Philip for once again providing a scouting report. Apparently Tampa’s last two first round draft picks the ones to watch for.

Right Wing Brett Connolly. Age 19, drafted 2010 first round. The talented winger was the first pick (6th overall) of the Lightning in the 2010 draft. Connolly has good size and is a natural born scorer. The 19 year old was bitten by the injury bug last year, suffering a concussion while with Team Canada at the World Junior Championships and a minor shoulder separation in the first game of the WHL playoffs. In just 59 games, the 6’2”, 188 lbs. forward scored 46 goals and had 27 assists last season with the Prince George Cougars, and was the third leading scorer in the WHL. He has netted 86 goals and 152 points in 144 WHL games. The British Columbia native still has world class speed and uncanny hockey sense. If he can remain healthy, he will be a high scoring first liner over the next decade for the Bolts. Tampa Bay’s number one prospect is still a year away from skating on NHL ice and will probably be sent back to the Cougars.

Norfolk coach Jon Cooper coached the Lightning prospects during their three team tourney earlier, praised Connolly’s play, “He’s got phenomenal talent,” Cooper said. “I thought day in and day out he was our best player at the tournament, and you hope that from your first round pick and he delivered.”

Projection: Scoring line winger within the next three seasons.

Center Vladislav Namestnikov . Age 19, drafted 2011 first round. The Russian is a very skilled offensive center. He is a reliable finisher with an impressive wrist shot and is a good playmaker who takes advantage of open space. He’s a solid two-way player who needs to gain strength. In his first season in the Ontario Hockey League, he led the London Knights with 30 goals (30-38–68), 11 on the power play, and a plus-12 rating in 2010-11. Namestnikov represented Russia at the 2010 Under-18 World Championships in Belarus, tying for the team lead with five goals (5-2–7) in seven games – Russia finished fourth. He also represented his country at the World Under-17 Challenge tallying eight goals (8-2-10) in five games.

Namestnikov’s uncle, Vyacheslov Kozlov, is a former Stanley Cup winning, Red Wing teammate of Bolts GM Steve Yzerman. “He always took me to the rink and showed me the locker room, got to meet all the guys. So it was really great growing up with him. (My favorite was) probably Steve Yzerman. He was the captain of the Red Wings at that time,” said Namestnikov

Coach Guy Boucher said of Namestnikov, ”He’s a great player trying to “pick it up and figure it out.”

Projection: Second or third line center in two to four years.

(Update 2pm CST – Blues Lines and Pairings per Lou Korac)

Forward Lines
Brett Sterling-Patrik Berglund-Chris Stewart
Stefan Della Rovere-Vladimir Sobotka-B.J. Crombeen
Evgeny Grachev-T.J. Hensick-Ty Rattie
Yannick Veilleux-Adam Cracknell-Ryan Reaves

Defensive Pairings
Kent Huskins-Alex Pietrangelo
Barret Jackman-Ian Cole
Nikita Nikitin-Cade Fairchild

A few quick thoughts on the set up…

- Sterling with Berglund and Stewart is to give Sterling ice-time with skilled players to help determine his place in the recall order with Grachev and Phil McRae. It’s also a good indication that to start the season Berglund and Stewart will be paired together.

- Grachev with Henscik is about comparing their play side by side as it were, but also to see if they can form some chemistry to carry them over in to Peoria. Adding Ty Rattie on their wing will also allow the Blues to see where his development is at. If he can keep up with skilled players just a step or two ahead of him, maybe he really isn’t a step or two behind.

- Cracknell and Reaves get their first chance to cut away at Chris Porter’s lead on an NHL roster spot.

- With the opportunity to pair Jackman and Pietrangelo together, not doing so may say an awful lot. Either that the Blues know they have chemistry from last season’s success or that they don’t intend to pair the two at the start of the season. A situation to monitor, especially for you fantasy players in deep leagues. Jackman with Petro could really boost Jackman’s Plus/Minus and inflate his assist and point totals.

- Cole paired with Jackman says: “show you can keep up with the big boys because at some point, you’ll be up and be required to”.

- Don’t read more in to Nikitin on the third pairing that just that. He should see it as a chance to prove he’s well ahead of someone like Fairchild, but also support a more offensive minded partner. There is a very strong potential that he is paired with Kevin Shattenkirk during the season. Taking care of business now will build confidence he can later.

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Check back later tonight or tomorrow for another recap and FYI for the next preseason game.

Thanks for reading. As always you’re welcome to follow me on Twitter: @JTQ_1 for thoughts and news from the Blues and around the NHL.

Former Blues captain Eric Brewer's new club is in town, but he is not.

The Blues preseason schedule gets underway Tuesday night as the Tampa Bay Lightning pay St. Louis a visit.

According to St. Louis Post Dispatch beat writer Jeremy Rutherford the Blue Squad has been tapped to appear first by head coach Davis Payne. Brian Elliot is the expected starter between the pipes.

Tampa Bay Online scribe Erik Erlendsson posted the line up for the Bolts.

Forwards
JT Wyman-Mike Angelidis-Eric Neilson
Dana Tyrell-Adam Hall-Alex Picard
Mattias Ritola-Nate Thompson-Ryan Shannon
Carter Ashton-Dominic Moore-Steve Downie

Defense
Victor Hedman-Brett Clark
Mark Barberio-Pavel Kubina
Richard Petiot-Radko Gudas

Goaltenders (who will split time)
Mathieu Garon
Jaroslav Janus

The most noticeable Tampa player to not travel north is former Blues captain Eric Brewer. He will play Wednesday against the Blues in Orlando, FL. Draw what conclusions you will by Brewer’s omission…

Friend of the blog Bill Philip (@LightningShout), Hockey Independent’s Lightning correspondent has been kind enough to provide some details on who to watch for.

#42 Right Wing, Dana Tyrell. Age 22, drafted 2007 second round. Tyrell was a nice surprise last season, coming back from a horrible knee injury. He not only made the team out of training camp, he played 78 games and netted 15 points in his rookie season skating on the fourth line and killing penalties. This year he came into training camp in the best shape of his life. He is a world class skater and a bulldog of a player with a huge heart. He is in camp to win a job. He is trying to keep his fourth line spot, competing against no less than nine players for the position, including Blair Jones, Mattias Ritola and former first round pick Carter Ashton. He has looked solid in camp and although a fourth liner is a former junior 30 goal scorer that will contribute if he makes the team. He needs to get better with the puck. His main competition to make the team looks to be coming from Blair Jones and Mattias Ritola.

Coach Guy Boucher said of Tyrell yesterday, “He’s relentless. He has the speed that we want. He has the relentlessness that we want.” “He came to make the team,” the coach said. “I’m not surprised. That’s the kind of person he is.”

Projection: Fourth line winger this season.

#75 Defenseman Radko Gudas. Age 21, drafted 2010 third round. All you need to know about Gudas is that one NHL scout stated, “He is the ultimate prick to play against.” He has already earned the reputation with Lightning players as a big hitter, who despite his small size for a defenseman (6’0”, 210 lbs.) will always take the body. His weakness is stickhandling and decision making and they don’t look too improved over last season, so far in this training camp.

Projection: Third pairing defenseman, but not this season.

Check back Tuesday night for a recap of the game.

Update: 2:00pm CST | Expected Blues Lines and Pairings per JR

Forwards
Evgeny Grachev-David Backes-Jamie Langenbrunner
Matt D’Agostini-Philip McRae-Jonathan Cheechoo
Chris Porter-Brett Sonne-B.J. Crombeen
Derek Nesbitt-Anthony Nigro-Anthony Peluso

Defensemen
Carlo Colaiacovo-Roman Polak
Brett Ponich-Kevin Shattenkirk
Danny Syvret-Mark Cundari

Goalie
Brian Elliott (Starter)
Jake Allen (Backup)

What To Watch For

- How Grachev gels with Backes and Langenbrunner. Though the former Rangers prospect will have a hard time cracking the opening night roster, how well he performs with two established NHL’ers will go a long way in determining his call up order. Tonight is Grachev needs to lay the first brick and not drop it on his foot.

- How well the D’Agostini-McRae-Cheechoo line works together. All three are fighting to prove something right off the bat. Will they work together? Who stands out above the others? Everyone wants to see Dags start off strong. He needs to if he wants to solidify the position right behind Chris Stewart on the depth chart. Being shown up by a “kid” or the “injured, old man” won’t do him any favors. Nor will the fans in the stands like it.

- Can Sonne keep up? Porter has set a standard in the organization for working through the ranks to earn his place in on the biggest stage in the sport. Sonne faces a similar path. How he compares to Porter will be an important storyline to watch for those who care about the Rivermen. He certainly fell out of favor and could find himself in the Peoria pressbox with the current depth situation.

- The number two pairing. Come the start of the season I expect Cola and Polak to be logging the second most even stregnth minutes behing Jackman and Pietrangelo. Excelling and controlling a team icing a weak group of forwards should be a given. A good place to start developing chemistry.

- Pylon Ponich? Brett Ponich’s mobility was a major issue in Traverse City. He’ll be paired with Kevin Shattenkirk, one of the Blues best skaters and puck movers. Sadly the question is most likely “how many times will he be beat before the pairings are altered”?

- Cundari Rising. I’m a mark Cundari fanboy. I’ll admit it. He reminds me a little of a Mark Giordano type of defenseman. He could easily be paired with Syvert in Peoria so its a good chance for those two to establish a rapport as well. Personally, I want to see him take minutes with Shattenkirk at some point in this game.

- Elliott, just get it done. He doesn’t need to seal the deal on the backup job in the first game. Keep the game simple and precise. Hit positioning marks and hope that the skaters in front take care of their business.

Will David "Inglorious" Backes go from "Captain American" to Captain of the St. Louis Blues?

With most of the off-season moves done around the league, front offices are doing some minor work filling out the depth and minor leagues as well as some fine tuning within the organization. As the calendar turns to the dog days in August, some players are returning to their NHL cities to do some workouts and meet with the team trainers and doctors to get a head start on their training.

For the Blues, players like TJ Oshie, Ben Bishop, David Backes, Alex Pietrangelo, and others have been seen in St. Louis for various off-season activities. To say that these men are more dedicated than the rest of the team is unfair, but it’s also no coincidence that the players who are here early are mostly the leaders of the Blues. None of us have ever been a part of an NHL dressing room, but leaders emerge from them based on work ethic and not necessarily performance. If play on the ice translated to leadership, how did Eric Brewer get to wear the ‘C’ prior to last season? Even as he sat out game after game in most of his tenure here, he was voted as the captain of the Blues by his teammates when then-head coach Andy Murray decided a captain was needed.

Full Disclosure: I am not, nor have I ever been, a Brewer hater. I believe he is a fine defenseman when given the proper role, something the Blues could not give him after he came here via trade. Before the trade deadline last season, General Manager Doug Armstrong shipped Eric and all his haters to Tampa Bay for a rugged Junior defenseman with a cool name, Brock Beukeboom, who could eventually become a Roman Polak type player. But I digress.

Losing Brewer was a result of the emergence of Petro and young studs like Ian Cole and Nikita Nikitin progressing well. However, a hole was left on the roster in the veteran presence department. Andy McDonald was the oldest player on the team at the relatively young age of 33. A Cup winner with the Ducks, he was able to share his experiences but with the playoffs out of reach, how valuable was that advice last year? And from what I know, Andy Mac isn’t the most vocal of the Blues players.

Soon Davis Payne will announce his Captain for this team. The alternates will also be chosen…will Payne go with a rotational system for the home/road schedule like last year or will he have a concrete group of leaders? Every indication from Blues fans on the forums and message boards is that the REAL Captain America, Backes, will succeed Brewer as the locker room leader. He is one of the longest tenured Blues and also a draft pick of the organization. Barrett Jackman holds those same credentials, but being a free agent after this season and the small possibility he won’t be retained keeps the arrow pointed to #42. Alex Steen is also a possibility but likely will be given an ‘A’ again this year. Pietrangelo has also been thrown around the rumor mill, but would the Blues want to give that big responsibility to someone who just recently became legally eligible to buy a beer? Oshie…well, what’s that I said about buying beer? I’m not sure I’d trust him even being an alternate with his lack of self control off the ice. Hopefully he makes me eat crow this year.

David Backes is prototypical NHL team Captain material. He goes to the front of the net willing to sacrifice a body part for a goal. He’ll fight the opponent or an entire country of opponents to gain an edge in a game. He will speak up when things are bad and keep the team level headed when (and if) things get on a roll. The community work he and his wife do is great for promotional and good will service as far as the Blues marketing people are concerned. Long story short, Backes bleeds blue.

On the flip side, should Payne go a different route and give the C to someone else, Backes will still be the unofficial leader of the Blues. Think back to when Brewer was given the Captain’s role – did rookies like Perron, EJ, Oshie, and Berglund look up to Brewer and ask him for advice or go to Keith Tkachuk, who had been with the team since the beginning of 2000, sans a few games for the Thrashers? That answer is obvious even if we haven’t stepped foot in the Blues locker room.

Big Walt was no doubt the leader of the team the minute Chris Pronger and Al MacInnis left via trade and retirement, respectively. Brewer was hurt, sitting in the press box, and the team had a handful of players wearing the ‘A’ on the chest. Big Walt was the unquestionably the seniority member of those alternates. The dude lost a tooth to score a goal against the Blackhawks in a game that was out of reach in Payne’s debut as coach. That should settle any debate whether or not he was the true Captain at that point in time. And it’s no shocker that Backes learned the trade of crashing the net from Big Walt.

If this franchise is ever going to win the Stanley Cup in the next 8-10 years, I want Gary Bettman to announce to the crowd that David Backes can come get the Cup, shake his hand, and watch as he raises the Holy Grail over his head.

- – -

The Red Army Sinks New York’s Finest

| New York Rangers 1 | Washington Capitals 2 | OT |
Capitals Lead 1-0

The New York Rangers left the comfy confines of MSG and headed down to the nation’s capital. Waiting were the Washington Capitals. Who were as primed and ready to go as ever. Both teams came out swinging, but the game was scoreless after 40 minutes. The Blue Shirts would strike first. Defenseman Matt Gilroy scored less than two minutes in to the third to open a 1-0 lead. Caps captain Alex Ovechkin had the answer tally at the 13:44 mark of the final regulation period. In overtime Alex Semin found space in the high slot to rip in the game winner.

Caps netminder Michal Neuvirth and Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist were strong between the pipes. Combining to stop 56 of 59 shots on goal.

One could argue that poor ice time management on the part of the Rangers lead to the loss. Top defenseman Marc Staal played well over 30 minutes, 33:48, and appears fatigue may have lead to his weak clearing attempt stopped by Jason Arnott at the point. All of the Capitals defensemen ended with a TOI between 23 and 28 minutes. Rangers Defenseman Dan Girardi had a shocking game high 29:39 TOI at even strength.

No Sid. No Geno No Problem. Bolts Thunderstruck.

| Tampa Bay Lightning 1 | Pittsburgh Penguins 3 |
Penguins Lead 1-0

With the star power of the Pittsburgh Penguins noticeably missing down the middle, the edge in terms of impact scorers easily favored the Tampa Bay Lightning. Would there be an answer to Vinney Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis and Steven Stamkos? If it wasn’t going to be Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin, Marc Andre Fluery was going to be the one. The 2009 Stanley Cup winning netminder put on an athletic clinic en route to stopping all 32 Tamps shots. Credit his opponent at the other end of the rink. Dwayne Roloson was as good as he could be. Stopping 37 of 39 Pens shots.

It was defensive breakdowns on the part of Tampa defensemen Pavel Kubina and Eric Brewer that allowed Alex Kovalev and Aaron Asham to score a pair of goals in 18 seconds.

Stamkos was a surprising non factor in the game. Did the big hit from Brooks Orpik on his first playoff shift rattle the 3rd year pro?

In all fairness Tampa did not get benefit from how the officials called the game. Missing many penalties that “should” have been called given how the previous calls had gone. Missing the pair of careless high sticks by Zybnek Michalek stand out.

The game was not up to stereotypical playoff intensity, but too few Bolts skaters brought enough to get the job done. Virtually everyone dressed in black sweaters did.

The win was the first playoff victory in the Penguins new arena, the Consol Energy Center.

The Evil Empire Rolls On

| Phoenix Coyotes 2 | Detroit Red Wings 4 |
Red Wings Lead 1-0

Experience and familiarity matter in the playoffs. Two things the Detroit Red Wings have plenty of. Two things, beyond others, that the Phoenix Coyotes did not.

Russian dynamo Pavel Datsyuk methodically took over the game as he seems so well versed at. Attacking the net and never giving up on a single play. The Coyotes just didn’t have a playmaker, a game changer capable of matching Datsyuk’s will to win. At least no one stepped up to be. Yotes netminder Ilya Bryzgalov needed to be the one and he couldn’t. Allowing 4 goals on 36 Detroit shots. Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard was a solid 26 for 28 in the save department.

The story of the game was the Coyotes inability to convert on the power play. Going 0-6 and mustering only 3 shots with the man advantage total and only 1 coming on the first period 5 on 3.

Keith Yandle was not good enough in a game high 26:41 TOI.

Kudos to Phoenix forward Kyle Turris. His goal at the 2:16 mark of the first period was his first career and the first of the playoffs season overall.

The Predators Go Duck Hunting

| Nashville Predators 4 | Anaheim Ducks 1 |
Predators Lead 1-0

The Nashville Predators were the only road team to win Wednesday night. They did so in a big way. Topping the favored Anaheim Ducks 4-1. A rare offensive out bust for the Preds who finsihed Tied for 21st in the NHL in Goals/Game in the regular season.

Preds Captain Shea Weber started the scoring off with a PPG coming at the 4:13 mark of the first period. The game would hold 1-0 till Steve Sullian and Mike Fisher scored less than 3 minutes a part late in the second set to push the gap to 3-0. Fisher added the fourth goal and his second of the game less than a minute in to the third period. Game over. Duck hunt successful.

Teemu Selanne did add a power play goal half way through the final 20 minutes, but that would be the only goal allowed by Pekka Rinne. Nashville’s Finnish netmidner stopped 27 of 28 shots against. Dan Ellis started for the Ducks but had far too many problems stopping pucks. After the fourth marker Ray Emery took over, stopping all 6 shots he faced. Two two combined to stop just 30 of 36 Predators shots.

Sullivan continues to be a real feel good story. The old battler will see limited ice time in the playoffs due to injury issues sustained throughout the season, but managed to bury the game winner.

Preds defenseman Ryan Suter lead all skaters with 24:51 TOI.

Hart Trophy candidate Corey Perry finished a Minus-3 with 5 shots on goal. The RPG line with Bobby Ryan and Ryan Getzlaf finished a combined Minus-5 with just one assist coming from Getzlaf on Selanne’s PPG.

Canucks Throw 1/4th of the Blackhawk Monkies Off Their Back

| Chicago Blackhawks 0 | Vancouver Canucks 2 |
Canucks Lead 1-0

The most anticipated matchup in the West got off to a good start for the Vancouver Canucks. Dropping the twice consecutively beaten by Chicago Blackhawks 2-0 to start the best of seven series.

For all the talk of the Hawks being in Canucks netminder Roberto Luongo’s head, they didn’t appear to be last night. Bobby Lou stopped all 32 Hawks shots en route to a shutout. The man in black and red 200 feet away didn’t fare as well, but still posted a solid effort. Rookie goaltender Corey Crawford stopped 31 of 33 Canucks attempts on net.

With all of the star power between the Sedins, Ryan Kesler, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa and Duncan Keith, little thought of trade deadline additional Chris Higgins had the biggest impact. Scoring the game winning goal just 7:03 in to the first period, racking up 4 shots (second to Kesler’s 5) and finishing with a Plus-2 rating.

The special teams were a wash, good thing for Chicago though, as thee clubs combined for an 0-for-5 night with the man advantage.

Is there much to be made of Hossa and Patrick Sharp’s Minus-2? Is there much to be made of the Henrik and Daniel combining for just 3 shots, all of which came from Daniel?

Did Mikael Frolik, of all players, really lead the Hawks in hits with 6? Yes, he did. It’s a different Hawks team for sure this time around and it showed. The Hawks were out hit 21 to 47.

“I got Dukes, do you?” Image via AOL News by way of Getty

The way I saw it, you can’t really fault the Blues’ effort in their 5-3 loss to the despised Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night.  They played hard, they scared the crap out of a veteran team AND they did so with a bunch of folks from up the Illinois River.  There were no fights in this game, as I anticipated, so the Blues hang tight at 65 fighting majors on the season, which is still good for third place in the NHL.  The Blues’ fight record stays steady at 27-19-19.

From past reports, you may be able to tell that I really love to write about this Anaheim Ducks team.  They are the type of violent that a self-proclaimed drunken Irishman like me can truly appreciate (even though I’m not a violent person . . . go figure).  We have covered the Ducks three times this season (October 11th, January 12th and February 19th), and they sure as heck do NOT shy away from a fight.  They also do not lack toughness or scoring touch.  This team is TRULY one of my favorite hockey teams to watch AND to see the Blues play against, since I’m almost assured there’s going to be at least one fight.  The Ducks currently sit at fourth place in the NHL with 60 fights on the season.  Their fight record, much like the Blues, is pretty even at 20-15-25.

George Parros (6’5”, 222lbs, 11-3-9 with wins over Barret Jackman and Cam Janssen) is not only the team leader in fights with 23, but the individual league leader as well.  He is followed by Sheldon Brookbank (6’1”, 200lbs, 2-1-3) and Kyle Chipchura (6’2”, 206lbs, 0-2-4 including a loss to Ryan Reaves) with six fights each as Ducks.  Aaron Voros (6’4’, 215lbs, 2-2-1 including a win over Eric Brewer, traded to Toronto) and Luca Sbisa (6’2”, 204lbs, 1-1-3 including a draw with Brewer and a loss to Matt D’Agostini) have each fought five times as Ducks.  Andy Sutton (6’6”, 245lbs, 0-1-2) may not be an expert, but has fought three times.  Matt Beleskey (6’0”, 204lbs, 2-0-0 with a win over Vladimir Sobotka, in the AHL with Syracuse), Ryan Carter (6’2”, 200lbs, 1-1-0 as a duck and 1-2-1 overall, traded to Carolina) and Corey Perry (6’3”, 206lbs, 0-0-2) have each fought twice as Ducks.  The rest of the fighters all have fight experience but have only one fight each as Ducks, and they are Bobby Ryan (6’2”, 208lbs, a non-fight Win over David Perron that yielded only one fighting major to Ryan), our old friend Brad Winchester (6’5”, 231lbs, one Draw as a Duck and 2-2-5 overall), Troy Bodie (6’4”, 214lbs, one Loss as a Duck and 1-5-5 overall, claimed by Carolina early in the season), Brendan Mikkelson (6’3”, 205lbs, Loss to Erik Johnson, claimed by Calgary early in the season), Ryan Getzlaf (6’4”, 220lbs, Loss) and Maxime Lapierre (6’2”, 207lbs, a Loss as a Duck to BJ Crombeen and 0-3-0 overall, traded by Montreal to Anaheim, then from Anaheim to Vancouver).  This team is QUITE violent.

You have the chance to see SEVERAL fights tonight, even with all the AHLers up for the Blues.  Parros, if he plays, will fight anyone that challenges him.  Brookbank and Chipchura are always good bets as well, but it’s hard to say whom with . . . although Janssen is a GREAT option for all of the above.  And I really would love to see Reaves fight again.

This is a chance to play spoiler to a whole bunch of West Coast opponents.  Why not start it at The Pond?

LET’S GO BLUES!!!!!

Information obtained via the incomparable Fried Chicken’s Hockey Fights

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Blues vs Avs Quick Hits

- Yes, the Blues are tired. There are 29 other teams that are on February 23rd. The bottom line is playoff caliber teams find ways to win these types of games. Second half of back to back set, at home, against a team lower in the standings. Just like how playoff teams find ways to win a home and home series. The gaffes in this two game set carry the same impact as the losses to Minnesota two weeks ago. Missed opportunity in the face of adversity.

- This game showed how will, heart and experience can trump skill. There is little doubt that the current version of the Blues is more skilled than the 2008-09 club. There is little doubt that group had more experience and mental fortitude than the post EJ trade crew. All opportunities to resurrect the Boston Miracle have failed. Last night was a chance to find that magic again. It just isn’t there this time around.

- The goal by Paul Stastny was masterful, but also caused by TJ Oshie, Patrik Berglund and Kevin Shattenkirk careless play with the puck in their own end. Trying to avoid contact to make a play rather than taking the hit to prevent a scoring chance.

- Ty Conklin just wasn’t very good either. Stopping just 23 of 27 shots against. Some have question marks about Ben Bishop taking over, I saw bring him on. It’s an equal roll of the dice. At least with Ben they can save some cash to spend to upgrade the five guys in front of him.

- Peter Budaj is the new Dwayne Roloson. End of story.

- Anyone else noticing a recurrence of a nasty trend? Blues being locked out of the middle of the offensive zone by five guys collapsing in the slot? Shots don’t get through and the little plays around the net can’t be made because there is no room.

- Barret Jackman looked out of it again. Starting to play similarly to his poor stretch at the end of last season before he was shut down due to an injury. Part 2?

Diarrhea of the Mouth

I’m glad Erik Johnson is gone. I can finally feel like giving an unfettered opinion of the former #1 pick isn’t an unfair thing to do.

I’ve been critical before, so what is different now? Well, when he started running his mouth about “making Armstrong pay”… I had a little “WTF” moment.

Where was this fire and passion in St. Louis? Most of his answers on camera (at least) we’re standard issue cliched athlete lingo. All of a sudden he has some real intensity brewing? To be honest, as someone built up and bulked up to be a physical monster on the back end, he never consistently showed that controlled raw emotion to earn such potential.

I am NOT a fan, in any stretch of the imagination, of spouting off what you can’t back up. Looking back at his two seasons since the knee injury, he hasn’t really had a reason to claim he was wronged in the trade.

He hit few, if any, standards or benchmarks that a first overall selection is expected to. Little consistency. Regression of his hockey IQ. Never really could take over a game. Failed to lead his team to any significant (positive) placements in the standings. He wasn’t even the top defensemen in the lineup most nights. Alex Pietrangelo took and succeeded in more pressure situations than Johnson did.

Defensemen slower to develop or not. Injury or not. He hasn’t shown enough growth over the course of his time in St. Louis to say he shouldn’t be the one moved. Not when he is falling from the perch he was supposed to take over and couldn’t.

One word comes to mind. Expendable. Armstrong has to give to get and he HAS to be the impartial auditor that doesn’t care about what “EJ was supposed to be”. His job is to get the Blues from re-builder to contender. Erik factored himself out of that equation.

I’m sure he doesn’t like it. Nor should he. Bottom line is that his performances to date haven’t warranted such diarrhea of the mouth. Let your play do the talking first. Then talk.

He is the darling of the NHL and Denver today. We’ll see if he can keep it up.

Before you can say “what about Chris Stewart’s comments”, I feel 100% the same way about him. Keep the zipper closed and play the game first. Although, his three goals since the deal do carry a little more weight.

Standings Watch

The Blues are in 13th place with 63 points. Just 4 points ahead of Colorado and now 3 points behind Columbus. They are 5 points behind 8th place LA and 7 points behind places 5th, 6th and 7th.

Scoreboard watching: LA is at Anaheim, Edmonton takes on Colorado, Phoenix is in Tampa, and San Jose is playing in Pittsburgh.

Trade Scutlebutt

- Andy McDonald’s name has come up (via Eklund) in association to the Washington Capitals. They are still likely looking for a second line center. Would have to think the Blues want equal value. Another hockey trade. Without Eric Brewer a top pairing left handed defenseman to play a shutdown role next to Petro would (should) be high on the list. Jeff Schultz anyone?

- Say mention of Brad Boyes to Pittsburgh still. Adding James Neal nixed the possibility of Boyes heading to the Pens.

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As always, you are invited to follow @618_STLBlues and @BlueNoteZone on Twitter and on the BlueNoteZone Facebook Fan Page for in game updates and Blues news.

“FOLLOW-THROUGH!” Image via Zimbio

In a game that was emotional for the Blues as they traded away their Captain and, for many fans, arguably their most “on-ice controversial” player in Eric “Captain Roboto” Brewer (as in, there’s controversy between Blues fans as to what he’s doing on the ice) before the game, the Blues came out strong and won 3-0 behind some stellar defense and a shutout performance from Ty Conklin.  While there should have probably been some fisticuffs by ANYONE against Patrick Kaleta after his dirty shot that knocked Carlo Colaiacovo out of the contest, there were none to be had (but it came close, at least).  The Blues stay at 55 fighting majors on the season, still good for third in the NHL by themselves, and obviously they remain at a fight record of 22-16-17.  And we won’t even discuss what happened AFTER the game.  Something about a former number one draft pick being traded away.  Yeah, I know.

Loyal readers of the Throwdown Lowdown report will note that I have mentioned the Anaheim Ducks on many occasions in this space.  There’s good reason for it – they are quite simply one of the best fighting teams in the National Hockey League.  We have covered the Ducks twice this season (October 11th and January 12th), and combined in those two contests, the Blues and Ducks have fought seven times.  What’s interesting to note as I tracked the fights is that several of the contestants of these fights do not play for their respective teams anymore . . . but we will get to that in due time.  Meanwhile, let’s note that the Ducks have collected 53 fighting majors this season, good for fourth in the NHL by themselves and right behind our beloved St. Louis Blues.  Their fight record, for a team that fights as much as they do, is somewhat middling at 17-13-23.

The leading fighter for the Ducks, and the leading individual fighter in the NHL, is George Parros (6’5”, 222lbs, 9-3-9 including a win over Barret Jackman) with 21 fights on the season.  The rest of the team’s fight distribution is relatively even, starting with Sheldon Brookbank (6’1”, 200lbs, 2-1-2), Aaron Voros (6’4”, 215lbs, 2-2-1 including a destruction of now former Blue Brewer, traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs earlier this week) and Kyle Chipchura (6’2”, 206lbs, 0-1-4 including a loss to Ryan Reaves) with five fights each.  Luca Sbisa (6’2”, 204lbs, 0-0-3 including a draw with Brewer) and Andy Sutton (6’6”, 245lbs, 0-1-2, and I am an expert) each have fought three times.  Matt Beleskey (6’0”, 204lbs, 2-0-0 including a win over Vladimir “Sobe Sobe” Sobotka), Ryan Carter (6’2”, 200lbs, 1-1-0 as a Duck, traded to Carolina and 0-1-1 afterward – 1-2-1 overall) and Corey Perry (6’3”, 206lbs, 0-0-2) each with two fights.  One fight each as Anaheim Ducks this season would include Bobby Ryan (6’2”,208lbs, win . . . sorta . . . over a pre-concussion David Perron that didn’t want to fight and was not assessed a fighting major), Troy Bodie (6’4”, 214lbs, Loss, 1-3-4 as a Hurricane and 1-4-4 overall), Brendan Mikkelson (6’3”, 205lbs, Loss . . . to the now-traded Erik Johnson, Mikkelson was traded to Calgary a while back), Maxime Lapierre (6’2”, 207lbs, Loss . . . to BJ Crombeen, also 0-2-0 with Montreal) and Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf (6’4”, 220lbs, Loss).

So, with all the trading that happened last night and this morning, it’s really not hard to decipher what may happen tonight. There’s going to be a bunch of fights tonight, I do believe.  So I won’t even try to pick one.

Back home after a successful one-game road trip?  Plus a set of trades?  There’s only one thing to do.

LET’S GO BLUES!!!!!

Information obtained via the incomparable Fried Chicken’s Hockey Fights

Late last night the St. Louis Blues dealt Dedenseman Erik Johnson, Forward Jay McClement and their 1st round pick in the 2011 draft to the Colorado Avalanche. In return they recieve Forward Chris Stewart, Defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk and the Avs 2nd round pick in the 2011 draft.

More details coming soon.