I’ll be starting in the eastern conference with the 1st seed vs the 8th seed My winner will be bolded, the loser in italics.

New York Rangers (1) – Ottawa Senators (8)

The first place New York Rangers are taking on the Ottawa Senators, and as much as my heart wants to say Ottawa upsetting the Rangers, I just don’t see it happening. Offensively, defensively, and in net, the Rangers just outmatch the Senators in every way. I have the Rangers winning this in six games.

Boston Bruins (2) vs Washington Capitals (7)

If you asked me this with a healthy Vokoun/Neuvirth, I’d actually pick the Capitals to upset here, but I don’t think the 22 year old goaltender Brayden Holtby  can back this team to the second round. If Dany Sabourin gets in net, then watch out. It wont be pretty. Bruins in five games for me.

Florida Panthers (3) vs New Jersey Devils (6)

Jose Theodore has to be a factor if the Panthers want to get out of the first round.

The Florida Panthers are a very tricky team to sort out. Depth is not a problem for them, whatsoever, yet their goaltending is up in the air, and their all around team is just really hard to pick apart. They face the New Jersey Devils, who offensively, take the cake, no question. But the Panthers defense has the edge over the Devils.

If we were talking five years ago, I’d be taking Brodeur over almost any goaltender in the league, but he’s past his prime, and has been less than stellar in the post season. Jose Theodore also has a history of being dominant in round one (while collapsing in round two), but all the same. I think Broduer might not have it and Hedberg isn’t going to be able to carry the team if Marty fails them. I have the Panthers in six games.

Pittsburgh Penguins (4) vs Philadelphia Flyers (5)

My  favorite match up of the first round has to be between the Pens and the Flyers. In state rivals who just don’t like each other. Both high offensive clubs with solid defenses and very solid goaltending.

I have this series going seven game. It’ll be an all out war, my question is, who wants it more? Will the Crosby led Penguins trump a Kimmo Timonen lead defense? Can Giroux out battle Letang? Can Bryzgalov step up his game and match up against Marc-Andre Fleury? Truth be told, I have no idea, but I’m saying Penguins in seven games. Just a gut feeling.

Now we are off to the western  conference where the match ups are a little interesting in my opinion. That might be because four central division clubs have made the post season and the match up makes for very hard fought games.

Vancouver Canucks (1) vs Los Angeles Kings (8)

Can Quick lift the Kings over the Canucks? I think he can.

My only upset in the first round, comes from the eighth seeded L.A. Kings, taking on the President Trophy winning Vancouver Canucks.

Why? I love the match up. The deep yet over the top offensively built Kings take on a steady defensive club with a very good offensive game, missing, arguably, their top player.

In my opinion, without Daniel Sedin, the high flying Canucks aren’t so high flying and come down to be a beatable team. Their goaltending has shown it’s beatable in the post season, their defensive is solid but a constant forechecking team can rattle their cages. Missing Sedin drains a lot of offense from their club.

The Kings have many weapons offensively, and were the second best defensive club in the NHL this year. Jonathan Quick could very well end up as a Hart finalist this year as well. I think that will be to much for the Canucks to handle. I have the Kings upsetting here, winning this in six games.

St. Louis Blues (2) vs San Jose Sharks (7)

Much like the Kings, the Blues have depth offensively, were the top defensive team in the NHL and have two Jennings winning goaltenders with Halak and Elliott.

The Sharks, while having more star power, just wont have enough grit and drive to take on this Blues club. The Blues over power the Sharks in five games.

Phoenix Coyotes (3) vs Chicago Blackhawks (6)

They say defense wins championships, and in my first to west previews, this holds true, and it doesn’t change here. Any Dave Tippet lead club will be sound defensively and have superb goaltending, which Mike Smith has been all year, superb. Add in their offensive depth with Ray ‘The Wizard’ Whitney, and Radim Vrbata’s 35 goal season, they will have what it takes to take down a Hawk team missing their leader, Jonathan Toews. I have the Coyotes taking a bite out of the Hawks in six games.

Nashville Predators (4) vs Detroit Red Wings (5)

I think I’ve mentioned defense already here, and again, the defensive Predators take down a older Wings team.

Defensively, I have the Coyotes over the Wings. In net, the same holds true with Pekka Rinne vs Jimmy Howard. Offensively, I’d give that edge to the Red Wings, but I just don’t seeing it being enough. Alex Radulov will be a key player to watch in this series, if he hustles, back checks hard, and can produce offensively, I think he’ll be a key component in the Predators winning. I have Nashville winning in seven games.

There are my predictions everyone, let me hear yours!

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

Clayton Stoner says “I WILL FIGHT EVERY DAMN ONE OF YOU!” Image via rburtzel/Flickr

To continue my remembrance of when the St. Louis Blues sucked at hockey back in the middle to late ‘00’s, back then a 3-2 overtime loss to the Vancouver Canucks would not have been viewed as a disappointment. Now? It is a disappointment, which is a good sign of where this club is headed going forward. As for fights . . . there were two. First, BJ Crombeen and Dale Weise worked a draw (video here, and might I add that Beej made the RIGHT decision to let up on Weise after he slipped . . . I wish more fighters would do that). Then, Roman Polak went into “Berserk Mode” and wailed fists all over Maxim Lapierre for a victory (video here). Despite the two fights, the Blues stay at 18th place in the National Hockey League, albeit by themselves, with 17 fighting majors on the season. The fight record, with the draw and the win, now goes up to 7-2-8.

So hey, now we get a home game with another Western Conference playoff candidate in the Minnesota Wild. We have covered these folks twice, both for road contests (November 5th and November 19th). While this team, like the Blues, is not in the upper echelon of fighting teams, they are not afraid to drop the gloves and go at it. This is not to say that it will happen tonight, but there is a bit of a recent history between the two clubs. The Wild are tied for 13th in the NHL with the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers and Winnipeg Jets, who each have collected 18 fighting majors on the season. Their fight record stands at a stout 9-5-4.

The Wild are led in fights, unsurprisingly, by Brad Staubitz (6’1”, 215lbs, 4-2-2) with eight of the team’s 18 fights. Following him are young Twitter fiend Matt Kassian (6’4”, 232lbs, 2-0-1, currently with Houston in the AHL, follow him here) and big defenseman Clayton Stoner (6’3”, 225lbs, 2-1-0), each with three fights. The rest of the Wild players on this list have fought once each, and they are Justin Falk (6’5”, 215lbs, Win), Darroll Powe (Draw with Scott Nichol), Nick Johnson (6’1”, 183lbs, Loss) and Warren Peters (6’0”, 195lbs, Loss).

You never know . . . Nichol and Powe could go at it again with one another. But what I really want to see is a fight between Stoner and Ryan Reaves. That would be perfect . . . two heavyweights, going fist-for-fist. I would love it.

It’s time to get the bus back on the road and win some more hockey games, starting tonight.

LET’S GO BLUES!!!!!

Information obtained via the incomparable Fried Chicken’s Hockey Fights

How can you not love a face like this? Image via BridgetDS/Flickr

3-2 wins by the St. Louis Blues over the Detroit Red Wings make me happier than I should be. Wait, what am I talking about? It’s so awesome, actually. The only positive thing that I didn’t see out of that game was an actual fight, despite Jimmy Howard’s best attempt to try to start one with the wrong person (Hey, Jimmy . . . when your own defender steers an opponent toward you, almost killing you, the dumbass is the guy who steered the opponent, NOT the opponent . . . therefore, feel  perfectly free to start punching Johan Franzen in the face, dawg. Too bad it’ll never happen.). The Blues remain stuck at 11 fighting majors tallied on the season, good for a tie for 11th in the National Hockey League with the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild and Toronto Maple Leafs, and they remain at a 5-1-5 record in those fights.

We’ve covered the Anaheim Ducks once in these spaces (October 16th,to be exact). Their history of violence on the ice is very well-known throughout the league, and it does not go unwarranted. This team employs one of my favorite fighters in the league, who we will discuss later, but if you need hints . . . he is pictured above, he is a handsome human being, he has an Ivy League education AND he is strong as an ox. What a combo, ladies! Anyway, the Ducks’ fight record from a year ago is noted in the previous issue, but this year the team is tied for seventh in the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres in that category with 15 fighting majors collected on the season. Coming into this game, they carry a very respectable fight record of 5-3-7.

One addition to Ducks players that fought last year from the previous addition is recent call-up and former Oiler Jean-Francois Jacques (6’3”, 231lbs, 3-1-1) with five fighting majors collected. The fight breakdown for the Ducks this year has Sheldon Brookbank (6’1”, 202lbs, 1-0-3) leading the way with four fights and aforementioned handsome and affluent Ivy League fighter George Parros (6’5”, 228lbs, 2-1-0) and Matt Beleskey (6’0”, 204lbs, 1-0-2) with three fights each. The rest are solo fighters: Jacques (Win), Luca Sbisa (6’2”, 207lbs, Draw), Ryan Getzlaf (6’4”, 221lbs, Draw), Andrew Cogliano (5’10”, 188lbs, Loss) and Corey Perry (6’3”, 212lbs, Loss).

The likelihood of a fight in this game rests mostly with whether or not the two enforcers suit up. I, of course, am talking about the aforementioned Parros and Ryan Reaves. Sure, there are possibilities of secondary fights (Last year, Sbisa went at it with Matt D’Agostini once), but look for a marquee matchup and not much more in this contest.

Anyone want to pay ME $250 million for 10 years to write about hockey fights? I’m available!

LET’S GO BLUES!!!!!

Information obtained via the incomparable Fried Chicken’s Hockey Fights

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

“No golf carts? Sweet, bro.” Image via Mafue/Flickr

They are the St. Louis Blues, and lately all they can do is win hockey games, even if it’s just brutal to watch. Another ugly-yet-effective game led to a 2-1 win to spoil Dale Hunter’s  Washington Capitals coaching debut. And there WAS a fight in the contest! Scott Nichol got into it with noted scrapper Matt Hendricks. I thought a slight edge could be given to Hendricks, but the bout was adjudged a draw (you be the judge – video here). The fight brought the Blues to a total of 11 fighting majors on the season, currently good for a tie for ninth in the National Hockey League with the Calgary Flames, Dallas Stars and Pittsburgh Penguins. The team’s fight record now stands at 5-1-5 on the season.

The last stop on this weird road trip takes the Blues to Denver to face the Colorado Avalanche. A hot start had Avs fans thinking the days of glory could be returning, but a quick crash back to reality now leads folks to wonder whether or not their head coach will keep his job. Familiar story, eh? Well, except for the whole “hot start” thing. Anyway, the Avs are not the most violent team on the planet, which is pretty evident if you take a look at their roster. That said, the team is tied for 13th with the Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, New York Islanders and San Jose Sharks with 10 fighting majors apiece. The team’s fight record is relatively atrocious at 1-5-4. Last year, the Avs were 11-14-18 in 43 fights, good for 16th in the league.

Of Avs players that have fought this season, noted brawler Cody McLeod (6’2”, 210lbs, 1-2-1) leads the way with four fights. Ryan Wilson (6’1”, 207lbs, 0-0-2) and David Jones (6’2”, 210lbs, 0-2-0) have each fought twice, and newly-minted journeyman Shane O’Brien (6’3”, 230lbs, Draw) and Ryan O’Byrne (6’5”, 234lbs, Loss) each have fought once. Among players currently on the Avs roster, last season’s fighters are led by McLeod (5-2-7) with 14 bouts. Wilson (3-1-2) followed him with six fights. O’Brien (1-4-0) follows with five fights. Brandon Yip (6’1”, 195lbs, 1-0-1) and former Blue Erik Johnson (6’4”, 232lbs, 1-1-0) each checked in with two fights. Solo fighters include former Wild Chuck Kobasew (6’0”, 192lbs, Draw), Daniel Winnik (6’2”, 210lbs, Draw), Kevin Porter (6’0”, 190lbs, Draw), O’Byrne (Loss), young star Matt Duchene (5’11”, 200lbs, Loss) and Matt Hunwick (5’11”, 190lbs, Loss).

Last year, toward the end of the season, McLeod and Ryan Reaves went after each other. I would say this is the best bet for a fight this evening, honestly. Who knows, though? Johnson could figure out someone he’d like to pick a fight against. A lot of possibilities abound in this matchup.

I like this whole “Blues Winning Games” thing. I will not at all be upset with it continuing.

LET’S GO BLUES!!!!!

Information obtained via the incomparable Fried Chicken’s Hockey Fights

What a beautiful ‘stache from Cal Clutterbuck. Image via Dinur/Flickr

You give a solid effort, you hold your opponent somewhere around 20 shots, and in the National Hockey League, generally you will win even if the officiating may appear to be somewhat suspect. The St. Louis Blues proved that theory correct on Thursday, knocking off a Florida Panthers team that had been playing very well on the road this season, by a score of 4-1. The Note battled, played hard, skated, hustled, clamped down defensively (save for one major slip-up) and got a solid victory. Unfortunately, despite a few minor skirmishes, yet again there were no fighting majors recorded in the game. Verily, the Blues hang tight at six fighting majors on the season, now good for a massive tie for 20th in the NHL in that category, and yes, the team’s fight record remains at a very robust 3-0-3.

We covered the Minnesota Wild once in this space already this season (November 5th, to be exact, which happened to be Davis Payne’s last game as Blues head coach). Unlike the Blues, the Wild have been moving up in the fight standings since that contest, now having participated in a full nine fights on the season, which is good for a tie for eighth in the NHL in the category. Their fight record currently stands at 3-3-3. As noted in the November 5th edition, the Wild finished in a tie for 20th with the Montreal Canadiens with 32 fights last season, holding a solid 13-11-8 record.

Among Wild players that have fought this year, enforcer Brad Staubitz (6‘1“, 215lbs, 2-0-1) is the only one with multiple fighting majors, with three. The rest include Clayton Stoner (6‘3“, 225lbs, Win), Justin Falk (6’5”, 215lbs, Win), the bloodthirsty Matt Kassian (6‘4“, 232lbs, Draw, now with the AHL’s Houston Aeros), Darroll Powe (5’11”, 212lbs, Draw with Scott Nichol), Nick Johnson (6’1”, 183lbs, Loss) and Warren Peters (6’0”, 195lbs, Loss). Current Wild players who fought last year include Staubitz (7-6-2) with 15 of the Wild’s 32 fights last season. Six of the fights were contested by Stoner (3-2-1), and Kyle Brodziak (6’2”, 209lbs, 0-1-1) fought twice. Folks who fought once each include Powe (Win), former Shark Devin Setoguchi (6’0”, 200lbs, Draw) and Johnson (Loss).

The Blues have played five games since the big coaching change, and in that time, they have fought only once. That said, it’s possible a shift back to a Western Conference opponent may trigger another bout of fisticuffs. Maybe Powe and Nichol have unfinished business? Perhaps Ryan Reaves wants to do battle with Staubitz? Maybe Cal Clutterbuck breaks a nearly two-year streak of not fighting anyone, especially now that he has one awesome mustache? Anything can happen.

Can Ken Hitchcock take this team on the road and win hockey games? We’ll see what happens. I think he can.

LET’S GO BLUES!!!!!

Information obtained via the incomparable Fried Chicken’s Hockey Fights

(9-5-3)

vs

St. Louis Blues

(9-7-1)

at

Scott Trade Center

Game Time 7:00pm cst

TV- FSMW-HD

Radio- KMOX

Blues Team Recap- The St. Louis Blues come into tonight riding the big boy bike. Having gone 3-0-1 in their last four games, The Blues snatched up 7 of 8 possible points during the last four games. With 19 points the blues sit in a 4 way tie for 8th place in the western conference heading into tonight’s match up with the Florida Panthers.

The energy and level of play the Blues have found has taken them up a few notches. Head coach Ken Hitchcock has gotten this team to “buy in” to his fast defensive and quick transition game that utilizes the full 200 ft ice surface. It has been very refreshing to watch this team finish their checks, make better passes, and pressure the net with force.

The penalty kill has been much better of late. Going 6/6 against a Detroit team known for its ability to make opponents look silly with the man advantage.

Tonight the Blues face off against the Panthers and fans should look forward to another strong outing with Hitch driving the boat.

Look for Evgeny Grachev to see more PP time tonight as well as moving up in the line up to pair up with Bergie on the second line.

Blues Keys To The Game

Take Hitchcock’s system and run with it. The Blues have been a transformed team over the last four games and the level of play is obviously elevated. Keep improving on the penalty kill and keep up the good work of scoring on the power play. Controlling the flow of the game, finishing checks and being aggressive on the puck are important key to the Blues success. Every night it is important for this to be a vital portion of their game plan.

The Blues will not beat you with an over abundance of dangle stick handling ability but they will smash your mouth and fight for dirty goals in front of the net each night.

Tonight it will be up to the Note to put up another good defensive outing along with pressuring Florida with a lot of offensive zone time. If your opposition is playing in their end, they can’t score goals.

Florida Panthers Team Recap- The Panthers have been on fire lately winning 3 of four and earning at least one point in their last 7 games. The Panthers blanked a very good Dallas Stars team in a 6-0 beat down on Tuesday night. In the off-season the Panthers sat looking up at the cap floor with the league wondering how in gods name they would be able to spend enough to get there.

With an off-season buy all, the Panthers have not only made the cap floor but have added enough pieces to win some games this season so far. At 7-3-0 on the road it will be interesting to see how they match up against a very physical Blues.

If Florida comes in thinking they can get away with not much in the way of physical play they may be in for a rude awakening.

Panthers Keys To The Game-

Don’t get to cute with the puck. The Blues have done a very good job at keeping shots away from the net over the last four games. The Panthers need to find ways to get the puck to the net and get traffic in front of the netminder.

The Panthers will need to match the Blues level of physicality if they want to have any chance at coming away from Scottrade Center with two points. A full 60 minute 100% effort is going to be needed or the Panthers may leave the Lou licking their wounds and grumbling under their breath.

Blues Notes- Blues forward Chris Stewart was suspended by the NHL for 3 games following a hearing in response to Stewart’s check from behind on Detroit’s Niklas Kronwall. Kronwall left the game but later returned. Stewart received a 5 minute major penalty along with a 10 minute game misconduct.

NHL Sheriff of Discipline Brendan Shanahan dealt out a three game suspension after reviewing the play and finding Stewart had time to reduce the hit or not make the play at all. Stewart’s absence allows Evgeny Grachev a chance to move up in the line up and prove he deserves ice time.

Kent Huskins had successful surgery on his ankle on Wednesday and is expected to be out 6-8 weeks after it was confirmed he did in fact have a fracture. With Huskins out look for Ian Cole to get in to a few games or remain as the teams number 7 defenseman.

David Perron continues to skate in full practices but has not been cleared for contact yet. David is looking better and better with each practice. Look for No. 57 to be cleared for contact at some point in the coming weeks.

Andy McDonald reamins out with a concussion and is still suffering from post concussion symptoms. No time table has been set for Andy’s return. Blues forward

BJ Crombeen remains side lined with a fractured shoulder blade and is expected to not return to the team until late December.

Tonight is Blues Student Night as well as Military Appreciation Night. If you are a student or a member of the military with a valid student or military ID head over to the ticket office for discounted tickets to tonights game and cheer on your Blues to another victory!

Blues fans should look forward to another fast paced physical game from the Blue Note tonight. Put on your Blues gear and get ready to cheer on our boys to their next victory! Let’s Go Blues!

Matt Bradley says “NOT IN THE FACE, MCQUAID!” Image via slidingsideways/Flickr

The train keeps on rollin’. One of the best things any St. Louis Blues coach can do is beat both the Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings, and with the 2-1 victory over the Wings on Tuesday, Ken Hitchcock has done both within a week. HITCHCOCK FOR MAYOR! (Okay, maybe not.) Despite the nasty hit by Chris Stewart on Niklas Kronwall (and I think the three-game suspension is mighty fair, actually), there were no fighting majors issued to either team in the contest, leaving the Blues at six fights on the season, stuck in a massive tie for 19th in the National Hockey League in that category. The team’s fight record remains 3-0-3. By the way, did anyone see the irony in seeing Kronwall be on the RECEIVING end of an illegal hit for once? I wish I could have seen it live, but PEOPLE NEED TO OBSERVE THE SIGN THAT SAYS TO WAIT FOR A DAMN WHISTLE BEFORE RETURNING TO YOUR SEAT! God that is aggravating.

The Florida Panthers have a brief history, and not much of a lineage of brawlers. If it weren’t for one certain defenseman on today’s report, former Blues forward and current Blues assistant coach Scott Mellanby would be in consideration for the title of “Greatest Panther Ever”. Boy, when this team was good, they were interesting to watch, what with “Rat Tricks” and the like. But now, they have an interesting mix of seasoned veterans and young up-and-coming talent. Some of them even know how to fight, which makes this reporter VERY happy. The Panthers are currently in a tie for 10th in the NHL with eight fighting majors collected on the season, earning a 2-4-2 record. This is an improvement from last season, when the Panthers were 26th in the NHL with just 24 total fighting majors on the season, compiling a 5-8-11 record.

Panthers who have fought thus far this season include former Capital Matt Bradley (6’3”, 200lbs, 1-2-1) with four fights on the season, youngster Erik Gudbranson (6’4”, 195lbs, 1-1-0) with two fights and veteran journeyman Scottie Upshall (6’0”, 200lbs, Draw, on IR with a hip injury) and former Blackhawks prospect Jack Skille (6’1”, 219lbs, Loss) each with one. Among current Panthers who fought last year, Bradley (2-4-2) leads the pack with ten fighting majors. Everyone else on this list fought once each, and they are Shawn Matthias (6’3”, 218lbs, Win), Skille (Draw), veteran journeyman Marco Sturm (6’0”, 194lbs, Draw), arguably the “Greatest Panther Of All Time” Ed Jovanovski (6’3”, 217lbs, Draw) and former Blackhawk and Maple Leaf Kris Versteeg (5’11”, 183lbs, Loss).

Saying there will be a fight in this contest would be a bit presumptuous, but I suppose it’s possible. Ryan Reaves was given the keys to the press box Tuesday, but the way he had been playing, it’s hard to imagine he’ll stay there. The best possible fight would be between him and Bradley, as both like to fight and match up size-wise. Otherwise, the best opportunity for a fight might come if Scott Nichol gets under the skin of some unsuspecting Panther, probably a youngster.

Keep the ball rolling, keep winning, keep fighting. Let’s go, team.

LET’S GO BLUES!!!!!

Information obtained via the incomparable Fried Chicken’s Hockey Fights

Colton Orr battles, and chuckles at, our old friend DJ King. Image via clydeorama/Flickr

So the Ken Hitchcock Era begins. And it began with a flourish, as the St. Louis Blues defeated their old rivals, the Chicago Blackhawks, 3-0. A power play goal was scored, too! IT’S ANOTHER FESTIVUS MIRACLE! And as anticipated, there was a fight in this contest, though the contestants seemed to be somewhat of an odd couple. Daniel Carcillo – upset at seeing Ryan Reaves take down teammate Patrick Kane – went after Reaves. This would turn out not to be a wise move by Carcillo, as he pretty much got his ass kicked by “Mike Singletary On Skates”, in the judgment of both my semi-trained eye and a near-unanimous vote over at Fried Chicken’s place (video evidence is here). The Blues now have collected six fighting majors on the season and are moving up the charts, now placing in a tie for 15th in the National Hockey league with the Dallas Stars, Nashville Predators, New Jersey Devils and San Jose Sharks in that category. The fight record is now a sturdy 3-0-3.

Also, for the record . . . Pennsylvania State University – either in reality or concept, by nickname or otherwise – is dead to me, from this moment forward.

Game number two of the Ken Hitchcock Era features an Eastern Conference opponent that is familiar with all of us old Blues fans – former Norris Division rival, the Toronto Maple Leafs. Since taking over the General Manager reins in 2008, Brian Burke has molded this Leafs team into a likeness that would make his 2007 Stanley Cup Champion Anaheim Ducks proud – with a solid mixture of skilled veterans, young talent and violent wrecking-ball forces. However, that has not translated to success in even reaching the playoffs at this moment. Assuredly, though, that moment is coming soon. After a hot start, the Leafs are peeling back just a bit. The loss of young hot-shot goaltender, James Reimer, is not helping matters for the Blue and White. The Leafs come into this contest having received seven fighting majors on the 2011-2012 season, good for a tie for 10th in the NHL with the Chicago Blackhawks, Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild and Winnipeg Jets in that category. Their record in these fights is an okay 3-2-2. However, all those victories come from one man. Last year, the Leafs were 10th in the NHL by themselves with 50 fighting majors, collecting a rather average record of 14-15-21.

Maple Leafs players that have fought this year include Mike Brown (5’11”, 205lbs, 3-0-1) with four fights, Luke Schenn (6’2”, 229lbs, 0-2-0) with two fights and designated team enforcer Colton Orr (6’3”, 230lbs, Draw) with one fight. Current Leafs who fought last year include Orr (6-5-2) with 13 fights, Brown (2-1-6) with nine, Jay Rosehill (6’3”, 215lbs, 1-2-4) and Mike Komisarek (6’4”, 243lbs, 1-4-2) each with seven, Dion Phaneuf (6’3”, 214lbs , 3-0-1) with four and Schenn (1-0-1) and former Devil and Capital Dave Steckel (6’6”, 215lbs, 0-1-1) with two fights each. Solo fighters included Clarke MacArthur (Win), Joffrey Lupul (Draw), Colby Armstrong (6’2”, 195lbs, Loss, on IR with a sprained ankle) and former Avalanche players John-Michael Liles (5’10”, 185lbs, Loss) and Philippe Dupuis (6’0”, 196lbs, Loss).

Honestly, unless Orr suits up for a third game of the season (and the likelihood is that he will not), there will probably not be a fight in this game. I would love to see something silly, like if David Backes fought against Brown or something like that. But I just don’t see anything happening in this contest involving the fists. However, I’ve been wrong before.

Two home wins in a row would be awesome. Go get it, boys.

LET’S GO BLUES!!!!!

Information obtained via the incomparable Fried Chicken’s Hockey Fights