This year, Saint John has had to take on the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, Baie-Comeau Drakkar, Chicoutimi Sagueneens, and most recently, the Rimouski Oceanic to get back into the Memorial Cup finals as the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s representative.

Saint John is joined by the Ontario Hockey League’s champions, the London Knights, the Western Hockey League’s champions, the Edmonton Oil Kings, and the host team this year, the Shawinigan Cataractes as the four teams vying for the Memorial Cup.

Yannick Veilleux, forward for the Cataractes, Ryan Tesink and Stephen MacAulay both forwards for the Saint John’s club, are the three Blues prospects who are still pressing hard for this year’s championship.

I had the privilege to chat a big with Sea Dog’s forward, Stephen MacAulay to get an inside look at what these players go through during their run for the Memorial Cup.

BlueNote Zone – You won the Memorial Cup last year with Saint John, and your club is charging back as the “favorite” to win it again this year, does being the favorite add to the pressure’s of winning, or do you try not to focus on it?

Stephen MacAualay - I think it may add a bit of pressure, but it’s not necessarily a bad thing in our eyes. The experience we gained from last year’s championship run is so valuable this time around and I think it will help us at this year’s Memorial Cup.

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BNZ – Your team was bolstered this year with the addition of Charlie Coyle, who left Boston University to join the Sea Dogs earlier this year. What has the addition of Charlie done for your team down the stretch of the regular season and into the playoffs?

SM – Hes been a heck of a player for us. He is big, strong, fast, good hands and has an NHL shot. He was the playoff MVP this year and really stepped up at times we needed him the most. He plays in all situations for our team and one of the best prospects around so we’re glad he decided to come to Saint John for the second half of the year.

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BNZ – Both yourself and teammate Ryan Tesink were both drafted by the St. Louis Blues. Both of you were six round picks, you being drafted in 2010, him in 2011. Has it helped knowing that you’re both in the same organizations with both Saint John and St. Louis?

SM – It’s definitely helped with us being together. We play on the same line here in Saint John for the most part and we play well together. We both play similar styles of game and hopefully we can be playing together again someday at the pro level.

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BNZ – There seems to be something about playing in the post season that you love because your game always seems to improve, and your point totals always seem to jump in the playoffs. Do you believe your style of play is better fitted for the playoffs or does you believe you have another level of your game that you can reach during the playoffs?

SM – I believe I have another level to my game when we reach the playoffs. A lot of playoff games are tight checking and it isn’t easy to make things click all the time. I try to play a hard, simple game in the playoffs and it has really been paying off with big goals and games over the last few playoff runs we’ve had. I enjoy the higher intensity of playoff hockey.

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BNZ – Over your playing career thus far in juniors, you’ve proved to be a reliable two way player who can add bit of offense when needed, do you think you can translate your game to the NHL level?

SM – I believe if I were to make it to the NHL I would play a similar role as I do in junior. I enjoy killing penalties and being hard to play against so I think my game could translate well at the next level.

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BNZ – Almost every player and every fan can rattle off a list of players who have had an impact on their love of the game. Who were the players you admired growing up and watching hockey?

SM – I really admired Joe Sakic when I was growing up. His leadership, talent and the respect that other players had for him are the things I really admired about him.

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BNZ – Last year was a great year for Saint John’s Gatineau to win the QJMHL President’s Cup and then going on and beating Missisauga to win the Memorial Cup, what as it like as a player to lift the Memorial Cup, knowing that you had won Junior hockey’s most prized trophy?

SM – It’s truly an incredible feeling that is hard to put into words. When you hoist that trophy over your head, you feel like it doesn’t weigh a pound because you’ve worked so hard to achieve your goal. Hopefully in a couple weeks I can say the same thing with another Memorial Cup win.

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BNZ – Mathieu Corbeil-Theriault has been tremendous for the Sea Dogs, setting records for most wins and shutouts in team history, yet Nathan Beaulieu has set the team record for points by a defensemen. All the while, team captain Jonathan Huberdeau has been nothing short of phenomenal all year. If you had to pick your teams MVP, who would it be?

SM – We have so many talented players here in Saint John so it is hard to pick one MVP for the year. Huberdeau missed a couple months of the year with a foot injury and while he was at the World Juniors so he didn’t put up as many points as he could have. I would give the MVP to our goaltender Mathieu Corbeil and our overage forward Danick Gauthier. He is a guy that was very underrated in previous years. He played a bigger role with guys being injured and away at World Juniors. He set a team record for goals in a season with 47, which is incredible.

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BNZ – With you likely turning pro next season and jumping into the American Hockey League, what is the best memory you have of playing for the Saint John Sea Dogs?

SM – I would say winning the President’s Cup twice and winning the Memorial Cup last year would be my best memories. Like I said, hopefully I can add this year’s Memorial Cup to that list as well. My entire time here in Saint John has been amazing and I’ve made friends that will last a lifetime.

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Stephen MacAulay know’s what it takes to win, he’s done it all throughout his junior career and he’s on his way to another potential championship as well.

It’s very likely MacAulay makes the jump from juniors to the the pro level this summer. Stephen will likely getting a bottom six role in Peoria next season, similar to the role Anthony Nigro has played for the Rivermen the last two seasons. A third/fourth line role with penalty killing role for with the club.

Now, however, we’ll be sitting back and watching MacAulay, Tesink, and Veilleux fight it out to be the last ones standing and have the chance to lift the Memorial Cup high over their heads as champions of the CHL and of all three junior leagues.

But now the question is this . . . if you’re a Blues fan, who do you root for the rest of the way? Do you root for ANYONE?! That’s a good question with many factors leading to the answer.

You could go the route of “bitter fan who is against the team that just knocked you out” and hope the Los Angeles Kings lose in the next round. This means you’ll probably be rooting for the Phoenix Coyotes in the next round and probably the Stanley Cup Finals. You could go the route of “Gosh, I hope the team that knocked my boys out wins the whole thing because that shows we got beaten by a strong team”, and that would put you squarely in the Kings’ corner. Both of these are fine.

You could root for any of the four teams left in the Eastern Conference. That’s fine too (and for my money, that team is probably going to be the New Jersey Devils . . . but I’m probably going to end up being wrong about that).

For my money, I will be rooting for whoever comes out of the Eastern Conference, though in this exercise, there IS no wrong answer. Hell, our boys are gone, so what does it matter anyway?

So who are you rooting for the rest of the way? Or are you rooting for anyone? Leave it in the comments.

Videographic evidence!:

“SHHHHHHH! F***IN’ SHHHHHHHH!” Y’know what? That’s worth a one-year RFA deal right there, Stew. Thanks for that. Rest up this offseason and get ready for the season of your life . . . because the team needs it.

In the next couple weeks, a run-down of every fight the Blues were involved in this regular season and postseason will be forthcoming. But for now . . . I am burnt the hell out.

Great season. Unfortunate ending.

Not just Blues fans are happy there will be a new owner.

After 2 long yeas waiting and endlessly hoping for someone to come along, the St. Louis Blues finally seem to have an owner.

St. Louis businessman Tom Stillman CEO of Summit Distributing along with a host of other local investors will hold a press conference this week, most likely Wednesday, to announce the completion of the sale projected around 130 million dollars.

Stillman has been trying to buy the Blues since putting in a low bid offer not long after the team went up for sale of around $110 million dollars. That bid was subsequently rejected. Stillman once again showed interest in purchasing the team near the beginning of the 2011-2012 season but with several potential buyers in the mix got kicked to the back burner.

When Chicago businessman Matthew Hulsizer‘s purchase agreement fell through around the 1st of January 2012 Stillman negotiated and signed a purchase agreement to attempt and work out a deal and appease the NHL along the way with the details of the sale.

For months now Blues fans have wondered if this deal would ever become reality and it looks as though we will finally have our guy.

It is unclear what kind of real money Stillman will have on hand to pump into the pay roll but one would have to think he will give Doug Armstrong the green light to make the deals that can and will push this team over the top. With 109 points and a first place finish in the Central Division this season the Blues proved to the NHL that it has drug itself from the cellar and become a team that must be taken seriously moving forward. Hard work and tough team defense was demanded from the players this season and got nothing short of an amazing response. Coach Ken Hitchcock, in his maiden voyage as the Blues skipper, came in to a swirling abyss of unknown and pushed this team to its limits. Realing off a season that shocked most minds in hockey and that of their own fans. Close to the mid-point of the season it was not uncommon to hear fans completely dejected after a loss, something that we as fans of the Blues had become use to in the not so distant past. It was just unheard of that the Blues would lose a game in regulation let alone at all.

The stability that local owner ship can bring to a franchise already on the verge of being “great” will prove to push this young Blues team to new heights. Even though the Blues made it to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season it was very apparent that there are some positions in the lineup that still need to be addressed and now with Stillman and gang at the helm should be able to be answered. The Blues lost to LA in a 4 game sweep and until the second period of the 4th game looked like they had not even shown up to the rink. The Blues did not have an answer nor the ability to fight back against a LA team that was on fire.

Moving forward, more pieces of the puzzle accompanied by-play off experience will get the Blues that Stanley Cup that so many have been waiting for. It was reported by Andy Strickland that former Blues winger and all time great Brett Hull will most likely become part of the management structure with the new look front office. It is also reported by Strickland and Jeremey Rutherford that  Armstrong will remain with the team. It is unclear, however, after those names who will remain and who will be on the short list. I encourage Blues fans to stay tuned this week for more information as it becomes available.

You can find articles by the Blues beat writers Jeremey Rutherford here and Andy Strickland here. It is an exciting time for us as Blues fans as we can finally. hopefully, draw some faith in an owner who wants the Blues to succeed and bring home the hardest trophy in all of sports to win, Lord Stanley’s Cup!

LET’S GO BLUES!

Speaking of this good/bad dichotomy . . . this fight between Jamie Langenbrunner and Mike Richards happened last night . . . and it really came out of left field.

Here’s the video:

I’ll start with this: Richards won the fight. But I’ll continue by saying that this was a brilliant, veteran move by Langenbrunner, not only to draw an extra two-minute minor on Richards but to get him off the ice for five more minutes by drawing him into a scrap. Really, what the hell is Richards even doing, fighting a guy who basically is – in hockey terms – a septuagenarian? (WHAT I’M SAYING IS THAT LANGENBRUNNER IS OLD!) I don’t know, and I can’t understand why he would feel good about getting into this scrap, other than that it got him one-third of the way to the Gordie Howe Hat Trick that he earned by the end of this contest.

Not to be insensitive about current events, but what Richards did here was basically the same as what got the now-late Craig Cornett in trouble with the law . . . beating up the elderly, except this was on the ice and not at some casino in St. Chuck County. But I digress . . . and I’m an insensitive jerk, but whatever.

I expect the Blues to show up Sunday and kick some ass. If not, await the curtains and handshakes.

Will Patrik teach SoCal how to Bergie?

Game Three: St. Louis Blues at LA Kings

The first TWO games did not go as planned on the scoreboard. Can the Blues follow the path set in round one?

Who will score first for the Blues tonight? Give us your best guess! Remember, you just need to comment on this post to be entered into the contest; the person with the most correct guesses at the end of the season will win an autographed BNZ 2011 Race for the Cure shirt (Includes 9 player signatures). *Comments must be dated/time stamped prior to the game start time*

Game Info:

Game Three Preview on Hockeybuzz.com

Location: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA

Opposing Netminder: Jonathan Quick (per Daily Faceoff)

Blues Probable Line Combos:
Forward Lines:
McDonald - Backes - D’Agostini
Steen – Berglund – Oshie
Perron - Sobotka – Stewart
Langenbrunner – Nichol – Crombeen

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

Starting Goalie: 

Brian Elliott

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You think Backes is giving up? No. Neither should you.

The St. Louis Blues played well enough to win Game One but lost, then turned in their worst performance at the worst possible time in Game Two. Both games were at home, and the combination results in a 2-0 series deficit in this best-of-seven Western Conference Semifinals series with the Los Angeles Kings. If you’re a Blues fan who saw this coming and readily admitted as much before the series, you’re probably in the minority. It is natural for a fan to look at this turn of events and act like all is lost, when in reality things could be just beginning. It is also natural for a grave deal of concern going into Game Three of this series late tomorrow night at Staples Center.

But if you’re throwing in the towel right now, please walk gently toward the door and get the hell out of my team’s fan base. Now.

We can give excuses as to why the Blues played so horrendously in Game Two until we’re blue in the face. We can give all sorts of reasons why the Blues are in the predicament they are in . . . essentially the League favorite in Vegas, needing four wins in five possible games to advance. But if you’re going to tell me that you’re not going to watch the rest of this series because “Oh, I know what’s going to happen, the Blues are going to ass this up completely” or something similar to that mold, I don’t want you anywhere near this team. Why? Two reasons . . . 1) Positives (AND YES, THERE WERE SOME) that can be taken from the first two games, and 2) Past history, and RECENT past history at that.

On the first point . . . the Blues were able to play two solid periods after getting shelled in the first on Monday, and they were able to match – if not surpass – the physicality displayed by the Kings in those 40 minutes. For all intents and purposes, the first 20 to 30 minutes of Game One were won by the Blues, and there is a solid chance Alex Pietrangelo returns for Game Three to steady the defensive corps, as he played most of those minutes. On the second point . . . we only have to look to the Boston Bruins, last year’s Stanley Cup Champions, for reference. In their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series with the Montreal Canadiens, they dropped the first two games at home. What happened after that? The Bruins did what they had to do . . . they stole two games in front of a hostile crowd in Montreal and held serve at home to advance to the next round. Anything is possible, folks.

In the past week, I’ve been called everything from a sore loser to a dumbass for my dedication to this team, and yet I still believe in this team.  I refuse to let two games change my dedication to this squad.  I’m all in.

I won’t even ask a question this week . . . I’m going to channel my inner Jim Fassel . . . and shove my chips to the center of the table and go all in on this crazy game of poker. If you’re in, you’re in. If you’re out, you’re out.

Why not the St. Louis Blues.

Want proof? Here’s proof:

Basically, this was a bear-hugging contest. This was basically something you would be embarrassed to be a part of if you were looking back on it, talking to your grandkids about how hockey fights used to be. You could argue King landed more punches than Crombeen, including the kill shot, and you’d be correct, but this was a massive waste of time, really, and both men should’ve been given two-minute minors for Delay Of Game. I’ll give the edge to King, but only begrudgingly as it really should be a draw.

Ryan Reaves could’ve made this a better fight by just standing there. Roman Polak would’ve enjoyed this challenge. Crombeen just did not bring it in this fight, but then again, neither did his opponent, so it should be a wash.

Perhaps David Perron will find the back of the net on the new look not so kid line.

Game Two: LA Kings vs. St. Louis Blues.

The first game did not go as planned on the scoreboard or in the injury department. Can the Blues follow the path set in round one?

Who will score first for the Blues tonight? Give us your best guess!  Remember, you just need to comment on this post to be entered into the contest; the person with the most correct guesses at the end of the season will win an autographed BNZ 2011 Race for the Cure shirt (Includes 9 player signatures). *Comments must be dated/time stamped prior to the game start time*

Game Info:

Game Two Preview on Hockeybuzz.com

Location: Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Mo

Opposing Netminder: Jonathan Quick (per Daily Faceoff)

Blues Probable Line Combos:
Forward Lines:
Perron – Berglund – Oshie
Steen – Backes - McDonald
Sobotka – Arnott – D’Agostini
Langenbrunner – Nichol – Crombeen

Defensive Pairings:
Colaiacovo – Pietrangelo / Cole
Jackman - Shattenkirk
Russell  - Polak

Starting Goalie:
Brian Elliott

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

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How Long Will Alex Pietrangelo Be Out?

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The primary trend that the first round of the 2012 NHL Playoffs will be remembered for is the volume of questionable/dirty acts.

It all started with the league’s lack of strict discipline administered to Nashville’s captain, Norris finalist Shea Weber, slamming Detroit’s superstar Swede Henrik Zetterberg’s face in to the glass in move better suited for WWE or Moral Kombat action. Open season was declared and the boys ran amuck from the wild west to the northeast. It seemed that when Sheriff Brendan Shanahan stepped in and dispensed stiff justice on Phoenix forward Raffi Torres for his brutal and blatant attempt to injure Chicago winger Marian Hossa that peace had been restored heading in the the conference semifinals.

Obviously not.

Late in the second period of the St. Louis Blues’ 3-1 loss last night LA Kings depth winger Dwight King recklessly boarded defenseman Alex Pietrangelo.

Intent is pretty clear in this case.

With Pietrangelo facing the boards and Jordan Nolan covering Kris Russell there is no dangerous counter transition play available. All King has to do to be an effective role player is follow Pietrangelo in to the boards and create an opportunity for Nolan to out muscle Russell for position to dig the puck out.  If unable to follow to the boards then match pace and go shoulder to shoulder as he turns to go north. Really, it’s not overly complicated. The correct play is made countless times a night. Instead King puts his forearm in to the numbers and pushes off. The resulting face first crash prevented the Blues top defenseman from returning from the game and appearing at practice today.

No. The “c” word hasn’t been discussed or confirmed, but given the situation and the Blues luck with such injuries over the last two years, not many would be surprised if that’s ends up being the case. Although head coach Ken Hitchcock is a little more optimistic.

Will the league handout supplemental discipline? After watching the video over and over one may think so, but as of early Sunday afternoon there won’t be.

Disgusted? Most Blues fans would be as they should. This hit was not like the one TJ Gallardi put on Andy McDonald. Where a hockey play that could have happened didn’t because the player being hit didn’t put himself in wise position. The hockey play in the King hit was avoided in favor of a dangerous attempt to separate the defender from the puck.

Does anyone expect Kings fans to be? Even the most egalitarian of us have their doubts. What about the Kings media? Certainly most of the MSM will steer clear of discussing the event other than to report what happened and what the involved parties have said. Among the blogging community, well that’s a different story.

Many of you know I cover the Blues for Hockeybuzz.com now. Matthew Barry is my Kings counterpart. A blogger I’ve been reading for a long time and have suggested to Blues fans as someone covering a team not their own worth investing sometime in following. Needless to say, I was more than a little shocked and disappointed when I read his recap blog.

The Ancient Art of Asian Justice?

Revenge is a dish best served cold (noticed Ek beat me to the punch). The Japanese culture is big on waiting for the right moment to dish out revenge (I’m not the forgiving type. I’m very big on revenge), even if it takes years.

It took nearly 14 years but Dwight King began to even the score for what ****** Courtnall did to Jamie Storr. In an otherwise pretty clean game, it was nice to see one of their warriors NOT return to the game. It’s only a matter of time before Carlo Coliaccovo crumbles to pieces like a coffee cake.

For those who need a refresher on what transpired in the 1998 Playoffs between the Blues and Kings, here’s the video:

I pride myself on going out of my way to see all the shades of gray possible. I want to find every angle, learn from them, discuss  and grow my own perspective because of them. How many times have Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott been trampled in their crease this season and it wasn’t called? How many times have other illegal acts not been called – Pavel Datsyuk elbow to Barret Jackman’s head anyone… – resulting in negative impacts to the Blues chances of winning a game. I completely understand why Kings fans would hold bitterness in their hearts for the outcome. Think of how Steve Yzerman is remembered in St. Louis. Storr didn’t return to the game and the retribution on Geoff Courntall earned a five minute major that turned in to four power play goals and one of the most thrilling comebacks in franchise history.

It’s a sore spot. One any of the other 29 teams would claim. One they all have.

However, in this instance I cannot promote the notion. There is no gray area on the King hit. It’s as black and white as they come. The defense of such for any reason is reprehensible, immature, and wreaks of a complete lack human decency or sensationalistic attention whoring. To celebrate the injury goes beyond to an indescribable depth of moral depravity. Even the most well known of knuckle dragging former players turned commentators refrain from opening that door and walking down to the crypt.

I’m not one for throwing any writer under the proverbial bus. Especially colleagues in the community. We all put our opinions out for anyone to read knowing full well that someone will disagree with us. Beating up on each other is not productive. That said, there are times when peers have to be hard on each other for the benefit of the whole. The glorification of potentially career threatening injuries to settle scores is not acceptable. It may generate hits and discussion, but can only perpetuate the stereotypes that keep bloggers in the basement and out of the press box.

So sad that once again the glorious event that is playoff hockey has been overshadowed by the games darkest elements.