Bleacher Report - Articles by Michael Wagenknecht

NHL Central Preview: St. Louis Blues

Michael Wagenknecht — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:26:20 -0400

The St. Louis Blues were the Cinderella of the regular season, but the slipper fell off right as the playoffs began. After posting the best record in the second half of the season, the Blues got swept out by an even hotter Vancouver team. This year will be different.

Previous Season:

What can we say about last season for the Blues? Erik Johnson, franchise defenseman, destroys his ACL in a golfing mishap. Paul Kariya has surgery on not one but both of his hips. And Andy McDonald breaks his ankle and misses significant time.

The Blues got off to a miserable start and were staring at the basement very early on. The team also traded fan favorite Lee Stempniak for failed first round picks Carlo Colaiacovo and Alex Steen from Toronto.

But something happened through all the injuries and inconsistent goaltending. This team came together, young and old, and started winning. The Blues posted the best record in the second half and essentially stole a playoff spot earning the six seed in the West.

Everyone on the team stepped up to make this happen. Chris Mason supplanted Manny Legace as the starter after rebounding from a horrific first two months. Mason finished the season going 24-8-6 in his last 38 games.

David Backes, TJ Oshie, Patrik Berglund, and David Perron all stepped up in their roles as scoring threats to help out Brad Boyes, who only had to tally 33 goals this year.

Finally Colaiacovo and Steen finally lived up to their hype as they both played very well after the trade. Colaiacovo played in 63 games with the Blues, which was a career high. He also led Blues defensemen with 26 assists.

Offseason:

The Blues didn't do very much in the offseason to help or hurt their team. They were bandied about in trade rumors for Dany Heatley but GM John Davidson quickly put the lid on that. St. Louis did buy out defenseman Jay McKee after his play didn't live up to the contract he was given.

Once free agency hit the Blues quickly snared backup goalie Ty Conklin from Detroit. Conklin will be a huge upgrade from Manny Legace, who just lost it last season. The Blues also signed Derek Armstrong and Darryl Sydor to help tutor the young players on the team.

The other big news was that the Blues would open their season in Stockholm against the Detroit Red Wings. This won't be the first trip to Europe for the Blues, but it will be the first time it will mean something.

Key Games:

November 10th through the 23rd will be the longest homestand of the season for the Blues. This set will include the first game against Vancouver since the sweep in last season’s first round. It will also be John Tavares’s first look at St. Louis, and the first look at the Boston Bruins.

March 2nd starts a six game road trip that runs until March 14th. The Blues will play three out west before jetting cross country to New York to face the Islanders. Following that St. Louis will have back to back nights in Columbus and Minnesota.

November 30th marks the first time the Blues travel to Columbus and the Boo Birds for Oshie. Many remember the hits TJ put on old Rick Nash and the fans in Columbus plan on letting him hear it.

On February 13th the Washington Capitals come to town in what should be a great test against one of the elite teams in the East. This game will be a measuring stick as to how good this team is and how much farther they have to go. Plus, who doesn't want to see Alex Ovechkin?

Players to Watch:

Chris Mason: Mason had a slow start last year but really turned it up midway through the season. Can he duplicate that success early and often this year? Conklin should push him in a way that Legace couldn't, but expect a bit of a drop off this year.

TJ Oshie, Patrik Berglund, David Perron, and Erik Johnson: This is the core of the team, and other teams know that. Will they be able to step up to the pressure and adjust their games to fit? Berglund has a hell of a snapshot, but can he get open enough to use it? Oshie has gifted hands but will he be able to keep the motor running all year again?

Alex Pietrangelo: Alex showed promise in his eight game stint with the club last year. Will he stick this year, or will he go back to juniors again? He doesn't have much to prove in juniors, but he is still very young and will make mistakes. With the talent this team has on the blue line do they take the risk?

Prediction:

In a division such as the Central, it will be very tough to duplicate a run like the Blues had last year. They will have to start solid and play tough all year. Chicago and Detroit are still much better than the other teams in this division, so the top two spots are secure.

The Blues will fight with Columbus for third in the division, but ultimately I think the Blues will take third in the division and sixth in the Conference with a 42-29-11 record.

This will be a fun year in the Central and every game will matter.

NHL Central Preview: Nashville Predators

Michael Wagenknecht — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:00:11 -0400

At the end of last season, the Nashville Predators were the only team in the Central on the outside looking in at the playoffs. While their top scorer only accumulated 65 points on the season, the Preds were just edged out of a playoff spot. Unfortunately this season they will be taking a step back.

Previous Season:

The Preds were very up-and-down last season. At some points, you could tell how young they were, and at other times they looked unbeatable. They lost top goal scorer Jason Arnott for a stretch last year and like their competition to the north fought hard to stay in the playoff hunt.

Jason Arnott led the Predators with 33 goals last season and the next closest was defensemen Shea Weber with 23. JP Dumont lead the team with 65 points (16 goals and 49 assists).

A surprise in net last year was Pekka Rinne, who posted a 2.38 GAA and collected seven shutouts. If not for the stellar play of Steve Mason in Columbus, Rinne probably would have been in the running for Rookie of the Year.

Offseason:

Like most of the teams in the Central, the Predators were very quite in the offseason. Forwards Ben Eaves, Marcel Goc, and Ben Guite were brought in to help bridge the gap to the youngsters, while hopefully adding a scoring touch the Preds lacked last year.

Veteran defensive-men Greg De Vries, Greg Zanon and Ville Koistinen all left via free agency leaving the blue line corp very young. Nashville does sport two of the top defensive-men in the league in Shea Weber and Ryan Suter, but there is a severe drop off after that.

After a superb rookie season, Pekka Rinne was officially anointed the starter with veteran Dan Ellis sliding into the role Chris Mason held two years earlier when Ellis was the hotshot goalie of the future.

Key Games:

October 17th through the 28th, Nashville will go out on their longest road trip of five games. The trip will take them to the Northeast and they will face the likes of the Capitals, Bruins, and the Senators before heading to Chicago and Minnesota for key early games in the West.

Still early in the season, the Predators will enjoy a five game home-stand from November 14th through the 23rd. This could make or break this season as some top teams in the league visit. The Sharks, Devils, Blue Jackets, and Red Wings all visit, and it will be interesting to see how this young team holds up.

Leading up to the Olympic break, Nashville takes a four-game swing up to the Northeast yet again. On this trip they will get a look at potential new star John Tavares, Marian Gaborik in a Ranger uniform (hopefully), their first look at the Devils new digs, and a matchup with the defending champs.

Finally, in what could be playoff position battles, the Predators will host the St. Louis Blues twice in the final four games. These games are huge, especially if there is a spot on the line.

Players to Watch:

Pekka Rinne- This is the number one guy to watch this year. If Rinne has another good season, the Preds could very well find themselves in the playoffs. This team will not score much; and if Rinne can keep the puck out, it's obvious they can win a bunch of games.

Antti Pihlstrom- While only scoring two goals in 53 games last season, Pihlstrom did show flashes of what he could be. He showed lots of knowledge as a two-way player as reflected by his -1 plus-minus rating. Pairing Pihlstrom with Arnott and Dumont will only help him grow.

Any D-man not named Weber or Suter- After the loss of three veterans the youngsters have to step up now. Shea and Ryan will not be able to play every minute and when they are not on the ice, teams will get their scorers out there. Returning D-man from last season combined for seven goals, while Weber and Suter combined for 30. Someone will have to step out and my bet is Kevin Klein.

Prediction:

This season will prove more difficult than last year. Scoring, defense, and penalty killing will hurt this team.

But, if they continue to follow the molds of teams in their division like Chicago and Columbus than this team will be good, later.

Games will be close thanks to Pekka Rinne, Shea Weber, and Ryan Suter; but it just won't be enough. With a record of 33-37-12, Nashville will finish way outside the playoff picture.

NHL Central Preview: Detroit Red Wings

Michael Wagenknecht — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 22:39:08 -0400

The Detroit Red Wings are mad. They did not win the Stanley Cup and failed to fulfill Marian Hossa's wish, which lead to his departure. Teams in the Central should take notice that this team will be hungry once again and has only reloaded once again.

Previous Season:

The Red Wings finished last season with a record of 51-21-10, which was good for 112 points and the second seed in the Western Conference behind the regular season juggernaut of San Jose.

The Wings made it back to the Stanley Cup Finals and once again faced the Pittsburgh Penguins, only this time the Wings had Hossa. But the Pens had learned from the year before and took it to the Wings. While the series went seven games it seemed like destiny that Pittsburgh would win.

Marian Hossa lead Detroit with 40 goals, six ahead of Johan "The Mule" Franzen. Pavel Datsyuk continued his mastery of the puck by putting up 97 points (32 goals and 65 assists).

Offseason:

With the re-signings of Franzen and Filppula the Wings did not have much money to throw around at free agents. Therefore it was inevitable that Marian Hossa would look for greener pastures. Hossa signed a 12-year deal in Chicago and he wasn't the only one to leave Hockeytown.

Ty Conklin jetted for division rival St. Louis, Tomas Kopecky joined Hossa in Chicago, and Mikael Samuelsson left for Vancouver.

The Wings did bring back Todd Bertuzzi, as well as adding depth at froward by bringing in Jason Williams and Patrick Eaves. Veteran goaltender Dan Cloutier was invited to training camp to push youngster Jimmy Howard into the backup spot.

What was surprising was the inability to bring in another defenseman to help the aging Nicklas Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski.

Key Games:

Detroit has three different sets of five-game road trips this season. The most important will be January 31 through February 9. The trip will take them to Pittsburgh for a Cup rematch, through a West Coast trip and will wrap up in St. Louis.

The longest homestand will only be four games (November 12-November 20) which will not help the Wings better their home record from last year of 27-9-5. The travel that this team will have to endure could really affect the play of their young players.

Three of the first four games of the season are very noteworthy games if not very important.

October 2 and 3 Detroit and St. Louis square off in Stockholm for NHL Opening Weekend. With eight players from Sweeden on their roster it should be like two home games for Detroit.

October 10 the Wings welcome Alex Ovechkin to the Joe in what most people hope is a Stanley Cup preview. Even early in the season this game should be really exciting and have almost a playoff atmosphere.

December 23 could be the game in which Detroit fans get to "welcome" back Marian Hossa. It will be very interesting to see if Hossa gets the same reaction he got when he went back to Pittsburgh this past year.

Detroit wraps up the regular season with seven of the last 10 games against interdivisonal opponents. These games could determine seeding and playoff spots for the entire division.

Players to Watch:

Pavel Datsyuk: Datsyuk was three points away from a 100 point season. Can he break through and reach that almost impossible barrier? Also will he be able to stay injury-free the whole season?

Ville Leino: After the success of internal players like Datsyuk, Zetterberg, and Franzen, can Leino be the next surprise? In 13 games last season Leino had five goals and four assists while recording a +5 rating.

Johnathon Ericsson, Brett Lebda, Andreas Lilja: These three will be fighting for the final defensemen spot for much of the season. With aging vets headlining this team they may get more playing time if injuries crop up.

Jimmy Howard: Will this year finally be the year Howard cracks the top two? After many years of looking up at Chris Osgood, Manny Legace, Dominik Hasek, and Ty Conklin Howard should be the backup this season. Can he handle it, though, is the main question.

Prediction:

With the only significant loss being Hossa, the Red Wings are poised to make another run this season. While it is only logical for them to take a step back, it also is logical for it not to be a big step. With the amped up competition in the Central it looks like it could be a shootout all the way to the end.

With Chicago occupying the top spot in the division the Wings will fall right in line behind them finishing with a 44-26-12 record and another 100 point season.

Do not be surprised to see this team in the Finals once again this year. This team is fighting mad and they will not take rejection for an answer again.

NHL Central Preview: Columbus Blue Jackets

Michael Wagenknecht — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:51:08 -0400

The Columbus Blue Jackets first foray into the NHL playoffs was over before they could even take a breath. After getting swept by the Detroit Red Wings in the first round the Jackets are looking for retribution this season.

Previous Season:

Columbus finished last season with a 41-31-10 record which placed them seventh in the Western Conference and secured their first playoff appearence in club history. Rick Nash lead the team with 40 goals and 79 points. Rookie goaltender Steve Mason came in to the fold to help when star goalie Pascal LeClaire went down with an injury. Mason's stellar play allowed Columbus to offload the injury proned LeClaire to Ottawa as part of the Antoine Vermette trade.

Offseason:

While other teams in the Central were making big moves with big name players, the Blue Jackets made some low key moves which could help this team make the playoffs again this season.

After trading Pascal LeClaire and allowing Wade Dubielewicz to leave for Minnesota the Jackets needed an experienced goalie with a Stanley Cup pedigree. Enter Mathieu Garon, who won the Cup with Pittsburgh last season. After three and a half seasons with the Kings and Oilers Garon finally has made it to a team with some scoring up front and that should allow him to improve on his already decent record.

Sammy Pahlsson's addition should allow Jakub Voracek, Fedor Tyutin, and Derick Brassard a chance to progress without being the go-to guys behind Nash. While Pahlsson will not score a ton, he will be able to open things up even more for Nash.

Key Games:

On October 30th the Jackets welcome Sydney Crosby to town in a matchup of two of the most prolific scorers in the league.

Two nights later on November 1st the Jackets are in Washington to face the other top scorer in the league in Alex Ovechkin. It will be very interesting to see how Steve Mason handles both of these games.

November 19th through the 26th, Columbus embarks on a five game road trip, which will be the longest of the season. Three of these games will be against Eastern Conference foes including the Rangers and Canadiens.

December 1st is one of two nationally televised games for Columbus this season. This game will pit the Jackets against division rival Chicago, who had their number last season going 3-1-2 against Columbus.

Finally to end the season the Jackets will look to get revenge to a certain extent when they have a home and home series with Detroit April 7th and 9th. This could very well determine seeding in the Conference and Division so both of these games will be very intense.

Players to Watch:

Rick Nash- 40 goal scorer last season and led the team in points. Teams will key on him again this season byt he will get help from guys like Vermette, Pahlsson, and Vorcek. Look for his re-match with TJ Oshie on November 30th.

Nikita Filatov- Playing in only 8 games last season Filatov still managed 4 goals and a +3 rating. He will fit in nicely with Voarcek Brassard and he could compete for Calder Trophy consideration.

Steve Mason- Can he avoid the sophomore slump? Chances are he could and if he does he will put up solid numbers. Look for a 2.40 GAA and 30+ wins again this season as he could steal a playoff spot for this team again.

Prediction:

Columbus is almost a mirror image of the St. Louis Blues in that they have fresh young talent mixed with good veteran leadership and a strong coaching staff. The Jackets could land anywhere from 3rd to last in the division. I think they will match last years success and finish at 41-33-8 and finish 4th in the division but just slipping into the playoffs at the 8th seed.

The division will be hotly contested and anyone can win. So if you are a Columbus Blue Jackets fan do not dispair because this will be a good season no matter where they finish.

NHL Central Preview: Chicago Blackhawks

Michael Wagenknecht — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 20:33:31 -0400

After making it all the way to the Conference Finals last season, the Chicago Blackhawks made some major moves to try and push themselves into the Stanly Cup Finals this year.

Previous Season:

The Blackhawks reached the Conference Finals for the first time since 1994-95, a year in which they also lost to the Detroit Red Wings. Chicago finished the regular season with a 46-24-12 record, which was good for fourth place in the Western Conference. Jonathan Toews led the Hawks with 34 goals while Martin Havlet was the overall points leader with 77 points (29 goals, 48 assists). Cristobal Huet and Nikolai Khabibulin split time in net, but it was Khabibulin who shined brighter. Khabibulin went 25-8-7 with 2.33 goals against during his 42 games played.

Offseason:

After a stellar season, the offseason went very differently than most people expected. Within hours of the opening of the free agent signing period, the Hawks had signed the top prize in Marian Hossa to a 12-year deal and John Madden to a one-year deal. This quick signing signaled the end of Martin Havlet's time in Chicago, and he left for Minnesota.

With all the money flying around for the forwards, Chicago had to make some sacrifices. Those included the loss of defensman Matt Walker and also Kahbibulin. Many people believed the Hawks would try and trade Huet so they could re-sign Khabibulin, but with Huet's contract it was nearly impossible.

But the crazy offseason didn't end there. The NHLPA came after the Hawks after their submissions of restricted free agent paperwork was misfiled, which almost lead to the loss of a number of key players. Than it was discovered that Marian Hossa had a shoulder injury that would require surgery. This surgery will keep Hossa out until at least December. Due to all these mishaps, GM Dave Tallon was demoted and Stan Bowman was promoted to GM.

Key Games:

The Blackhawks open the season in Helsinki, Finland, in a matchup with the Florida Panthers on October 2 and 3. After playing in last season's Winter Classic, this is another huge step in getting the team back into the national media attention.

On December 5, the Hawks are in Pittsburgh where they will lace up against Sidney Crosby and the defending champs. Hawks fans hope this is a preview of the Finals.

December 13 through 22 is a key time for the Hawks, as they play five straight home games against Tampa Bay, St. Louis, Boston, Detroit and San Jose. This is a crucial stretch against projected playoff teams.

The toughest part of the schedule this year is January 16 through 30, as the Hawks embark on a cross-country eight-game road trip. This trip takes them from Columbus and Detroit to Vancouver and Calgary and back to Carolina—it could make or break the season for Chicago.

Finally, on March 14 Chicago welcomes Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals to town in what should be a high-scoring duel.

Players to Watch:

Jonathan Toews - Toews led the club with 34 goals last season and played very well in his first full year as the captain. Look for Toews to up his assist total when Hossa comes back as he shifts away from having to be the top player on his team.

Kris Versteeg - Versteeg was a very pleasant surprise for Chicago last year as he netted 19 goals and added 28 assists. A line of Versteeg, Dave Bolland, and Ben Eager could allow the Hawks to have three deep scoring lines and give any team fits.

Brian Campbell - Campbell has to play up to his contract or he find himself in a different jersey next year. Campbell is a force on offense, but his +/- rating of +5 shows he doens't get back to help as often as he jumps into the play on offense. If he can improve on that aspect of his game, Chicago will have a very formidable defensive corps.

Cristobal Huet - Huet will have to start off better than he did last year, or youngster Antti Niemi could unseat him as the starter. Huet never really played well, trading wins and losses for most of the season. Chicago may end up realizing the mistake they made by letting Khabibulin go very early on this year.

Prediction:

There are many questions in Chicago this year that could make or break the season for the Hawks. Will Marian Hossa come back quickly and healthy? Will Cristobal Huet become a steady headline goalie? Will Toews, Kane and Sharp be the top three forwards in the Western Conference?

In the end, I believe the Blackhawks will finish at 42-21-19, which will put them third in the Western Conference and give them the Central Division crown.

Any way this season plays out, though, this will be one heck of a division to play in.

St. Louis Blues vs. Vancouver Canucks: The Battle Begins

Michael Wagenknecht — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:03:48 -0400

The St. Louis Blues enter the playoffs on a remarkable run. The Blues wrapped up the second half with a 9-1-1 record to secure the sixth seed in the Western Conference.

This also sets up a date with the equally streaking Vancouver Canucks.

The Blues' record from Janurary 3 to April 12 was a stunning 27-10-7, vaulting them from fifteenth in the conference to the sixth seed they now occupy. The outstanding play of goaltender Chris Mason and the return from injury of Andy McDonald and T.J. Oshie were catalysts for this amazing run.

Vancouver, though, has been on a similar run and this matchup pits two of the hottest goalies in the second half against each other. The Canucks' record of 24-12-7 since Janurary 3 is the second best in the league, behind the Blues.

As great as Mason has been in the net for St. Louis, Roberto Luongo has been that and more for Vancouver. Luongo posted a 22-8-5 record with four shutouts since returning from injury in January.

Another key to this series lies in the special teams play of both teams.

With superstars like the Sedin twins and Mats Sundin, you would figure the power play would click on a fairly regular basis, but Vancouver is 11th out of the 16 teams in the playoffs in power play efficiency.

Couple this with the second ranked penalty kill of the Blues and this matchup alone could prove to be the difference in the series.

On the flip side, the Blues' power play is ranked seventh among playoff teams and will be going against the 10th ranked penalty kill of Vancouver. This should give players like Keith Tkachuk and Andy McDonald the freedom to make plays and score some much-needed goals.

Players on both teams have very few playoff experiences, but I don't believe this will have as much as an impact as one might think.

Both of these teams have the skill, grit, and determination to win this series, and no lack of experience will make it any less spectacular.

Being a Blues fan, I do have a bit of a bias as to who I want to win. But as a solid hockey observer, I see this series going seven games, with the home team winning all the games.

Therefore, I see Vancouver moving on, but I will be rooting for a four-game St. Louis sweep.

St. Louis Blues Trade Deadline News

Michael Wagenknecht — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 11:10:03 -0500

(note to editors: I will be updating this regularly so please try to avoid editing this article until later. Thanks.)

Update 10:53 CST

Blues send Defensman Andy Wozniewski to Pittsburgh for Danny Richmond

This is a trade for more future talent. Wozniewski was not going to crack the lineup in St. Louis and Pittsburgh needs defensive help. Richmond is 24 years old and has not shown the skill set to play in the majors just yet. With the Blues needing young defensemen in Peoria this trade makes sense.

We are early on in trade deadline day and already a few things to note.

First off, it looks like Keith Tkachuk will be staying in St. Louis. Multiple reports have said the John Davidson has not received any offers for the future Hall of Famer and that they are not looking to trade him.

Also today it appears the Anahiem Ducks were looking to acquire TJ Oshie in any Chris Pronger deal that would have gone down. The Ducks were told emphatically "no."

I am glad to see that the Blues are looking to keep their young depth here instead of trying to win the Cup now. It's obvious we are not in the upper echelon of teams just yet.

In other news the Columbus Blue Jackets have traded goalie Pascal Leclaire to the Ottawa Senators for forward Anoine Vermette.

It is a great deal for both teams in that Columbus gets their scoring forward for the playoff push and the Senators shed salary and get a goalie for the future.

More to come as the day progresses.

St. Louis Blues Week in Review

Michael Wagenknecht — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 15:12:01 -0500

The St. Louis Blues and the playoffs? Who saw this one coming?

A few weeks ago when you asked a Blues fan about the playoffs the response you got was more akin to Jim Mora than to optimism. Yet here we sit, the week of the deadline, three points out of a spot.

How did we get here you ask? Well an 8-2-4 record in February will definitely help. As would the return of setup man Andy McDonald, who has tallied three goals and five assists since his return on Feb. 10th.

This week the Blues posted a perfect 3-0 record against teams they needed to beat to keep climbing the standings.

Tuesday Feb. 24 vs. Phoenix:

After a crushing defeat the previous Saturday to Nashville, the Blues needed to come out and take it to a struggling Phoenix team. Unfortunately that isn't what happened and it looked like the Blues would not even get a point in this one.

Shane Doan took a centering pass from Joakim Lindstrom to put Phoenix up 1-0 with 6:14 to go in the first period. The play started with Chris Mason flubbing the puck behind the net giving it right to the Coyotes.

The period finished up with Phoenix outshooting the Blues eight shots to four but also out hustling them to every puck.

The second period was more of the same until 6:58 when David Perron threw a harmless dump in on Illya Bryzgalov. The puck bounced off the ice and somehow slipped in past the Coyote netminder tying the game at one. Perron was on the bench and had no idea it went in until he heard the horn going off.

Two minutes later, with Phoenix on the power play, T.J. Oshie blocked a shot and brought the puck out with Jay McClement on a 2-on-1. McClement buried the shot giving St. Louis the lead for the first time in 5 periods of hockey.

The shorthanded goal was McClement's third shortie of the year, which is two more than last year's penalty kill specialist had all year.

St. Louis survived a barrage of chances in the third en route to the 2-1 victory.

Thursday Feb. 26 @ Dallas:

The last time the Blues played Dallas Marty Turco was abysmal and the Stars were off to the worst start in franchise history. The Stars have remarkably turned it around and are now fighting with the Blues for a playoff spot.

In this game the Blues saw why the Stars were back as they got peppered with 42 shots, while the Blues only managed 22. But luck was on their side yet again as five posts were hit throughout the game.

Jere Lehtinen tipped in a shot from Mike Ribeiro to give Dallas the lead early in the first period and almost gave them a two-goal lead five minutes after the first. But Mason stood tall and denied Lehtinen on a breakaway as well as denying the rest of the attempts that came his way.

Jay McClement scored for the second game in a row to tie the game up in the first. The period ended with the Stars outshooting the Blues 15-8.

In the second period the Blues started to take control of the game. The forecheck ramped up and, though they did not score, the Blues had multiple opportunities to take the lead.

After not playing together for more than two weeks, Andy Murray reunited the Kid Line in the third period and it immediately paid dividends.

After outbattling two Stars players on the boards, Patrik Berglund got the puck to Oshie in the corner. Oshie than walked out and was challenged by Marty Turco giving Oshie little room to work with. Turco was unaware of the small hole he left in the upper corner of the net and Oshie roofed the puck for his ninth goal of the season.

They kept the hot streak going the next time the line was on the ice. An errant clearing attempt was intercepted by Barrett Jackman to keep the play alive in Dallas' zone. David Perron took a pass from Jackman behind the net and fed it through the crease to Patrik Berglund who lined a shot past Turco for a comfortable two-goal lead.

But it wasn't as comfortable as the Blues had hoped. In the last 10 minutes the Blues had to fight off a four minute high sticking call, a two minute hooking call in the final two minutes, as well as multiple failed clearing attempts that resulted in three posts hit.

When the horn sounded Chris Mason and the Blues drew a collective sigh of relief and got out of big D with two BIG points.

Saturday Feb. 28 @ Phoenix:

The Blues wrapped up the week by visiting the Phoenix Coyotes, looking to stay three points out of the playoff spot. This game was as tightly contested as the first game was and it was McClement, again, who got things going for St. Louis.

In the second period, McClement took a pass from Alex Steen and skated down the right side of the Phoenix zone on Ed Jovanovski. At the faceoff circle McClement cut to the center of the rink and pulled a shot back across his body to beat Illya Bryzgalov for a 1-0 lead. It was the first time in five games that the Blues had scored the first goal.

Early in the third period Perron put the Blues up 2-0. With Ken Klee in the box for high sticking, Perron took a feed from David Backes, walked in and wired a shot that Byrzgalov didn't even see.

Mason's shut-out bid was ruined by Olli Jokinen when his sixth power play goal of the season found its way between his pads. Now down only one the Coyotes upped the forecheck pressure for the first time in this game.

With this added pressure the Coyotes looked like they were going to get the tying goal relatively soon but McDonald would have none of that. With a minute to go in the game McDonald and Keith Tkachuk broke out on a two-on-one and, after some nifty passing, McDonald netted his third goal of the month for the two goal lead.

A year after going 0-4 against Phoenix, the Blues are now 3-0 against the Great One's Coyotes and will look for the sweep on April 7 in Phoenix.

While this past week has done wonders to get this team back into the playoff hunt, it's going to take more off the same over the next month to get them there. The Blues will have 17 of their final 20 games against playoff or playoff potential teams.

STL-PHX: Playoff Battle Continues For Blues and Coyotes.

Michael Wagenknecht — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 17:38:35 -0500

With 21 games left in the season, the St. Louis Blues and Phoenix will renew acquaintances for the second time in a week in another key game in the playoff push.

On Tuesday, the Blues defeated the Coyotes 2-1 on a lucky bounce and a timely short handed goal to pull within five points of a playoff spot—at the time. With a win on Thursday against Dallas, the Blues are now three points out of a spot.

On Tuesday night, David Perron was given a gift when his dump-in bounced in on Illya Bryzgalov and eluded the net-minder to tie the score at one. It was Perron's first goal in five games against Phoenix and it provided the spark the team needed.

Jay McClement's shorthanded goal in the second proved to be the difference, as the Blues eked out the win in an otherwise lackluster effort.

The Blues have not scored many goals, especially power-play goals, over the last few games and will need their stars to step up. In the last five games the Blues' power play is one for 13, and that one goal came against Columbus ten days ago.

With Andy McDonald back in the line-up the power play needs to start kicking back into shape. The penalty kill, on the other hand, has been spectacular.

In the same five games the penalty kill has negated 16 of 17 power plays against, including 16 straight, while also collecting two short-handed goals. The Blues' penalty kill sits at eighth in the entire league at 83 percent, and could very well creep into the top five by the end of the season.

Chris Mason also has to continue his spectacular play tonight. Mason has won three of his last five games and has allowed only four goals in his last four games. Mason is 3-2-1 in his career against Phoenix, but has a slightly low .884 save percentage. Lately though, he has shown that he can play with just about any goalie in the league.

While the Blues are still fighting for a playoff spot, it seems the Coyotes are doing everything in their power to lose out on the playoffs. Phoenix has lost five of seven and after being snake-bitten by the Blues on Tuesday, they went to Nashville and laid another egg, losing 4-1.

Illya Bryzgalov has been pretty outstanding in goal, but he receives almost no goal support, which has led to this recent string of losses.

All-Star Shane Doan is still putting up big numbers (23 goals and 31 assists), players such as Olli Jokinen are sitting on their haunches, just waiting out the trade deadline. Jokinen's name has come up in trade rumors and it seems to be affecting him somewhat. Jokinen has scored three goals in twelve games, and those three goals all came in one game against the Kings.

The Blues need to come out and pepper Bryzgalov early and often, and they need to find a way to bury this team early. With points at a premium now this has to be a two point game only.

My prediction: Blues 4 Phoenix 1

Three Stars:

1. Chris Mason

2. Andy McDonald

3. Shane Doan

St. Louis Blues: Deadline Questions

Michael Wagenknecht — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 15:02:41 -0500

With the trade deadline swiftly approaching the St. Louis Blues are in quite a quandry. The Blues are currently 5 points out of a playoff spot and it is tough to say whether they should be buyers or sellers. There are rumors and hopes but for the most part I believe this team will stand pat. With that in mind here are a few moves that may make sense.

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St. Louis Blues' Best of the Week

Michael Wagenknecht — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 15:31:55 -0500

With the St. Louis Blues trying to stay in the playoff hunt, they need their top players to step up.

This week we look at the players who heeded those words and were the best of the week.

On the offensive side of the puck, the player who proved the most is also the man who had to prove he was healthy. Center Andy McDonald came back from a broken ankle this week and provided a huge spark to this Blues' offense.

Starting against the Rangers on Feb. 16, he recorded a goal and three assists. McDonald won a key face-off in the offensive zone back to Carlo Colaiacovo, who buried a slap shot past Henrik Lundqvist.

In a 2-1 victory over Nashville, McDonald took a feed from Colaiacovo from behind the net and beat Pekka Rinne low stick side to tie the game at one. Later in overtime, McDonald's quick hands cycled the puck to Keith Tkachuk, who was wide open in front of the net for the game winner.

If the Blues are going to secure a playoff spot, Andy McDonald is going to have to keep the points coming in droves.

Another important piece aspect to the Blues postseason run is their goaltending.

Chris Mason has taken off with his ascension to the No. 1 spot in goal.

This past week Mason went 2-2, but with only one bad game in that mix. He stopped 82 of 91 shots in 13 periods of play. Mason was pulled after two in Columbus after giving up four goals.

His strong play was coupled with the strong play of the Blues penalty killers. St. Louis killed off nine of 10 power plays. Anything the defenders didn't block, Mason got a pad or stick on it.

The Blues rank 10th in the league in penalty kill percentage at 82.4 percent and have remained in the top 10 all season.

This team gives up its body at every opportunity, which has led to six shorthanded goals compared to three shorthanded goals last year.

While this Blues team is still six points back of a playoff spot, they continue to play valiantly.

If their goaltending and penalty kill can stay hot and McDonald can lead players like Brad Boyes and TJ Oshie to the promised land of goals than they have a real shot of being there at the end.

STL-NASH: Blues Fall to Predators Late in Overtime

Michael Wagenknecht — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 14:25:59 -0500

The St. Louis Blues were looking to close the gap between them and eighth place in the Western Conference by beating the Nashville Predators twice in a row.

Unfortunately for them, the Predators are also trying to get that eighth and final playoff spot.

In the end, we received another overtime game and another thrilling finish.

Pekka Rinne and Chris Mason did not let a shot past them in 60 minutes of play, and it took a flimsy shot by Shea Weber to actually end the game in overtime. The Blues peppered Rinne with 30 shots and out-chanced the Predators ten-to-five.

On the other hand, the Blues defense held Nashville to 22 shots and outplayed them throughout the entire game. TJ Oshie alone drew two penalties and gave the Blues plenty of chances to tally a goal and give a sellout crowd what they wanted.

However, it was not meant to be, and with 2:36 left in overtime, the Predators broke out on what started as a normal rush.

Blues D-Man Roman Polak blocked a centering pass, but didn't get his full stick on it and the puck flipped to Shea Weber. Weber flicked his stick out and redirected the puck on goal and Mason made the arm save.

But the puck would not be denied, and it slipped between Mason's arm and body and rolled right into the net, giving Nashville the victory.

The Blues did manage to pick up one point for going to overtime, and remain five points behind eighth with 23 games left to play. But the extra point gained by Nashville keeps them one point ahead of St. Louis.

The Blues play next on Tuesday against Phoenix, while Nashville also plays Tuesday against Chicago.

St. Louis Blues Fight for the Playoffs

Michael Wagenknecht — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 15:02:12 -0500

The St. Louis Blues, dead last in the Western Conference, continue to defy elimination by posting points in nine of their last 11 games. This streak has left them eight points out of a playoff spot, but that number can change quickly, as they still have many games left against teams ahead of them. The Blues will continue their climb this week with four very high profile games.

Thursday, Feb. 12 at Nashville

The Blues are 3-0 this season against Nashville and look to improve even more on their 2-7-3 record at the Sommet Center. The last time the Blues visited Nashville, goalie Chris Mason turned aside 47 shots and then both shootout attempts in a 1-0 victory.

With Mason now firmly entrenched as the No. 1 goaltender, he will have to duplicate that performance in order for the Blues to continue their point streak. Mason allowed five goals against Vancouver on Tuesday night. It was the first time in 10 games that he had given up more than three.

BJ Crombeen (three goals and an assist), Keith Tkachuk (two goals and an assist), and Brad Boyes (two goals and two assists) look to continue their domination of Nashville goalies. David Perron leads the team with three assists against Nashville this year.

The Predators are led by Ryan Suter (a goal and two assists) and JP Dumont (a goal and assist). Pekka Rinna will look to rebound from a 5-3 loss against Detroit that broke his string of three straight victories.

Friday, Feb. 13 vs. Chicago

Another team the Blues are dominating this season are their rivals from the north. The Blues are 3-0-1 against Chicago this season, including a 2-0 victory to end the first half of the season.

With the return of Andy McDonald, the Blues get back their top scorer against Chicago. In three games versus Chicago this season, McDonald has three goals. Brad Boyes has also been hot against the Hawks with three assists.

Chicago has won four of the last five and will wrap up a six-game road trip here in St. Louis. Dave Bolland, who is fighting for Rookie of the Year, has led the way against St. Louis with two goals and two assists. Nikolai Khabibulin has been on fire lately and has posted victories in four of his last five games.

This will be the last time these teams meet until April Fool's Day. By that time the Blues will be fighting for a position, but will it be for a playoff seed or the No. 1 pick in the draft?

Monday, Feb. 16 vs. New York Rangers

This game holds special meaning for me as it falls on my birthday. It will be the first time the Blues have played the Rangers in St. Louis since 2005-06. In that game the Rangers won in overtime when a shot by Martin Rucinsky hit off the glass behind Patrick Lalime and bounced in off the goalie's back.

Jay McKee spent many years in Buffalo and played numerous games versus the Rangers. In 28 career games, McKee has two goals and seven assists with a plus-11 rating. Keith Tkachuk has always played well against New York, and he has notched nine goals and six assists in his 18 games versus the Rangers.

The Rangers are in a bit of a free-fall, losing four of five, and have dropped to fifth in the Eastern Conference. Former Columbus Blue Jacket Nikolai Zherdev leads the team with 43 points after being a bust in Columbus' system.

After sitting out with the flu and watching his team get pasted 10-2 by Dallas, Henrik Lundqvist has returned some stability back to the net. Lundqvist is 25-16-4 this season and has a stellar 2.55 GAA.

Wednesday, Feb. 18 at Columbus

The week wraps up with the third matchup in a month against the Blue Jackets. The Blues have won both games this season against Columbus pretty handily. In their last game in Columbus, the Blues won 4-2 and for the second time beat rookie phenom Steve Mason.

Special teams for the Blues have played a huge part in both the wins, with the Blues netting four power-play goals as well as a short handed goal. In turn, they have held Columbus to 1-10 on the power play.

Brad Boyes leads the team with two goals and two assists against Columbus, with Carlo Colaiacovo's three assists trailing close behind. Jay McClemant has also chipped in a pair of goals in two games, and David Perron has tallied two assists.

Rick Nash has been held relatively in check, only recording two assists, but he has had multiple post hits. The man who needs to be closely marked in this game is Frederik Modin, who has lit the lamp once and notched two assists to lead the Blue Jackets in points against the Blues.

This week will be a real testament to this team's desire to be in the playoffs. If Andy McDonald can continue to produce points now that he has returned and Chris Mason can live up to the No. 1 job, then this team should pick up no less than six points.

With the trade deadline approaching, this is the time to put it into high gear and fight for every puck like it's the last game of the Finals.

St. Louis Blues Fighting to Get Back on Track

Michael Wagenknecht — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 20:20:00 -0500

The St. Louis Blues wrap up a three game West Coast road trip tonight in Calgary. The Blues are coming off a lackluster performance in Edmonton on Sunday, falling 2-1.

The trip started off with a surprising and wild victory in Vancouver, which spoiled Mats Sundin Canuck home debut. With the teams tied at three late in the third period, the two teams unleashed a rubber assault on the two net-minders.

TJ Oshie gave the Blues a 4-3 lead with 5:43 to go, only to have Daniel Sedin tie it back up a minute and a half later. Sundin took a slashing penalty with 2:30 to go, and 20 seconds later Brad Boyes potted his team leading 11th power play goal for a 5-4 lead.

Finally, 21 seconds later, BJ Crombeen sealed the win with his ninth goal of the season.

On Sunday, the Blues rolled in to Edmonton and dominated the first 40 minutes of play. Yan Statsny gave the Blues a 1-0 lead by doing what he does best, crashing the net. We found out later that Stastny will be out 4-6 weeks with a broken thumb.

Sam Gagner was the star of the game though, as he scored the game winner early in the third period and assisted on the game-tying goal halfway through the second.

After dominating the first two periods, St. Louis went in to a shell. The Blues recorded their first shot of the third period with only five minutes remaining in the game and finished the third with just three shots.

"That definitely wasn't a good effort," Blues forward Jay McClement said. "It's disappointing after we made strides and we played well two nights ago (a 6-4 win over Vancouver). I think it's unacceptable." (www.stlblues.com)

The Blues will look to rebound against a team with which they have struggled with over the last few years.

This season, the Blues are 0-2 and have been outscored 10-6. With the trade deadline approaching and time running out for a playoff run, the Blues need to get points now or be left out in the cold yet again.

St. Louis Blues' Up-and-Down Season Continues

Michael Wagenknecht — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 06:52:40 -0500

The St. Louis Blues continue to impress and disappoint fans with their up-and-down play. This was no more evident than during this week's slate of games. The Blues picked up four of eight points this week and sit four points back of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Tuesday, Nov. 25: Mason Outduels Ellis in Epic

When a player returns to a city where he had played his entire career, you expect some nerves and his team to play well to get him a win. On this night, Chris Mason returned to Nashville for the first time since his trade to the Blues in January and could not have played a better game.

Mason saw 47 shots in regulation and overtime and, with help from a few posts and some timely blocks, not one got past the goal line. Mason played great all game but really stepped it up in overtime.

With only 43 seconds gone in the extra period, Barrett Jackman went off for tripping and the Predators tried to take advantage. The puck was in the Blues' zone for almost the entire man advantage but never did find the net. Mason made five timely saves, the post made two, and defensemen Jay McKee dove in front of a partially open net to swat away another attempt.

In the shootout, David Perron and Brad Boyes beat Dan Ellis with identical moves to put the Blues up 2-0. Mason stood tall and stoned Ville Koistinen to preserve the victory for St. Louis. Nashville outshot the Blues 47 to 17.

Wednesday, Nov. 26: Blues Fall Flat in Family Reunion

The Blues traveled to Colorado for a family reunion as brothers Paul and Yan Stastny played against each other for the first time as professionals. In the end, younger brother Paul's team skated away with the victory.

Daniel Tjarnqvist took a backhand pass from David Jones and beat Manny Leagce at 11:20 of the first period to give the Aves a 1-0 lead. The goal was Tjarnqvist first in two years, his last came on Dec. 28, 2006.

Keith Tkachuk tied the game in the second period with his 510th career goal and 998th career point. Tkachuk took a centering pass off of Colorado's Scott Hannan and buried it past a sprawling Peter Budaj. It was the only tally Budaj gave up as he stopped 21 of 22 shots against.

Ryan Smith's third goal of the season, came on the power play and gave the Aves the lead for good. The power play goals was only the fifth on 25 chances for the Aves in November but it came at a crucial point in the game as the Blues were pressuring for the lead goal.

With 2:11 to play and down 3-1 the Blues had a six-on-four advantage with which to try and tie the game. But Budaj and his defense snuffed out any chance of a comeback and ended the Blues three game win streak.

Saturday, Nov. 29: Blues Lose Grip on Two Goal Lead.

Patrick Berglund returned to the Blues' lineup and provided an instant spark to the offense. With the Blues already up 1-0 in the first period, Berglund used a second chance at the side of the net to score his sixth goal of the season. David Perron assisted on both first period goals to up his team lead in assists to 13.

With all the momentum after the first period the Blues put the game on cruise control and abruptly lost everything. In an eight-minute span, covering the end of the second and beginning of the third periods, the Blues went from leading 2-0 to being down 4-2.

Andrew Cogliano started things off with a grinder's goal, pushing off a defender as he drove to the net and deflecting the shot over the arm of Legace. With 1:35 left in the second, Sheldon Sourey took a face-off win and blasted a shot, through traffic, past Legace to tie the game at two.

Dustin Penner kept the scoring going early in the third when he banged in a rebound attempt on the power play. The onslaught ended three minutes later when Penner deked the entire team into thinking he was going to shoot and than sliding a beautiful feed to Shawn Horcoff for the fourth goal.

This game could have gotten even more out of hand but Manny Legace stopped not one but two Edmonton breakaways in the third period. Dwayne Roloson made 23 straight saves to stymie the Blues offense who had one of their better shooting nights.

Sunday, Nov. 30: Tkachuk Gets 1,000th Point in Blues Victory

The Blues finished up a wild week the way they started it, with a victory from Chris Mason. Mason played another strong game by stopping 28 of 30 shots and put his name into consideration for the top goalie on this team. Mason's two strong performances earned him Third Star status on NHL.com.

But the day was overshadowed in a good way by Keith Tkachuk. After holding a 1-0 lead on a goal by David Backes, the Blues surrendered two goals to once again fall behind in a game they should win.

Tkachuk rescued the game and the teams poor power play with his 1,000th career point. Tkachuk scored the tying goal the same way he has all his career, flying face first to the ice.

After a very generous celebration from Thrasher fans, the game continued and the Blues carried all the momentum. Brad Boyes knocked in a rebound off a shot by Carlo Colaiacovo to give the Blues two power play goals and a 3-2 lead. Jay McClement notched his first goal of the season with an empty netter with a second to play in the game.

The Blues will look to climb above .500 this week as they play three of the next four at home.

Keith Tkachuk and Chris Mason Lead the Blues

Michael Wagenknecht — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 10:25:01 -0500

Forward Keith Tkachuk and Goalie Chris Mason earn this week's honors as Offensive and Defensive players of the week. These two led the Blues to four out of a possible eight points, leaving them two points back of the eighth and final playoff spot.

Keith Tkachuk recorded two goals and an assist, putting him at 1,000 points for his career. Tkachuk got point No. 998 on Wednesday in Colorado. Tkachuk took a centering pass off defensemen Scott Hannan and buried it past Peter Budaj to tie the game at one.

On Saturday, Tkachuk picked up point No. 999 with an assist on the Blues first goal against Edmonton. Tkachuk had many opportunities throughout the game to record point No. 1,000 but Dwayne Roloson made a sprawling stop on a Brad Boyes attempt, on which Tkachuk would have had an assist.

Sunday afternoon Tkachuk made personal history with point No. 1,000. With the Blues trailing 2-1 against Atlanta, Tkachuk knocked in a rebound off a shot by Carlo Colaicovo to become the 71st player in NHL history with 1,000 points. Tkachuk has 511 goals and 489 assists in his career, and this season has 11 goals and five assists.

Chris Mason started the week facing his former team and ended the week as possibly the No. 1 goaltender in St. Louis. Mason went 2-0 with a 1.05 Goals Against Average and a .974 save percentage.

On Tuesday night Mason went up against his former team, the Nashville Predators. Mason stood on his head and stopped all 47 shots he faced in regulation and overtime, with the help of a few posts here and there.

With the Blues only taking 17 shots, this game went to a shootout and Mason stood tall, stopping Rich Peverly and Ville Koistinen to win the game 1-0.

After watching Manny Legace lose the next two games, Mason stepped back in on Sunday to take on the Atlanta Thrashers. After David Backes gave the Blues a 1-0 lead in the first period, Mason surrendered goals to Colby Armstrong and Niclas Havalid. But the Blues stepped up the defensive play and helped Mason stop all 18 shots he faced the rest of the way.

Mason has given up only four goals in his last four games and has not allowed a power play goal in those games. With Mason's strong play and Manny Legace struggling somewhat after a hip injury, the No. 1 spot is up in the air. Look for Mason to get two of the next three starts this week as the Blues play in Minnesota, Calgary and Phoenix.

Brad Boyes, St. Louis Blues Look to Continue Hot Streak

Michael Wagenknecht — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 08:52:17 -0500

After picking up six of a possible ten points over the past week, the St. Louis Blues look to continue their hot hands this week with two road games and two home games.

On November 30th the Blues head to Atlanta for a Sunday matinee. The Thrashers are 8-11-3 this season and are led by superstar Illya Kovalchuk. Kovalchuk has eight goals and 13 assists this season and he has had success versus the Blues with four goals in six games. Johan Hedberg will start between the pipes for Atlanta and will be squaring off against a very tough Chris Mason.

Chris Mason was spectacular against his former team on Tuesday night stopping all 47 shots he faced in regulation and overtime. Brad Boyes has two goals and six assists in eight career games versus Atlanta. Keith Tkachuk returns to Atlanta for the first time since leaving after the 2006-07 season.

The Blues return to Minnesota on Wednesday, December 3rd to build on their 2-1 win there on November 22nd. The Blues were led by Brad Boyes, who collected both goals, and goalie Chris Mason, who stopped a than season high 31 shots.

The Wild will continue to play without star foreward Marian Gaborik but that has not stopped them from putting up big numbers. Mikko Koivu scored the game winning goal on Friday afternoon to beat Tampa Bay as he boosted his team leading point total to 21. Stephane Veilluex scored the lone Wild goal in the previous meeting.

The Blues return home on Friday, December 5th to face former coach Mike Keenan and the Calgary Flames. The Flames won the season series last year 3-1, outscoring the Blues 15 to 10 in those games.

Manny Legace is 1-2-0 versus Calgary in his Blues career, allowing 12 goals in those games. Miikka Kiprusoff has been as good as good can be against the Blues in his career. He has posted a 2.23 Goals Against Average in 16 games with a record of 11-3-1.

The Blues will wrap up the week with a visit from the Great One and his Coyotes. The Coyotes have been a pleasant surprise this season with all of their young talent. Olli Jokinen will be out 4-6 weeks with a shoulder injury so the youngsters will really have to carry this team.

Ilya Bryzgalov has been sensational since being picked up on waivers from Anaheim last season. Bryzgalov is 33-31-6 while only allowing 173 goals. Shane Doan leads the team with 11 goals and nine assists and will be looked at as the leader of this team with Jokinen on the injured reserve.

Over the past two seasons the Coyotes have been a real nemesis for this Blues team. The Blues are 1-6-1 in those eight games allowing 23 goals while only scoring 16. This is a bottom feeding team that the Blues need to beat in order to make the playoffs.

St. Louis Blues Travel To Nashville for Prime Time Game

Michael Wagenknecht — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 09:49:31 -0500

The Blues travel to Nashville tonight to take on the Predators at 6 p.m. Central on Versus. The Blues are coming off of a 2-1 victory of Minnesota on Saturday night. Brad Boyes netted goals nine and ten and Chris Mason stopped 31-of-32 shots in the victory.

The Predators thrashed the Carolina Hurricanes 5-2 on Sunday afternoon. Shea Weber and Jason Arnott had two goals apiece, and Martin Erat added two helpers. Dan Ellis rebounded from back-to-back poor performances by stopping 24-of-26 shots.

The Blues defeated the Preds 5-2 at home to open the season. Keith Tkachuk started this season off fast by scoring two goals in that game. Tkachuk has 16 goals and 22 assists in 41 career games versus Nashville. Manny Legace will start in goal tonight and he is 12-7-0 career against the Preds with a 2.16 goals against average.

The Predators are 4-2 in their last six games and currently sit tied for third in the Central with 21 points. Shea Weber and Jason Arnott are tied for the team lead with 10 goals. Jason Arnott has ten goals against St. Louis in his career and Dan Ellis is 2-1-0 with a 3.06 GAA against the Blues.

With a victory tonight, the Blues can climb over .500 and go 3-0-0 since Andy McDonald went down with a fractured ankle. Paul Kariya and Patrick Berglund have not been ruled in or out for tonight's game at this time.

St. Louis Blues Pick Up Five of Six Points in a Surprising Week

Michael Wagenknecht — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 07:48:14 -0500

In a week in which points were hard to find, the Blues managed to pick up five of a possible six.

With the amount of serious injuries afflicting this team, it seemed that this AHL look-alike squad would barely keep its head above water.

But, as we have come to expect this season, nothing is what it seems—and the youngsters have shown they have something to prove.

Sunday, November 16th: Canadiens visit as they celebrate 100 years

This was a game of highs and lows like no other.

First, to the highs. Steve Regier made himself known by scoring two goals in his Blues debut. The Blues also were able to kill off ten Montreal power plays—including one in overtime. Manny Legace stopped 24 shots and is starting to look like his old self in the net.

On the other side of the coin, the Blues lost Andy McDonald for eight weeks when he lost an edge and crashed into the boards. McDonald fractured his ankle, but an MRI revealed that surgery will not be needed.

The shootout woes for the Blues returned as well. All three shooters failed to put one past Carey Price. Alexei Kovalev beat Legace on Montreal's third shot to give them the win.

Friday, November 21: Blues unveil third jerseys

BJ Crombeen and Travis Moen dropped the gloves three seconds in to set the tone for the night, as there were three fights in the first period. The Blues' power play got back on track, going 2-5 against a very solid Anahiem defense. Steve Regier put in another goal and David Backes finally got back on the scoresheet, as the Blues took a 2-1 lead halfway through the third period.

But a questionable call cost the Blues the game in regulation, as Jay McKee was sent to the box with 1:23 to go. A mad scramble in front of the net with two seconds to go allowed Scott Niedermeyer to scoot the puck past Chris Mason for the tying goal.

In overtime, Lee Stempniak took the puck from center ice and beat a trio of defensemen to score the game-winning goal. With Chris Pronger coming off the bench, Stempniak cut to his left and rifled the puck between Pronger's legs, surprising J-S Giguere enough to let the puck slip in.

Saturday, November 22: - Mason's First Win

Chris Mason's season didn't start the way he wanted it to, but Saturday night he showed glimpses of what it will be the rest of the way. Mason allowed only one goal on 32 shots to notch his first win wearing the Blue Note.

Without speedster Marian Gaborik, the Minnesota Wild have struggled to score goals—and that was readily evident in this game.

After taking a 1-0 lead on a Stephane Veilleux goal, the Wild let Brad Boyes go wild on them. Forty-four seconds after Veilleux's goal Boyes knocked a rebound past Niklas Backstrom to tie the game. Twelve minutes later, Boyes was allowed to walk off the boards and unleashed a laser shot to the upper-right corner for a 2-1 Blues lead.

One night after giving up a power-play goal in the final seconds, the Blues found themselves in the same exact position Saturday night. David Backes took a five-minute boarding call with one minute to play and set up a six-on-four opportunity for the Wild. Mason, with the help of a stellar defensive corps, only needed to stop two shots to secure the victory for the Blues.

The Blues look to keep the point streak going tonight as they face off in Nashville against the Predators at 6:00 Central on Versus.

Blues Trade Lee Stempniak To Toronto For Steen and Colaiacovo.

Michael Wagenknecht — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 09:40:17 -0500

In an effort to shore up a depleted center position, the St. Louis Blues dealt former 27 goal scorer Lee Stempniak to Toronto in exchange for center Alexander Steen and defensemen Carlo Colaiacovo.

With Andy McDonald sidelined with a broken ankle and both TJ Oshie and Patrick Berglund fighting injuries of their own the Blues needed to find a veteran center to help this team compete.

Stempniak was deemed tradeable with the emergence of Steve Regier, who has scored three goals in his first two games with the Blues this year. With Regier being under team control for the next few years, it was easy to see why the Blues would keep a player with comparable upside and under team control over a player who would command a multi-million dollar deal after the season.

Colaiacovo had fallen out of favor very quickly in Toronto after being a first round pick in 2001.

Blues President John Davidson believes that "Carlo is a solid two-way defensman and will add depth to our blueline." If the Blues are to win this trade Colaiacovo has to do more than he has shown so far in his career. With only 33 career points in 111 games Colaiacovo will not be looked at as a offensive force, but can be very good at shutting down opponents top offensive threats.

Steen is going to be called upon to be the No. 1 center for the Blues. While only recording four points this season Steen has been a consistent scorer in the past and, paired with Brad Boyes and Keith Tkachuk, could put up career numbers.

The upside on Steen is that he can shift over to the wing when players such as McDonald and Paul Kariya return allowing the Blues to have a more veteran lineup deeper into the season.

Lee Stempniak had a breakout year in 2006-07 with his 27 goals and 25 assists but has not had the same production since. A knee injury earlier this season limited Stempniak but he has started to pick up his scoring in the last two weeks.

Stempniak has scored all three of his goals and eight of his 10 assists in his last seven games. The Maple Leafs are acquiring a class act and Lee will shine in Ron Wilson's system.

This trade is a bit hard to swallow here in St. Louis but with the injuries the Blues have suffered so far it is a needed trade. Stempniak may regain his form from two years ago but getting two for the price of one softens the blow a little bit.

If Colaiacovo stays healthy and Steen finds it easy to play with Boyes and Tkachuk this could be a huge steal for Davidson and the Blues. Only time will tell but this trade could help both teams short term and long term.

St. Louis Blues Preview: Ducks, Predators, and Avalanche, Oh My!

Michael Wagenknecht — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:38:11 -0500

The injury bug continues to plague the St. Louis Blues, as Andy McDonald is now out eight weeks with a fractured ankle. This comes at a time when the Blues will need all the firepower they can get. Starting Friday, the Blues will play four games in the next six nights.

Friday night, the Blues host the Anaheim Ducks in their first visit to St. Louis this season. The Ducks defeated the Blues 5-2 on Nov. 5 in Anaheim. The Ducks fell to the Washington Capitals 6-4 on Wednesday night, and now sit at 10-8-2—which is good for fifth in the Western Conference.

For the Blues, this game will be the first since they were beaten by Montreal in a shootout on Sunday. The tandem of Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry continue to lead the Ducks attack, accounting for 47 points in 20 games. The Blues' leading healthy scorers continue to be Brad Boyes with eight goals and seven assists, and Keith Tkachuk with nine goals and three assists.

The Blues will unveil their third jerseys in this game as well. After the game, the Ducks will travel to Dallas for a Saturday night matchup against the Stars, while the Blues will travel to Minnesota to play the Wild.

Saturday night, the Blues face off against red-hot Niklas Backstrom and the Minnesota Wild. Backstrom has won three straight games and has posted a .961 save percentage in doing so. The Blues should counter with Chris Mason, being that this is the second night of back-to-back games. Mason has yet to record a win this season, but was very impressive when he replaced Manny Legace in Buffalo and allowed only one goal on 25 shots.

The Blues will not have to deal with past nemeses Pavol Demitra or Brian Rolston, as both have moved on to different teams. The next two guys to watch for will be Mikka Koivu and Antii Miettinen. Koivu has 13 assists in 16 games, while Miettinen has six goals and six assists.

Lee Stempniak has three goals and three assists in 11 career games versus the Wild. Chris Mason is 1-2-2 in his career versus the Wild, giving up 4.40 goals per game. This will be the first meeting between these two teams this year.

On Tuesday, Nov. 25, the Blues will be in Tennessee to battle their newest rival, the Nashville Predators. The Blues opened the season by pasting the Preds 5-2 at Scottrade Center. This will be St. Louis' first visit to Nashville this year, and they will be looking to end a three-game winless streak at the Sommet Center. The Predators are 9-8-1 this season, but are 5-2-0 at home this year.

Rookie goalie Pekka Rinne was called up in October and has brought life back to the position in Nashville. Rinne has played in four games this season, and has posted a 2-0-0 record with a 3.77 goals-against average—but has never faced St. Louis.

In his one-and-a-half years in St. Louis, Brad Boyes has feasted on Nashville, putting up seven goals and an assist in 11 games, while Paul Kariya is taking it to his old team with one goal and seven assists in nine games. Manny Legace is only .500 in his time in St. Louis against Nashville. He is 4-4-4, but has only allowed 2.23 goals per game. This is the first nationally televised game of the year for the Blues.

The week concludes Wednesday night in Colorado against the Avalanche. This will be the only game in 2008 for the Blues against Colorado, as the rest come after the first of the year. The Avalanche are finally getting solid goaltending from Peter Budaj, who has won three of his last four, giving up only six goals in those games.

The Aves just locked up their leading scorer this week to a five-year extension. Paul Statsny leads the team with 15 points—three goals, and 12 assists. Colorado is one of the lowest-scoring teams in the league this year, scoring only 45 goals this season.

The newest Blues, Steve Regier and Cam Paddock, look to continue their hot starts after both scored goals in their debuts this year. Even though they are playing on the third lines, these two have both contributed effort and points in the games they have played.

This is the second back-to-back set of games this week—so once again, Chris Mason should start this one. The Blues are 1-1 in the second game of back-to-back games this season.

Of the eight potential points up for grabs this week, the Blues should get at least five of them. If they can come out of this week 2-1-1 with all the injuries they have accumulated, they can position themselves to make a run when the likes of Kariya and Oshie return in the coming weeks.

Check back next week for another week's worth of analysis.

Blues Youth Movement Underway

Michael Wagenknecht — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 10:46:09 -0500

The St. Louis Blues youth movement is underway and it is definitely showing. After 13 games this season the Blues sit at 5-7-1, for a total of 11 points. This leaves them dead last in the Western Conference.

Even though it may seem like a disappointment, this season has provided some great moments and glimpses of many great days ahead.

Forwards:

At the start of the season one name dominated the talk of the Blues forwards. TJ Oshie's debut was the most highly anticipated event of this season and he has yet to disappoint.

Oshie has played in 10 games this season and has two goals and two assists. His motor has been incredible and he seems to give 110 percent every shift of every game. Unfortunately Oshie was injured in a game against Pittsburgh and has missed the last three with a high ankle sprain.

Patrik Berglund is also a rookie that is surprising this year. Berglund started off slowly this season but has caught fire in the last five games. In those games Berglund has tallied three goals, two assists, and has a plus-2 rating.

If Berglund continues his physical and smart play he could wind up winning the Calder Trophy as the top rookie this year.

One forward who has stepped it up this year is Andy McDonald. McDonald's speed has been impressive this year and has led to his four goals and 12 assists so far. If line-mate Brad Boyes continues his scoring ways and Lee Stempniak reverts back to his 2006 self, then McDonald can put up huge numbers.

On the flip side is the play of David Perron. Perron has shown flashes of brilliance in his sharp passes, leading to his eight assists. But his lack of consistency is troubling.

Perron has yet to score a goal and at times seems like he is holding onto the puck too long in order to get that goal. Perron has soft hands and can handle the puck, but he needs to see that he doesn't have to be the man just yet in St. Louis.

Defense

The defense for the Blues took a huge hit before the season even started when Erik Johnson went down with a torn ACL at a local golf charity event. That followed with Jeff Woywitka going down with an injury and opening the door for 2008 first round draft pick Alex Pietrangelo.

Pietrangelo has so far impressed this year and he is playing for a spot season-long on this team. Pietrangelo has only recorded one point this season but it's been his play in the defensive zone that has truly shown his talent.

He has been a shut down defender and has shown an aptitude for making the smart pass out of the zone every time.

Captain Eric Brewer has been a different story though. Brewer is a minus-10 this season and at times seems lost on the ice. Bad passes, lack of focus, and poor shot selection have made many wonder if he is giving his all on every shift. The talent is there but the leadership and focus have been lacking out on the ice.

Goalies

The goaltender position has been hit hard by injuries this year. From Manny Legace getting hurt by slipping on a carpet, to Chris Mason's emergency appendectomy it has been a wild ride in just 13 games. But this has allowed a glimpse into the future of Ben Bishop, and it was a pleasant sight.

Manny Legace is 4-3-0 and has a 3.13 goals against average and has looked decent in those games. He has not looked as dominant as he was last year but he is coming off of knee surgery in the off-season. Legace appears to be gaining momentum and that should help stabilize this team going forward.

Chris Mason was supposed to come in and contend for the starting job this season but he is currently 0-4. Mason has not looked bad and has been a victim of poor goal support this year. Mason should push Legace to his best and that also will help this team throughout the season.

Power Play

Andy Murray started the season by deploying five forwards on the power play and in the beginning it worked impressively. The unit scored nine goals in 25 attempts but has scored only five in 32 attempts since.

With Lee Stempniak and now Paul Kariya going down with injuries the Blues have had to change up the units and now only use four forwards on the power play.

Penalty Kill

The Blues penalty kill sits at 81 percent so far this season, but it has been far from impressive. Some games it looks like there are six or seven guys out there killing the penalty and other times it looks like just the goalie.

While the goalie is the best penalty killer on the team, having so many changes to the position has not helped either.

One player who has looked great on the kill is TJ Oshie. In Toronto Oshie helped kill off a four minute five-on-four with a two minute five-on-three mixed in. Oshie was all over the ice and forced the Leafs into bad passes and bad shots.

Pairing Oshie and Jay McClement on the PK could help the kill percentage reach the top of the league.

Overview

Overall the Blues look like a team who has young talent. They struggle at times, yet show some signs of being really good really soon.

Keith Tkachuk looks rejuvenated and Paul Kariya looks faster than last year.

While the playoffs seem very far out of reach, do not be surprised if this team fights for a berth all the way to the end. This is just the start of what could be a very good team for years to come.