Bleacher Report - Articles by Jason Besancenez

December Will Be a Shootout: St.Louis Blues Are Ready To Flip the Coin

Jason Besancenez — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:45:36 -0500

As the last two years have proven, the St. Louis Blues (11-10-5 27pts) have experienced major trouble in December. St. Louis is (9-16-4) total for the month of December.

The Blues will look to flip the numbers around and find that scoring touch. David Perron leads the team currently with nine goals. Erik Johson leads the team with 14 assists and 18 points.

The Blues are (5-4-1) in their last 10. They went (5-4-4) in the month of November. They are coming off a glorious third-period comeback victory against the San Jose Sharks to start December off. T.J. Oshies goal clinched the victory in the shootout.

Andy Murray's club has shown character against some difficult teams this year. Their resilience has attributed to their fantastic road record (6-2-3). Though they continue to struggle at home (5-8-2).

Erik Johnson has been exceptional for the Blues this year. He has shown a toughness that we were unable to acknowledge last year due to his injury. He has been hit all year long and never seems to miss a shift.

David Perron after a slow start now leads the team in goals with nine. He has made some cleverly stylish plays this year. David has used his size, speed, as well as his amazing stick-handling abilities to put the puck in the net.

I look for Patrik Berglund to start picking up his game in the month of December. Last year Berglund had his best month of the year. He had 13 points: six goals, seven assists, with a plus four. So look for a turn around this month from Berglund.

The next three games will be key for the Blues success in December. They have a strong record verse the West (9-6-3).

They will face the Los Angeles Kings (17-10-2 36 pts), Colorado Avalanche (15-9-6 36 pts), and Detroit Red Wings (13-10-4 30 pts).

The defense has played a big role for the Blues success all year long. St. Louis is ranked fourth with (84.6%) in the NHL on the penalty kill.

Goaltending has been really strong for the Blues this year. Chris Mason (2.29 goals against average), and Ty Conklin (2.26 goals against average) have been stellar for the team. Their strong play has provided a chance to win in almost every game this year.

Their defense has been strong with a plus/minus of plus twelve this year. The Erik Johnson effect has taken place.

Let us compare the Blues next three opponents goals against St.Louis goaltending, and you will find St. Louis has the advantage.

Blues: 69 goals against

Kings: 87 goals against

Avalanche: 92 goals against

Red Wings: 77 goals against

Give Me My Fruit Cup: The Blues Might Need To Feed The Kids More Fruit

Jason Besancenez — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 20:50:22 -0400

The St. Louis Blues (2-2-1) started the season with two straight victories against the forever dominant Red Wings. But since leaving Sweden, and coming back home to the United States, the Blues have been struggling to earn a victory.

Andy Murray's club just seems to be flat on their fancy heels from the drop of the puck. I'm starting to think they might need someone to generate some offense in the first period. Just maybe Andy Murray can reward them with some consequences for horribly slow first period starts?

I don't think it's hard to realize that St.Louis has a heavy school bus full of young talent. They need to start playing like the super group that they are. As fans are naming their dogs Oshie, and his jersey's are selling in record numbers, Oshie has not produced.

T.J. Oshie has to be skating backwards throughout the entire game in order to be number one in penalty minutes! Mr.Oshie has (0 goals, one assist, one point -2) with a team leading six penalty minutes. He has only produced four shots in five games this year.

Patrik Berglund, and David Perron have been struggling early this season. The famous "Kid Line" have been lacking their brilliance of a year ago. Between Oshie, Berglund, and Perron they have (one goal, one assist, two points -9) this season.

I'm asking myself some silly questions about these youngsters like:

1) Are they possibly having to much ice time on their X-Box 360?

2) Could they possibly be chatting on facebook, or myspace for too long?

3) Do they possibly sneak out of their hotel rooms for drinks the night before a game?

These are three relative questions any fan of a young hockey player must ask themselves. I do understand that athletes try to maintain a message of positivity. So my three questions are purely sarcastic, and humorous.

So hopefully at home games the fans will drop off a team number of firewood so management can light a fire under their players rear ends for their inconsistent play. St.Louis has a total of 35 shots in the first period through five games. Compare that to their 62 shots in the second period, and 47 third period shots.

The Besancenez Bottom Line :

1) multiple heroes throughout the season

2) get that fire burning early... quick leads in the first period

3) consistency, and smart play

4) a back up generator for the "Kid Line"

5) feed T.J. Oshie more fruit cups per day

Besancenez Bottom Line: Blues Will Be Accountable For Their Success

Jason Besancenez — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:33:01 -0400

The St.Louis Blues have started the season on a positive note. They rallied to beat Detroit twice in Sweden. So that has put them in first place (2-0) sending the Red Wings to the bottom at (0-2). St.Louis are one of seven undefeated teams in the NHL at the moment.

Andy Murray looks for his team continue their winning ways against Atlanta in their home opener in St.Louis tonight at Scott Trade Center. But the team must realize that they need a better 1st period.

In the first two games St.Louis started slowly in the first period. The Blues managed only 16 shots total for both games in the 1st period. They scored two goals total for both first periods.

But there was a definite glow on the ice when Paul Kariya, or Eric Johnson had the puck. Paul Kariya has posted good numbers for the first two games. He has four points (2g 2a +1) Eric Johnson is looking in top form also with two points (0g 2a +4) Johnson's +/- is ranked second among NHL defenseman.

Keith Tkachuk has provided his scoring touch with 4 points (2g 2a) both goals coming on the powerplay. Keith received the NHL 3rd Star honor for the week.

The things that St.Louis needs to improve on are still very obvious. They are taking to many penalties. They were forced to kill off 8 of 10 Detroit power plays in the last 2 games.

In order to fine tune this new machine the Blues must get shots on goal from their defense. St.Louis defense only managed 10 shots (six shots were by Eric Johnson)and they produced no goals from any of these shots.

The St.Louis powerplay did look much more dangerous than last year. They recorded four goals on nine opportunities. The likes of Kariya,Johnson,Tkachuk, and McDonald have played an early role in this success. Tkachuk, and McDonald have three of the four powerplay goals.

Split goaltending was a huge factor in the two victories over Detroit. Chris Mason (1-0 3.00 GAA on 34 shots .912 save%)was outstanding against the 11 time Stanley Cup Champions. Chris was no less than stellar in his first victory of the year. Ty Conklin(1-0 3.00 GAA on 33 shots .909 save%) was victorious in his first start against his old team.

Let's rewind to the Blues record thru the first five games of the last two seasons. In both seasons the Blues started well going 4-1, and last year the Blues went into their 1st game against Detroit with that record. They lost, and went 2-7-1 the next 10 games.

Moving towards the next three games against Atlanta, LA, and Phoenix. I believe that if St.Louis responds in correcting the mistakes that are visible; the Blues will win these 3 games. Which would improve them to a 5-0 record.

" Besancenez Bottom Line "

1) First period play must improve: the team needs 60 minutes of solid play.

2) Fewer Penalties: St.Louis killed off eight of 10 power plays the last two games.

3) Physical Play must continue: St.Louis outhit Detroit 73 to 60 in the two games.

4) Puck Transition: the defense needs to make clean outlet passes to limit shots, and produce attack time.

5) Solid goaltending: Chris Mason, and Ty Conklin need to continue making timely saves that keep their team in the games.

"Lets Go Blues"

St. Louis Blues 2008-09 Season Review: Milestones and Mayhem

Jason Besancenez — Fri, 15 May 2009 01:30:03 -0400

It's funny how good teams come together. When everything seems to be going wrong for the moment; when the skeptics, and mainstream media, doubt your capabilities and your ever-precious heart; good teams still emerge.

I would say that the St. Louis Blues had to overcome the same feelings in the 2008-09 season.

As the season began injuries starting changing the Blues line up. The Blues traded a great player Lee Stempniak to Toronto for forward Alex Steen, and defensemen Carlo Colaiacovo.

The Blues were minus Eric Johnson the entire season. They never really had an offensive threat on defense the whole season. They dearly missed Johnson in the season, and playoffs.

But with Manny Legace being sent on waivers. Chris Mason took over, and took control of the last half of the season. Which in turn led their team to finish 3rd in the Central Division, and 15th overall with a record of 41-31-10, for 92 points. That's so much better than last year, when they ended the season with a 79-point record (33-36-13); and did not make the playoffs.

They finished the season scoring 233 goals, and allowing the same of 233 goals. They ended with a 20.45 percent on the powerplay, and 83.42 percent on the penalty kill.

The Blues had many fortunate accomplishments:

Milestones:

Keith Tkachuk played in the All-Star Game for the Blues, and Patrik Berglund [rookie team] and David Perron [sophomore team] were also invited to the weekend's activities.
Andy McDonald scored his 300th NHL point on Oct. 13th vs. Toronto
Brad Boyes scored his 100th NHL goal on Dec. 8th VS. Nashville
Patrik Berglund scored the Blues 10,000th Franchise goal on Nov. 1st vs. Pittsburgh
Chris Mason recorded his 16th career NHL shutout on Feb. 13th vs. Chicago
Keith Tkachuk recorded his 1,000 career point on Nov. 30th vs. Atlanta
Coach Andy Murray secured his 300th career NHL team victory on Feb. 19th vs. Nashville.

The big surprise for most hockey fans was the fact that the St. Louis Blues made the playoffs. They were noted many times as being the underdog of the NHL.

St. Louis proved many people wrong, and they showed so much to their fans, and their community. These guys are very generous with their time, and they sponsor many charities that have helped many people in the Missouri area. I tip my hats to the team for giving back.

Here's a quick rundown on the team leaders for 2008-09 season:

Goals - Brad Boyes (33)

Assists- Brad Boyes (39)

Points- Brad Boyes (72)

PP - Brad Boyes (16)

SHG -Jay McClement (3)

GW - Brad Boyes (11)

+/- Patrik Berglund (+19)

PIM - David Backes (165)

Chris Mason finished the regular season with a 27-21-7 record, a 2.41 goals-against average, a save percentage of .916, and six shutouts. Despite the 0-4 record in the playoffs, he had an impressive 2.34 goals-against average and .916 save percentage.

The St. Louis Blues 2008-09 season was filled with many players that showed up to win. The rookies proved deserving including names like Patrik Berglund (21 goals, 26 assist, 47 points, and +19 for the 76 games played), and T.J. Oshie (14 goals, 25 assist,39 points, and +16 for the 57 games played).

David Backes was the most surprising scoring threat on this young Blues team. He netted 31 goals which ranked 2nd best behind Boyes (33). Backes was one of the four players (Backes, Boyes, McClement, Jackman) that played the entire 82 games of the season. He finished with (31 goals, 23 assists, 54 points) in the teams Top five shot percentage ranking at 14.9 percent.

Brad Boyes (33), Keith Tkachuk (25), David Perron (15), Andy McDonald (15),and Patrik Berglund (21) kept the Blues scoring. These players all reached 15 goals or more by the end of the season.

Brad Winchester (13), T.J. Oshie (14), Jay McClement (12), B.J. Crombeen (12) also had a huge part in the Blues success. They all had twenty or more points for the season. These guys also provided the well known gritty style play that the Blues have always established throughout the years.

I think its safe to say that next year is a whole new year. This Blues hockey team means business. As they opened up their hearts to hockey fans all around the globe. They play a fast, physical, edgy style of hockey that is contagious with youth. Not to mention they have plenty youth.

I think it's a lesson learned knowing how bad it felt for them to lose in the 1st round of the playoffs. They were fortunate to be their, and their spirits were high.

The Blues organization is aware of the things they need to improve on. They need defensemen that can score like an Eric Johnson. The team has many young players in the minors that will eventually fill these voids. Alex Petriangelo, and Ian Cole will definitely see ice time in a Blues uniform sooner or later.

I send a salute and a cheer out to the St. Louis Blues! They were the most entertaining team to watch this year. They didnt have the 50-goal scorers, or the top-ranked goalie, but they had the biggest heart of them all.

Andy Murray: Update on New Line Combinations

Jason Besancenez — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 12:09:12 -0400

There are many things some people may choose to call Andy Murray, but a loser is not one of them. That is if you know anything at all about Andy Murray. Like for instance..did you know that Murray in his first 12 games as head coach of the Blues, tied an NHL modern era record for most consecutive games without allowing a first period goal, since the Los Angeles Kings did it in 1974-75. Murray has over 30 years of coaching experience,including seven seasons as an NHL assistant or associate coach with the Winnipeg Jets(1993-95), Minnesota North Stars(1990-92) and Philadelphia Flyers(1988-90). As an assistant coach in Minnesota,Murray reached the Stanley Cup Finals in 1991. He is the only head coach to lead Team Canada to 3 IIHF World Hockey Championship titles. Murray captured gold medals in 1997, 2003, 2007. In the 2007 run, Canada went 9-0 during the tournament for the first time since 1937 when the Championships were held in London,England. I could go on, and on about what Andy Murray has done, but I will stop there. Lets give you the update on the possible new line configurations for game four in St.Louis....

Begin Slideshow

St. Louis Blues Looking To Stay Alive and Beat the Odds Against Vancouver

Jason Besancenez — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 05:34:05 -0400

Here we go again for the Blues. They have put themselves in a hole similar to the beginning of the season.

Except this time, they are needing a four-game win streak to stay in the playoffs. Vancouver has got St. Louis right where they want them; the Blues are down 3-0 in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

There is no better time than now to start winning. Besides, they have nothing to lose except the series. They can either dig the hole deeper and go ride the golf carts in the offseason, or they can get their game together and win four straight.

I think they would rather not have to watch the finals of American Idol when they could be playing the game of hockey for the Cup. Yet Vancouver has had the better of the Blues all three games.

If we take a look at the stats for the combined games, we can see Vancouver has a slight edge.

Vancouver St. Louis

Shots= 84 82

Goals= 8 3

PP= 4-16 1-17

Penalties= 23 23

Faceoffs won= 96 92

Hits= 68 82

+/- +11 -11

Blocked shots= 39 43

The best player on the ice is Roberto Luongo. He is 3-0 in the playoffs and continues make the Blues frustrated. He has only allowed three goals on 82 shots.

Mason has been solid but still can't get a win. He has made a lot of big saves when needed. He has allowed eight goals on 84 shots (one of them was an empty net goal).

St. Louis has mentioned Paul Kariya possibly coming back for game four. That might help the Blues with opportunities to score. But if they don't stop getting bad penalties, they will find themselves in a bigger mess. Vancouver has had just as many penalties, but has had a great penalty kill.

Its seems to me that Vancouver has just capitalized on their chances while St. Louis hasn't. The difference is really a simple fact of anticipating the play better than the other team and sustaining pressure in the offensive zone.

But we all know it's easy for us to write these observations for everyone to read. Yet it's a whole different story coming up with the results on the ice.

I do know one thing. St. Louis has spoiled their fans with their winning style for the second half of the season (25-9-7). They went 9-1 the last 10 games and have been a sight for sore eyes, to say the least.

They made the postseason and are now once again struggling, but the fact that they are there means it's not really so negative after all. They know they will have to overcome adversity and get some redemption in this series.

Last time I checked, it's a seven-game series. Go Blues!

Blues Powerplay Falls Short: Vancouver Wins Game One

Jason Besancenez — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 10:43:46 -0400

Special teams were supposed to be a key factor for the success of the St.Louis Blues in this round one playoff series against the Canucks.

But instead for the Blues the power play well was dry last night in Vancouver. The Blues had seven power play chances (including a five on three). They only converted on one where Brad Boyes waited till the second period to tally his first postseason notch.

Daniel Sedin scored Vancouver's first goal on a delayed penalty at 10:03 of the first period, assisted by Demitra, and Edler.

The Canucks then struck again in the second period when Sami Salo's slap shot found its way into the net for a powerplay goal, assisted by Daniel, and Henrik Sedin.

That put Vancouver in the driver's seat for the rest of the game.

Brad Boyes finally put one on the board for St.Louis in the second to cut the lead to 2-1 Vancouver.

But St.Louis was out-shot in the third period 15-6 by the Canucks.

St.Louis coach Andy Murray mixed his lines up in the second period, and it did create more Canucks penalties. But the Blues just could'nt capitalize on the chances.

Robert Luongo played very solidly once again to get the victory. He stopped Andy McDonald twice in the game on two good chances.

"I did'nt get it up, he did a good job getting over, but I have to get the puck up," said McDonald.

Luongo stopped 25 out of 26 shots by the Blues. While Chris Mason also played pretty steady, and stopped 29 of 31 shots by the Canucks.

Vancouver gave St.Louis a massive amount of chances by taking so many penalties.

St.Louis will have to make some adjustments on Friday in order to steal a road victory.

Vancouver is 14-1-1 at home since Feb.1 , so St.Louis will have to execute when they have these chances.

"This game was about encouragement rather than discouragement," Murray said. "The first 40 minutes we had multiple opportunities and our power play couldn't take advantage. But you get power plays because you fore-check and play hard."

I would assume the Blues will make the right adjustments, and bounce back for the next game. That's one thing St. Louis has done very well this year. They know that last game is over, and they focus on the game at hand. That's one mindset that got them where they are now.

Andy Murray isn't coach of the year for his good looks! It's solely because he knows what he's doing.

The Kid Line (Perron, Oshie, Berglund) will have to pick up their play in order for this team to win games.

Perron only had two shots and four penalty minutes.

Oshie had one shot and two penalty minutes.

Berglund had just one shot also and two penalty minutes.

Another key note is that St. Louis will have to stop Daniel Sedin; he had six shots on goal.

Vancouver used their big forwards to create confusion in front of Mason. That is exactly what St. Louis will have to do in order to get anything past Luongo.

Vancouver had a total of 11 penalties in the first game (St.Louis had nine).

I think if either team wants to remain successful in the playoffs, they will have to refrain from so many players sitting in the box.

One good thing for St. Louis was that Chris Mason played a great game and kept his team in the game.

As long as Mason continues his good play. His team will find ways to get the puck in the net. It's a matter of time before the offense will have the game-plan that is the answer against this tough Vancouver team.

Go Blues!

Can St.Louis Clinch It?: Let's Go Blues, Let's Go

Jason Besancenez — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 08:32:23 -0400

This year the St. Louis Blues have been commonly labeled the underdog of hockey. While battling injuries to key players throughout the year, they have put together a remarkable season.

St.Louis is (39-31-10) with 88points; which sits them in the eighth spot of the Western Conference. Leaves them tied with Anaheim,and Nashville for a possible postseason appearance.

St.Louis, and Anaheim have two games left, while Nashville has one game left in the regular season.

If Nashville loses their game tonight ,St.Louis will just need to win against Columbus to clinch the playoffs.

The Blues find themselves in St.Louis facing the Columbus Blue Jackets(41-29-10) who have just clinched clinched their first postseason ever, and the Blues will try to sneak in after a five year drought.

Andy Murray's Bluenotes finds their team needing three points to secure a happy landing in "Playoff Land."

The Blues are looking for their seventh straight home victory. The Blues have won four straight at home.

Columbus is (0-5-1) in St.Louis since a 4-1 victory on March 27,2007.

St.Louis have really played well against Columbus this year with a record of (4-1-0).

In the five games played against Columbus, the Blues have out scored Columbus (21-13); that's a margin of eight goals.

Eight of those Blues 21 goals came on special teams (six power play, two shorthanded).

St.Louis is ranked eighth on its power play, and ranked third on its penalty kill.

Columbus on the other hand is ranked thirteith on its power play, and ranked eleventh on penalty kill.

The Blues have played well as of late compiling seven victories in its last nine games.They also finished a five game road trip in which they went (3-1-1).

The last home game the Blues played was ironically against Columbus. The Blues were victorious by a score of 4-3 in the shoot out.

Chris Mason will look to keep up the good work against these Blue Jackets. In the four games he has a (3-1-0) record, with a 2.93 goals against average. Mason's record stands tall lifetime against them with a (12-2-0-1) record, with a 2.07 goals against average, .936 save percentage, and one shut out.

Columbus has Steve Mason (33-18-7) with a 2.23 goals against average, and 10 shut outs for the year.

But Steve Mason has struggled with the Blues in four games this year. His record in those four games is (1-3-0-1) with a 3.75 goals against average, and a save percentage of only .850% (has allowed 19 goals in these four games).

Nobody can pin point who the hero will be for either team. But for the Blues its a must win situation. The Blue Jackets are already going to the postseason, but they wont be coming to St.Louis for a cup of tea..and they know it!

Players to watch for St.Louis would include Alex Steen, Brad Boyes, David Perron, T.J. "King" Oshie. Steen has six points (3 g 3 a) in five games against Columbus, Boyes has five points (3 g 2 a) including one game winner, Perron has five points (1 g 4 a) ,with two game winners, "King" Oshie has played four games against Columbus, and he has four points (3 g 1 a) also not to mention two huge hits on Rick Nash.

Players to watch for Columbus would include Rick Nash, A. Vermette,R.J. Umberger, K. Huselius(though Huselius is questionable due to a possible concussion).

Nash has seven points (3 g 4 a) in five games against the Blues, Vermette has one point (1 g 0 a) in three games, Huselius has two points(1 g 1 a) in five games, Umberger has two points(1 g 1 a) in five games this year against the Blues.

In my oppinion this game for St.Louis will be symbolic of how hard this team works, and how far they will go to be best they can every night. It will show the Blues fans and foes that they mean business, and can seal the deal.

I think the Blues would love to put to rest the "underdog theme" of this year. Show everyone that they are an example of a commitment to the team, and that their belief in each other is just as important as their skills.

With the solid game play of the St.Louis Blues peaking all at once, these three tiny points might just turn out to be a huge four points.

"Let's Go Blues, Let's Go!"

St.Louis Blues: Speed, Magical Youth, and Toughness

Jason Besancenez — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 16:26:47 -0400

The St.Louis Blues are hanging on to their playoff hopes. St.Louis starts their final four road games, for a run to the postseason.

St.Louis has a record of 38-31-9 for 85 points. They are 10-5-1 from March 3,2009-April 2,2009.

The Blues will face Dallas tonight at 7:00 PM on the road. St.Louis is 3-0 in the season series against Dallas this year.

Here's a look at the five teams in the playoff run in the Western Conference.

Blues' remaining games, and records against those teams:

vs. Stars 3-0-0
vs. Coyotes 3-0-0
vs.Jackets 4-1-0
vs. Avs 2-1-0

Total Record: 12-2-0

Ducks' remaining games, and records against those teams:

vs. Sharks 1-3-0 [two games left with Sharks]
vs. Stars 2-2-1
vs. Coyotes 4-1-0

Total Record: 7-6-1

Predators' remaining games, and records against those teams:

vs. Hawks 3-1-0 [two games left with Hawks]
vs.Jackets 2-2-1
vs. Wings 3-2-0
vs. Wild 2-1-0

Total Record: 10-6-1

Wild remaining games, and records against those teams:

vs. Flames 0-3-2
vs. Wings 1-1-1
vs. Stars 0-2-1
vs. Predators 1-2-0
vs. Jackets 2-1-0

Total Record: 4-9-4

Oilers' remaining games, and records against those teams:

vs. Canucks 2-3-0
vs. Kings 2-1-0
vs. Flames 2-1-1

Total Record: 6-4-1

I would assume it's safe to say that the Blues have the statistical advantage on paper for the remaining games.

But anything can happen from this point on.

The Blues are coming off a huge 5-4 victory over the first place Detroit. David Backes scored four times in that game.

The Blues' first line of McDonald, Backes, and Boyes provided a total of eight points against Detroit on Thursday night.

St. Louis is 6-1 in their last seven games, which included their five game win streak.

Chris Mason allowed 16 goals total in those seven games, and provided one shutout in that span. The Blues outscored their opponents 24-16 in those seven games.

Mason is (24-21-6) with a save percentage at .916 , and goals against of 2.46 for the year. He has been the backbone to the Blues success through out this second half of the season.

One huge reason for the Blues' success is coming from all around. Balanced scoring from the team has given them the edge. They have two 30 goal scorers, two 20 goal scorers, and a total of ten players with at least ten goals this year.

They also have eight players with twenty or more assists for the year.

Brad Boyes leads the team with 10 game-winners.

The St. Louis Blues have became a much feared teamed due to their blazing speed, and their magical youth, and the entire Blues team is just filled with toughness!

Look for St.Louis to continue their winning ways all the way into the playoffs.

Go Blues!

The Kid Line: Who's Down with O-P-B ?

Jason Besancenez — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 05:34:17 -0400

THE KID LINE = Oshie, Perron, Berglund

The St. Louis Blues have won three games in a row. There seems to be a total team effort.

As of late, their success has came due to the fact, that their Kid-Line has provided a good part of the offense.

The Kid-Line consists of T.J. Oshie, David Perron, and Patrik Berglund.

T.J. Oshie in the last seven games has nine points (three goals six assists) with 14 shots. In his last game a 4-2 victory over Vancouver,he scored to the tie the game in the second period against Luongo.

It was most likely the best goal of his young pro career, and a important one for the Blues. Oshie was the first star of the game finishing with a goal and an assist. Oshie happened to dish out two big hits in the game also.

David Perron in the last seven games has five points (two goals three assists) with 13 shots.He provided the game winning goal for the Blues huge 4-2 victory over Vancouver on Thursday night in St.Louis. Perron had a goal and an assist in that game.

Patrik Berglund in the last seven games has (two goals, two assists) with 17 shots. Patrik had two goals in the Blues shut-out victory over the Los Angeles Kings. He provided the game winner for that victory.

He has caught fire over the last two games, after not scoring a goal since Feb. 26. Thats ten games without a single goal.

The St.Louis Blues in the last seven games are 5-2. The Blues scored 18 goals in these games.

In those seven games the Kid-Line has been worthy of (seven goals 11 assists) for a grand total of 18 points; along with a total of 44 shots on goal.

It has been amazing watching these youngsters play day in, and day out. They have been working hard all year long. Not to mention each of these three players have amazing speed,skill, and all are strong on the puck.

Oshie was injured for a third of the year, and still has posted notable numbers. His physical play has been equal to his ability to evade the opposition.

Perron struggled at the beginning of the year, and since then has shown he's quite the play maker. For most of the year he has been second in assists for the Blues. He was rewarded when he made an appearance in the (rookies vs. sophomores) All-star game.

Berglund has been consistent all year long with his strength on the puck. His ability to make plays, and hit the back of the net. He also played in the (rookies vs. sophomores) All-star game this year against teammate David Perron.

Lets finally take a look at the Kid-Line total numbers for the year at this point:

T.J Oshie = 12 goals 22 assists, that's 34 points. He has a plus/minus of + 14

David Perron = 13 goals 33 assists, that's 46 points. He has a plus/minus of +10

Patrik Berglund = 19 goals 24 assists, that's 43 points. He has a plus/minus of +17

So if we total these "Kid" numbers up it comes to: 44 goals 79 assists=123 points;with a plus/minus of +41.

St.Louis has 201 goals this year so far, 336 assists, and 537 team points total. The team has 2091 shots on goal. Oshie, Perron, and Berglund have a combined shot count for the year of 371 shots. Oshie (90), Perron (150), Berglund (131)

I think the numbers dont lie, these young players that they call the Kid-Line have proved to all the Blues fans that John Davidson has done a great job delivering a future for the St.Louis Blues.

As the Blues sit one point out of the eighth playoff spot in the West, and riding on a three-game winning streak.

They will definitely be down with O-P-B, yeah you know me!

St.. Louis Blues: Cam Janssen Needs to Be in the Lineup Every Night

Jason Besancenez — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 21:17:20 -0400

Let's take a look back when the St. Louis Blues were winning games consistently. One key ingredient to their success was Cam Janssen, the toughest and most potent spice on the hockey market.

Cam Janssen is a hometown hero for the Blues. He is from Missouri, and was acquired from New Jersey in 2007.

His teammates know him as "Bam Bam" and his name says it all. Janssen has been providing the Blues with a toughness, and provides a spark when the Blues are not playing well.

I noticed having watched many Blues games this year, that when Janssen is on the ice, the opposing team is very reluctant to play strategically.

The opposing teams are paranoid, and constantly trying to spot him on the ice. Andy Murray needs to realize how important Janssen is on the ice, especially when their games are numbered at this point.

The Blues have came a long way from last year. But it seems to me that management needs to come to a realization that Janssen is always a factor on the ice.

Here are some key team stats to implement what the Janssen factor is all about:

Janssen has played in 55 games this year. In those 55 games the Blues have a record of (36 wins-19 losses).

From Oct.10-Dec.30 St.Louis was (15 wins-14 losses); and since mid-season with Cam in the line up from Jan.3-March 12 the Blues were (21 wins-5 losses)

He's known as a tough guy, and punishes his opponents with crushing hip checks. He is a very intense player.

Janssen has not seen any ice time since March 12th against San Jose. St.Louis is (4-1) in Cam's last five games in the line up.

Cam is third in penalty minutes for the Blues behind David Backes (155), and B.J. Crombeen (138).

Janssen has also attained his first goal of his career as a Blue note. That came against Colorado on Jan. 15 in a 5-2 victory.

He might not provide the scoring touch St.Louis has been needing. But I think we can all see the results that come a long with Janssen in the line up.

The last four games Janssen has not been in the lineup. In those four games St.Louis has only managed one victory over the Minnesota Wild. They are (1-2-1) without Janssen in these last four games.

I think the Blues might find their scoring touch again if Andy Murray can find a way of putting Janssen out on the ice. It is evident that the Blues play better when Janssen is out on the ice. It is not fictional to say that Janssen strikes fear into his opponents.

Which in turn will lead the more skilled Blues players to concentrate on scoring again and let "Bam Bam" do what he does best.

Strike fear into the opposing teams, and distract the other team from their strategy.

St. Louis Blues and Vancouver Canucks Preview: Drop It Like It's Hot

Jason Besancenez — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 15:14:08 -0400

The Vancouver Canucks (37-23-9) will battle on home ice Thursday night at 9 p.m. against the St.Louis Blues (32-29-5).

Vancouver will be attempting to win their 11th straight at home since the beginning of February. They are 10-0-0 since that stretch, setting a franchise record for longest home winning streak.

The St. Louis Blues, on the other hand, need to get some key victories in this road stretch. They have struggled on the road all year long, going 13-16-4 this year.

Vancouver is 21-11-4 at home this year, and do not seem to be slowing up. A few weeks ago, they were looking to stay in their seat while riding the roller coaster of the West.

But since then, they have been battling for home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

Robert Luongo has only allowed two or fewer goals in 12 of his last 14 starts. He also has won four straight.

The Canucks are 15-3-1 since the beginning of February. They are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games, and 6-1-1 in the month of March.

St. Louis lost the last game against Vancouver. The Blues blew a 3-1 lead, and eventually lost the game 6-4.

That was ironically Andy McDonald's first game back since his 36 games missed due to his injury. McDonald scored a goal and had an assist in his first game back.

The Blues are 25-19-8 against the Western conference, and Vancouver is 27-17-7 against the West. St. Louis has managed only six wins against Northwest teams. They are 6-7-3 against Northwest teams.

Vancouver has a 8-8-1 record against Central division teams. The two teams split the season series at 1-1-0 this year.

We might see quite the battle as both teams are gaining ground for different reasons.

T.J. Oshie is a native of nearby MT. Vernon. Washington figures to have friends and family in the stands. This will be the 3rd time Oshie has faced the Canucks in his young career.

He has three points against Vancouver this year—one goal and two assists in three games. Oshie also has a three-game point streak on the line tonight (1g,4a-5pts). He looks to tie his career high point streak of four games. In that streak, he had (2g-2a-4pts) from December 20 to January 9.

Blues' fans can also watch Brad Boyes try to notch his 30th goal of the season. Brad has (29g,39a-60pts) and leads the team in goals and total points.

The Blues will need to get point shots and screen Luongo as much as possible. In order to score they must forecheck and cycle the puck, and the defense must continue to pinch in.

Chris Mason is 14-6-5 with 1.99 goals-against average in his last 25 appearances. Tonight will be his chance to bring his win-loss record right at even. He sits at 18-19-6 for the season with 4 shutouts. He made 33 saves last game in the shootout loss to Edmonton.

Most notable player for the Blues as of late has been David Backes. He also has a three game point streak on the line. Backes has 10 points in his last seven games (6g, 4a-10pts).

Tonight's match up looks to be sitting on the NHL hot-plate. Make no mistake about it, the Blues-Canucks will drop it like it's hot!

San Jose Sharks-St. Louis Blues Preview: Chris Mason Will Need Positive Results

Jason Besancenez — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 09:03:24 -0400

The St. Louis Blues are gearing up to face the San Jose Sharks in a game looking to have the feel of a playoff showdown.

The St. Louis Blues (30-28-8) are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games and are coming off an important 5-2 victory against Dallas, where they worked hard the entire game.

St. Louis will attempt to beat San Jose for the second straight game. The Blues beat the Sharks 3-2 in a shootout on Dec. 27, but the Sharks have owned the Blues in the last 17 games (14-1-2). San Jose is tied for the lead with Detroit in the Western Conference with a 43-12-10 record and 96 points.

San Jose is only 5-4-1 in their last 10 games but are coming off a 3-2 overtime victory over Minnesota. They have been without starting goalie Evgeni Nabokov for six games due to illness and a lower body injury.

Brian Boucher has been the starter of late. He has posted a 2-3-1 record with a 3.13 GAA in six games. Nabokov is questionable for Thursday's game, so the Blues wouldn't shed many tears if they had to play against Boucher.

St. Louis fans will look to see if Chris Mason can hold his own against this recently fragile Sharks team. Mason is 0-6-1 in his career against San Jose and 0-1 this year, allowing five goals on 38 shots.

David Backes has been on a hot streak with four goals and two assists in three games. He is second on the team with 22 goals and 40 points.

Keith Tkachuk has been successful in his career against San Jose, with 33 goals and 31 assists, so look to see this All-Star forward make an impact. Tkachuk scored his 20th goal of the season against Dallas on Monday, a feat he has accomplished 15 times in his career. This year, he has 20 goals and 18 assists.

Andy Murray and his Blues will look to continue their home dominance (17-12-5), and weary San Jose will try to play with confidence in order to maintain their outstanding record against the Blues.

The Sharks are 31-9-7 against Western Conference opponents and 9-3-4 against Central teams. The Blues are 23-18-7 against Western Conference teams and 8-7-1 against Pacific teams.

Mason will look to the heavens to pull out a small miracle. Sitting three points out of a playoff spot, Mason and the Blues will seek a positive result. St. Louis fans would love to see a "Thursday Night Thrashing" of the Sharks!

Brad Boyes: Case of the Saturday Night Fever

Jason Besancenez — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 20:48:40 -0500

Brad Boyes has definitely been the St. Louis Blues' go-to guy this year! He is leading the team in goals with 25,and also leads in points with 50. So I was curious how Brad Boyes does on Saturday games?

Well, let's look at his stats for this year on Saturdays: In 16 Saturday games, Brad Boyes has 18 pts [Eight goals, 10 assists, and +2. His shooting percentage is 17 percent, and he's 3-for-3 on the powerplay].

As the Blues face Phoenix tonight on a Saturday, I might assume that Brad Boyes will possibly have some points in this huge game! The Blues come into this game only three pts out of that eighth spot in the West.

With a record of 27-26-8 and currently one of the NHL's hottest teams, the Blues are 21-17-7 in their conference, and Phoenix is only 20-24-4 in their conference. St.Louis seems to have an edge statistically, and their penalty kills have been superb.

In the last seven games, the Blues' opposition has had 25 power plays; the Blues have killed 24 of those power plays. Last year, at this exact time, the Blues in those seven games killed 27 of 31 opposing power plays.

St. Louis will need to get their power play scoring soon though. In the last seven games, the Blues have only scored two power play goals on 21 chances. Last year at this time in those seven games the Blues were 8-for-36 on power plays. So basically last year we were struggling on the power play, yet still getting a very good penalty kill.

The Blues are 2-0 against Phoenix this year and went 0-4 last year; Legace played all four of those games last year. Mason and Legace have split the two victories against Phoenix this year.

Certainly with Mason playing so well for this playoff run, Blues fans wouldn't be surprised to see another tight game tonight. Mason has a record of 1-0, with a 1.00 GAA and a .960 SPCT in one game against Phoenix this year.

Last year he was 0-1-1, with a 4.43 GAA,and a .830 SPCT; Mason has improved his game considerbly in the second half of the season.

In the last seven games the Blues have out shot their opponents 192-181,and they have outscored their opponents 13-9 in those games. Also those seven games have been decided by one goal.

The Blues are 5-2 in their last seven games.Last year at this time the Blues were 2-5 and continued to lose games through out the rest of the season. As a matter of fact in their last 19 games from this time last year; the Blues managed to record only five victories.

So they were 5-14 in their last 19 last year and also had two six-game losing streaks in that same time frame. I don't think St. Louis wants to repeat those same mistakes they made at the end of last year!

Bottom line: The St. Louis Blues must continue their winning ways. They must continue their near perfect penalty killing, and they have to improve on the power play! Chris Mason will have to continue to play with the confidence and tenacity that has him winning games.

St. Louis will have to stay out of their on end of the ice and force the puck into the neutral zone in order to score goals.

Brad Boyes will have to be a part of this,and given his reputation as a sniper,he will be a hard force to stop.Boyes has been struggling as of late; he has only one goal in his last eight games.

So the team will look for him to help them get out of the "no goal hole".Besides it is Saturday; Boyes just might get a "Case of the Saturday Night Fever!" Which only means one thing for the Blues, and that's a victory.

St. Louis Blues Moving On Up: Can They Find the Keys?

Jason Besancenez — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 15:56:14 -0500

The St. Louis Blues have been dealing with adversity since before the year even started. Riddled all year long with injuries and goal tending issues, the team might not have the impressive record the division leaders have, but they have never lacked commitment to the team and their fans.

Their recent emergence in the standings has proved that playing hard through difficult situations can get them into the playoffs. There are many things that need to happen in order for this hard work to pay off, though. Here are the keys to making playoffs:

Win games in regulation, win on the road, Chris Mason stopping the puck, defense blocking shots, score more goals per game, powerplay success, strong penalty kills, play physical at all times, and most importantly, stay focused on each individual game at hand!

With St. Louis only three points out of that last playoff spot in the Western Conference, the Blues will also hope that lady luck is on their side. As the mainstream media showers us with "trade talk," the Blues are focusing on winning with the cards they have been dealt!

Jason's Poetry, or Wisdom?

"Each game is meaningful. The keys of success are not of words, but of heart and instinct."

JCB2009