Blues At Ducks Preview

by Brad Lee on Nov 5, 2008 10:26 AM CST

How you doin'?

By Brad Lee

Quick programming note: We will have a live blog tonight.

Chris Pronger's high level of play can help you forget how much of a douche bag he can be.

The Blues will see Pronger firsthand and experience his dichotomy tonight in Anaheim in the first game of a five-game road trip. It's not going to be easy. Part of it is Pronger. Part of it is the Ducks are still a pretty good team.

Those were the days. No doubt, Pronger is one of the top defensemen to ever skate in the NHL. A former Hart Trophy winner as league MVP and a Norris Trophy winner as the league's best defenseman, Pronger at certain points in his career was dominating. His huge frame clears the opposition from the crease. He's not afraid to ride a guy into the boards. His most potent offensive weapon is his long outlet passing ability. But he can also be a dick.

It hasn't been easy for the gap-toothed giant. He had a run-in with alcohol as an under-aged youngster in Hartford. He was traded at a young age for one of the most popular Blues on the team at the time. He was booed. Fans brought signs giving him shit in his home arena. He was named captain at probably too early an age.

He almost died on the ice after a hard shot stopped his heart. He screwed up his wrist and had to have experimental surgery used primarily for senior citizens. He was sold off by his team as a cost-cutting move by his team after it was put up for sale.

Pronger requested a trade from Edmonton while dogged by nasty rumors of knocked up girlfriends. After he was sent to Anaheim, fans in Alberta were pissed. There were rumors about people burning the furniture in his house that proved unfounded. He won a Stanley Cup in Southern California. He lives down the street from his good friend Mark McGwire and switched his number to 25 to honor the disgraced slugger.

And then there are the suspensions.

1995 - Four games for hitting Pat Peake in the throat intentionally with his stick.

1998 - Four games for slashing Jeremy Roenick. He swung at his head.

2001 - One game for leaving the bench to start a fight with Kelly Buchberger after that asshole messed up Pavol Demitra's face with an elbow.

2002 - Two games for cross-checking Brenden Morrow who started bleeding from one of his eyes.

2004 - One game for kicking Ville Nieminen.

2007 - One game in the playoffs for hitting Tomas Holmstrom in the head with his elbows.

2007 - One game in the same playoffs for hitting Dean McAmmond in the head with an elbow.

2008 - Eight games for using his skate to stomp on the leg of Ryan Kesler.

Granted, the guy is a giant and when he hits smaller players, his elbow is right in a position to seriously injure and maim. But he's reckless. He's a hot head. He's unpredictable. That can help and hurt a player. For Pronger, it seems like it's catching up to him. He's now a repeat offender. Every time he gets called on the carpet for a dirty play, he could see some significant time off every single time. He's a target.

Will not mention Brewer. Will not mention Brewer. Will not mention Brewer. Will not mention Brewer. Will not mention Brewer. Take for instance a play a week ago that put Pronger back in the spotlight. In a game against Detroit, Pavel Datsyuk came across the blue line in traffic without the puck. He collided with Pronger awkwardly. He was introduced to the big elbow and went down like a sack full of beets. He's avoided a suspension on the play, but he might not be so lucky in the future.

Anaheim played a "road" game Tuesday night...in Los Angeles. The Ducks are in the conversation concerning the third best team in the Western Conference. San Jose has been the obvious class of the conference with Detroit a close second.

The Ducks came away with an overtime 1-0 win last night. At the end of a power play in the first minute of overtime, the Ducks moved the puck around on the four on three. Teemu Selanne slid the puck from the left circle to the right circle where Pronger had crept forward. He took a one-timer and buried the puck top shelf for the win. He's still got it.

Oh, and the Blues need a win to keep from falling below .500 on the season and somehow remain in the playoff discussion. The Blues have four goaltenders traveling with the team right now. I have no idea how many are actually healthy or able to play. If they played all four at once, I bet the Blues would come close to a shutout.

And it doesn't get any easier for the Blues after this. San Jose is possibly the best team in the entire league right now. Can't wait for that game. Come back tonight for the live blog. BYOB.

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Comments

In the top photo, his talent got him to Edmonton and the Stanley Cup Finals, his wedding ring got him to Anaheim and a Stanley Cup Chapionship.

by Gift on Nov 5, 2008 10:43 AM CST reply actions

No matter what, I still don’t want him back in STL.

by Answer-Man on Nov 5, 2008 10:48 AM CST reply actions

I agree Chris Pronger can go fuck himself. He was a dirty, dirty player while hear sometimes I felt overly embarrassed. And the times he did some of his worst things here in St.Louis was suring a play off game at horrible time. If it wasn’t him it would be Tkachuk taking us from Stanley Cup favorites to shocking play off losers.

God damn it Brad. I said this would happen at the begining of the season. We’re taking our lumps earlier. Our team is growing stronger and learning from it. In the end we’ll be better than many thought.

Our two biggest problems(not counting injuries), ever since last year Mason has more games where he gives up lots of goals and Eric Brew-tal. How Brew-tal actually plays in the NHL is becoming a mystery to me. Worst yet is this guy is making over 4 and a quarter million???? Get the fuck out of here. Shit. We must dump this dirt bag ASAP for whatever we can get even if all we can get is nothing.

by Chris D. on Nov 5, 2008 11:54 AM CST reply actions

Pronger is a dick. Never did like him, but for some reason I bought a pair of his game used pants from the arena. They are tore to shit, and have his name sewn inside on the back of them.

by LosBri on Nov 5, 2008 12:12 PM CST reply actions

Fuck Pronger.

by pdub on Nov 5, 2008 12:49 PM CST reply actions

I have to agree with everyone. Pronger is a jerk. And I sure as hell don’t want him back. They can keep him.

by tab on Nov 5, 2008 12:57 PM CST reply actions

The Blues have four goaltenders traveling with the team right now. I have no idea how many are actually healthy or able to play. If they played all four at once, I bet the Blues would come close to a shutout.

well, Mason has been confirmed to start tonight. and due to Anaheim playing back-to-back games, we might be facing Hiller.
Mason isn’t as bad in comparison to my fantasy team’s “#1 goalie” Marty Turco. Turco is a dissapointing 3-5-2 with an .837 and a 4.34.
Mason may be 0-3-0, but his numbers are slightly better at .888 and 3.42

the Blues started the season with quite a few DQ Blizzard-worthy pertfermances. if they keep that up, they should win or come close in every game

by Dooks on Nov 5, 2008 1:14 PM CST reply actions

pictures for your pregame amusement
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/DookieRulz/DookMason.jpg

http://www.worldart.com.au/images/donald-ducks-three-nephews-skeletons1.jpg

by Dooks on Nov 5, 2008 1:28 PM CST reply actions

I actually like Mason. With a little better playing defense, he’d be a pretty good starter. He’s not Luongo, he never will be, but I think he’s an O.K. goalie.

by Marcus Pettersson on Nov 5, 2008 2:02 PM CST reply actions

“And then there are the suspensions.
* 1998 – Four games for slashing Jeremy Roenick. He swung at his head.”

He’s an a-hole, but they should have given him a trophy for this one.

by Milo on Nov 5, 2008 3:03 PM CST reply actions

I’ve said this elsewhere for a long time. i’ll say it here again. as far as i can tell pronger plays as mean as his coach wants him too. there is not a single doubt in my mind about this

consider this: pronger unjustly (and i could prove it but wont bother right this sec) of being to penalty prone in q’s playoffs vs the sharks. the next season playoffs he returned to his avearge pim/g. the chaning nhl saw prongers’ pim fall to a minute per game (his last season as a blue, his seaon in edmonton, and his frist duck season he had 231 pim in 226 games the kind of pim/ important minutes played that only eric johnson was able to beat (and handily) for the blues last year)

there is every reason to believe pronger playes just as penalty ridden as q and carlyle want him to be.

is he mean? does he retaliate? absolutely! and we love 100’s of guys with those criteria and wear their jerseys and love them being in the hall of fame. as pointed out it is players like HIM (the pointed out bit was that it is players like JACKMAN, but same arguement) that keep the ice clean of maggots, not Janssen (who is a maggot).

once again, anyone who thinks that is not the case needs to look here http://www.frameworth.com/cart/thumbnails/t_7028.jpg

yes that is wayno with his idol, and yes that is the infamous wooden necktie.

that pronger is a dick, aparrently in person, and apparently 99.99% of the time is his downfall. not his mean streak. if he was as hoppy as demitra, as involved in the community as chase, and as mature as the chopper, chris pronger would replace brett hull as the face of how successfull the blues could have/were

by Childhood Trauma on Nov 5, 2008 3:05 PM CST reply actions

I once had Pronger sign a Mark McGwire ball. I kept saying “70 homeruns, that’s unbelieveable, man.” He just sort of half-smiled, signed something unintelligible, and I walked out of the south county Dillard’s with a classic souvenir.

by Guinea Pig on Nov 5, 2008 3:17 PM CST reply actions

One of our staff writers wears another man’s pants. On top of that, the original owner’s name is stitched in the back of said pants.

Fantastic.

by Gift on Nov 5, 2008 3:38 PM CST reply actions

Guinea Pig: That’s classic. Nice job.

by Milo on Nov 5, 2008 4:28 PM CST reply actions

Gift Says: November 5th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
One of our staff writers wears another man’s pants. On top of that, the original owner’s name is stitched in the back of said pants.
Fantastic.

Yeah, but when he puts them on does he mutter, “Yellow in front – brown in back” to himself?

by Milo on Nov 5, 2008 5:37 PM CST reply actions