Blues Look Strong In Shutout of Calgary
by Brad Lee on Jan 26, 2010 9:00 AM CST
19 comments
The Blues had another multiple-goal lead in the third period on Monday night. They gave up too many saves and good scoring opportunities and shots in the final 10 minutes including a frantic final few minutes. And yet the Blues hung on not only for the win but a 2-0 shutout. It's about damn time.
Patrik Berglund and David Perron scored for the Blues as Ty Conklin made 34 saves. He's still rockin' the fu manchu mustache while Chris Mason wore the 1990s gaudy Blues hat on the bench. That's what I call synergy.
These games against Calgary this year have been tremendous. Back on Nov. 5 Dion Phaneuf scored the game winner in a 2-1 win in overtime in St. Louis. The Blues got revenge on home ice on Dec. 15 with a 4-3 win. You might remember T.J. Oshie got the game winner on the same night Brett Hull was honored for going into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Then the Blues won 2-1 in a shootout on Dec. 23 securing the franchise's first sweep of three straight games in Western Canada. Every game has been close, hard-fought and entertaining as hell. It's actually disappointing the Blues and Flames won't meet again the rest of this season. Well, regular season. Sorry, couldn't help myself.
A few thoughts before we move on to Vancouver on Wednesday.
- Cam Janssen will not back down from anyone. In the first he fought Brian McGrattan, a guy who towers over the pint-sized fighter. In the second he stood up for himself against Brandon Prust. In the first bout he took some punishment, but stuck to his game plan of extending the fight to wear the bigger guy down. He even waved off the linesmen to keep it going. Amazing.
- Ty Conklin, like Paul Kariya, hates St. Louis. On home ice, Conklin is 1-5-0 with a 4.25 goals-against average with a save percentage of 86.7 percent. Ugggghlee. On the road? How about 6-1-1 with a miniscule 1.74 goals-against and 94.8 save percentage. Guess where he got his two shutouts this season? Kariya almost got an empty-net goal tonight in attempt to rub it in that he has yet to score this season in St. Louis.
- I miss David Backes.
- Whatever Davis Payne is saying to this team right now, it's working. They rebounded from a disappointing loss Saturday night where they gave away another late lead. Oshie is playing center for the first time in his NHL career. Tkachuk is playing on a scoring line. They miss Carlo Colaiacovo on the power play. And they still played one of their better games of the season. Give that man a longer contract.
- Any endorsement of Davis Payne getting a long-term contract is null and void if the Blues dont' contend for the playoffs.
So Blues fans, fair commenters, jump in and tell us what you think about the Blues in Cal-Gary. What are you seeing with this team right now? If you haven't jumped in before, these game wrap-ups are a nice place to get your feet wet.
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I watched the Flames' home telecast
on NHL GameCenter… the announcers couldn’t quit talking about T.J. Oshie! “Osh” looked like the best skater on the ice to me (Admittedly, “Conks” was deservedly the #1 star); although the “Three Stars” on the Flames’ broadcast were Conks, Rene Bourque, and Erik Johnson. Dunno who selected the “Three Stars”… but Cam Janssen should have gotten a little recognition for a double-dipper!
How to hold onto a lead in the third period? Play a team that has even more trouble scoring than you do!
GO BLUES!
"In this game, don't nobody know nuthin' about nuthin'." -- attributed to Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra
They were completely falling over Oshie.
Especially in regards to the US Olympic team. The Rogers guys are usually a solid broadcast, and last night they were very complimentary to StL.
Reporter: There`s a "stamp out the Beatles movement" underway in Detroit. What are you going to do about it?
Paul McCartney: We`re going to start a campaign to stamp out Detroit.
Conklin saved that game for us
They had plenty of chances to score and Conk denied them every time. While we are much improved lately I still have yet to see the whole team come out and play full tilt for 60 minutes. The last loss we looked flat the whole game which is probably because of back to back road games which are always rough, but even with rest we always seem to go soft at some point. Payne needs to find a way to keep them from relaxing once they get a lead.
No one knows why, but second only to eating the brains of the living, the dead love affordable pre-fab furniture.
Conklins home win in sweden
If I’m not mistaken. Which means he has yet to win at Scottrade as a Blue…
Long Live The King!
He has one win I at home I think....
but he is playing lights out on the road. He also saved our asses against Montreal the other night. Not bad for a back-up.
you smell that? that's what a winner smells like....
by stonewall jackson on Jan 26, 2010 2:12 PM CST up reply actions
Last night's game: Nerve-wracking, yet enjoyable.
And Brad, you’re not the only one missing David Backes. Too bad if he comes back tomorrow the only Team Canada member he can go after is Luongo . . . which honestly shouldn’t stop him, but geez, don’t take a 5-10-game WITH it!
“The Death Star in Star Wars is actually just a close up of David Backes’s left testicle. The right one was used as a stunt double.”
"Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday." -- Don Marquis
The Blue Note Zone - BY Blues fans, FOR Blues fans!
When is D. Back returning to the lineup anyway??
“When Bruce Banner gets mad, he turns into the Hulk. When the Hulk gets mad, he turns into David Backes.”
you smell that? that's what a winner smells like....
by stonewall jackson on Jan 26, 2010 2:20 PM CST up reply actions
I think he's still day-to-day for right now.
Hopefully soon.
Reporter: There`s a "stamp out the Beatles movement" underway in Detroit. What are you going to do about it?
Paul McCartney: We`re going to start a campaign to stamp out Detroit.
On one of my fantasy teams he's still got the red DTD next to his name . . .
so we’re going with it. He DID go to Western Canada with the team, so I’m guessing they EXPECT him to play really soon.
"Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday." -- Don Marquis
The Blue Note Zone - BY Blues fans, FOR Blues fans!
Man,
I love Cam Janssen!
He’s a dynamo – and I loved seeing him chuckling with the linesman after the McGratton fight!
BLUE SKIES - new St Louis Blues hockey blog.
"If you prick me, do I not...leak?"
"I could be chasing an untamed ornithoid without cause."
"I am programmed in multiple techniques, a broad...variety of pleasuring..."
RIP Lt Commander Data
Is anyone else worried about the fact that we still can't score an empty net goal?
the last was one against NYR then CBJ and then we have to go way back to Oct 25 against CAR. All three of these games the blues already had a 2 goal lead and the EN was not a necessity, but too many times when we are perserving a one goal lead, the blues simply can’t find the open net.
Whoever controls the media, controls the mind.
Jim Morrison
It’s a glaring weakness we have that shows how we operate under duress. If you can’t play under pressure you’ll never make it in the playoffs. Sadly I don’t think we’ll have to worry about playoffs this year, we’ve done pissed that opportunity away.
Just a chew toy for the hockey gods
One of my many failings
is that I’m unendingly optimistic. I will still believe we’ll make the playoffs until it is mathematically impossible for us not to.
The teams around us are just as messy – winning and losing in spades. The playoff spots will go to whichever teams can sort themselves out the quickest.
The fact that, with how crap we’ve played a lot of times, we’re only 4 points out…is weird. LOL But I’ll take that weirdness.
I think it’s starting to come together for the Blues – we have a long way to go – but we’ll get there. Whether it’s this season or next…who knows?
But Blues in this year’s playoffs? You bet.
BLUE SKIES - new St Louis Blues hockey blog.
"If you prick me, do I not...leak?"
"I could be chasing an untamed ornithoid without cause."
"I am programmed in multiple techniques, a broad...variety of pleasuring..."
RIP Lt Commander Data
by drfrankentweed on Jan 26, 2010 5:49 PM CST up reply actions
I stuck it out last year when many tossed in the towel
but let’s face the music. We’re not an improved team, in fact many say we’re regressing. We still take stupid penalties for not knowing how to complete a line change on the fly and knowing how to not get suckered in a retaliation penalty. We’re about the same spot point wise as we were last year and the chances of another miracle finish are not good.
Leadership, I see this word tossed around a bit on the boards. We have none. If we did you wouldn’t see this same FAIL happening game after game, someone in the locker room would go Messier on the goofy player’s azz and straighten them out. That’s not happening. We skate as a bunch in individuals and not as a team. You don’t see anyone but maybe Teeej giving up their bodies for the “team”.
Sure we’re young and have a new coach but the sun has set on this season. Looking forward to next year but I’m not expecting much more than the up down sloppy play we’ve shown so far this year.
Gimme a reason besides divine intervention on why we’ll make the playoffs?
Just a chew toy for the hockey gods
Because we're 5 points out
It doesn’t take a dominant team to make up 5 points over 30 games over the 8th best team in the conference. Are they Cup contenders? Obviously not. But all it takes is some somewhat above .500 hockey to make up that kind of ground. This isn’t last year, they were 9 points out at the same point last year and lost to a crap Ottawa team coming out of the break.
I’m not saying that a miracle run will happen, I’m saying it’s not a miracle to make up 5 points. It’s certainly not even 50-50, but that doesn’t mean it’s just trash fluke odds.
Not afraid to nitpick
I think it will come down
to the hot teams after the olympic break.
It can work 2 ways. The olympians are tired and slump. They stay in game shape by playing at the olympics. The excitement of the olympians can carry over to the reg teams.
Ok, that was 3
Hockey players wear numbers because you can't always identify the body with dental records.
It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all. Laura Ingalls Wilder
I'm happy Teej may get 2 weeks off during the Olympics
Or will USA Hockey have him there just in case there’s an injury?
If so, will he practice with the team?
The play of the centers down the stretch against the Flames was fantastic.
I know they skipped Berg’s slot, but TJ, Walt & Jay seemed to be everywhere, especially around our net helping the D.
On to Vancouver, one of my favorite destinations in North America!
Will anyone ask Alex Burrows how his girlfriend is [if he has one]?
Or if one of his parent is a school principal, why’s he so dumb and why he needed both of them them to stand up for him after he ran his gob about ref Auger?
Talk about a bounce back.
They went from Shootout to Shut out.
Insert a
Funny
Inspirational
Catchy
Fuck Detroitical
All of the Above Signature here.
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