Road Music: 12/27 @ Detroit Red Wings

by CrossCheckRaise on Dec 27, 2011 3:30 PM CST

There's no time to celebrate the win over Dallas, as the Blues immediately hit the road to Detroit to take on the Wings in another nationally-broadcast Versus game. The Blues haven't been a flashy team for quite some time, but now the hockey world is starting to take notice. The Blues are getting props from all over the media landscape, and now we have the rarity of back-to-back games on Versus. The boys in blue can't lose sight of the game in front of them, even with the added distractions. Detroit is a very opportunistic team: you can outplay them for 55 minutes, but they'll crush you in the 5 minutes that you give them. A still-worthy opponent, heightened expectations, and the notice of the hockey world can cause them to lose their way. The Blues cannot succumb to the

Pressure / Billy Joel

The Enemy: To know know know them is to hate hate hate them. The Red Wings are also playing the second game of a back-to-back set, having won in Nashville last night 4-1. The Blues are just ahead of Detroit in the standings, with Detroit coming into tonight with a record of 22-12-1. The winning goalie last night was Jimmy Howard, who made 31 saves and has a season stat line of 1.99 GAA and .925 SV%. I don't know if he'll be playing again tonight, or if they'll start the backup, old friend Ty Conklin. I'm sure there will be updates today to tell us for sure. ConkBlock has struggled this season, with a 3.23 GAA and .890 SV%. As for scoring, the Wings are led by Pavel Datsyuk (10G/ 25A) and Johan Franzen (14G/ 16A). Also, the Wings are 5th in the league in PP conversion, scoring in 20.3% of their opportunities. Like most teams the Blues will be facing, one of the keys will be to play to our 5-on-5 strengths, and try to stay out of the box.

Further Reading:

Winging It In Motown

Blues vs Red Wings coverage

Final Verse: Like on Monday, the puck drops at 6:30PM St Louis time. The GDT should be along shortly beforehand. The broadcasts are on Versus for TV, and the mighty KMOX 1120 AM for the radio. For those that complained about the national broadcasters, this might be a good time to enjoy the radio call of the game. Until then, this is your pregame warmup. Gather here, bitch about early starts, get the beer in the fridge, and work on getting your Detroit hate revved up. Here, this might help:

Hockey's Universal Language (via Partstim)

LGB!

-CrossCheckRaise

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Comments

Hey..

Tyler doesn’t remember that video…
But I do…in fact, I recognize it quite well in fact…

PC Load Letter? What the fuck does that mean?

by DanGNR on Dec 27, 2011 3:33 PM CST reply actions

Wait . . . what happened?

Fight Club writer for the print edition of St. Louis Game Time . . . I need another beer.
The Throwdown Lowdown Report, only on The Bluenote Zone.
And I can also write things in 140 characters or fewer.

by Donut King on Dec 27, 2011 4:29 PM CST up reply actions

I have video if you wanna see what happened.

PC Load Letter? What the fuck does that mean?

by DanGNR on Dec 28, 2011 12:03 PM CST up reply actions

Yeah, so does Tim.

/RIGHT FUCKING MEOW

by Donut King on Dec 28, 2011 12:09 PM CST up reply actions

/I can’t connect… WHY ! ! ! !

PC Load Letter? What the fuck does that mean?

by DanGNR on Dec 28, 2011 12:17 PM CST up reply actions

Starting Goalie

Everything we’re hearing on our side of the ledger is that Howard is going again tonight. Conklin has been outright awful and Wings fans have been clamoring for a move to secure a backup who can actually win before Mike Babcock runs Howard into the ground during the regular season.

by J.J. from Kansas on Dec 27, 2011 3:42 PM CST reply actions

How many starts has Conklin gotten this year?

It doesn’t look like he’s gotten many at all.

Let's Go Blues!
Support your local NAHL team. Seriously.

by Paperwork Ninja on Dec 27, 2011 4:14 PM CST up reply actions

5 starts

first one was in Detroit’s 2nd game of the season when he shut out the Avalanche. After that, he started the 7-1 blowout at the hands of Washington and the follow-up loss to Columbus (which was the Blue Jackets’ first win of the season… on October 25th). He didn’t start again until Dec. 4th.

It’s partially the way the Wings schedule worked out and partially because of how bad he’s been that he hasn’t gotten into more games. The team just plays… differently in front of him. Conklin has a different style from Howard, as he loves to play the puck at Every. Single. Opportunity. and doesn’t push the controllable rebounds to the same places as Howie. As a result, the team plays much more tentatively in their own zone around Conklin and that damages their breakout against an aggressive forecheck.

If the Central race weren’t so tight, Babcock might give Conks and the team some time to work out these issues. One way or another, something’s going to have to give. I don’t want Howard playing on the pace he’s at right now.

by J.J. from Kansas on Dec 27, 2011 4:35 PM CST up reply actions

Thanks JJ, and wow, that is no work at all

"IF CARDS CAN SIGN SUPPAN THEY CAN GIVE ME A HOME"

by Buddhasillegitimatechild38 on Dec 27, 2011 4:58 PM CST via mobile up reply actions

Posted this in the Morning Links. WIIM showing some hockey sense by recognizing a strong, talented Blues team.

We’re used to other teams getting up for the Wings, but it’s Detroit that needs to rise up and prove they’re the better team. After all, the Blues have won the last 3 meetings, including both earlier this year. That kind of domination isn’t normally seen in these parts, but I think it’s time we recognized the greatness of the team down Missouri way and give them the respect and credit they deserve.

I once shot a man just to see him die...then I got distracted and missed it.

by TheDuke32 on Dec 27, 2011 3:50 PM CST reply actions

my flabber is well and truly gasted

that a Detroit site woud give us credit at all. LOL. Good on ‘em, though. WIM has historically tried to be a “respectable” site, though. Where we’re happy to be the class clown that throws spitwads in study hall, of course….

Junior Assistant Blogger-In-Training at www.StLouisGameTime.com

by CrossCheckRaise on Dec 27, 2011 5:00 PM CST up reply actions

Enjoy the radio call, ugh

Its good to have when you have to run around and want to hear it in the car, but they follow the puck poorly when they get too excited and they bitch about every call constantly. Every goal by the other team apparently should be nullified by a penalty or offsides call and every call against the Blues is apparently crap. They’ll warp your brain, be careful.

"IF CARDS CAN SIGN SUPPAN THEY CAN GIVE ME A HOME"

by Buddhasillegitimatechild38 on Dec 27, 2011 4:53 PM CST via mobile reply actions

Although as I poted here, I did lol at thier "horn guy getting horny" call yesterday

"IF CARDS CAN SIGN SUPPAN THEY CAN GIVE ME A HOME"

by Buddhasillegitimatechild38 on Dec 27, 2011 4:55 PM CST via mobile up reply actions

Twitter report from the Blues saying BJ Crombeen will be playing tonight.

B.J. Crombeen returns earlier than expected tonight after missing 35 games with a shoulder injury. http://bit.ly/vlxPkD #stlblues

I don’t like them giving him his first game in an important matchup with the Red Wings. he can’t be too physical right out of the gate and he sure isn’t a huge scoring threat. I guess we’ll see…

I once shot a man just to see him die...then I got distracted and missed it.

by TheDuke32 on Dec 27, 2011 4:57 PM CST reply actions

Reave's rib injury

Surely has a lot to do with this. Also Langs and Oshie being out too.

MountainBeaver

by MountainBeaver on Dec 27, 2011 5:07 PM CST via iPhone app up reply actions

look at it this way

DET doesn’t fight much, so starting a physical player against DET is a sort of “easing” him back into the game. He won’t be as likely to need to be at 100% to play aganst this opponent.

Junior Assistant Blogger-In-Training at www.StLouisGameTime.com

by CrossCheckRaise on Dec 27, 2011 5:07 PM CST up reply actions

Good to see Beaner back...

But with the regulars returning (Osh and Langenbrunner should be back by the next game), lots of decisions are going to have to be made… and even more when McDonald and Sobotka return. what a happy problem to have.

Thrashing the Blues - No, I'm not re-naming it.
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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.

by hildymac on Dec 27, 2011 5:56 PM CST via Android app up reply actions