Road Music: 02/09 @ New Jersey Devils

by CrossCheckRaise on Feb 9, 2012 2:00 PM CST

Tonight the Blues stay in the Eastern Conference and take on the Devils. Unfortunately, these Devils are going to present a tougher challenge than the Sens did. They are one of the hottest teams going right now. Scoring a couple of goals early, like Tuesday, will help a lot. Hell, scoring goals -period- is a big bonus. No matter what happens, the Blues need to stand tall, take what the Devils dish out, and keep coming at 'em.

I Won't Back Down / Johnny Cash

Musical note: as much as I enjoy the Tom Petty original, no one sings this with as much conviction as The Man In Black.

The Enemy: This is probably the worst time to be pulling into East Rutherford, NJ to play the Devils. They are on a hell of a hot streak, having won 5 in a row including 2 against the current Conference-leading NY Rangers. In 4 of those games, NJ scored 4 or more goals. In the last 10 games, their record is 7-2-1. Their PK is second in the league, killing 88.7% of opponent power plays.

No surprise, the players to watch are familiar names Ilya Kovalchuk (10 pts in the last 5 games), Patrik Elias (currently riding a 6-game point streak) and Zach Parise (also on a 6-game point streak). Add to that David Clarkson, who has 5 goals in the last 5 games. Suffice it to say, their offense is clicking right now. Also, one new player to watch out for is rookie center Adam Henrique (13G/ 21A), who is one of the leading candidates for the Calder Trophy this year.

As for goaltending, the venerable Martin Brodeur has put up a stat line of .899 SV% and 2.66 GAA. According to the Twitterverse, backup netminder Johan Hedberg will likely get the start tonight. His numbers are .909% / 2.52.

Further Reading:

In Lou We Trust

Blues vs Devils coverage

Final Verse: An early start once again, as the puck drops at 6:00 PM St Louis time. The broadcasts are on the usual outlets, Fox Sports MW for TV and KMOX 1120 AM for radio. Until then, this is your pregame warmup. Gather here, vent just one more time about the Stevens deal, laugh at the redonkulous Kovalchuk contract, and enjoy this two-for-one special, as two fights broke out at the same time in NJ's last game with the Rangers:

Eric Boulton vs Brandon Prust & Cam Janssen vs Michael Rupp Feb 7, 2012 (via hockeyfightsdotcom)

LGB!

-CrossCheckRaise

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Comments

Hoping for a Blues win

to up my spirits.
did my taxes today and getting $1000 less back than last year when son#1 has a braces bill of almost $5k.

sucks big balls

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

by luvhockey on Feb 9, 2012 2:33 PM CST reply actions

I had to pay $43.

I have no idea why… I think the whopping $250 I can take off for teaching supplies (read: pencils) actually helped this year.

Thrashing the Blues - No, I'm not re-naming it.
SB Nation St. Louis
St. Louis Game Time - We turn the F bomb into an art form.

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 Feb 9, 2012 2:50 PM CST up reply actions

My wife changed her withholding last year for several months...

… and as a result, we’ll be writing Uncle Sam a $600 check on April 15.

Yes, a win would be a VERY nice thing to have today.

by BleedBlue42 on Feb 9, 2012 3:51 PM CST up reply actions

I guess I shouldn't complain

it’s just that extra thousand would straighten a few teeth

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

by luvhockey on Feb 9, 2012 3:56 PM CST up reply actions

Broodeur is older then dirt...

and saw a article on Bleacher report ( insert LMAO ) that the Blues are interested in his services. Right.

Oh and by the way Fuck the Devils. It all goes back to the Scott Stevens compensation 21 years ago.

" Ignorence is Bliss "

by Steve A Reno 1965 on Feb 9, 2012 2:41 PM CST reply actions

Why in the hell...

would we be interested in Brodeur? That makes ZERO sense, even for complete idiots.

by TheFlyingCavallinis on Feb 9, 2012 3:09 PM CST up reply actions

I'm waiting for the Cam/Crombeen fight that he promised.

Anywho, yay to the 7:00 Eastern start time! My old ass has been falling asleep at like 10 recently.

/get off my lawn

Thrashing the Blues - No, I'm not re-naming it.
SB Nation St. Louis
St. Louis Game Time - We turn the F bomb into an art form.

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 Feb 9, 2012 2:50 PM CST reply actions

old my ass

just wait girl

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

by luvhockey on Feb 9, 2012 3:59 PM CST up reply actions

Any chance we can have an SLGT road trip tonight?

Seems like the thing to do, really. A non-conference team, similar standings/points/wins, no inherent orneriness between our fanbases (except, you know, that whole Stevens/Shanahan oddness), plus our mutual Cam-connections.

In Lou We Trust seems to be filled with some pretty likeable/knowledgeable writers/posters too.

Too late to set this up, B-Rad?

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

by TheDuke32 on Feb 9, 2012 3:11 PM CST reply actions

Camnnections?

by TheFlyingCavallinis on Feb 9, 2012 3:39 PM CST up reply actions

I'm game

we could go there for the first period and if they want come here for the 2nd.
If they don’t then we’ll be here for the last 2.
Or whatever.

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

by luvhockey on Feb 9, 2012 4:00 PM CST up reply actions

I'll send out some feelers on the top ILWT post.

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

by TheDuke32 on Feb 9, 2012 4:09 PM CST up reply actions

How the hell was I in the dark (no pun intended) on a Johnny Cash version of that song?

Damn is that good.

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

by Donut King on Feb 9, 2012 3:57 PM CST reply actions