Blues Lineups:
The Blues would roll out the same five on five lines that they have the last few games tonight against the Kings. Those lines are (Just in case): Patrik Berglund/Alexander Steen/David Backes...Jaden Schwartz/Jori Lehtera/Vladimir Tarasenko...Robby Fabbri/Paul Stastny/Troy Brouwer...Ryan Reaves/Kyle Brodziak/Scottie Upshall. Your defensive pairings tonight would also stay the same as Jay Bouwmeester and Kevin Shattenkirk were together. Colton Parayko and Carl Gunnarsson would be pair number two. The Blues final pairing would be Joel Edmundson and Robert Bortuzzo. If you didn't guess by the title, Brian Elliott would start in goal.
Game Highlights:
The Blues would jump on the Kings early tonight as they were throwing everything they could at the Kings starter Jonathan Quick. That would also include themselves. In the middle of the first, Upshall would drive to the net. Quick would trip him to give the Blues their first powerplay of the game. The Blues would capitalize on the man advantage:
Robby Fabbri would score his 14th goal of the year on the power play with Lehtera(18) and Parayko(17) getting the assists on the goal. Shots after the first period were 16-8 in favor of the Blues. The last time the Blues recorded that many shots in the first was against the Stars. They recorded 17 that December night for a 3-0 win. The second period wasn't as fluid as the first was because of all of the penalties. As the game progressed the two teams were getting more and more physical. In the second alone there were EIGHT penalties. One of which would nullify a Kings game tying goal. (Jordan Nolan's crosscheck). Unfortunately, the Kings would finally capitalize on their man advantage opportunity early in the third period.
Elliott would not surrender another goal to the bad guys. Here he would deny Kyle Clifford with his skate late in the third:
Not only did he keep the Blues in it late, but he would make the save of the week/month (at least) with robbery in the three on three overtime. It would all start when Shatty would take a stumble at center ice and the Kings would take the puck down in front of the net.
The game would be won by the Blues and Jaden Schwartz. Schwartz would take off on a breakaway and not look back as he would bounce it off the post, off of Quick and into the net.
Crazy goal, but it was the game winning goal and the Blues would go onto win 2-1 for the the third time in a row. Was it the best win of the year so far? Quite possibly. It felt like a playoff game. Very intense, great pace, and the crowd was very into it despite 80's hair band night (that's another story for another time). The Blues return to the ice Saturday against the Phoenix Arizona Coyotes.
Miscellaneous Fun:
Elliott is the best goalie in the NHL right now in two important categories. Considering he couldn't buy a win early in the season...
That looks nice. What do you think, @KidElls1? #stlblues pic.twitter.com/LSRvWB1a03
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) February 19, 2016
The Kings thought it would be funny to tweet the Blues about not telling them it was 80's hair band night...needless to say the Blues social media was all over that...
@LAKings We gave your invite to the Rams. They didn’t drop it off? ✉️
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) February 19, 2016
Berglund (of all players) tried to kill a guy:
Doughty may have been distracted by an 80's mullet in the stands. #stlblues pic.twitter.com/WGvdtyPUW2
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) February 19, 2016
And finally:
I think she deserves the Panger Award!! #holyjumping #hairbands @StLouisBlues @Panger40 pic.twitter.com/iiYqklg5LB
— Lawrence (@lightswitch76) February 19, 2016
Three Stars:
Third Star: Jonathan Quick (2 goals allowed. No temper-tantrum this time.)
Second Star: Jaden Schwartz (GWG, 3 goals in 4 games. Needless to say, I think he's back)
First Star: Brian Elliott (Stopped 34 of 35. There is no controversy. He's number one)