By Sean Gallagher
After getting their first win of the season last night (on the back of a Swedish rookie and his hat trick in his first professional game), the Stars jumped on a plane and headed to our town for a match up this eve against the good guys in Blue.
Here's hoping they slept like shit.
If you're looking for a game preview, NHL.com has one. Of course, about nine of its ten paragraphs are about the Stars and the kid Brunnstrom. The one paragraph on the Blues? Yeah, it's about the fact that they start a homestand tonight.
Thanks, NHL!
But you want to know what the real storylines are, right? Here are a couple things to keep your eyes on:
~Sean Avery talked some shit to Andy Murray during the pre-season game. Apparently the cracks were about Murray shaking and were considered to be over the line by those who heard it. Don't be surprised if Cam Janssen earns a suspension tonight.
~The Stars will either go with Marty Turco, who surrendered four goals to Nashville less than 24 hours ago, or they'll have to start Tobias "my first name could be my last name and my last name could be my first name" Stephan in net. Stephan has played just one NHL game and it was last year.
~Alex Pietrangelo has looked out of place a lot so far this season. If he wants to stick around longer, he'd better figure it out soon, because Jonas Junland will be back soon and looking to take the kid's minutes.
~Can the powerplay keep it up?
~Can Keith Tkachuk keep it up?
~Berglund got his first; when does Oshie get his?
This may turn into a live-blog situation at some point if Bradley Leigh Lee is feeling properly motivated. Otherwise, this here will be your game-day thread.
Let's Go Blues!
20:00 I'm here. Let's go.
19:00 Emmanuel Legace is starting for the Blues. Turco is playing twice in two nights.
18:45 Neal, a rookie, took an interference penalty. I'm rusty at this if anyone is hanging out here on the blog tonight. Stay with me.
17:15 Don't call me racist, but I don't like having the Polak on the power play. He was out on the first unit last Friday, played tentative with the puck and didn't see any other power play time after that.
16:47 Blues do NOT score on the power play. A year ago, I'd have a good joke about them accepting failure early in the game. These days, they pretty much expect to score with the advantagae.
16:09 McClement does his best Mayers impersonation missing an open net.
13:16 Legace stops Neal on a breakaway. That happened too much Monday at Toronto, guys getting loose, all alone with Legace.
***ATTENTION***
Anyone reading this, drop me an e-mail and I'll send you the electronic version of Game Time for tonight's game. gtbradlee@gmail.com
11:23 Turco just stole a goal from McDonald. Boyes dished the pass over a slidding defenseman. McDonald redirected toward the apparently open net. Turco caught it in his glove. Damn.
I can tell it's early in the season. I don't know any of the commercials by heart and I haven't made fun of Bernie Federko yet. Just wait.
9:00 Oshie on a quasi breakaway. Bouche spun him around and pulled him down at the end. Referee swallowed the watch. Doubtful that's the only thing the ref swallows tonight.
7:30 First batch of electronic Game Times out the door. You want one? E-mail me.
7:07 Your NHL leader in goals...Keith Tkachuk. What fucking year is it?
Blues lead 1-0. Walt's fifth of the year comes on a giveaway by Ribiero.
5:00 Dallas looks slow. I know they played last night, but no one really seems to be playing all that fast.
4:48 The end times are near. I think Fragile Jay McKee just scored from the point. Holy tap dancin' Christ.
Big slapper from the point, second goal by a defenseman on the year. It was unassisted, the second goal tonight without a helper. Blues lead 2-0.
3:24 Daley or Barch just scored for the Stars. The action is coming fast and furious as I wasa trying to read what our Swedish correspondent was commenting.
Hey Marcus, DJ up to anything in the condo? Did you hear, Oshie and Berglund have a place now too. You might see something on that soon.
2:50 Stars hit the crossbar. That comment about the Stars lookign slow...nevermind.
How much longer before Avery gets invited to dance?
1:40 The Prospect Department just about pitched a tent, I would imagine. Berglund missfired on a two on one break with Perron.
END OF FIRST PERIOD
Well the Blues come away with a 2-1 lead. Could have been better. Could have been worse. I'll put something in the comments when the second period post is up.