Blues' Winning Streak Ends In Vancouver

Coming into tonight's games, there were a couple factors that should have told us this game might not end how Blues fans would want. But here lately, it's a surprise when the Blues don't win. They lost 2-1, by the way.

First, it's hard to maintain a winning streak. The Blues had seven victories in a row. Shit like that is pretty rare. Wait, are we fucking allowed to curse around here anymore? Anyway, the Blues were 9-0-1 in their last 10 before Friday night. The Canucks on the other hand were 3-3-4. That's not even average. That's piss poor. They didn't have a win in five games. They gave up a third-period, two-goal lead against Pittsburgh earlier in the week and lost in the shootout. Head coach John Tortorella had to be feeling the pressure of this season turning south. Even with the win they sit in the Western Conference standings in seventh with 57 points. Brian Elliott had only lost one regulation game all year. The Blues played in Calgary Thursday night before traveling to Vancouver to play Friday. The odds, as they say, were against the Blues. Something good was bound to happen for Vancouver and St. Louis was due for a disappointment. Yet, I don't feel disappointed.

For a game against the Canucks, it didn't seem contentious (until maybe the final horn when Alex Pietrangelo looked like he was going to use his stick to decapitate a Canuck), it didn't seem an emotional game. The Blues had a lot of chances and young weird-looking goaltender Eddie Lack (they call him the Stork) made 30 saves, including a lot of tough ones. The Blues had some odd-man rushes they couldn't convert. Elliott only allowed two goals. It came down to a couple of dumb penalties the referees called on the Blues, the Canucks executing a few more times and Vancouver playing a little more like a desperate hockey team. Ho hum.

Even in the post-game interview, captain David Backes, who fucking hates losing to Canadian teams, was pretty matter a fact about the team playing hard in a back-to-back situation and not being too disappointed with the outcome. The team will fly home tonight after a three-game road trip and get ready for the Coyotes on Tuesday.

When I was a more frequent word herder around these parts in the late night hours, we'd throw some bullets out, see if any hit the target. Fire.

• Earlier on Friday Ryan Reaves signed a four-year contract extension for $4.5 million. The big man has progressed and grown as a hockey player. Unlike the punchers for the Blues of at least the last 10-15 years, Reaves is effective on the forecheck, he doesn't treat the puck like a grenade and has developed into a dependable player. Hell, he might even dress for a playoff game or three this year.
• Vladimir Tarasenko's five-game point scoring streak came to an end. No borst for you. But he did let the puck go through is legs to Alex Pietrangelo on the Blues' only goal.
• When the Canucks score, the pieces of metal that hold up the glass (aka the stanchions) light up different colors. I've seen strip clubs that are more understated. Really classes up the joint.
• When Daniel Sedin is intimate with is wife in bed, he screams out Daniel's name.
• Rumor has it that Roman Polak will return to the lineup on Tuesday. I hope that Ian Cole can still find some playing time somehow, somewhere. That probably means he has to go back to the Chicago Wolves. And I realize that getting "sent down" to Chicago is a lot different than Peoria, it's still the AHL. It's not where he wants to be. And as a critic of him earlier in the season, I have to say he's found his game while Jordan Leopold and Roman Polak have been hurt. But the depth in front of him on the defense is daunting.
• When Daniel sings "Take On Me," Henrik pretends to be his reflection in the mirror.
• Is there any doubt that Elliott is the No. 1 goalie right now? Jaroslav Halak got Calgary. Elliott didn't have a loss since Nov. 29. Halak hasn't had back-to-back wins since late November. Elliott is still averaging less than two goals allowed per game.
• Hey, anybody know if that Ryan Miller is better statistically than either of the Blues goaltenders? Asking for a friend.
• If you're going to the game on Tuesday against the Coyotes, don't forget to pick up your copy of the St. Louis Game Time paper. You can find our vendors outside the Kiel garage, on 14th near the Opera House and the northeast corner of 14th and Clark outside the City Hall parking lot. It has 24 pages of insights, stats, opinions and jokes for hardcore Blues fans. And almost all of it is completely different than what you read here on the website.

Well I think that's it. If Chris Stewart had converted one of his rushes at the net, if Backes had shot glove side and not five hole in the third and if the refs weren't such fucking morons, maybe the Blues would have an eight-game winning streak. The only really important thing is that the Blackhawks will wake up Saturday morning still in third place in the Western Conference. And that's a good thing.

You disagree? You got a beef? Let me know down below.