Friday Links: Man on a Mission

Special special teams, 3-on-3 talk, Czar Ovi, terrible trade proposals, finding the point thief and more.

By Hoosier Blue Nov 20, 2015, 12:35pm CST

The Blues played with fire against a dangerous Buffalo Sabres team last night, and were it not for the damn fine play of one Jake Allen, they would have gotten burned. Seriously, he was amazing. The two goals he gave up pretty much define "no chance" and he made a few more highlight saves. The Blues team as a whole struggled with the whole 'defense' thing, and the whole 'play a full game' thing. I feel compelled to point out that captain umlaut Magnus Pääjärvi (or Magnum P.I. as Panger called him) was a man possessed, and fresh from the press box Robert Bortuzzo was all over the ice as well, but Allen stole the show. HullandOates85 has your skills competition recap. [STLGT]

Over in Sabres land, they looked at the game as a stolen point...by the Sabres. They out-shot, out-Corsied and generally out played us, but in the world of a team that has been so bad for so long, that feels like a stolen point. Most of us here in Blues' land know how it feels. Buck up Buffalo, a point was stolen but the thief was a snake, not a Sabre. Check out their humble recap at Die by the Blade. [Die by the Blade]

Between the 2 power play goals and the 2 extended 5-3 penalty kills, special teams deserve a nod for making the difference last night. Jeremy Rutherford expands on this obvious point. [STL Today]

Blue high-dollar glass man Paul Stastny looks closer to his return, and is working hard to make sure that he can pick up where he left off. [STL Today]

The "Bleedin' Blue" guy thinks we should part ways with Kevin Shattenkirk to bring in Matt Duchene from Colorado, because 'the forward corps are decimated,' the Blues 'need to win this year,' and 'the Blues need forwards.' I disagree on basically all fronts. While the emergence of guys like Colton Parayko could make Shattenkirk expendable, this team doesn't desperately need more high priced talent. Stastny is close to returning and bargain bin guys like Scott Gomez and newly reborn Magnum PI are contributing. Look at the games when we were healthy (both of them) and you see a team that was moving the puck well and creating plenty of chances. I'm not opposed to moving Gunnarson or Berglund, but with David Backes and Jaden Schwartz both due new deals this summer, we need to think about cap space in any deals we make. Duchene makes almost a cool 2 mil more than Shatty and there is no way we could afford him without additional talent dumping. It isn't worth it for a guy who has never scored 30 goals and averages in the low 20s. Anyway, I will throw a poll in about this so we can all weigh in, but this deal is crazy talk. [Fansided]

In news that makes me wish I still lived in the STL, the Blues annouced their "Hockey 2020" campaign where they committed to pumping $2 million into local youth hockey with the mission of exposing more kids to the game, which is friggin awesome and makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. [Fox Sports]

8 other games last night. The Wild lost. Colorado lost, again (LOL). The friggin Dallas Stars won, dammit. (Thanks for NOTHING, Oshie). [NHL.com]
6 games tonight. Here's to hoping the Blue Jackes stick it to the Jared Fogles and Calgary finds a way to burn the Hawks. [NHL.com]
Puck Daddy has last night's 3 stars. How in the hell did Allen not get a nod? [Puck Daddy]
Projected teams for the 3-on-3 all star game. Hint: the central is going to crush it. [Puck Daddy]
An apparent death blow disguised as a love tap put Jason Zucker of the Wild down for the count last night. Must have caught him in just the wrong spot. I take harder hits from my kids. When they're sleeping. [Puck Daddy]
In a bloodless rebellion, Alex Ovechkin has unseated Sergei Federov as supreme Russian hockey Czar, eclipsing his career goal total last night, in almost 500 fewer games. [Puck Daddy]
NHL players will get a full 'bye' week next season. Good for them. Those guys need more perks. [Puck Daddy]
The back-story to the creation of the 3-on-3 format experiment. [Puck Daddy]
Friday grab bag: creepy goal celebrations, misspelled jerseys and MORE talk about the 3-on-3 format. [ESPN.com]

Making facebook bearable...Mission Impossible? [Cracked]
Long road trips with kids...Mission Impossible? [Deadspin]
A middle-age woman name Linda destroying ISIS...Mission ~~Impossible~~ Hilarious. [Distractify]
Your beer of the day is Mission Point Porter, if you choose to accept it. This offering form North Peak is rich and smooth with a pronounced malty finish. Drink one for Jake. [Untappd]

THIS is how you superman.

Mission from God, old school Offspring.

Share this story