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Blues Lineup:
Forwards:Jaden Schwartz/Jori Lehtera/Vladimir Tarasenko...Robbi Fabbri/Paul Stastny/Troy Brouwer...Patrik
Berglund/David Backes/The return of Dmitrij Jaskin...Scottie Upshall/Kyle Brodziak/Magnus Paajarvi
Defensive Pairs: Jay Bouwmeester/Alex Pietrangelo...Colton Parayko/Kevin Shattenkirk...Joel Edmundson/Robert Bortuzzo. Goalie: Jake Allen
Game Highlights:
The Blues would come into Edmonton looking for some redemption after losing to the Flames the other night in Calgary. The Oilers would have other ideas tonight. The Oilers would open up the scoring in the contest tonight when Ryan Nugent-Hopkins would take a Patrick Maroon pass and buries it for a 1-0 Oilers lead. By the way this is the fifth straight game that the Blues have allowed a powerplay goal...
Not only would the Oilers be up 1-0 but Joel Edmundson, who the penalty was called on, would go off after getting hurt. (He would later return, but the Blues just have had that kind of luck) The Oilers would add to the 1-0 lead about five and a half minutes later. This time it was Taylor Hall that would find the back of the net.
David Backes, who hates Canada, has had enough of this tom foolery. Backes would score just a minute later to cut the lead to 2-1 and it seemed like the Blues were right back in the game. Backes gets his 18th goal of the year with Parayko(22) getting the lone assist. In the second period the Blues would get the equalizer. Joel Edmundson thought he might have had his first NHL goal. Unfortunately for him, Schwartz would tip it in for the 2-2 tie.
Schwartz is credited with his sixth goal of the year. The aforementioned Edmundson(8) and Lehtera(22) getting the assists on the play. The Oilers, namely Mark Letestu, would break the tie, thanks to a Brodziak delay of game penalty.
Edmonton would look to have scored, but the Blues would challenge...AND WIN. The Oilers were guilty of being offside. However, it wouldn't matter. Edmonton would score just a few moments later. Funny enough, it was the same guy that scored the goal that was taken away, Leon Draisaitl.
The Blues weren't done giving up powerplay chances. Or power play goals. With two minutes left in the second, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins would snap it past Jake Allen for the 5-2 Oilers lead. The Blues powerplay was the death of the Blues in Calgary. Apparently tonight it was going to be the penalty kill as this was the FOURTH powerplay goal that the Blues would give up tonight.
Flash forward to the third period. With the Blues on the powerplay (Wait, what?) Patrik Berglund would score to bring the game back to 5-3. David Backes would help in front of the net long enough for Berglund to roof his eighth goal of the season.
Schwartz(13) and Tarasenko(29) get the assists on the goal. David Backes, who still hates Canada, nets his second goal of the night off of a pass from Alex Pietrangelo.
Backes gets number 19 on the season with Pietrangelo(24) and Jaskin(9) getting the helpers. Jake Allen wanted to help the comeback effort in the third too with this save on Leon Draisaitl with about 5 minutes left.
You might be wondering why the Blues were on the penalty kill again. Troy Brouwer would take a 5 minute major and a game misconduct for this hit on Hendricks,
Brouwer boarding major. Hendricks was cut above the eyebrow on the play pic.twitter.com/sSxSuXvYfo
— Stephanie (@myregularface) March 17, 2016
The Oilers would go on to add an empty net tally...
And go on to lose to the Oilers 6-4. It was another lackluster effort from the good guys. The Blues continue the road trip Saturday against Vancouver.
From The Twitter Machine:
Apparently the fans aren't the only ones disgruntled after that loss.
#Blues having a closed-door meeting after losing 6-4 to #Oilers.
— Derek Van Diest (@DerekVanDiest) March 17, 2016
You can file this one under no shit.
Hitch said the Blues "are guilty of looking at the opponent," meaning they're taking the last two teams too lightly
— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) March 17, 2016
That's probably not good.
Blues have allowed 17 goals in past 3 games. Last time they did that was February of 2013.
— Tom Timmermann (@tomtimm) March 17, 2016
What?
— Art Lippo (@ArtLippo) March 17, 2016
And finally because today/yesterday was 3/16...non hockey, but amusing because again, need something after that hell. Hey at least it's not the Edmonton goal horn.
Three Stars:
Third Star: Connor McDonalds, er, McDavid (2 assists. Pretty much made Bortuzzo look like a traffic cone in the first period)
Second Star: David Backes (2 goals, Told all of Canada to fist themselves postgame...probably)
First Star: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (2 goals, Don't trust anyone with two last names.)