clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Avalanche Vs. Blues Recap: Take Me Out To The Blues Game

Shutout streak comes to an end, but Kroenke's team still sucks.

By Justin42
Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Blues lineup:

Forwards: Jaden Schwartz/Jori Lehtera/Vladimir Tarasenko...Robby Fabbri/Paul Stastny/Troy Brouwer...Patrik Berglund/A welcome back to the lineup for Alexander Steen/David Backes...and Scottie Upshall/Kyle Brodziak/Ryan Reaves.

Defensive Pairs: (Note:Jay Bouwmeester was ruled out indefinitely with a concussion, because of course) Joel Edmundson/Alexander Pietrangelo...Kevin Shattenkirk/Colton Parayko...Petteri Lindbohm/Robert Bortuzzo.

Back in net for the Blues: Brian Elliott.

Game Highlights:

The Blues were coming into tonight's game with an impressive shutout streak against a team that was fighting for a wild card spot. The Blues powerplay would take advantage of a Colorado delay of game penalty just two minutes in for a 1-0 lead. David Backes would get the redirect on a shot from "Hey we've really missed you" Alexander Steen.

David Backes would get his 20th goal of the year with Steen(31) and Shattenkirk(27) getting the assists. The Blues would score their first powerplay goal would be their first in four games. The Blues would keep the pressure up in the first period and dominated a team, that well frankly, they should have. Great plays like this one hear from Big Bobby Bortuzzo would keep the Avs off of the score sheet.

Unfortunately, the Avs would finally break the fortress of goalessness that both Elliott and Jake Allen would help create the last few games and tie the game up at one. Mikhail Grigorenko buried a pass from Tyson Barrie that Elliott couldn't really do anything about.

With the game tied at one, the Blues would strike again on the man advantage. This time it would come midway through the second period. Alexander Steen would notch his second assist of the game. Finding a wide open Paul Stastny, who would then flick a nice pass to a streaking Troy Brouwer who would finish off the play for a 2-1 Blues lead.

Brouwer gets his 16th goal of the year. Stastny gets his 35th assist of the year, and Steen gets his 32nd. Three minutes later, the Blues would score again. This time off of the stick of Vladimir Tarasenko. Tarasenko would steal the puck and proceed to bury past Colorado starter Semyon Varlamov. 3-1 Blues.

Tarasenko gets his 36th goal of the year all by his lonesome, and it looked as if the Blues were going to cruise at this point. Then again this is the Blues team that has seemed to crumble when it came to the late in the game hold the lead type scenarios. Brian Elliott wasn't going to have any of that tonight though. With Colorado on the powerplay in the third, Elliott would deny Barrie on the initial shot, and then sprawl out to cover any sort of rebound chance to keep it a two goal lead.

If any of you have followed the Avs and their kooky coach Patrick Roy (although why would you?) you know that Roy likes to pull his goalie earlier than most. Varlamov would be on the bench by the 4:30 mark of the third in this one. The Blues wouldn't find the back of the net, but neither would the Avs. Which is a plus. To be honest though, the Blues wouldn't find the back of the empty net, because they would either miss wide (ahem Tarasenko Brad Boyes'd one at one point), or there would just happen to be an Avs player in front of the net to block the shot attempt. (This would happen at least twice.) Brian Elliott would stop Blake Comeau with about a minute and a half left in the game on this sprawling save in front.


The Blues go on to win this one 3-1 and played an overall great game against a team that played the night before, and that is barely clinging on to their playoff lives. The Blues return to action Friday night against Boston at Scottrade. Remember there are only a few home games left so pick up a paper!

From The Twitter Machine:

In case you hadn't heard, tonight was Cardinals night at Scottrade. Here was a shot of the warmup jerseys:

Both Berglund and Fabbri would leave the ice with some sort of injury tonight. Berglund would come back, Fabbri, not so much. However, they've already said that Fabbri is just day to day. (With the Blues not practicing tomorrow he won't return until Thursday anyway.) Here's a gif of both of the injuries...Berglund:

Fabbri:

And finally, yes the streak was ended but Elliott still pretty good.

Three Stars:

Third Star - David Backes (1 goal, lover of puppies, hater of Canada and horrid hair pieces)

Second Star - Brian Elliott (1 goal allowed. See above for how great he is)

First Star - Alexander Steen (2 assists. Did he really miss 15 games? Sure didn't look like it)

In This Stream

Avalanche At Blues GameDay Storystream: Forwards Getting Healthy

View all 6 stories