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Blues Forwards:
Vladimir Sobotka - Brayden Schenn - Vladimir Tarasenko
Alexander Steen -Paul Stastny - Tage Thompson
Magnus Paajarvi - Patrik Berglund - Ivan Barbashev
Scottie Upshall - Kyle Brodziak - Dmitrij Jaskin
Blues Defensemen:
Carl Gunnarsson -Alex Pietrangelo
Joel Edmundson - Colton Parayko
Vince Dunn - Robert Bortuzzo
Starting Goaltender:
Carter Hutton
Game Highlights:
Last night the Blues continued their trek across Canada with a matchup against the Flames. As mentioned above, Carter Hutton got the start as Jake Allen starts tonight in Edmonton. As far as last nights game goes, the Blues fell down one early on. Carter Hutton appeared to have made the intial save on a Michael Frolik shot. The puck bounced up and over Hutton and trickled towards the net. Tage Thompson intercepted the puck and shot it back out. Unfortunately, the puck did cross the goal line giving Calgary the 1-0 lead.
Hutton, even after the first goal, remained strong in the closing moments of the first period.
The Blues found the back of the net in the second period. Not only did they find the back of the net, they scored one of those elusive powerplay goals that everyone speaks so fondly of. Brayden Schenn received the puck from Colton Parayko. Schenn proceeded to dance around the Calgary defense. He ended the play with a beautiful shot that beat Calgary starter Mike Smith, tying this one up at one.
That effort was all for naught though. In the third period Dougie Hamilton, unbroke the 1-1 tie with a goal off a rebound chance. Hutton let his guard down for just a moment, and next you know, the puck is in the back of the net. One might assume Hutton thought Barbashev had control of the puck and was going to clear. Hamilton was there to bat the puck into the back of the net. 2-1 bad guys.
The Blues couldn’t solve another goaltender last night and were downed 2-1 on the road. The Blues continue in Edmonton tonight at 8.
Shots shots shots everybody!
STL: 22 including all of five in the third period. Cal and Gary had 33 shots on net.
Goals:
Michael Frolik (7) assisted by Mikael Backlund (13)
Brayden Schenn (17) assisted by Colton Parayko (16) and Paul Stastny (17)
Dougie Hamilton (14) assisted by Sean Monahan (14) and T.J. Brodie (15)
From The Twitter Machine:
From Fox Sports Midwest/Jeremy Rutherford...so that’s bad?
@jprutherford pic.twitter.com/8id6KTaq1b
— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) December 21, 2017
Interesting numbers from STL Blues History
St Louis Blues have played 36 games this season:
— STL Blues History (@STLBlueshistory) December 21, 2017
1st 18 games - 13-4-1; 27 Points
Goals For - 56
Goals Against - 44
PP% - 15%; PP Goals 9
PK% - 79.7%; PP Against 12
Last 18 games - 9-8-1; 19 Points
Goals For - 50
Goals Against - 46
PP - 18.3%; PP Goals 13
PK - 83%; PP Against 9
While Schenn is still lighting it up, let’s see how Jori Lehte...oh.
Jori Lehtera 0 G, 2 A in 18 GP. Due $5 million in salary next season. Buyout seems inevitable #Flyers #stlblues
— Andy Strickland (@andystrickland) December 21, 2017
And I’ll just end with this one. The hard hitting not so much Captain Obvious journalist in me thinks that the Blues offense has completely disappeared.
The #stlblues since Dec. 10 against Buffalo, going back to Paul Stastny's 5 on 5 goal in the second period, have just one -- ONE -- 5 on 5 goal in the past 328:07. That's 5 full games and 28+ minutes' worth.
— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) December 21, 2017
Player of the Game:
Tarasenko, for not completely murdering one of his teammates from frustration as of late.