St. Louis Game Time - Dallas Stars At St. Louis Blues GameDay StorystreamWe're one ugly bastard.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/10753/gt-fave.png2016-11-29T00:09:42-06:00http://www.stlouisgametime.com/rss/stream/135274472016-11-29T00:09:42-06:002016-11-29T00:09:42-06:00Stars Vs. Blues Recap: Blue Monday
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<figcaption>Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Robby Fabbri, a point streak, and an overtime game winner. </p> <p><b>Blues Lineup:</b></p>
<p>Forwards: Jaden Schwartz, Paul Stastny, David Perron, Robby Fabbri, Jori Lehtera, Vladimir Tarasenko, Dmitrij Jaskin, Patrik Berglund, Ty Rattie, Ryan Reaves, Kyle Brodziak, Scottie Upshall.</p>
<p>Defensemen: Jay Bouwmeester, Alex Pietrangelo, Carl Gunnarsson, Kevin Shattenkirk, Robert Bortuzzo, Colton Parayko</p>
<p>Goaltender: Jake Allen</p>
<p><b>First Period: </b></p>
<p>The Blues first period was frankly boring until the second half of it. The Blues managed to not commit the "Stupid penalty of the night". They were getting their chances as well. David Perron, who has a seven game point streak (I'll get to him in a minute.) tries to make it 8 here. Dallas starter <strike>block of Swiss Cheese</strike> Antti Niemi stops Perron here on a wrist shot to deny the Blues the lead.</p>
<p><span><iframe height="360" width="540" src="https://www.nhl.com/stars/video/embed/niemi-gloves-perrons-wrister/t-277437402/c-46813703?autostart=false"></iframe></span></p>
<p>The Blues did however find the back of the net minutes later. The Blues marched the puck down the ice and beat Niemi on what was a great pass from Robert Bortuzzo to make it 1-0 good guys. Or was it a good goal? The initial thought was that the goal might have been offsides. Fabbri did his best Stretch Armstrong imitation and it was deemed a good goal. As close as it was, Dallas did not challenge the play. My guess was that they didn't think there was enough evidence to turn the call over.</p>
<p><span><iframe height="360" width="540" src="https://www.nhl.com/blues/video/embed/fabbri-finishes-bortuzzos-feed/t-277443738/c-46813803?autostart=false"></iframe></span></p>
<p>Jori Lehtera was also credited for an assist on the goal. Shots on goal were 9-4 in favor of the Blues</p>
<p><b>Second Period:</b></p>
<p>With the Blues on the powerplay, Patrik Berglund/Alex Pietrangelo/Jaden Schwartz/Bob in the fifth row, scored in a puck skirmish. Niemi makes the initial save, but the ref never blew the play dead. Which turned out to be the right call because it was still loose underneath Niemi. At first it seemed that Berglund had scored. Pietrangelo and Schwartz were also there. Ultimately they gave it to Pietrangelo. Honestly, it doesn't matter, as it counted for the Blues. 2-0 Blues. (For what it's worth, I wanted Berglund to get credit. I mean it is Christmas season and all) Berglund and Colton Parayko get the assists on the goal that gave the Blues that dreaded lead.</p>
<p><span><iframe height="360" width="540" src="https://www.nhl.com/blues/video/embed/pietrangelo-taps-in-puck-for-ppg/t-277443738/c-46814403?autostart=false"></iframe></span></p>
<p>Moments later the Blues almost had their third goal of the night. Robby Fabbri was off to the races after receiving a breakout pass from Kyle Brodziak. Fabrri couldn't get it up (the puck) and Niemi was able to make the save.</p>
<p><span><iframe height="360" width="540" src="https://www.nhl.com/stars/video/embed/niemis-great-save-on-breakaway/t-277437402/c-46814503?autostart=false"></iframe></span></p>
<p>At the tail end of the period Jamie Oleksiak scores on a beautiful (or shitty depending on how you look at it) goal. He made both Perron and Pietrangelo look like traffic cones. He then beat Jake Allen to cut the lead in half.</p>
<p><span><iframe height="360" width="540" src="https://www.nhl.com/stars/video/embed/oleksiaks-beautiful-goal/t-277437402/c-46814903?autostart=false"></iframe></span></p>
<p>Vladimir Tarasenko almost put up goal number three for the Blues but was robbed by a kick save from Niemi</p>
<p><span><iframe height="360" width="540" src="https://www.nhl.com/stars/video/embed/niemi-kicks-out-tarasenkos-shot/t-277437402/c-46815103?autostart=false"></iframe></span></p>
<p><span></span>Shots on goal in the second were 12-6 in favor of the Blues for the second period in a row. Despite the Dallas goal, the Blues were clearly the better team.</p>
<p><b>Third Period:</b></p>
<p>Dallas received a questionable powerplay in the early stages of the third. While yes, there was stick to body contact, there wasn't enough to justify a hooking call (in my opinion). So of course they then capitalized on said powerplay. Jamie Benn was the one to score the goal. Tie game. After Benn's actions in the second period(Jabbing at Allen after the Whistle/going after guys but cowering away from a challenge/being a general dick face) it would figure.</p>
<p><span><iframe height="360" width="540" src="https://www.nhl.com/stars/video/embed/benn-fires-home-ppg-to-tie-game/t-277437402/c-46815403?autostart=false"></iframe></span></p>
<p>With a little under 7 minutes to go, David Perron put the Blues ahead. Although as Panger was talking about the goal he called it the game winning goal....Oh boy. Schwartz and Bouwmeester get credits for the assists on the NOT game winning goal. Perron took his point streak up to nine games after being denied on the chance from earlier in the game.</p>
<p><span><iframe height="360" width="540" src="https://www.nhl.com/blues/video/embed/perron-finishes-give-and-go/t-277443738/c-46815803?autostart=false"></iframe></span></p>
<p>Because this would happen late in the game. It looked like it bounced off Pietrangelo and past Allen. What is a Blues game without drama late in the game?!?</p>
<p><span><iframe height="360" width="540" src="https://www.nhl.com/stars/video/embed/oleksiaks-second-ties-game-late/t-277437402/c-46816103?autostart=false"></iframe></span></p>
<p>Blues were outshot in the final regulation frame 9-8.</p>
<p><b>Overtime:</b></p>
<p>Tarasenko seemed as if he couldn't buy a goal tonight. After that Niemi kicksave, it seemed as if it wasn't gonna happen for ol' 91. After a few moments of overtime Tarasenko got a wide open net. Needless to say Frankenstien's fat foot wasn't even going to save this one.</p>
<p><span><iframe height="360" width="540" src="https://www.nhl.com/blues/video/embed/tarasenko-wins-it-for-blues-in-ot/t-277443738/c-46816403?autostart=false"></iframe></span></p>
<p>Ballgame Blues. The Blues were the better team for much of the game tonight. The Stars didn't deserve the point they got, but alas, they got one. The Blues are back at it Thursday night against the Lightning.</p>
<p><b>From The Twitter Machine:</b></p>
<p><b></b>What they said:</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">OUCH! <a href="https://t.co/3RGjGHeSW9">pic.twitter.com/3RGjGHeSW9</a></p>
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) <a href="https://twitter.com/StLouisBlues/status/803423079477153792">November 29, 2016</a>
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<p>Perron postgame:</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Perron tied game in third but says "I thought Fabs was probably the best player on the ice" in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/stlblues?src=hash">#stlblues</a> 4-3 OT win over Stars. <a href="https://t.co/7mOw8t36nZ">pic.twitter.com/7mOw8t36nZ</a></p>
— FOX Sports Midwest (@FSMidwest) <a href="https://twitter.com/FSMidwest/status/803446663951982592">November 29, 2016</a>
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<p>Shoutout to Jamie Benn for throwing a hissy fit. WHAT DID THAT GOAL POST EVER DO TO YOU JAMIE?!?!?</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Can we just pause and appreciate Jamie Benn going full Belfour after the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/stlblues?src=hash">#stlblues</a> game winner? <a href="https://t.co/VhGBOFOPdA">pic.twitter.com/VhGBOFOPdA</a></p>
— Dan Reilly (@danreilly) <a href="https://twitter.com/danreilly/status/803472399144460288">November 29, 2016</a>
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<p><b>Player of the game:</b></p>
<p>Robby Fabbri. Scored a goal, could/should have been two. Said swear words. That porn stash though...</p>
https://www.stlouisgametime.com/2016/11/29/13773114/stars-vs-blues-recap-blue-mondayJustin422016-11-28T12:00:05-06:002016-11-28T12:00:05-06:00Life on the Road - Columbus Blue Jackets
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<figcaption>Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The winds of change sweep through the Central Division</p> <p id="Kty07F">Expansion and shifting divisions in the NHL can produce a wide variety of challenges. While the most pressing on this particular day is that the league has excluded Vegas merchandise from its Cyber Monday sale, it can also be difficult to maintain a rivalry with a team you used to see a great deal more of. </p>
<p id="4Ua7rw">Both tonight’s opponent, the Dallas Stars, and tonight’s profile subject, the Columbus Blue Jackets, fall into this category. The expansion Nashville Predators pushed the Stars from the Central Division, removing a divisional rivalry that stretched back to 1981 and the entrance of the Minnesota North Stars to the Norris division. </p>
<p id="A9ftTp">When Columbus joined the league for the 2000-01 season, they were placed in the Central Division and lasted there until the 2013 -14 season, when realignment was completed to accommodate the move of Atlanta to Winnipeg. If you’ve ever questioned whether the NHL places much value on continuity, consider the sheer number of seasons and locales in the two previous paragraphs and you’ll quickly arrive at your answer. </p>
<p id="x4DHpz">My observation of the Blue Jackets took place on a fairly quiet Sunday afternoon in the midst of a stretch of three games in four days. The Capitals crowd was somewhat lackluster and the Washington press box was nearly empty, save for six scouts from the Vegas Golden Knights. Included in that group was David Conte, the architect of the mid-90s New Jersey Devils and beneficiary of many Blues draft picks, and Blake Armstrong, the son of Blues GM Doug Armstrong. </p>
<p id="nOmuho">The management connections, of course, run fairly deep in Columbus. Both John Davidson and Jarmo Kekalainen are still in senior positions for the Blue Jackets. Brad Shaw, after mystifyingly surviving 10 years and four head coaches as an assistant, is also now on the Blue Jackets bench. </p>
<p id="myTowR">It was clear early that Columbus would be attempting to shorten its bench and lean heavily on the team’s most trusted players. The third defensive pairing was Scott Harrington and Markus Nutivaara, who at the time had combined for 42 NHL games and only three points. They were forced into a difficult situation at least in part thanks to the elegance and grace of Patrik Berglund, who had managed to stomp on defenseman Seth Jones’s foot a week prior, breaking bones and putting him out of the lineup for an extended period. </p>
<p id="CIqahC">One player the Jackets were comfortable relying on, however, was defenseman Zach Werenski. While a great deal of the focus around the league has been on Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine, the top two picks in this summer’s draft, Werenski has put up nearly a point per game on defense while simultaneously being incredibly difficult to play against. Watching him in this game was a familiar experience to watching Kevin Shattenkirk at his best. </p>
<p id="csFN6x">Since his play for the Blues this season seems to suggest that those days are long gone, it was a bittersweet jog down a fairly long memory lane. </p>
<p id="zwQ1oP">The Blues also have some familiarity with Columbus in terms of their reliance on their fourth line. This may not come as much of a surprise given their coaching staff. John Tortorella was roundly criticized for his roster construction for the United States in this summer’s World Cup, and his grinder romance has been well documented. </p>
<p id="NFtq14">Matt Calvert, William Karlsson and Josh Anderson do have more skill than your average collection of grinders. Calvert was playing in this game fresh off an impressive night against the Rangers where he rebounded from 30-plus stitches to the forehead to score the game winning goal. </p>
<div id="Me6zZR"><div><div style="left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LDPz6TLX0rE?wmode=transparent&rel=0&autohide=1&showinfo=0&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" style="top: 0px; left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div></div></div>
<p id="SGpfoy">One second period shift from that fourth line was perhaps a textbook example of grinding road play. The Blue Jackets were able to sustain a cycle deep in the Washington end before crashing the net to attempt to clean up a point shot from Jack Johnson, perhaps the only player in the NHL who might need to sell Game Time on the weekends. While the Capitals were able to prevent a goal, they did have to ice the puck and provide Columbus with a golden opportunity for an offensive zone faceoff against tired opponents. </p>
<p id="ZtdeZa">Sergei Bobrovsky is ultimately the backbone of the Blue Jackets, as so many goaltenders are. After winning the 2013 Vezina Trophy, the goalie that many call “Bob” has struggled to maintain consistency, and the Blue Jackets have similarly struggled to assemble consistent results. </p>
<p id="1fwVR7">The 92.9 save percentage that Bobrovsky has assembled so far this season is his best since his Vezina season. In this game, however, it was clear that he was affected by some combination of the early start and the rough schedule. Bob’s legs were noticeably slow early, and that delayed reaction led to an early goal off a weak screen by Marcus Johansson and another near miss after a high tip from Tom Wilson. </p>
<p id="YYQsBi">Aside from the Alex Ovechkin one-timer from the blocker side dot (yes, there was one in this game), hockey is difficult to predict. Alex Wennberg played a mostly anonymous and quiet game until a late and controversial penalty against Nicklas Backstrom put the Blue Jackets on a last minute powerplay. Wennberg took advantage of outstanding exterior passing from Sam Gagner and Nick Foligno to capitalize, and the Blue Jackets were able to squeeze out a difficult road win. </p>
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<p id="7f1fDz"> </p>
<p id="P2tK9P">Fifteen minutes later, Wennberg found himself surrounded at his locker stall by media types from at least five publications. That’s an outcome that no one could have seen coming, thus proving that the micro shifts in the game and the macro shifts in the league have a parallel structure that produces the excitement that so many hockey fans rely on. </p>
<p id="RINqSP"> </p>
<p id="BNQpAt"> </p>
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https://www.stlouisgametime.com/2016/11/28/13765130/life-on-the-road---columbus-blue-jacketsJeff M. Jones2016-11-28T11:00:06-06:002016-11-28T11:00:06-06:00Lighting The Lamp: Stars Shine Bright?
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<img alt="NHL: Stanley Cup Playoffs-Dallas Stars at St. Louis Blues" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/X9L3FaBAqTR1JzDpnw8og-j3BXs=/0x0:3448x2299/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52026973/usa_today_9282619.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>You might recognize the "Lighting the Lamp" feature from the Game Time paper. Rick Ackerman has been nice enough to send over his column for the website. "Lighting the Lamp" will be featured every home game day.</p> <h4 id="EXqU4h">Lighting the Lamp with Rick Ackerman</h4>
<p id="PY1E7L"> Home, sweet home! The St. Louis Blues have not exactly replicated last season’s excellent road record, now having lost seven of ten games away from home, outscored 39 to 27. Last season, the Note was 25-11-5 for 55 points in 41 road games. Thankfully, St. Louis is currently 9-1-2 at home so far this season, outscoring opponents 31-21.</p>
<p id="8bxLOM"> Domination within the division continues as well for the Blue, who are currently 5-2-1 for 11 points, with 24 goals for and 20 against. Last season, St. Louis was 20-6-4 for 44 points against divisional rivals, scoring 81 goals and allowing 66 against.</p>
<p id="IgK9aT"> The Blues will be seeking a measure of revenge against the visiting Dallas Stars tonight after an early November shellacking in Dallas. Jake Allen made only 21 saves as the Stars scored six times, with center Tyler Seguin racking up four assists. Antti Niemi starred for Dallas, stopping 28 of 30 shots against. Paul Stastny and Alex Pietrangelo each had a goal and an assist for the Note in that blowout.</p>
<p id="Th5GQ2"> The Stars began NHL play 23 years ago after being relocated from Minneapolis by owner Norman Green due to poor attendance, rising costs, refusal of civic leaders to build a new arena and personal problems. The old Reunion Arena, built in Dallas in 1980 became the new home of the franchise, seating 17,001 for hockey. The first game in Texas on October 5, 1993, resulted in a 6-4 victory over Detroit in front of 16, 914 new fans. The outdated facility was replaced in 2001 by the American Airlines Center, seating capacity 18,532. It was the heart of a commercial renewal project in downtown Dallas called Victory Park. Taxpayers okayed a new hotel and rental car tax to defray construction costs. It also helped that American Airlines ponied up almost two million dollars for the naming rights.</p>
<p id="o3w5LH"> Since moving to Texas, the Stars have qualified for the playoffs in 14 of 23 seasons of play. Dallas lost to the Red Wings in the Conference Finals in 1998 and consequently won the Stanley Cup in 1999, knocking off the Buffalo Sabres in triple-overtime of the sixth game. We all know who scored that controversial goal, eh? Dallas would return to the Cup Finals in 2000, yet lost to New Jersey in six games.</p>
<p id="zD98Bz"> The Blues and Stars have tangled four times in postseason play. Dallas won the first two series in 1994 and 1999, while St. Louis took series in 2001 and 2016. The Stars have a slight edge in games, winning 11 of 21 contests. </p>
<p id="NFWXru"> If the playoff record against the franchise is to be considered, the Blues and North Stars met nine times in the 26 seasons of play in Minnesota. St. Louis won five of those series, with a total of 28 victories. Minnesota took four series, with a total of 26 games won. The Blues have a slight franchise lead winning seven of 13 total series and 38 of 75 total games. </p>
<p id="nWw3Zj"> There have been nine trades between the two franchises, six with Minnesota and three with Dallas. From August 1970 until June of 1979, former North Stars joining the Blues included Bob McCord, Harvey Bennett Jr., Bob Stewart, Bob Murdoch, Bryan Maxwell and Ritchie Hansen. I would venture a guess that even the old-timers don’t remember more than two of these players, the most prominent being defenseman Bryan Maxwell, who played parts of two seasons wearing the Note, scoring an unremarkable four goals and 25 points in 97 games. Defenseman Bob Stewart also played two seasons in St. Louis, with five goals and 19 points in 88 games. In return, Minnesota received cash and two second-round draft picks, neither of which panned out. </p>
<p id="JjxmeJ"> Trades with Dallas were somewhat more fruitful. In October 1995 the Blues traded center Guy Carbonneau to the Stars for center Paul Broten. After 13 productive seasons as a checking center for Montreal, Carbonneau, with three Selke Awards to his credit, joined the Blues and played half a season before going south to Texas, where he played five more seasons, culminating in a Stanley Cup championship in 1999. Broten played 17 games for St. Louis with one assist. He was demoted to the AHL Worcester IceCats and never returned to the NHL. </p>
<p id="rAODvs"> The best remembered trade saw Roman Turek become the Blues’ number-one goaltender in June 1999 in exchange for a second-round draft pick (Dan Jancevski). Turek was the Ryan Miller of his day as his presence on the Blues’ roster was seen as a ticket to a long playoff run and possible championship. Turek was spectacular during the regular season of 1999-2000 (1.95 goals against average and .912 save percentage). And then the San Jose Sharks happened in the opening round of postseason play. The Sharks scored 20 goals against Turek and eliminated the Blues in seven games. The two-time Jennings Award winner had another good season in 2000-01 and helped St. Louis to two revenge-minded playoff series wins over the Sharks and Stars, yet he played poorly in the Conference Finals and the Blues lost in five games to Colorado. Turek was dispatched to Calgary (for Freddy Braithwaite, Daniel Tkachuk and Sergei Varlamov) the following summer, becoming the Brian Elliott of his day. Jancevski played parts of three seasons for Dallas, pointless in seven total games. </p>
<p id="IgMQ1a"> And finally, in June 2004, the Blues added goaltender Jason Bacashihua in exchange for the rights to defenseman Shawn Belle. Bacashihua played 38 games in two uneventful seasons for the Blues, while Belle never played a game in Dallas.</p>
<p id="8h76pl"> A rare Monday night contest calls for a Blues’ miracle win tonight, right?</p>
<p id="vLY3Ta"></p>
https://www.stlouisgametime.com/2016/11/28/13764860/lighting-the-lamp-stars-shine-brighthildymac2016-11-28T08:42:00-06:002016-11-28T08:42:00-06:00Stars At Blues Morning Open Thread: Stop Seguin
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<figcaption>Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Blues are 9-1-2 at home while the Stars are 3-5-3 on the road. </p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.defendingbigd.com/">Dallas Stars</a> sit in fifth place in the Central Division with an unimpressive -15 goal differential. If Jamie Benn and <span>Tyler Seguin</span> didn't exist, that number may be even worse. Seguin leads the Stars with seven goals and fifteen assists; Benn is second on the team with six goals and eleven assists. Toss in <span>Patrick Eaves</span> (9 goals) and Brett Richie (6 goals), and you'd think that the Stars could be dangerous. They can be. They're 5-3-2 in their last ten and seem to be shaking off the same doldrums that tied the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.stlouisgametime.com/">Blues</a> up earlier this season.</p>
<p>But <span>Antti Niemi</span> and <span>Kari Lehtonen</span> are still Antti Niemi and Kari Lehtonen. Their GAAs are 2.97 and 3.38, respectively, thanks to a defense that can't seem to gel. Exploit that defense and exploit Dallas' traditionally meh goaltending, and the Blues could be looking at their tenth home win of the season.</p>
<p>This is your morning open thread. Check back later on for a Lighting the Lamp from Rick, your game preview, and your GDT. While you're waiting for the puck to drop on tonight's game (if you're out of the STL area, it's on the NHL Network tonight), head over to <a href="http://www.defendingbigd.com/">Defending Big D</a> and say howdy.</p>
https://www.stlouisgametime.com/2016/11/28/13763282/dallas-stars-at-st-louis-blues-morning-open-thread-struggling-starshildymac