Another day, another shutout.

Our powerplay is rough, but holy crap is our goaltending on... We're under 2.0 GAA as a TEAM right now.

I know it. I caught tickets to the Enterprise box for Saturdays game (YAY!). Hopefully I bring us a winner.

Saturday (against the Sabres). I actually cannot remember the box number (tickets are at home right now). They are on the Penalty side of the rink, pretty close to the blue line of the zone the Blues shoot twice. Maybe 114-117 range?

I'll have my kiddo with me too, she's just turned 12.

Send me an email (e378j3@erac.com) and I'll get you a text number so we can say hi if you like!

Good to know that I can attend a Blues game and still see the high level of play we see on the TV. Very tough hockey club we have right now. Tonight is a big game, going into Detroit for a nice little tussle with the Wings. After that, back home to deal with the Penguins. Those are two marquee games that will be a good playoff gauge for how we're going to stack up.

Interesting thoughts about trade deadline moves, do you make any deals as the Blues, or stand pat with the team (and chemistry) that you have running now?

Fors, was good to see you man! We'll need to meet up for a game at a sports bar sometime.

Rick Nash was one I was curious about. I wouldn't mind seeing him in a Blue-Note either, if it didn't cost us something insane.

PS Edit, the cost on this would be high. I know he offered to waive his no trade if it helps Columbus get better. If the Blues can't afford the price, I'm just hoping that doesn't land him in Detroit or Chicago... or the Western Conference.... or the NHL. That guy is scary on a shit team like Columbus, putting him with a Rangers/Bruins/Hawks/Wings is just obscene to even think about.

Last edited by alz (1/23/2012 12:11 pm)

I heard on NHL Network the Ducks may want to move Selanne. I'd prefer not to the Rangers.

At some point this team has to prove it can beat the big boys.  Otherwise, it's a nice improvement, but an early playoff exit.

It sucks we had to play them 3 straight times in a relatively short time frame all in Detroit.  Makes it feel like they're kicking our ass.

And we're back from the break (what break? I dunno, quit f'ing up my lead-in!).

The Blues are doing well again, going 5-1-0 so far in the month of February. Tomorrow is @ Columbus. That's as good of a road game as you can draw in the NHL, Columbus is 9-15-3 at home, which is better than their 7-19-3 road record, but .... well yeah. One of those included a game where we had to take Halak out (he let in 3 goals on 12 shots), and still got a goal in the third to tie it before winning the shootout (We WON A SHOOTOUT!?!?!?).

After that there is a home game against the Islanders on Thursday.

Notes of importance: The Blues overall goal defense is 2nd in the NHL (111 GA, the Rangers are first with 110). With that said, our offense is not amazing. 139 GF is 24th in the NHL. Our Special Teams play really needs the work. Both on the PP and PK. If we can get a better effort on those fronts, we'll be a very difficult team to beat.

There's the sad marketing aspect of a division winner having to receive home-ice for it's first round playoff series, and any other series where they play a lesser "champion" or a wild-card entry.

Sad too, because it's all about seeding in the NHL, and with the more diverse schedule they play where they will get a home/away game with every other team in hockey, it really is smarter to go with overall record as seeding, and let division winners hang a banner (Even if their point total isn't enough to be in the top 8, and they don't make the playoffs). Case in point, Florida (65 points) and San Jose (66 points) and would normally be around the 5/6 spot in their conferences, fighting for their playoff lives with 7-8 seeds just a couple of points away. Instead they get home ice, against the 6th seed clubs (New Jersey might not be impossible, but that's Chicago in the West, anyone want to bet money that San Jose advances? I'd take Chicago in 5 there, although Chicago has been kinda shitty lately).

The appearances should be right though. The top 4 teams from the Central look like they'll be in, and Columbus doesn't deserve a spot, and won't. The home ice is kind of a kick in the balls for a team like St. Louis, because we're SICK at home, and probably deserve home ice unless we're playing against Detroit.

Huge win last night boys, great special teams dominance. 1-2 on the PP, 5/5 on the PK (With a SHG, this makes 32 straight penalty kills for the Blues). Then for good measure add 3 even strength goals.

Halak was brilliant in net too, the one goal he let in was a very difficult save.

The result?
1st place - Western Conference, 1 point ahead of Vancouver.
1st place - Central Division, 2 points ahead of Detroit.

Anaheim comes in Thursday, and then Columbus comes in Saturday. After that, another scary road trip (7 games). Hard not to really like the way St. Louis is playing though.

They have certainly become a treat to watch and a bitch to play against.

Deservedly, a lot of credit is being given to Hitchcock, but lost in that is the job being done by Doug Armstrong (with limited means).  This past off-season, Armstrong added Arnott, Langebrunner and Nichol and brought a much needed veteran presence and the experience of having been through regular season grind, as well as the Stanley Cup battles.  These guys are going to be really important to this team in the coming weeks, and I think Armstrong signed all 3 for less than a million each.