SB Nation - Andy McDonald

Ty Conklin, Blues shut out Red Wings 1-0

joehass — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 03:31:10 -0000

Ty Conklin stops a Tomas Homstrom shot. Conklin made 42 saves for the shut-out victory.

During the offseason, the Detroit Red Wings made the decision to go with Jimmy Howard as the goalie of the future, releasing Ty Conklin who signed with the St. Louis Blues. Wednesday night at Joe Louis Arena, the former goalie of the future bested the current one.

Brad Boyes scored just 1:56 into the first period, and the red lights would remain off the rest of the night as the Blues shut out the Red Wings 1-0. On a night when the Red Wings had 42 shots on goal and another 43 attempts on net, Conklin stood on his head.

For a Detroit team that has been struggling all season long with putting the puck into the net, tonight's game became a painful reminder of their struggles. Henrik Zetterberg had 11 shot attempts, including seven shots. Pavel Datsuyk had 10 shot attempts. Only three skaters didn't have at least one shot on net (Brett Lebda, Brad May, and Kris Draper).

On his goal, McDonald moved the puck out from behind Jimmy Howard to his left. He passed it out to Carlo Colaiacovo between the faceoff dots. Colaiacovo spotted an open Brad Boyes about 20 feet out, who put it past Howard for his eighth of the season. It would be the only blemish on Howard's record, but it's the only one the Blues needed.

The Red Wings will have an off day before the Anaheim Ducks make their second visit to Joe Louis Arena this season.

Player of the game: Jimmy Howard. Howard's only goal allowed was more of a defensive failure than a goaltending one, but on most nights, that's the kind of performance that should garner a W instead of an L.

Ducks Season Gone in a Flash?

Daniel AC — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:20:50 -0000

More photos » by Mark Avery - AP

8 months ago: Anaheim Ducks right wing Teemu Selanne, left, of Finland, puts a shot over Dallas Stars goalie Marty Turco to win the game during the shootout in an NHL hockey game in Anaheim, Calif., Friday, April 10, 2009. (AP Photo/Mark Avery)

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DANIEL:

This is Anaheim Calling to the hockey world. The Ducks chances of crawling out of the cellar just went form bad to abysmal. TSN is reporting that Teemu Selanne will be gone for the next 4-6 weeks with a broken bone in his left hand. Selanne is a key component of the Ducks secondary scoring in 5 on 5 situations along with Saku Koivu. More importantly, Selanne is third in the league with 7 power play goals, and second in game winning goals with 4. Aside from being a fan favorite, Selanne is very important to the overall performance of the Ducks, and with Joffrey Lupul still sidelined with back spasms there is no indication of who will replace Selanne's goal scoring abilities.

Recent acquisition Kyle Chipchura has played with Saku Koivu before and might be an accidental success with the space that has oppened up on Koivu's wing. Lupul has been skating recently and might only be a couple games away. Chipchura would provide a big body to go along with Koivu's playmaking and Lupul's shoot first mentality. Possible chemistry could ensue. This would lead to a demotion for Artyukhin whose only bad game in the past week was against the Kings when he took three offensive zone faceoffs penalties, a trend he had seemed to reverse.

Perhaps the best hope for the Ducks was just called up from the AHL. Dan Sexton, a.k.a. Big Sexy, had a phenomenal year in the ECHL posting 13-13=26 in 18 games. Dan Sexton is generoulsy listed at 5'10" and a 170 lbs. More importantly, the guy is crafty in the corner. During training camp I was most impressed with Sexton's ability to come out of the corner with the puck against bigger opponents. He uses his speed and lack of size to his advantage. Think Andy McDonald, only as a winger instead of up the middle. I'm excited to see what Big Sexy brings to the team. If nothing else, I expect energy and better play along the boards. I'd love to see an all rookie line of Beleskey-Sharp-Sexton. This line would have Arthur's favorite combination from old Nintendo, the fat guy, the regular guy and the skinny guy.

No matter what happens, the Ducks are going to have to solve this problem from the inside. There's a report that the best s ource for talent via trade, the cap strapped Blackhawks, don't need to move any players until the off season. The Ducks' rookies can get it done. The Ducks need to let their depth start doing a little work, otherwise the top players won't have any guess for a potential stretch run.

The Trading Block: Who The Blues Could Move

gallagher — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:30:12 -0000

More photos » by Gerry Broome - AP

The trade of Lee Stempniak signaled to the Blues that it wouldn't be Andy Murray that would be held accountable for their slow start. Who could be this year's Stempniak?

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On Nov. 23 last year the Blues were 8-8-2 and 13th in the Western Conference, dead-last in the Central Division. They'd suffered some odd injuries, including an emergency appendectomy to one of their players. Fans were grumbling about the coaching of Andy Murray and the lack of team scoring (just 55 goals in 18 games to that point).

The next day the team traded Lee Stempniak, considered by most followers of the team to be one of the franchise's youthful building blocks, to Toronto for Alex Steen and Carlo Colaiacovo. The deal was a classic sell-high, buy-low for the Blues, as Stempniak had a bit of a point streak going at the time (he had three goals and 10 assists in 14 games to that point) and had been a 27-goal scorer once before in his short career. Meanwhile, both Colaiacovo and Steen had long since worn out their welcome in the Center Of The Hockey Universe as underperforming former first round picks.

But the trade was more than a "let's get two-for-one" deal for the Blues; this was a direct message to the players that Murray would be staying and if their performance continued to be mediocre, it was they that would be a-going.

The team continued to struggle along through November and December before going 6-4-1 in January and then, of course, going on The Run that ended with the Blues in the sixth seed in the West.

With the exception of waiving Manny Legace on Feb. 6, the Blues made no other roster moves after the Stempniak deal. Considering the similar state of the team today and the recent comments made by team owner David Checketts that the time to move forward is now, if the team doesn't start to climb the standings soon, another move will be made to shake up the roster. For the sake of this argument, we're going to assume that Andy Murray will not be fired and that the team will deal with first quarter doldrums in the same manner that they did last year and trade someone.

But who fits the bill to be traded this year? Last year's trade of Stempniak was unforeseen and shocking to fans, media and presumably, the players. If a trade is to be made this year, it'd likely be designed to shake up the players who remain behind. The problem is identifying a player who is shocking to see leave and sends the message, but not be the type of player that goes on to make you regret his departure.

Similarly, the roster is full of players that fans might want to see traded, but simply cannot be moved for one reason or another.

We'll analyze the current roster to see who is tradeable and who is not, leaving the minor leaguers and prospects out of the discussion as we're not talking about specific packages or team needs at this point. In the end, we'll give our most likely candidates to be moved if the Blues decide to dangle one of their players.

David Backes

#42 / Right Wing / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-3

Weight: 216

Born: May 01, 1984

G A P +/- PIM

2009 - David Backes 4 6 10 1 38

David Backes, RW: The Blues thought highly enough of Backes to match Vancouver's RFA offer to him before last season, agreeing to overpay him to the tune of $2.5 million a year. Backes paid back the Blues in spades last year with his 31-goal effort and his nightly physical domination. He became known as Chuck Norris around these parts and it was justly deserved.

But is he tradeable today? Backes' slow start made him an early candidate for consideration in a shake up trade, but his six points in his last four games has made him an even more potent trading piece. If the Blues were to trade Backes it would definitely shake up the roster and send the message that no one here is untouchable, but giving up on the 25-year-old could end up being seriously short-sighted. The return might be great, but what of the loss? Have we seen the top of Backes' game or is he just getting started?

Patrik Berglund

#21 / Center / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-4

Weight: 187

Born: Jun 02, 1988

G A P +/- PIM

2009 - Patrik Berglund 3 2 5 -4 2

Patrik Berglund, C: The former first rounder from 2006 enjoyed a great rookie season, becoming coveted around the league for his 21 goals and 47 points in 76 games, despite playing in twice as many games as he ever had in a season previously. This season, however, has been the epitome of the sophomore slump for the young TechnoViking. He is on pace for just 11 goals and 18 points. His minus-4 stands out when compared to his solid plus-19 from last year.

Is he tradeable? Certainly. Would it be shocking? Absolutely. Would it be giving up on a talent who has not reached his final height yet? Probably. Depending on the return that could be gotten back, Berglund could find himself the target of a "needs a change of scenery" trade.

Brad Boyes

#22 / Right Wing / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-0

Weight: 195

Born: Apr 17, 1982

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Brad Boyes	6	9	15	-5	2

Brad Boyes, C/RW: In his short NHL career, Boyes has bounced from Toronto to San Jose to Boston to St. Louis. His talent is evident as he has scored 43 and 33 goals over the last two seasons, but his streaky nature and perceived lack of hard work has kept him on the move. He is on pace for 29 goals this year, despite a recent streak of nine points in his last 10 games. At just 27 years old, he is still an NHL commodity and would surely find suitors if he were on the Blues' trade block.

But can the Blues trade a guy who one could argue is the only real sniper on the team? The last person to score 33 goals in the Bluenote was Tkachuk in 2003-04. The last to score 43 was Brett Hull in 1995-96. Yes, Brett Hull. In 1996. He'd likely draw some talent back to the team, but scoring, even if it is streaky, is not a strength from which the Blues have a deep well to deal.

Eric Brewer

#4 / Defenseman / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-3

Weight: 222

Born: Apr 17, 1979

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Eric Brewer	1	2	3	-8	11

Eric Brewer, D: Calm down, boo-birds. Yes, Brewer might find himself atop many fans' Trade Now lists, but the Robot Captain seems to still be respected within the organization. His statistics continue to track along his career normal, in that area around 20-29 points, but his glaring minus-8 will keep the fans letting him know, "Brewer You Suck!"

If he hadn't missed a calendar year of hockey with various knee and back surgeries and if he wasn't currently on the shelf with another 'lower body' injury, Brewer might have some value. But add to those red flags his current contract of $4.5 million for this year and next and it's unlikely Brewer is going anywhere anytime soon.

Carlo Colaiacovo

#28 / Defenseman / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-1

Weight: 200

Born: Jan 27, 1983

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Carlo Colaiacovo	2	7	9	0	17

Carlo Colaiacovo, D: The beneficiary of last year's "change of scenery" trade, Colaiacovo has revived his career in St. Louis. The offensive defenseman, who never put up more than 24 points in an NHL season before, finished last year with 30 and is on pace for even more points this season, his contract year. He remains haunted by the injury bug, though he managed to play a career-high 73 games last season.

If the Blues think he can be re-signed and continue to be productive in a leading role for the team (he is only 26 now), he won't be traded. If they think he'll be squeezed out by upcoming defenders, Colaiacovo could be a prime trading piece.

Ty Conklin

#29 / Goalie / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-0

Weight: 184

Born: Mar 30, 1976

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Ty Conklin	7	386	3	2			15	2.33	204	189	.926	1

Ty Conklin, G: Conklin has only been with the team for this season and played only seven games. he's been solid and (most importantly for a goalie) uncontroversial in the back-up goal. He fills a serious need for the team and he's paid appropraitely for this year and next.

There's no shock value to shake up the roster by trading Conklin and any trade involving him immediately opens a hole that has to be filled.

B.J. Crombeen

#26 / Right Wing / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-2

Weight: 212

Born: Jul 10, 1985

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - B.J. Crombeen	1	3	4	2	63

B.J. Crombeen, RW: The Beej has a very specific role on this team and depending on the night, he either plays it well by hitting and checking and making life a nightmare for the opposition, or he decides he's needed on the ice and puts himself on the ice for a too-many-men penalty. Basically, he's a role player who can chip in some points and allow older fans to boast that they remember when his dad played here.

Trading B.J. wouldn't be much of a blow to the team. Some might say that it sucks, but not too many fans or players would choke on the trade if it were made. There wouldn't be much of a return on a B.J. trade either because most people would see him as a starter, not the main event in any exchange.

Barret Jackman

#5 / Defenseman / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-0

Weight: 203

Born: Mar 05, 1981

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Barret Jackman	0	4	4	5	13

Barret Jackman, D: The World's Angriest Defender (TM), owner of the best You're An Idiot (R) look in the NHL, Jackman is an original Blue, drafted in the first round back in 1999. He has had to re-learn the game as a defensive defenseman after the new rules were implemented after the lockout. Despite his inexplicable role as "the guy we hate when Brewer is out of the lineup", Jackman plays a steady if unspectacular game and while he has seen time on the power play during the less-offesnive days, he clearly doesn't relish the offensive role and is happier defending his own net.

Jackman's trade would definitely shake up the team and the fanbase, though the return would not be terribly flashy due to his unflashy role and large contract ($4.5 million this year and next, $3.5 million in 2011-12).

Cam Janssen

#55 / Right Wing / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-0

Weight: 210

Born: Apr 15, 1984

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Cam Janssen	0	0	0	-1	50

Cam Janssen, RW: It's almost superfluous to put Janssen's position in this description as all it does is designate where he lines up on face-offs. The local boy gone pro, Cam Smash, King of Eureka, spends his entire shift running around the rink looking for someone to run into or to punch. St. Louisans love their home-town products and Janssen is no exception. He plays a specific role and with his better skating and durability than heavyweight fighter D.J. King, Janssen has been useful to the team. Also, did we mention that the fans love him?

While his game has gotten better since he arrived here in February 2008, Janssen could be traded. The return would be low and the biggest shake up it would cause would be down I-55 south of 44, where they still need every body they can get to fill sandbags come spring.

Erik Johnson

#6 / Defenseman / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-4

Weight: 219

Born: Mar 21, 1988

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Erik Johnson	4	14	18	6	16

Erik Johnson, D: Despite missing all of last year to a golf cart jousting incident (allegedly), the Eeeej leads the team in scoring, changes the way teams have to prepare for the Blues' attack, does a mean Napoleon Dynamite impression, isn't afraid to get down with your girlfriend in your car in Al MacInnis' driveway (allegedly) and is likely going to stage some sweet raid on Oshie's condo at some point to get his Elmo hat back.

How do you spell 'franchise'? Not sure, but it definitely has an E and a J in it. This kid isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

Paul Kariya

#9 / Left Wing / St. Louis Blues

Height: 5-10

Weight: 180

Born: Oct 16, 1974

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Paul Kariya	6	5	11	4	12

Paul Kariya, LW: We owe Paul Kariya a bit of an apology. earlier this year we said something to the effect of, "The next time Paul Kariya takes a hit to make a play with be the first." Since that time, Kariya, who must have heard our admonishment through cyberspace, has been offering up his tiny, waif-like body to make plays. And, thankyouverymuch, it has resulted in Kariya's point totals rising, with points in each of the last three games.

Kariya is still on pace for a terrible offensive year, but that isn't the only reason that trading Kariya is a tough task. In fact there are 6 million reasons that other teams don't want to deal for Kariya. That hefty price tag, small offensive output and the final months of a contract owed to a notorious mercenary when it comes to free agency (just ask Anaheim, Colorado and Nashville) combine for a perfect storm of "hell no, we don't have interest in Kariya" among the rest of the NHL teams.

Chris Mason

#50 / Goalie / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-0

Weight: 195

Born: Apr 20, 1976

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Chris Mason	19	1129	7	8			43	2.29	557	514	.923	0

Chris Mason, G: Mason is the goalie. He's not winning enough games because he's not getting enough help from the rest of the team. His personal stats are great (eighth in GAA and seventh in save percentage) and that's tough to do on a struggling team.

Trading Mason would happen if only one of two things were happening: 1. Tha Canucks called and said, "How about Luongo for that Mason fella straight up?" or 2. The Blues called a press conference and announced, "Screw this year, we love drafting high."

Jay McClement

#18 / Center / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-1

Weight: 201

Born: Mar 02, 1983

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Jay McClement	4	4	8	0	6

Jay McClement, C: Silent Jay, one of the original members of the Blues' post-lockout Kid Line (along with the traded Stempniak), has developed into a legitimate Selke candidate right before our eyes. His even plus/minus is all the more impressive when considering that he sees most of his minutes against other team's top lines. McClement is also locked up for two years after this season to a reasonable contract ($1.45 million per). Plus, his stock photo looks like he has a skelton's grin, which is awesome.

McClement's trade would shock the locker room more than the fans, especially casual fans who too often overlook his quiet, workmanlike contributions to team success. His contract, work ethic and skill set make him a perfect add for an opposing team. His trade wouldn't bring back the intangibles he adds. It could happen, but it would likely be shortsighted.

Andy McDonald

#10 / Center / St. Louis Blues

Height: 5-11

Weight: 183

Born: Aug 25, 1977

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Andy McDonald	6	8	14	-2	2

Andy McDonald, C: McDonald is struggling offensively this year but everyone has seen what he can do with the puck when he starts running hot. Plus, the Blues just locked him up for another three years after this year at an average of $4.7 million a year.

Trading McDonald would be the Blues saying that they made a mistake with a big contract and are having buyers' remorse. Which would put them on the 'sell low' end of the negotiations, the bad end to be on. The trade wouldn't shock fans or the locker room and the return would be less than impressive.

T.J. Oshie

#74 / Center / St. Louis Blues

Height: 5-11

Weight: 170

Born: Dec 23, 1986

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - T.J. Oshie	4	9	13	1	10

T.J. Oshie, C/W: Oshie only seems like he's in a the throes of a sophomore slump because his rookie season took the city by storm. Young Mister Furnace Face scored the NHL.com goal of the year, blew up Rick Nash so badly (twice) that the fans coined the phrase "Oshied", got voted by someone to be his or her mayor in an actual election and had his name chanted by over 19,000 people on multiple occasions last year. By comparison, a second season where he only tallies 50 points would seem like a let down.

Last year, even suggesting that Oshie be traded would be reason enough to go into Salman Rushdie-like hiding for a writer. This year, it would be like suggesting that Anheuser-Busch is better off being owned by a foreign company like Inbev. It's still fighting words in most places, but in others, well, whatever, they just drink Schlafly anyway. Which isn't to say that Oshie's trade wouldn't shock the team and the fans, beacause it certainly would. The problem is that Oshie can score, but his intangibles are worth at least as much as his points, so the return on him wouldn't match what the team would give up.

David Perron

#57 / Left Wing / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-0

Weight: 180

Born: May 28, 1988

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - David Perron	9	7	16	-1	14

David Perron, LW: Perron leads the team in goals, works his poutine-loving ass off on every shift (doing a great rookie Oshie impression) and has an early nod for selection for this year's NHL.com goal of the year. Despite what has happened between Perron and the coach in the past, he is newly mature and coming into his own. And he's only 21.

Despite the fact that he's coming into a contract year and will certainly be looking for a huge pay increase this summer, the day a competing general manager picks up his phone to learn that the Blues are calling to offer Perron in a trade is that GM's best day ever. David Perron is untradeable at this point, no matter the return (sort of insanity, which can happen in the NHL) because of his ceiling.

Alex Pietrangelo

#27 / Defenseman / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-3

Weight: 206

Born: Jan 18, 1990

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Alex Pietrangelo	1	1	2	-9	6

Alex Pietrangelo, D: There's a rule in hockey that goes something like this: goalies hit their stride and their prime later than any other position. Defensemen hit their stride and their prime earlier than goalies, but still not until later in their careers. Forwards can be thrown into the league earliest at all because creativity, speed and their shot can compensate for other factors.

Pietrangelo isn't playing enough in the NHL for most observers and he's got nothing left to learn in junior, but that hardly makes him prime trade bait. The fourth overall selection from just last year going on the trade block would garner a ton of calls from around the league, but the fact is that the offers would almost always be "you take our busting project for your young defenseman who isn't playing anyway".

Roman Polak

#46 / Defenseman / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-1

Weight: 227

Born: Apr 28, 1986

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Roman Polak	2	4	6	6	22

Roman Polak, D: He's 23, he's locked up for this year and next for a little over a million bucks each, plays solid defense, can contribute offensively and is fast enough to rush the puck and get back to protect his own zone. He's quiet and unheralded and he's the Jay McClement of the defense. Plus, his fake Twitter account is awesome. As is farting in teammate's helmets.

The shock value is high, his replacement is fairly easy considering the Pietrangelo, Junland, Rundblad, Cole pipeline and the return on him would likely be comparable, if not exactly earth-shattering.

Alexander Steen

#20 / Left Wing / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-1

Weight: 205

Born: Mar 01, 1984

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Alexander Steen	1	1	2	-1	6

Alexander Steen, LW: Steen has been a staple on the McClement line almost since his arrival in St. Louis and he has also shown flashes of the offense that caused him to be drafted in the first round by Toronto back in 2002. But unlike his trade-mate Colaiacovo, Steen hasn't exactly made himself a more desired commodity around the NHL. he plays an important role for the team, but his role can be filled by plenty of similar players in Peoria who would love the opportunity.

No one nose what value Steen might have around the NHL, but we smell a boring trade if he's the tip of any deal because he's at the end of his contract and has likely reached his beak.

Darryl Sydor

#44 / Defenseman / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-1

Weight: 211

Born: May 13, 1972

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Darryl Sydor	0	4	4	6	10

Darryl Sydor, D: Sydor's best days are well behind him. He's lucky that he happens to have a skill set that allows him to be paid premium dollars (a cool million for this season) to act as 'mentor' and not really be expected produce much offensively. Sydor's only value in trade would be at the deadline as a depth/veteran presence guy. As for shock value in trading Sydor at this point, it's unlikely there would be much shake up in the locker room after the initial "I couldn't believe he took Pronger's number in the first place" discussion.

Keith Tkachuk

#7 / Center / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-2

Weight: 232

Born: Mar 28, 1972

G A P +/- PIM

2009 - Keith Tkachuk 5 8 13 -3 22

Keith Tkachuk, LW/C: The days of trading Tkachuk for a big return are probably long gone. If the trade deadline were looming, there might be a ~~sucker~~ general manager or two out there who might still fall for the siren song of "big body, proven goal scorer, veteran presence" for their playoff run, but as for a trade today, there won't be many takers around the NHL.

Tkachuk is on a short, NHL-cheap contract and does have a strong locker room presence... which is exactly why the Blues want him and will be unlikely to trade him. It'd shake up the roster, but the return at this point wouldn't be worth the exchange.

Mike Weaver

#43 / Defenseman / St. Louis Blues

Height: 5-9

Weight: 182

Born: May 02, 1978

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Mike Weaver	0	1	1	5	8

Mike Weaver, D: Small but steady, Weaver doesn't get mentioned much because he is a defensive defenseman who does his job effectively. Not being mentioned much is a compliment for defensive defenseman.

As for trade value, Weaver has virtually none. There'd be little shock value to the team due to his journeyman status and zero shock value to the fans (have you ever seen a Weaver 43 jersey worn by a fan?) and the return would be the definition of infinitesimal.

Brad Winchester

#15 / Left Wing / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-5

Weight: 228

Born: Mar 01, 1981

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Brad Winchester	0	2	2	1	24

Brad Winchester, LW: It's hard to believe that a guy who stands 6'5 tall and weighs nearly 230 pounds could ever be described as invisible, but Winchester has done just that and in the process has proven how a guy who is taken 35th overall in the NHL draft (2000) can muster only 200 NHL games and 36 points in the following nine years.

Yeah, this is about trade value and shake up of the roster, neither of which describe Winchester.

***************************************

So where does that leave the Blues if they are looking to make a trade? Here are our best guesses, by category.

Untradeable Due To Value:

These guys aren't going anywhere because they are too important to the team now and/or in the future.

Erik Johnson. If the trade documents came to the NHL offices, even those numbskulls would void it based on sheer stupidity. Wayne Gretzky got traded, sure, but not when he was 21 and the best player on his team.
Chris Mason. What do you need the second you trade Chris Mason? A top-10 ranked starting netminder. Whoops!
Jay McClement. Much like Mason, if you trade McClement, you suddenly need a guy just like McClement.
T.J. Oshie. Oshie's intangibles outweigh anything the team would get for him unless some other GM was eating peyote and then firing up the Blackberry to offer up some ridiculous package for the kid. The P.R. hit alone would making trading the Teej a huge mistake.
David Perron. The kid will be worth three first round draft picks to some RFA-contract-offering idiot this summer, so if the Blues are willing to lose an emerging talent like Frenchie, they should wait until then to do it.

Untradeable Due To Lack Of Value:

These guys aren't going anywhere because the return is too small.

Eric Brewer. The Robot is too broken and expensive to warrant interest from another team.
Paul Kariya. It isn't 1996 anymore. Kariya costs too much, is too close to unrestricted free agency and is producing far too few points to be of any interest to any but the drunkest of general managers.
Andy McDonald. We have no doubt that McDonald will be valuable again one day, but right now he too closely resembles the guy who was easily required for a virtually worthless Doug Weight two seasons ago.

Untradeable Due To Role:

Unless these guys are a problem in the locker room, and there's no reason to think they are, no possible advantage can be gained from trading them.

Ty Conklin. This guy gets traded and has to immediately be replaced by a guy who plays like him, gets paid like him and has the same demeanor as him.
Cam Janssen. Add in the hometown bump you get for having this guy in the lineup, the team would have to get something special to let go of the P.R. advantage Janssen brings. No GM in the league is about to overpay for Janssen.

Could Be Traded For Low Impact:

These guys could get traded, but the return will be small and the shock to the team won't likely be enough to cause significant change.

B.J. Crombeen. Swapping a role player for a mid-to-late pick or another role player isn't going to have the impact the team is looking to get. Plus, why ruin a whole season of blow job jokes if you don't have to?
Alex Steen. The worst thing that can happen to a player is to get injured and then have someone step into your role and make everyone forget you were gone. Steen has played 11 games this year. Seems high, doesn't it?
Darryl Sydor. "Oh no! They traded a 37-year-old depth defenseman they brought in for one year and would have been gone in six months anyway! I guess they are serious; anyone can be traded!"
Mike Weaver. Seriously, how many people really know Mike Weaver is on the team right now anyway? Impact of trading him: all of his immediate family have to update their mailing address for him. As if anyone mails anything anymore.
Brad Winchester: "So we have an offer for 228 pounds worth of hockey pucks. We lose maybe one more fight but we do save about $200 in souvenir costs."

Are You Kidding Me? Seriously. Are You Kidding Me?:

You want shock value? You want some return on your exchange? These are the guys the management and staff are going to argue about trading and the guys who, if traded, would make you call your friends liars when they told you about the trade.

David Backes. Sure, he's struggling. Sure he gets paid a lot for a guy his age. Sure it's been a long time since anyone here has vehemently compared him to Chuck Norris. But general managers in the NHL aren't as easily freaked out by slow starts as fans are. If Backes were made available, the list of teams with nice offers in hand would be long. Trading Backes shakes up the team, nets a good return and lets everyone know that no one is safe. The downside is that he almost certainly becomes a monster and regularly returns to haunt his former team.
Brad Boyes. Most fantasy hockey guys will tell you that the second you trade a great player you immediatley make yourself believe he was never on your team. Boyes can be streaky and frustrating and may always leave you wanting more, but when he's on your team he's a guy that can change a game. Trading him likely brings a nice return, scares the other players into focus and makes all of us go fantasy GM and pretend he never played here, because he's got at least a couple more great scoring seasons ahead of him.
Patrik Berglund. In five years we'll know what we had in Patrik Berglund. He's no Peter Forsberg, but is he going to become the shifty Swedish version of Pavel Datsyuk? Or is he on the fast track to becoming our next Jim Campbell? If he gets traded and blossoms into the slick playmaker with a nasty power play one-timer that we saw in glimpses next year, we'll be tasting our own vomit for the next 10-15 years. If he becomes the next great suburban Mite coach, we'll be applauding his trade like we used to talk about the Christer Olsson for Pavol Demitra deal.
Alex Pietrangelo. Classic giving up too early trade. The kid is 19-years-old and if not for a bout of mono in his draft year could have been drafted before Drew Doughty and Zach Begosian. If he goes away the Blues are counting on Jonas Junland or David Rundblad, both high-risk, power play specialist type of players, to round out their game and fill his spot as they swap him for a slumping scorer of comparable value like Columbus' Nikita Filatov.

On The Block:

These are the guys whose age, reputation, contracts and shake up value to the current roster make them the most likely players to become 'former Blues' should the team decide to go that way.

Carlo Colaiacovo. The guy is young and stepping into his game, but the crunch on the blueline, his contract status and injury history makes him a prime candidate to get dangled out there. His ceiling is probably ahead of him, but he's expendable from a P.R. standpoint, a talent standpoint and in terms of return.
Barret Jackman. This would be even more shocking than the trade of Stempniak last year, but his contract and the depth of the Blues' defensive pipeline makes this a 'head' move more than a 'heart' move. The return would likely be good, too, as Jackman's reputation around the league is excellent.
Roman Polak. How different is Roman Polak today from Dennis Wideman back when he was traded for Brad Boyes? When considering the current and future depth on the blueline, if the Blues could trade Polak today for another streaky sniper do you think they'd do it? Yeah, us too.
Keith Tkachuk. He's the vet with the good story because his family lives here and everyone sees him around town, but he's been rumored to be in the middle of more than one split locker room in his time as a pro. Sending Tkachuk away shocks the Blues' system, forces a younger guy to step up and likely results in a decent return. Short of a no-trade clause we don't know about, it could happen.

******************************

Trade rumors are always a risky proposition and the saying goes that when a team is struggling it's easier to change out one guy (the coach) than a whole team, the Blues have proved in the past that they're willing to change out one player to shake up the others.

Will this year be any different?

November 24 News and Notes

Robert Cleave — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 05:50:00 -0000

More photos » by Francis Specker - AP

Browse more photos »

Another week is in the can, as the Flames and the NHL pass the quarter pole. On this installment of M and G's look around the league, the Habs and Wild swap disappointments, a Pred makes a case for Olympic duty, and Dion Phaneuf's little brother runs a Canadian hockey heroine.

Flames:

Another frustrating night in Anaheim for Calgary, as a 43 shot effort only netted the Flames two goals and one point. Three points from the two games in California is still a perfectly fine ratio. The team has a six game tour coming up starting Friday in Detroit, and if they end up with nine points, I'd be fine with that.

One thing that seems heartening is the fact that Olli Jokinen has begun to get more involved in the offence. Seven SOG and 15 attempts in the last two games are more in line with what he should be providing. I suspect we'll argue all year about what he should or shouldn't be doing out there, but I'm fairly sure that everyone would agree that his game's strength is shooting the puck. He was better last night, and at some point with efforts of that ilk, he'll start to score. Unless Jarome Iginla keeps shooting 30-odd percent as he has this month, they'll need Joker's offence soon enough.

Kipper 5 v 5: This week - Chicago 2-11, L.A. 2-20, Anaheim 2-18, overall 30-440, .932 SV%. He should have sued for non-support after the Chicago game, although most of the dumbfuckery happened when the Flames were down a man. Those numbers are still solid, and I have absolutely no problem saying it's all to his credit. As I've mentioned before, he had an .899 5 v 5 SV% last year. I'm not sure any worthwhile evidence exists that the Flames are suddenly an airtight defensive crew, so if Kipper has moved up that much, I don't really see many external explanations. He's the MVP of the team through the first quarter.

Elsewhere:

Tomorrow's opponent has fallen on some harder times, taking a 4-0 loss in Edmonton Monday night. The Yotes are racked with injuries to the blue, having lost Jovanovski, Michalek and Sauer for extended periods. They've still had a good start to the year, though, and getting an NHL coach has aided matters greatly. Dave Tippett knows what he's doing, certainly in comparison to his predecessor.

Out on the coast, the Canucks lost a tough one to the Hawks Sunday, but they did welcome Daniel Sedin back to the line-up. Meanwhile, Pavol Demitra has been doing his Michael Phelps imitation in an effort to rejoin the Canucks line-up. Swimming, that is, although I suppose Phelps' other activities could be easily emulated in Vancouver if one was so inclined.

The Canucks themselves are dog-paddling along at a game over .500, and the lack of scoring depth is one reason why that team has seemed lackluster thus far. That killer Olympic road trip is looming, and if they aren't well clear of the Flames by late January, Calgary might have an edge.

The Wild and Canadiens traded players from the 2005 draft this week, with Guillaume Latendresse leaving Montreal for the Twin Cities, in exchange for former 4th overall pick Benoit Pouliot. Sean Gordon of the Globe and Mail has an interesting take on the deal, while Michael Russo evaluates the deal in a more conventional manner. Change of scenery, I guess, but Latendresse has been a useful player. Pouliot has been a complete bust to this point. FYI, the Flames picked Matt Pelech that year. Moving right along...

The Hawks are flying, as we know around these parts all too well. They'll get Hossa back this week, to boot. Bastards. Next year holds some cap problems for the Second City outfit, as Bob McKenzie notes this week. The first time I really remember the whole tagging room issue was when Anaheim traded Andy McDonald to St. Louis to accommodate the return of Scott Niedermayer, but what the Hawks are facing is quite a conundrum. Having too many good young players certainly beats the alternative, though.

Nashville has pulled themselves out of the ditch, with a 9-2 streak getting them in a playoff spot. Shea Weber has been very good for a few years running, and his play has him on the cusp of a potential Olympic berth. His Predators dispatched the Red Wings last night, and Bill at A2Y has had enough of Todd Bertuzzi. Welcome to our world, Chief. Iwocpo suggests that Bert's hit on Moore was the act that rendered Sparklepants a shell of the player that terrorized opponents before, but I always wonder if he was headed downhill at just that moment anyway. He only had 17 goals in 69 games, and his shooting percentage went from around 18% to 11% that year. Throw in a bad back, and that was it for Bert as an elite player.

The Wings lost another cog when Niklas Kronwall got the bad end of a knee-on-knee encounter with Le GG. It was a dreadful hit, with even the perpetrator admitting he should get a vacation.

A knee-on-knee play of sorts also has ex-Flame Shean Donovan on the shelf for a couple of months, courtesy of Matt Cooke. No suspension for the Pens' agitator, although one for general crimes against humanity wouldn't be out of line, would it?

The Leafs lost on 4-3 to the Islanders on Monday, despite out-shooting New York 61-21. Dwayne Roloson looks pretty good, doesn't he? Dominik at Lighthouse Hockey has the right idea with that story title, IMO. That said, at least one person appears to have a bit of mercy for the Buds.

Speaking of Islander items, we have a Rick DiPietro sighting. There's been talk about Marty Biron to Buffalo, but I wonder if Columbus is worried about Steve Mason's terrible start this year to the point that they might make a move. Mathieu Garon gave up a five-spot to the Habs tonight, so it's not as if he's bullet-proof either.

The Olympic selection is nearing, and in his latest effort, Elliotte Friedman of the CBC discusses Steven Stamkos' potential for a nod. I do have a quibble with this bit, however:

Also, inexperience cost Canada dearly in 2006.

That's just not so. Of the main squad named to the Turin team, only two players, Bertuzzi and Turco, were absent from the 2004 World Cup side. That team had plenty of issues, but since the absence of Sidney Crosby was the main point of contention going in, that take from Elliotte doesn't seem to match my memory of things. Saying a team with Sakic, Iginla, Smyth, Brodeur and Pronger couldn't handle the jitters, well, nope, I'm not buying it. They looked more like a team that struggled to keep up on the big ice, and someone from these parts said as much at the time.

Ray Ferraro addresses one of my bugbears in his TSN blog this week. He discusses the actions that Nigel Dawes took in the wake of the hit that sent Rene Bourque to IR. The idea that a clean hit demands retribution is stupid, and yet it's now become an automatic response. Why? I'm not a fan of hits that target the head, but there are normal hits that should be part of the game, and Hjalmarsson's play was well within that spectrum.

Gabe Desjardins has a look at how overtime, and the way the league has structured the OT/SO points, can skew results in the standings. It doesn't favour the good teams, to his way of thinking, and mine. I'd be fine if the league went back to tie games, but that's not on the horizon.

That's all for this week. Keep your head up, Hayley. There's no safe place when a Phaneuf is out there.

The One Period Blues

gallagher — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 04:42:02 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

Carlo Colaiacovo's offensive instincts were one of the few Blues highlights tonight.

Browse more photos »

First period shots for the Blues: 16. Second period shots for the Blues: 3. Third period shots for the Blues: 12.

And the Blues actually played better in the second period than they did in the third, which was sloppy, slow-footed and off-target. If the homestand told us anything about this team it's that they are an incredibly inconsistent bunch. No idea what makes them think that 20 minutes of effort is enough for this team, but it isn't the attitude they had at the end of last year. Plenty to pick on tonight:

The Bruins did a great job of clogging the middle of the ice in their own zone. This allowed the Blues to do a good job of firing shots right into them which were quickly turned into a breakout.
That shorthanded goal was a back-breaker. Fans started pouring out of their seats with over 8 minutes to play and for once I didn't blame them. Mistakes happen, but that was a catastrophic breakdown.
T.J. Oshie was great last year because he was in constant motion. He was barreling up and down the ice and showing little hestiation at any point. He has lost that running motor. He had some moments, but he also had plenty of moments tonight where he was flat-footed or not moving towards the puck-carrier who was his responsibility. He's not a premier offensive talent at this level; his heart is what makes him different. He's not showing enough heart lately.
Patrik Berglund is invisible out there. His ice time slipped to less than nine minutes tonight and it looked like he played even less than that. Let's hope this is a sophomore slump and not the norm for what we should expect from him.
David Backes was trying to use his size and physicality tonight, but he's being paid to be a scorer. In over 17 minutes of ice time, he registered one shot on net.
Hit the net. I don't know how many shots missed the net completely tonight and then self-cleared by wrapping around the glass and going out of the zone far side, but it was a lot. Andy McDonald, Brad Boyes, Erik Johnson and others all did it. I understand that at the NHL level you have to make perfect shots to beat good goalies, but sometimes just making the goalie make a save turns into a rebound. Sometimes there's no rebound, but at least the face-off is in the offensive zone. Sometimes those shots even go in. I swear. Try it sometime.
One positive: The trend started with Erik Johnson, but a bunch of the defensemen are jumping up into the play more now. I like it. As long as they're getting back or getting covered by a forward, I think it adds an element of danger and makes the team harder to defend. Worked pretty well for Carlo Colaiacovo tonight.

Games in Dallas Wednesday and against the Predators Friday. Guarantee they'll need to play hard for more than one period if they want to win either of those games.

Islanders Gameday: Quick rebound in St. Louis

Dominik — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:00:14 -0000

Tough loss last night, but a chance to rebound 24 hours later. For reasons explained at the end of this road trip post, I know more about tonight's opponent than I do about any other team the Islanders face this year. Yet I have no idea which team will welcome the Isles to the house that Brett Hull built.

New York Islanders (8-7-7, 5th/Patrick) at St. Louis Blues (7-8-4, 5th/Norris)
8 p.m. EST | Drinkscotch (nee Kiel) Center | MSG+, radio
Ribald tribe of rabid Blues fans: St. Louis Game Time

Thursday, the Blues beat the Coyotes in OT on a beautiful end-to-end rush by Erik Johnson. Good for them, right? Maybe. The Blues played a weak game and were bailed out by Chris Mason, who repeatedly made the kind of acrobatic and clutch saves that I haven't seen by Islanders goalies all year. That's not a knock on Biron or Roloson -- I simply haven't seen them hung out to dry to the degree Mason was.

As you can imagine, this inconsistency is a source of frustration for Blues fans. With a torrid second half last year, the team had appeared to finally turn the corner on a rebuild that netted #1 overall pick Johnson. A rebuild begun back in 2006, after failed NBA suitor Bill Laurie ~~destroyed the team with extreme prejudice~~ stripped the team down for parts (because, you know, dumping a Hall of Fame defenseman makes a team "more attractive" to purchasers), alienating a pretty blue-collar fanbase in the process.

You might dislike John Davidson thanks to his long Rangers ties, but he's doing good things for the Blues, the team that originally drafted him and employed him as an NHL goalie. So while right now the team is having some awkward growing pains (we know a bit about that, no?), the long view is still bright for the Blues. Tonight, though? I have no idea.

Guys to Watch

No one outside of Andy McDonald has played up to form for the whole first quarter. (Incidentally, McDonald was acquired in the Ducks' salary dump that got them Doug Weight's expiring contract, enabling them to bring back Scott Niedermayer, leading to Weight's move to Long Island.) David Perron has been close, and he plays the game like a less physical but equally driven and talented Kyle Okposo. Johnson looks like a stud, period. It's a good bet Alex Pietrangelo will one day join him. Fellow emerging younger players like T.J. Oshie and David Backes have not matched what they did last year. Talented Swedish center Patrik Berglund is really exciting, but this year he's been a shell of his potential, lost in withered confidence.

With the veterans: Keith Tkachuk started off hot, then cooled. Same with Paul Kariya, who isn't even on the powerplay anymore. Coach Andy Murray has tried Tkachuk at wing, where he's happier, and at center where he's of greater impact. Conversely, McDonald has seen time at wing where he's less happy, and at center where he's more productive. On the blueline, old Islanders friend Eric Brewer has only just recovered from multiple back issues that wiped out his second half, and many fans can't stand him (some because he did not equal his trade counterpart Chris Pronger, which is absurd; others because management's faith in this team captain has been greater than his play justified).

Any one of the Blues mentioned in the previous two paragraphs could change the game by himself. But will they?

On-Site in Blue ... and Orange: My Existential Crisis

So yeah, the Blues should be better, but who knows what game they'll bring to the road-busy Islanders tonight. I simply have no idea.

But I'll be there in person to find out. I've got a (mostly) unapologetic allegiance to both of these teams, so I never miss their meetings. My dad was a huge Al Arbour fan, which is what led me to follow the team Arbour led to Stanley Cups in addition to the team he captained as a player -- the team my father lived and died with.

These nights where "my" two teams meet (they used to happen three times a year, then once, now once or twice) are always as awkward for me as they are rare. I'm in both heaven and hell. A win is a loss. A tie is ~~good but bad~~ no longer possible. Great goals are also disappointing breakdowns. I stand and cheer for everything ... and feel like an idiot for everything, too. When my wife is there with me, she's with stupid, and she affords me a little more space than normal, lest I embarrass her.

It breaks the general hockey fan's code to do this, I know. But there is a greater golden rule at work: Love hockey with all thy sporting heart. Pardon me, but I've got that rule down pat.

Note: There usually aren't many Isles jerseys in the crowd at what should be called the Kiel Center, so if you see one on TV, and if it's worn by a handsome man surrounded by fawning women, then of course it's me. Duh.

Friday links: Going home early edition

averagejoe — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:00:15 -0000

So I have to jet home tonight after work so as I'm typing this sentence, it's 2-2 in the third period. So the links are a little ... early. Let's hope they pull this together and get a dubya. (Update: Blues win!)

Blues news

This page should have the Blues results. How? Magic. [Yahoo! Sports]
This is from before the 'Yotes game, but the Blues are feeling the crunch of the slow start. [Belleville News-Democrat]
Andy Murray says Mike Weaver is one of the best d-men. So, of course, he was a healthy scratch last night. [STLtoday.com]
Former Blue Red Berensen makes the St. Louis Hall of Fame (Stick tap to LuvHockey). [University of Michigan]
The Blues assistant GM Doug Armstrong is helping pick out members of Team Canada. Kinda makes you wonder why Happy Meal Andy McDonald was the only Blue to go camp. [The Canadian Press]

Hockey news

How the league fared last night. [Yahoo! Sports]
Tonight's games. [Yahoo! Sports]
The KHL is going to Sweden. The Blues immediately petition to join the KHL and join the Swedish team's division. [ESPN]
The Canucks cut in line. Not cool, says everyone in first grade. [ESPN]
The Carolina Hurricanes have put Cam Ward on long-term IR and Eric Staal on IR. They also announced they probably won't be needed playoff tickets this year. [TSN]
Alexei Kovalev is heading to Russia, but not for the KHL. He's mother-in-law has passed away and he's going to the funeral. [TSN]
The Oilers blog takes a look at a famous Gretzky quote, 26 years later. Pretty cool stuff. [The Copper and Blue]
Things getting hot in Calgary. [Puck Daddy]

Other links

Going sailing? Find out if the sea is fit. [Is the Sea angry?]
From NatetheGreat., you can get things really cheap in Detroit. Is this going to be a new homeless shelter? [CNN]
Clients be bitchy. [Clients From Hell]
Just your average video game about Nazi dinosaurs. [Topless Robot]

Video

This is my favorite thing ever.

Poor College Student has the weekend shift. Send him stuff. Gametimelinks(at)gmail.com. Holla.

Thursday links: Why don't you just sit down over here edition

averagejoe — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:00:17 -0000

Yes, I went with the played-out "To Catch A Predator" reference. You try being witty at 1 a.m.

Blues news

Blues vs. Nashville Predators tonight. [CBSSports]
Going to the game tonight? Don't forget to buy the paper version of this site. Oh, and you can bring some items for soldiers for Operation Homefront. [KSDK]
So maybe Brad Lee was right, Happy Meal Andy McDonald returns and so does the offense. [Belleville News-Democrat]
As some have been saying around these parts, Cam Janssen is becoming more well-rounded this year. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch]
Bob Boyes, father of Blues' winger Brad Boyes, shares some memories of raising a future NHLer. [CBC]
Dave Checketts is selling some of his share in Real Salt Lake, an MLS club. [Money Central]

Hockey news

Lots of goals scored last night. [Yahoo! Sports]
Detroit scored nine goals last night. Nine. Nine freaking goals. [ESPN]
Lots of games tonight, but really, only one important one. [Yahoo! Sports]
The NHL is going to take a look at head shots.[ESPN]
A minor league coach explains why he went ape shit. [Puck Daddy]
The Maple Leafs are the most valuable franchise in the NHL.[TSN]
Ilya Kovalchuk, the only Thrasher worth the price of admission, is nearing a come back. [ESPN]

Other links

A Web site devoted to the worst things in the world. [Worst Thing]
Lots of old white men with beards look like Kenny Rogers. [MWLLKR]
Dear friend NatetheGreat. recently moved to New York. Every day he sends me pics or texts about some weirdo on the subway. Nate, here's a site for you. [People of Public Transit]

Video

Two videos today. First, a commercial that is just too awesome.

Second: A salute to vets.

That's it for today. Come back later. GDT should be fun.

The Blues Get Their Revenge

Sean Zandberg — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:03:26 -0000

More photos » by Tom Gannam - AP

Fair enough, Blues fans. Even Lou got Perrowned on this night.

Browse more photos »

So the Blues got their revenge tonight, winning 6-1 in convincing fashion. Why am I not surprised? Before the game I said (in response to Temujin's 4-1 Blues win prediction):

Funny you say that, because I’m thinking along the same lines. If I was a betting man, which I am, I’d pick the Blues because:
-Revenge factor
-Hence the McDonald-Boyes shows gets going
-the layoff and possible lousy play in front of Raycroft = Blues goals.
5-2 Blues in an angry, penalty-filled night.

Well the prediction came true mostly. Andy McDonald scored 18 seconds into the game (assisted by Brad Boyes). McDonald had 1 goal and 3 points, Brad Boyes had 1 goal and 4 points, and some schmuck named David Perron scored 3 goals. The Blues got only their second win on home ice by playing a stellar game.

Already down 5-0 going into the 3rd period, the Blues outshot the Canucks 8-2 in the final frame and 30-23 overall. We never saw a Rypien-Janssen fight, rather, Tanner Glass and Darcy Hordichuk fighting the Blues' goon and perhaps those were the highlights of the night. To make this sound even more pathetic, Janssen handled himself pretty well in both tilts.

3 Canucks finished -3 tonight: Steve Bernier, Alex Burrows and Sami Salo. The Blues' Barrett Jackman, Andy McDonald and Brad Boyes managed a +3 rating. Chris Mason more than avenged his Game 4 flubbery by stopping 22 of 23 Canucks shots.

That was an absolute fail by the Canucks, pure and simple.

BOXSCORE

HIGHLIGHTS

QUOTED:

"I don't know if it was too much time [off] or whatever — we weren't sharp," said Henrik Sedin, who scored the lone Canuck goal in the third period.

"We gave them too many chances and left Razor out to dry. It wasn't good enough. It's inexcusable. We didn't create a whole lot."

The rousing reception to the in-house game promotion said it all Tuesday.

Reminded that the St. Louis Blues needed one more effort to hit the five-goal plateau and reward the Scottrade Center faithful with free Big Macs, there was a fan frenzy. After all, Andrew Raycroft had allowed four goals on nine shots through the opening eight minutes.

Anybody hungry? -The Province

Blues Release Pent-Up Goals On Canucks

Brad Lee — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:51:27 -0000

More photos » by Tom Gannam - AP

They throw the hats! And look, a bra! (AP Photo/Tom Gannam)

Browse more photos »

When it rains, it pours. Goals. Lots and lots of goals.

In their 6-1 win Tuesday night, the Blues scored four goals in the first period. That's as many goals as they scored in their last five games...COMBINED. Chalk this up as only the second win in the Drinkscotch Center this season. Oh, and David Perron had a hat trick. Hope you left the game topless, people.

Couple thoughts.

- It kind of figures that such a big, hopefully momentum-changing win happens when the first Blues game of the year isn't on local television.

- Thankfully Andrew Raycroft realized he's Andrew Raycroft. He had a sub-2.00 GAA before Thursday night. Not anymore. And then the Canucks brought out the recuperating Roberto Luongo. Since he can't score, that didn't do the trick, however I'm sure Vancouver was happy to avoid a 10-1 game.

- Perron, Andy McDonald and Brad Boyes combined for 10 points in the game. It would be nice if this outburst slingshots Boyes specifically. That dude is streaky. Hope this is the start of one.

- B.J. Crombeen and Cam Janssen both got into two fights in the game. Roman Polak got a 10-minute major. Maybe some of that feisty behavior rubbed off on the entire team. On Team 1380 last week, Janssen said he was frustrated against Phoenix last Thursday when he wasn't allowed to go when he wanted to and didn't understand the coaching staff's decisions. Doubt he'll be saying that now.

- David Perron just might be a star after all. I know we go back and forth on Perron, seemingly after every game. He's a kid. He's still getting stronger and learning. The potential is still there and oozing out all over the place. Like goals.

- This doesn't make up for last season's playoff sweep, but I'm sure there were a lot of smiles in the dressing room and hopefully a more relaxed atmosphere when the Blues go back at it Thursday night.

Now, it's video time. We serve you a Happy Meal, a frog and NAMBLA.

Thanks for your support of St. Louis Game Time. On a night when most fans can't actually see the game unless they had a ticket, we had more than 1,200 comments in the GDT. We thank you and hope you come back soon.