More photos » by Frank Gunn - AP

Do scenes like this one inspire our current Blues to future greatness, or is nostalgia wasted on the youth?

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Veteran leadership.  Those words are bandied about quite a bit, especially in reference to a few players on the Blues that are the defacto old guys.  The leaders who have about seen it all.  The guys who have been in the league more than 10 years... Jackman, Walt, Sydor, and Brewer (I guess) are usually named as the guys on the team that the young Blues look to for advice and guidance, and inspiration when things are down.

Things are obviously down.  The vets on the team have been leading in the practices, trying to show the kids dedication, but for whatever reason the team seems to have stagnated.  What better way to light a fire under their asses than with a Brett Hull night!

Wait, what?  Been done?  Failed?  *sigh*

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Wow - this is the game we're all 'cited for, and the GDT is forgotten?  *tsk tsk*  Anywho, get ready for some taco rolls tonight, folks, we're eating octopus (Google it).

More photos » by Tom Gannam - AP

You know, I'm sensing a trend here.

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Norm Sanders tweeted the question, and Panger, Bernie, and DK were discussing it during the 3rd period last night - what is wrong with us at home?

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More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

"Hey, I crashed the net and got a goal! You want I do that again, coach?"

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There have been a couple of complaints popping up in the comments during and after GDTs regarding the system that the Blues have been using to play.  Actually, systems, because we've used quite a few over the year to mixed results.  Hockey teams become known for their style of play - mention "Mid-90s Devils" and watch people begin to get irate about how Jaques Lemaire has the absolute worst style of hockey, and how the Devils have killed, and are killing again, the joy in hockey.  Mention the Minnesota Wild(s) and marvel at how quickly people fall asleep.  Flyers? Chances are you'll get someone upset about their dirty style of play.  But, despite the fact that these are all negative opinions of teams, they're all part of their identity, their game. 

The two Conferences even have fairly distinct reputations: the East is where the open ice is; where power forwards like Crosby, Malkin, Kovalchuk, and Ovechkin have free reign and goalies like Brodeur, Miller, and Toskala (hahaha - just kidding) have to stand on their heads.  The West is where you have the grit and defense; where players like Iginla, Nash, and Thornton have to grind it out, and where teams like the Red Wings have prided themselves on the defensive capabilities of Tomas Holmstrom's ass for years.

But what is the Blues' reputation?  What's our distinctive style of play?  Are we power forward central, like the resurgent Blackhawks, or do we have to work for it every night like the Stars and Avs?  Are we blue collar, or are we going to get tossed in jail pretending to commit a white-collar crime... pretending we're something we're not, and failing miserably?

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I am currently relaying a message from DaBlues7, who is a lucky duck in Florida for a vacation.  Bah.

Hildy,
Hey the guy who runs that website I told you about wants to get a group together in St Louis for the February 9th game against Detwat. Id love to head up the try to organize but Ill be headed to Florida for some much needed R and R. If you could pass along the idea to everyone at SLGT and maybe someone can contact Mark Deflorio on Facebook or at original5.com. He also metioned if someone gets a group together for that game and gets a hold of him they can make a deal for free T shirts. If you could pass the idea around for me Id really appreciate it. Im pretty busy between work and the new house and dont know when Ill get time to drop by SLGT other than Wednesday...and thats only if I dont go to Guns and Hoses in St Louis.
Thanks
Dablues7

In chatting with Hooks last night over twitter, and him mentioning that he and his sister are going to be in town for the Pens/Thrashers game tomorrow night, I got to thinking - I'm sure a few of you guys might either be coming in to see the game, or coming out of your own igloos (see what I did there?) to drive down to Phiips to catch it.

Me being the overly nice Thrashers fan that I am (and, I admit, I've had a thing for the Pens since I was a kid), I figured that I would direct those of you who are out of towners (or those of you who live in ATL and just don't know) to the cheap and actual safe parking.

The $10 lots are way away from Philips, and with the Atlanta PD being a little strained right now, I'm afraid I wouldn't trust the walk.  CNN and Centennial decks are right across the street, but they're $15.  The very *bottom* most level of the CNN deck, where the media, arena staff, and ice girls park, though, is $8.  It's just tricky to get to.

If you're coming from north of the city, get off at the Howell Mill/Northside Drive exit, and hop onto Northside (not the first part of the exit, but the 2nd).  Drive down Northside (stay in the right most lane, because the left one turns into a turn lane), and take a left onto Marietta Street.  When you get to Park Avenue West, take a right (if you hit Centennial Olympic Park Drive, you've gone too far).  Follow the road down over the train tracks and keep following it.  The media entrance to the arena is on the right - go straight a little ways and you will see 2 lots.  They're both $8, but I prefer the covered one.  It's easier to hop the elevator or go up the steps to the street level, and after the game if you leave out of the CNN Deck exit, you can walk right to the deck over a walkway and straight down - it's pretty safe.  The uncovered lot requires you to walk around the corner right under the arena, find the back gate to the MARTA station, and head up through that way, putting you on the whole other side of the arena away from the CNN Center.  If you're wanting $6 32oz beers before the game, you probably want to wind up on the street level closest to the center.

If you're coming from the south of the city, or in the city itself, take Centennial Olympic Park Drive until you hit Marietta Street, turn right, and then at the 2nd light, turn left and just follow the instructions above.

Hopefully this saves you guys a few bucks - I always enjoy the games against the Pens, because it's pleasant to have a nice fanbase invade en masse.  I've never had a Pens fan heckle us or the team.  Thank you for being classier than Sabres and Flyers fans... not like that takes a bunch of effort, but it's appreciated.

Good luck tomorrow night!

More photos » by Bill Boyce - AP

Is the Petro-dactyl in danger of becoming extinct for the rest of the season in St. Louis?

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I'm horribly sorry for the pun in today's title.  I am currently running on about four hours of sleep, had to talk about fascism *all day long*, and now I get to sit here until 5 (4 Central) listening to 7 high school boys yell at each other about policy debate.  I know that's not a viable excuse for bad pun-age, but it is seriously the best that I can manage right now.

Anywho, for those of you who are not as sleep deprived as some of us, the title is in reference to our youngest defenseman, Alex Pietrangelo.  The article in this morning's Post Dispatch raises a question for the Blues, the ownership, and the fans hanging in the balance - do we let half of our 2nd coming of MacInnis and Pronger go back to juniors?

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More photos » by Gregory Smith - AP

Brewer didn't believe EJ when he mentioned everyone really doesn't have a power cord back there, so he had to look for himself. Yep, no cord. Sorry, Army.

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Yes, I know that the correct phrase is "fickle finger of fate," but what the heck.  Regardless of what it's called, fingers are pointing, trying to figure out exactly what the issue has been so far with the Blues and our slump.  Is it the players?  Is it the management?  Maybe we need to look at the offensive system.  Maybe, as Jeff Gordon mentions today in the Post-Dispatch, there's something to be said for that ol' saying: "Fish and visitors stink in 2 days."  Can that apply to coaches?  Do NHL coaches have a shelf-life?

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