GDT #75: 3/23/17 | 7:00 PM CDT | vs Coyotes | FSMW/KMOX

[theohall]

Chat with us here: BEST DAMN BLUES CHATZY EVER 2016-2017

There likely would have been times earlier this season when the pain from a loss like the St. Louis Blues sustained Saturday night would have lingered for days.

Now, the Blues view it as just a minor bump in the road as they continue their push toward clinching a playoff spot.

They spent Sunday looking ahead to a Monday night home game against the Arizona Coyotes, and the final two weeks of the regular season, instead of moping about their 3-2 loss to the Calgary Flames. That game ended when a pass deflected off a skate and into the St. Louis net with just 2.5 seconds left in overtime.

All three Calgary goals came off deflections by St. Louis players.

"It's tough when all three goals go in off your own guys," Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo said. "I feel bad for Jake (Allen), to play the way he did. Tough bounces, but we got a point out of it."

The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the Blues, and was only their second defeat in their last 11 games. That stretch has put them in solid position to make the playoffs, either as the third seed in the Central Division or as one of the two wild-card teams in the Western Conference.

The Blues go into Monday night's game trailing the Nashville Predators by one point in the battle for third in the Central. They are two points behind the Flames for the top wild-card spot, and looking ahead has become their focus.

"I think that's something we've learned since Mike (Yeo) took over," goalie Allen said. "Go back at it next shift, don't worry about what happened. Keep playing, things will come. We still got a point, and that's our objective right now, keep getting points."

Monday night's contest will be the first of two games in three nights for the Blues against the last-place Coyotes, who will host St. Louis on Wednesday.

"We've got to be ready to bounce back," Yeo said. "For a while here, we've been focused on building our game. We've got a pretty good sense of when we are doing the right things what it looks like and when we're not. ... We're not done, we have to keep going."

The Coyotes have lost five of their last six games, but have at least one reason to look forward to Monday night's contest. It will mark the NHL debut of their top pick in last summer's draft, forward Clayton Keller. The St. Louis native signed an entry-level contract on Sunday, one day after his Boston University team lost in the NCAA tournament.

As a freshman, Keller led the Terriers with 21 goals and 24 assists in 31 games.

"Clayton is a highly skilled, dynamic forward," Arizona general manager John Chayka said in a statement. "He is a strong skater who has a powerful shot and great hockey sense. We are excited to have him join our team and finish the regular season with the Coyotes."

The Blues will face the Coyotes in the first half of a home-and-home series tonight at Scottrade Center. Following tonight's game, the Blues will travel to the desert to face the Coyotes for the final time this season on Wednesday. The Blues have dominated this series recently, winning nine straight - including a 3-0 victory at Gila River Arena in their lone clash this season. St. Louis has outscored Arizona 38-12 during their nine-game win streak, including a 13-2 advantage in power-play scoring. At home, it has been much of the same. The Blues have won four straight and have points in seven consecutive games against the Coyotes at Scottrade Center. Overall, the Blues haven't lost in regulation to the Coyotes since April 6, 2012.

What to Watch

St. Louis native Clayton Keller is expected to make his NHL debut with the Coyotes tonight. Keller, the seventh overall selection and one of five first round picks from St. Louis at the 2016 NHL Draft, collected 45 points (21 goals, 24 assists) in 31 games during his freshman season at Boston University this year. Keller also captured a gold medal with Team USA at the 2017 World Juniors and was named to the tournament's All-Star Team. On the Blues side, Jake Allen has been a wall against the Coyotes in his career, posting a 6-0-0 record with a 1.00 goals-against average, a .962 save-percentage and two shutouts.

Milestones

David Perron - 1 shy of 100 goals as a Blue / 2 shy of 500 career PIM
Kyle Brodziak - 4 shy of 400 career PIM
Carl Gunnarsson - 7 shy of 100 career assists
Alexander Steen - 4 shy of 300 PIM as a Blue
Jay Bouwmeester - 4 shy of 100 PIM as a Blue
Magnus Paajarvi - 9 shy of 100 career points
Alex Pietrangelo - 5 shy of 300 career points
Patrik Berglund - 7 shy of 300 career points

Quick Hits

Ivan Barbashev is riding a career-best three-game point streak (one goal, two assists)
The Blues have scored a shorthanded goal in back-to-back games and three of their last four overall against Arizona
Since Mike Yeo took over, the Blues are first overall in goals-against per game (1.75), even strength goals-against per game (1.42) and goal differential (plus-24)
Since the Kevin Shattenkirk trade, the Blues have gone seven for 30 (23.3 percent) on the power play - the ninth-best mark in the league since Feb. 27

This day in history:
1952 Turk Broda of the Maple Leafs becomes the first goaltender in NHL history to appear in 100 career playoff games
1962 Jacques Plante ties record winning 6th NHL Vezina trophy
1976 Red Berenson scored his 4th career hat trick in Blues 6-3 win over North Stars
2003 Avalanche goalie Patrick Roy earns his 66th and final NHL shutout and his 547th victory beating Kings 3-0
2012 Brian Elliott recorded his 3rd straight shutout, 9th shutout of the season, and broke the Blues shutout minutes record in 3-0 win over Predators

[theohall]

Pretty cool for Keller to get his first NHL game in St Louis.

[gaijin]

Pretty cool for Keller to get his first NHL game in St Louis.

Saw that too. Good for him.

Now let's kick his ass!

[cardsfan04]

We get Arizona at home tonight and on the road on Wednesday. Nashville is at NY Islanders tonight and at Boston tomorrow night. Boston will be on 2 days rest when they play Nashville who will be on 0 days rest.

This is a good time to make up that point (or more) that Nashville gained on us on Saturday.

[theohall]

We get Arizona at home tonight and on the road on Wednesday. Nashville is at NY Islanders tonight and at Boston tomorrow night. Boston will be on 2 days rest when they play Nashville who will be on 0 days rest.

This is a good time to make up that point (or more) that Nashville gained on us on Saturday.

On the April 2nd, Nashville will be playing their 5th game in 7 days - like the stretch the Blues had on that West Coast trip. If the Blues haven't distanced themselves from the Predators by then, that could be the playoff position deciding game.

[theohall]

Forwards

Jaden Schwartz - Alexander Steen - Vladimir Tarasenko
Magnus Paajarvi - Patrik Berglund - David Perron
Zach Sanford - Ivan Barbashev - Nail Yakupov
Scottie Upshall - Kyle Brodziak - Ryan Reaves

Defense

Jay Bouwmeester - Alex Pietrangelo
Joel Edmundson - Colton Parayko
Carl Gunnarsson - Robert Bortuzzo

Goalie

Jake Allen

Jake Allen has been flying high on the ice recently, but now he will also be earning his wings with the United States Navy by wearing a special goalie mask that pays tribute to the Blue Angels during Monday's game against the Arizona Coyotes.

Allen's tribute mask features the traditional blue and yellow of the Blue Angels, which happens to be an almost perfect match for the blue and yellow featured on his jersey. The mask also includes two Blue Angel hornet planes, the Blue Angels shield on the right side, a Blue Angels ribbon across the chin and a large Blue Note on the left.

[Toasted Oates]

The Blues' power play is utter garbage without Stastny.

[theohall]

and who won the face-off on the play that led to the Schwartz goal??

That's right. Jaden Schwartz.

Yes, Steen did the work behind the net, but the puck never gets there without that nice face-off win.

[Robb_K]

Good game by The Blues. Schwartz is hot, and almost got his 3rd goal, rather than Tarasenko getting it. Good that he's come to life with Stastny out. Allen played very well, too. Too bad that The Preds keep winning.

[Toasted Oates]

So in regards to the ice @ Scottrade:

Pietrangelo after Saturday's game: "That was a tough sheet to play on."

Schwartz after tonight: "This ice can get a little bouncy sometimes to say the least."

I thought they poured a new sheet after the MVC Tournament, but this has been a common refrain for awhile. Renovations are coming, though, and that'll be a priority.

30 wins for Jake Allen. Most by any Blues goalie in 7 years (Chris Mason).

[theohall]

30 wins for Jake Allen. Most by any Blues goalie in 7 years (Chris Mason).

What? You mean Elliott never won 30 games in a season??

[Oaklandblue]

30 wins for Jake Allen. Most by any Blues goalie in 7 years (Chris Mason).

What? You mean Elliott never won 30 games in a season??

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but wasn't Chris Mason the last netminder to actually play a Starter's amount of games before the "Tandem Run"? If this is the best NHL record you got for Jake, sorry, you're trying too hard, Theohall. Now if we're going to talk Blues records:

Blues Franchise Records
-----------------------------
Most shutouts in a season: Brian Elliott, 9
Lowest GAA in a season (min 30 GP): Brian Elliott, 1.56
Best SV% in a season (min 30 GP): Brian Elliott, .940
Most wins in a season: Roman Turek, 42

I can't seem to find Jake's name in there... oh yeah. It's not there. Keep trying, though

[Toasted Oates]

Can we just agree that 30 wins is a nice accomplishment, all things considered? That's all I was acknowledging there.

We've beat the goalie thing to death.

[glen a richter]

30 wins for Jake Allen. Most by any Blues goalie in 7 years (Chris Mason).

What? You mean Elliott never won 30 games in a season??

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but wasn't Chris Mason the last netminder to actually play a Starter's amount of games before the "Tandem Run"? If this is the best NHL record you got for Jake, sorry, you're trying too hard, Theohall. Now if we're going to talk Blues records:

Blues Franchise Records
-----------------------------
Most shutouts in a season: Brian Elliott, 9
Lowest GAA in a season (min 30 GP): Brian Elliott, 1.56
Best SV% in a season (min 30 GP): Brian Elliott, .940
Most wins in a season: Roman Turek, 42

I can't seem to find Jake's name in there... oh yeah. It's not there. Keep trying, though

So you're trying to suggest that Roman Turek is better than Jake Allen? Try running that one by this crowd... seriously.

[theohall]

30 wins for Jake Allen. Most by any Blues goalie in 7 years (Chris Mason).

What? You mean Elliott never won 30 games in a season??

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but wasn't Chris Mason the last netminder to actually play a Starter's amount of games before the "Tandem Run"? If this is the best NHL record you got for Jake, sorry, you're trying too hard, Theohall. Now if we're going to talk Blues records:

Blues Franchise Records
-----------------------------
Most shutouts in a season: Brian Elliott, 9 5 years ago....
Lowest GAA in a season (min 30 GP): Brian Elliott, 1.56 5 years ago when he didn't even start half the games.
Best SV% in a season (min 30 GP): Brian Elliott, .940 5 years ago when he didn't even start half the games.
Most wins in a season: Roman Turek, 42

I can't seem to find Jake's name in there... oh yeah. It's not there. Keep trying, though

So the tandem argument applies for Elliott, but only one year as the starter for Allen counts against him. That's mighty white of you. Why is it was a tandem thing all those years Elliott was here? Could it be he was inconsistent or something like that??

And chum still works...

[Oaklandblue]

30 wins for Jake Allen. Most by any Blues goalie in 7 years (Chris Mason).

What? You mean Elliott never won 30 games in a season??

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but wasn't Chris Mason the last netminder to actually play a Starter's amount of games before the "Tandem Run"? If this is the best NHL record you got for Jake, sorry, you're trying too hard, Theohall. Now if we're going to talk Blues records:

Blues Franchise Records
-----------------------------
Most shutouts in a season: Brian Elliott, 9
Lowest GAA in a season (min 30 GP): Brian Elliott, 1.56
Best SV% in a season (min 30 GP): Brian Elliott, .940
Most wins in a season: Roman Turek, 42

I can't seem to find Jake's name in there... oh yeah. It's not there. Keep trying, though

So you're trying to suggest that Roman Turek is better than Jake Allen? Try running that one by this crowd... seriously.

Are we seriously that proud that the first netminder to play a Starter's amount of games since Chris Mason posted 30 wins on a solid D team is some amazing feat... well... it's really not.

The response about Allen is somehow "better" because Elliott not having 30 wins after playing in a Tandem System the last half decade is, at best, really, really reaching.

Since I'm responding to a topic about Blues records and records only, if you want to argue that the Blues Franchise leader in Most Wins In A Season is someone other than Roman Turek, then absolutely feel free. I didn't state anything other than that.

I keep hearing how great and wonderful Jake Allen is, but to say he's better than another netminder? Show me records in the NHL. Show me facts. Show me something and I don't mean old NCAA records or any of that. Show me what he's done that makes him better. Fact is, there isn't anything. And until there is, you can't argue the air. You can't argue ifs. Either Jake gets it done or he doesn't, so can we wait and refrain from trash talking other players until -after- we see what Jake does, especially in the playoffs? Right now he's making a good case for himself, but he's also got a solid D corps in front of him and the guns have been firing for him. What happens when it's just him and he has to carrry? That time is coming.

Jake hasn't done anything different that a whole slew of Blues netminders before him haven't done. Doesn't mean he won't be great, but I haven't seen this magic shimmer that everyone else swears up and down they see.

[cardsfan04]

I don't think the records really move the needle any on who we would prefer in net going forward.

1. Elliott had a nice year in 2011-12 when he got the shutout record. Halak (who I don't hear anybody pining for) got 6(?) that year. That was one of the best defenses I can think of ever having. That's not a shot at Elliott. 9 shutouts in a season is incredible. The context is relevant though.

2. Same context is relevant on his 1.56 GAA that season.

3. That was Elliott's age 26 season. Keeping him here instead of trading him wouldn't have included his age 26 season. It would have included his age 31 season and potentially his age 32+ seasons when he would be on his way out of his prime. While that season was great, players age so you can't just point to great seasons that they've had when evaluating their future.

4. Roman Turek is one of the record holders on there. I mean, Elliott's accomplishments to get his records were impressive. But, Turek being included should be reason to pause and consider how much weight we give to a record when looking at future performance. And, I say that as a guy that loves stats.

As for the 30 wins, it's a nice accomplishment for a young goalie in their first season as a number 1. It's not a conversation ender on Allen v Elliott, but I don't think it was presented in that context anyway. Good for Allen getting 30 wins in a season that he went through some major growing pains.

[Oaklandblue]

4. Roman Turek is one of the record holders on there. I mean, Elliott's accomplishments to get his records were impressive. But, Turek being included should be reason to pause and consider how much weight we give to a record when looking at future performance. And, I say that as a guy that loves stats.

You can't split hairs on it, though. If a guy sets the record, he sets the record, whether he works out or not in the long run; you only know that in HINDSIGHT, as in, AFTER THE FACT. With Jake there is NO after the fact; we are living in the process to get there, so trying to say he can do this before he's done anything, is really being unfair to him. My question and stance has been, since Allen is supposed to the The One, an opinion heavily defended on by a few people on here, where's his record?

As you noted, Elliott set two of his (GAA and Save %) at 26. Allen is 26.

Let Jake prove himself before we start comparing him to anyone. Like I said before, he's so far made a solid case for himself and Brodeur (and maybe Conklin too) have found a diamond there. I've seen one too many times of fans, including myself, seeing something great in a player, hold high standards and have them all fall apart because it's the Blues. So far for me, Elliott hasn't been one of them. Hopefully Allen isn't either.

[cardsfan04]

4. Roman Turek is one of the record holders on there. I mean, Elliott's accomplishments to get his records were impressive. But, Turek being included should be reason to pause and consider how much weight we give to a record when looking at future performance. And, I say that as a guy that loves stats.

You can't split hairs on it, though. If a guy sets the record, he sets the record, whether he works out or not in the long run; you only know that in HINDSIGHT, as in, AFTER THE FACT. With Jake there is NO after the fact; we are living in the process to get there, so trying to say he can do this before he's done anything, is really being unfair to him. My question and stance has been, since Allen is supposed to the The One, an opinion heavily defended on by a few people on here, where's his record?

As you noted, Elliott set two of his (GAA and Save %) at 26. Allen is 26.

Let Jake prove himself before we start comparing him to anyone. Like I said before, he's so far made a solid case for himself and Brodeur (and maybe Conklin too) have found a diamond there. I've seen one too many times of fans, including myself, seeing something great in a player, hold high standards and have them all fall apart because it's the Blues. So far for me, Elliott hasn't been one of them. Hopefully Allen isn't either.

He's been great at every level he's played, but I don't think anybody would say the contract he was offered was risk-free. He's still proving himself in the NHL. But, he's not just starting to prove himself.

2013 2.46/.905 (15 games)
2014 2.28/.913 (37 games)
2015 2.35/.920 (47 games)

Save percentage has improved each year. GAA went slightly up last year from 2014, but 2.35 was good for 15th in the league last year which isn't too shabby. He's been trending in the right direction and you would expect him to continue to build on those numbers as he enters his prime.

The obvious counter to this is that Elliott had a 2.07 last year with the same team in front of him. But, that goes back to my previous argument. Elliott is exiting his prime. It's unlikely he maintains what he has done for much longer. He should start to decline now, because of his age.

[cardsfan04]

4. Roman Turek is one of the record holders on there. I mean, Elliott's accomplishments to get his records were impressive. But, Turek being included should be reason to pause and consider how much weight we give to a record when looking at future performance. And, I say that as a guy that loves stats.

You can't split hairs on it, though. If a guy sets the record, he sets the record, whether he works out or not in the long run; you only know that in HINDSIGHT, as in, AFTER THE FACT. With Jake there is NO after the fact; we are living in the process to get there, so trying to say he can do this before he's done anything, is really being unfair to him. My question and stance has been, since Allen is supposed to the The One, an opinion heavily defended on by a few people on here, where's his record?

That's exactly my point though. I'm not taking Turek's record away from him. I'm saying that having a good season isn't always a good indicator of future performance. Case in point, Roman Turek.