Let's Go Blues

fargoblues wrote:

oh, sorry. wrong sport. wait. is there even a hockey team in atlanta? there is? oh. do THEY know that? right. got it.

Blues eleventy billion
Frankly my dear the whole town don't give a damn 0.

HALAAAAAAAAAAAAAAK with another SO.

STLADOGG wrote:After this game we got SJ and Boston, and then NYR...so we should probably get 2 points here.

If hockey has a position that translates well to baseball, it is defenseman. They are to a hockey team what pitchers are to a baseball team. They are especially valuable, especially vulnerable to injury and it's impossible to have too many.

Eight games into the 82-game schedule, the Blues already have had two of their starting six defensemen go down. Roman Polak suffered a severed tendon, which required surgery and promises to keep him out for months. Carlo Colaiacovo had to be helped off the ice on Thursday after taking a hit from Nashville's Jordin Tootoo. Colaiacovo is experiencing spasms in his neck and undergoing further tests. He is listed as “day to day” with an upper body issue and his return remains uncertain.

So here we are, less than four weeks removed from training camp and all the consternation over who made the roster, etc., is nearly irrelevent. Truth is, where defensemen are concerned, if you're in the mix with the top eight or nine, you could be in Peoria today, in St. Louis tomorrow.

While it's not exactly the circumstances Nathan Oystrick had in mind, he is eager to make the most of it.

“Did I want to make the team out of camp, yeah,”Oystrick said. “But I knew there were a lot of good defensemen here and it was going to be a tough battle. Obviously, (eight) games into the season they're calling a guy up. You don't want to see another guy get hurt, but on the other hand that's hockey and I have to come in and play my role and do a job.”

Oystrick will report for duty at 7 tonight against the Atlanta Thrashers. It was somewhat of a homecoming on two fronts for the 27-year old defenseman. Oystrick was back in the NHL and competing against a team for which he played 53 games in 2008-09, his most extensive major league experience.

Oystrick had four goals and 12 points for the Thrashers during that time. Last season, he did not make the team out of camp, had some injury issues and eventually was traded to Anaheim, where he got in only three games. Oyster signed with the Blues a s free agent this summer, hoping to hit the re-start button. He was leading Peoria Rivermen defensemen in scoring with three goals and seven points in 10 games when he got the callup.

Blues coach Davis Payne knows Oyster well. He watched the lefthanded-shooter perform well in training camp, and he saw more of him than he wanted last season when Payne was coaching at Peoria and Oyster was playing for Chicago.

“He torched us a few times playing in Chicago,” Payne said. “He's got a competitive nature, real good shot, pretty headsie guy, defends with a good amount of intensity and thinks the game well. He's a hockey player, and he brings pretty good energy to the room as well.”

Oystrick had seven goals and 16 assists in 43 games for Chicago last season. During the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons with Chicago, he averaged 15 goals and 45 points. He admits, after spending so much time with Atlanta two seasons ago, it has been a difficult fight to keep an NHL return address.

“It's been a little frustrating, especially last year in training camp,” said Oystrick, who played college hockey at Northern Michigan. “I had been with Atlanta the whole year and felt like I had a pretty good rookie year. I was looking forward to getting another year under my belt. So getting sent back to Chicago was kind of a blow. But there's no guarantees in hockey, especially for a guy in my situation. I mean, there's different players; Sidney Crosby obviously isn't going to Wilkes-Barre anytime soon.

“But I've got an opportunity now and I have to make the most of it. I'm excited to be here.”

Oystrick created the opportunity with his strong preseason. He made a decision on who to keep and who to send out more difficult for the Blues. The end result is, he paved the road back.

“Some of his pre-season games were very sharp,” Payne said. “His practice and his adjustments to things that we change on the go... he's ready to go in those situations. This isn't his first kick at it, so he's going to be very familiar with what goes on out there. This is an old team for him, so there will be some familiar faces, as well, so I'm sure he'll be up to it.”

Don't be surprised to see Oystrick on a power play or two. He was playing that role at Peoria.

***

Our Own Blues Oddities: David Perron has been more productive when he plays less. In the first four games this season, Perron played between 19-22 minutes per game and had just one assist. In the last four games, he has averaged between 16-17 minutes and has four goals and one assist.

As they say in his hometown of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Il n'a aucun sens, or it makes no sense.

***

The Blues had an optional skate at Scottrade Center this morning. Only 14 players were on the ice, including one goalie, Ty Conklin.

dmiles2186 wrote:Oystrick in for Cola tonight.

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/hockey/p ... 78c22.html