GDT #79: 3/31/12 > Blues vs BJ's > 7:00 PM > FSMW/KMOX

[dmiles2186]

Let's go win a division title, boys.

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The St. Louis Blues no doubt want to earn the Western Conference's top seed, but first they can record their first division title in more than a decade.

The Blues can clinch the Central Division crown as they begin a three-game homestand Saturday night against the league-worst Columbus Blue Jackets.

St. Louis (48-20-10) holds a slim lead over Vancouver for the West's best record. The Blues are up by eight points over second-place Nashville in the division, and will wrap up their first Central title since 1999-2000 with at least one point Saturday.

The club felt the one point it got Thursday in a 4-3 shootout loss at Chicago wasn't totally deserved. St. Louis was outshot 40-20 overall and needed third-period goals from Jason Arnott and David Perron to send the game to overtime.

"We were outplayed bad. I don't even know how we got a point, to be honest with you," coach Ken Hitchcock said. "We didn't compete at a high level. It looked like we wanted the game to be easier."

Perron scored the equalizer with 1:32 left in the third period, giving him four goals in six games.

"I still think it's a big point for us this time of year and we'll take it," Perron said. "The way we played at the point when it was 3-1, I'm not sure that we'd get one (point), but we battled back and finally got one."

The Blues should be boosted by the return of Andy McDonald, who has missed the last six games with a shoulder injury. Hitchcock has indicated that the four-time 20-goal scorer will see some ice time against the Blue Jackets (26-45-7).

Perron and David Backes each has five points in helping the Blues win four of five against Columbus this season. Brian Elliott, tied for the NHL lead with nine shutouts, has started two of those meetings and allowed one goal each time to win both. Jaroslav Halak has a 2.35 goals-against average in going 2-1-0 in the season series.

The Blue Jackets have questions with their goaltending. Steve Mason is out with an upper-body injury and Curtis Sanford with a quadriceps injury.

Columbus, though, got 30 saves from Allen York in a 4-1 win over Florida on Friday. York made 29 saves for his first NHL victory Wednesday, 4-2 over Detroit.

The Blue Jackets got offense from an unusual source Friday as defenseman Nikita Nikitin scored twice for the first time in his career. Nikitin has 31 points in 50 games for Columbus since he was acquired Nov. 11 from St. Louis.

"I wasn't sure what to expect from Niki," coach Todd Richards said. "But to me that's been a great trade when you look at it."

The Blues are an NHL-best 30-4-4 at home, where they have won four straight and have not lost in regulation to a West opponent since Dec. 3.

"They're obviously a tough team in their barn," York said. "We've just got to keep playing like we are, and I think we can compete with anyone."

The Blues are 13-1-1 in their last 15 home matchups against the Blue Jackets.

[stinkdified]

[glen a richter]

given that... Blues 1, Jackets 4

By the way... the rest of the way, the Rangers have the Bruins, Flyers, Penguins and Capitals. Suffice to say I think they have a fairly difficult schedule. Middle two games on the road. I wouldn't be overly shocked to see the Rags go 1-3 over their last 4, which bodes well for us in terms of pursuit of the presidents.

[gaijin]

Oh great. Now we're (Frank) ed.

[thedoc]

Big game tonight and the rest of the way. NY 1 point ahead of us and Van 1 point behind us. I think this is the best case scenario for us. They will keep pushing us all through the season so we will be nice and sharp come playoff's. Now the team just has to get up for the games.

[stinkdified]

Oh great. Now we're (Frank) ed.

come'on now...this is just like the beard thing.
i mean, they are worse than Montreal. we're 3-2 with them this year though. we'll see...

[fargoblues]

Bon Jovis 2
Your Central Division CHAMPION Blues 6

Blues best watch their anuses this game. Columbus has absolutely no reason not to goon this shit up.

[dmiles2186]

You all know this already, most likely, but word on the Twitterz is that McDonald, D'ags and Polak will be back tonight.

Playoff lineup set. Per JR, this is the first time the Blues have had a fully healthy roster in 160 (!!) games. This team is deep. I've got a good feeling about this one.

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/hockey/p ... 40cb8.html

On a night on which the Blues could claim their first Central Division title in 11 seasons, it's the end of another streak that will probably have more of an effect on the team in the playoffs.

For the first time since March 30, 2010, a span of 160 games, the Blues will have everyone on their roster healthy tonight when they face Columbus at Scottrade Center.

And in a sign of the positive chemistry in the locker room, left winger Alex Steen voiced more happiness for the players who have been out with injuries than the benefits their returns will bring the team.

"Just knowing that guys have their health is a big thing," Steen said. "Everybody in here is friends, we feel like family together and you never want to see a teammate get hurt. You hope that guys get healthy, and when they are, you're happy."

Understandably so, but the Blues aren't oblivious to the significance of having all of their parts in place 12 days before the start of the Western Conference playoffs, and the coincidence of it happening on the evening the club could clinch its first division title since 1999-2000.

Forwards Andy McDonald and Matt D'Agostini, along with defenseman Roman Polak, will be the final pieces added to the puzzle tonight when the Blues meet the Blue Jackets at 7 p.m.

"We've come a long way," Blues forward T.J. Oshie said. "We've had unlucky bounces (injurywise), but guys in the last two summers have really worked hard to get into good shape, so that by this part of the season we would be our strongest. With everyone being healthy, I think that shows a little bit."

The logjam — 16 forwards and eight defensemen — has finally created multiple options for Blues coach Ken Hitchcock. And in Friday's 50-minute up-tempo practice, fans had their first glimpse of what the lineup will look like without walking boots, crutches, casts and ice packs.

The forward combinations will feature a top line of Steen, David Backes and Oshie, which had noticeable chemistry earlier in the season.

"It seemed pretty good out there in practice (Friday), too," Steen said. "We were finding each other again, so that was good."

On the second line, McDonald will team up with Patrik Berglund and David Perron, another group that clicked for a brief stint recently.

"We had some real good plays, and there's more to our game," Perron said. "The three of us, we talked about that this morning. We want to make sure we're one of the best lines every single night. I think we've got the potential to do that."

Vladimir Sobotka, Jason Arnott and Jamie Langenbrunner will make up the third line, while D'Agostini, Scott Nichol and Chris Stewart will play on the fourth line.

"I don't really view it as a third or fourth line," Hitchcock said. "When you play the way we play right now, I think we're hoping we end up with two third lines."

Hitchcock, who plans to soon work B.J. Crombeen into the lineup, said the combinations are based on pairs, not threesomes. He expects to keep Oshie-Backes, McDonald-Berglund and Langenbrunner-Arnott together.

"We will switch certain individuals and make it more flexible for us," Hitchcock said. "For whatever reason, we have certain combinations that work at home, but the same combinations do not work on the road. When we switch up, it seems to work, so we're getting prepared to do that."

Defensively, it appears that Polak will replace Kent Huskins in the lineup tonight. Polak will reunite with Kris Russell, while the pairs of Alex Pietrangelo and Carlo Colaiacovo, along with Barret Jackman and Kevin Shattenkirk, will remain the same.

Meanwhile, despite Brian Elliott's shutout streak of 186 minutes, 33 seconds, Jaroslav Halak will start in goal against Columbus. Halak gave up three goals on 40 shots in Thursday's 4-3 shootout loss to Chicago.

"I just feel like, (that game) is on the players," Hitchcock said. "(Halak) played really good. I mean, sure he wants the first goal back, but he played good."

Hitchcock admitted that with an opportunity to win the Central Division on Thursday, the Blues crumbled.

"It was like, 'Hey, we've got a chance to win the division,' and everybody went, 'Gulp!'" he said. "Everything we've worked for was sitting right in front of us, and we gulped. But I think it's good that we did that without" it happening in the playoffs.

Oshie said: "In the end, this might have been something we needed. We've been squeaking by with wins on our goalies alone. I think (Thursday) night was a bit of a reality check for everyone."

Everyone will find out how much the Blues learned tonight when they have a second chance in three nights to lay claim to the division title.

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/sports/hockey/p ... z1qhzyItY4

[Krigloch the Furious]

Need these 2 points.
With a couple guys coming back this should be a win.
Someone hit Nash...

[cardsfan04]

I really want to go to the game and see them clinch, but StubHub is more expensive than I care for.

Has anybody ever scalped tickets at the game before? I've done it for Cards games a bunch, but never a Blues game. Anybody know how hard it is to find a decent deal?

[WaukeeBlues]

Amped. At home. Despite the BJ's recent win and Blues recent loss, if they don't come out big time for this game they can't ever do it.

Blues 4
BJ's 1

' with a goal in his game back

[ohio BLUES]

Yeah, this game tonight is a landmine for the Blues. Columbus would love nothing more than to derail us somehow, and if it includes sending Jared Boll after somebody does anyone here think they wouldn't hesitate to do it?

Bunch of buttholes. Reaves needs to be in the lineup, despite our cavalcade of players returning from injury.

[PGABluesFan]

Blues 3
BJs 0

Who gets hurt tonight?

[theohall]

Halak does not deserve to be the playoff starter after his last 4 games including this one.

[Krigloch the Furious]

Chris Stewart sucks. Im so tired of this dude

[The Flake]

Halak does not deserve to be the playoff starter after his last 4 games including this one.

[glen a richter]

this is bullshit in so many ways. Man up and (Franking) play the (Franking) game right, assholes!

[F Keenan]

Halak does not deserve to be the playoff starter after his last 4 games including this one.

This has to be the dumbest thing I have read in a long, long time.

.927 over his last five.

[drwoland]

Why the (Frank) would you sit Reaves for a game against a bottom-dweller that is known for getting under our skin?

I'm only half watching, but based on our parade into the penalty box, that is exactly what has happened, AGAIN. Hope nobody gets hurt.

[Nyghtewynd]

Anyone who thinks that this team is going to be favored for the Cup is naive. Yet another lazy, half-hearted effort when you could win the division. If Chicago doesn't win tonight, I'm not sure we're even going to win the division. If you can't beat the worst franchise in the league at home to clinch, you're not good.