GDT #11: 11/1/13 > Blues @ Panthers > 6:30 PM > FSMW/KMOX
Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 6:31 am
Last time we played these guys, we put up a touchdown and kicked the PAT. I expect nothing less. Let's tack on a field goal. 10-0.
GO BLUES.
GO BLUES.
BLUES (7-1-2) at PANTHERS (3-7-2)
TV: FS-MW, FS-F
Last 10: Florida 2-6-2, St. Louis 7-1-2
Season series: This is the second of two matchups between the St. Louis Blues and the Florida Panthers. The first was a 7-0 Blues thrashing in St. Louis on Oct. 5 in which they had seven different goal scorers.
Big story: The Panthers rank in the bottom five in goals against, and toward the bottom of the NHL in penalty killing. The Blues, meanwhile, are in the top three in goals scored and power-play percentage.
Team scope:
Blues: St. Louis comes in having picked up at least a point in five straight games after a 3-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday. Alexander Steen scored with a minute left in the third period to break the deadlock.
"It's pretty impressive, isn't it? We all know he's pretty deserving. He works his tail off day in and day out. He's one of the hardest workers I've ever seen in any sport. He deserves all the success. We've just got to make sure he keeps going," said defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, who assisted on the game-winner.
This is the start of a three-game road trip for the Blues, and just their fourth road game. St. Louis is 2-0-1 in the first three.
Jaroslav Halak continued to impress in net, allowing two goals on 23 shots for his seventh win in nine games. He had six wins in 15 starts last season.
"[Halak] was terrific tonight. We needed him, and it was good to see," coach Ken Hitchcock said.
Panthers: Florida has had four nights off since a 4-3 shootout loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday. The Panthers trailed 3-1 before two third-period goals sent the game into overtime.
It was their third shootout in four games, as they dropped to 1-2.
"Unfortunately, we end up on the wrong end of these (shootouts) right now, but there's guys that are pushing hard and that's what we have to keep doing," coach Kevin Dineen said.
The Panthers are on a three-game losing streak, their third of the season.
"It's tough going down 2-0 early like that, but we played really hard and battled back. It's tough to have the final outcome happen," said wing Shawn Matthias, who had the Panthers' first goal.
Who's hot: Steen has 11 goals, including a current five-game goal streak (seven goals), and Pietrangelo has two goals and two assists in two games for the Blues. … Tomas Fleischmann has points in three of five games for the Panthers.
Injury report: Goalie Tim Thomas (lower body), wing Steven Pinizzotto (hip) and defenseman Ed Jovanovski (hip) are on injured reserve for the Panthers while Fleischmann (flu-like symptoms) is probable. … The Blues are without Magnus Paajarvi (upper-body). Maxim Lapierre, who just finished serving a five-game suspension is probable, and Brenden Morrow (upper body) is questionable.