I have tickets to this game, but not sure I'll be able to make it. Sickness and this crazy winter storm that's heading our way may put a damper on things. I'm a game time decision.
BLUE JACKETS (18-19-4) at BLUES (28-7-5)
TV: FS-O, FS-MW
Last 10: Columbus 5-4-1; St. Louis 7-1-2
Blue Notes: Brian Elliott will start in goal and is 11-1-2 this season with a 1.84 GAA and a .928 save percentage. He is looking for his 13th consecutive regular season win at home. T.J. Oshie has scored goals in three consecutive games. Jaden Schwartz has points in seven straight, which ties a career high. The Blues have won four of the last five games against Columbus. Against the Eastern Conference, the Blues have the League's best inter-conference record since 2010-11 (36-9-6).
Season series: This is the second and final game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and St. Louis Blues this season. David Backes' overtime goal lifted St. Louis to a 4-3 win on Dec. 14 at Nationwide Arena.
Big story: It was a long time coming, but right wing Nathan Horton made his Blue Jackets debut Thursday night and scored in a 2-0 victory against the Phoenix Coyotes at Jobing.com Arena.
Horton signed a seven-year contract with Columbus last summer, but missed the first 40 games of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery.
"Sometimes I felt good, sometimes I felt bad. It's been a long time but I was playing and we won and that's all that matters," Horton said. "You can tell we're a good team when we work hard.
"It was nice to get hit a couple of times and hit someone, it made me feel more comfortable on the ice. We have a great structure, [Todd Richards] is a great coach and if we do what he asks I think we'll be in good shape."
Team Scope:
Blue Jackets: Horton wasn't the only Columbus player who impressed Thursday. Goalie Curtis McElhinney responded after allowing five goals in back-to-back starts by stopping all 34 shots he faced for his second shutout of the season. Twenty-one of those saves came in the third period.
"It felt great," McElhinney said. "Obviously I had been in a tough couple of games the last few, but this was a tremendous game by us. The penalty kill did a great job when we were put in that situation. Just a nice overall feeling for everybody."
Blues: St. Louis announced Friday it has activated defenseman Jordan Leopold off injured reserve. Leopold has missed the past 26 games with a ligament injury in his right hand. He underwent surgery in mid-November.
Leopold rejoins a team that has won four straight games; the Blues extended their streak with a 5-0 victory against the Los Angeles Kings at Scottrade Center on Thursday night. T.J. Oshie, who was named to the U.S. Olympic team on Wednesday, had two goals and Brian Elliott stopped all 30 shots he faced.
Oshie was the recipient of a "USA, USA" chant from the capacity crowd after his second goal of the game.
"I thought that was pretty special," Oshie said. "I definitely didn't expect it, but once I heard it, I thought, 'What a cool 24 hours for me.'"
Who's hot: Blue Jackets forward RJ Umberger has three points (one goal, two assists) in the past two games. … Oshie has four goals and an assist in the past three games for the Blues. Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo has four assists in the past four games. Elliott has allowed two or fewer goals in each of his past five starts.
Injury report: Columbus forwards Marian Gaborik (collarbone), Matt Calvert (shoulder), Jared Boll (ankle) and Oliver Gabriel (torn Achilles tendon) are on injured reserve. Forward Jack Skille is also likely to miss the game Saturday due to an upper-body injury sustained during a 5-3 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday. … Blues forward David Backes (upper body) is questionable. Forward Alexander Steen (concussion) and defenseman Roman Polak (ankle) are out indefinitely.
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Kinda off topic, but why did they recall Allen? Is Halak injured?
“It makes no difference what men think of war, said the judge. War endures. As well ask men what they think of stone. War was always here. Before man was, war waited for him. The ultimate trade awaiting its ultimate practitioner. That is the way it was and will be. That way and not some other way.”
He has been doing good in Chicago this season, however.
“It makes no difference what men think of war, said the judge. War endures. As well ask men what they think of stone. War was always here. Before man was, war waited for him. The ultimate trade awaiting its ultimate practitioner. That is the way it was and will be. That way and not some other way.”
KrustyKevo wrote:Kinda off topic, but why did they recall Allen? Is Halak injured?
Jesus people, hes had the flu/whatever for OVER a week now...
Forgive me for not being up to date on these things. A simple "he's sick" would have sufficed.
“It makes no difference what men think of war, said the judge. War endures. As well ask men what they think of stone. War was always here. Before man was, war waited for him. The ultimate trade awaiting its ultimate practitioner. That is the way it was and will be. That way and not some other way.”
I don't know why but every time we play the BJ's, I can't shake this song out of my head...
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abc789987 wrote:Hey guys. Just stopping in. What's happened to Halak? Is he hurt or something?
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2017 - 2018 Official sponsor of Joel "Top Shelf" Edmundson
2016 - 2017 Official sponsor of Nail "THE YAK" Yakupov
41 games in the books. The Blues have won 29 of those games. Out (Franking) standing. I'll try posting a midway point thread sometime tomorrow if SNOWMAGEDDON 2014!!!! doesn't kill us all.
It felt like the Blues were sledding uphill for the first half of the game, but once they got rolling, man, did they look like the elite team we all think they are.
Elliott continues to be a rock back there, fluke goal aside.
I wasn't able to make it to the game, but I'll take the big win either way. Train keeps a-rollin'.
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dmiles2186 wrote:41 games in the books. The Blues have won 29 of those games. Out (Frank) standing. I'll try posting a midway point thread sometime tomorrow if SNOWMAGEDDON 2014!!!! doesn't kill us all.
It felt like the Blues were sledding uphill for the first half of the game, but once they got rolling, man, did they look like the elite team we all think they are.
Elliott continues to be a rock back there, fluke goal aside.
I wasn't able to make it to the game, but I'll take the big win either way. Train keeps a-rollin'.
I already died... pre-flurries got me
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Halak would have had a shutout if he wasn't busy barfing up whatever it is people from his country eat.
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The only thing that concerns me about this team is our lack of success against Pacific Division teams.
We are 26-2-2 against everyone not in the Pacific division, and only 3-5-3 against the Pacific. Wins over Calgary and Edmonton aside... we have one win against the upper teams in that division. Not only that, but we have been blown off the ice in the first period by several of those teams.
That needs to get sorted in the second half or I see another epic postseason heartbreak for this team.
Unbelievable first half and much congratulations to the front office, coaches, and players - but anything less that the Finals is unacceptable to me this year with this team.
This is our year, dammit. Best Blues side I have seen in my lifetime is right there on the ice this year.
