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GDT #49: 1/21/14 > Blues @ Devils > 6:00 PM > FSMW/KMOX

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2014 9:02 am
by dmiles2186
I made fun of Jimmy Howard, then I woke up at 3 AM with the flu. The hockey gods put me in my place.
BLUES (33-10-5) at DEVILS (20-19-11)

TV: FS-MW, MSG PLUS

Last 10: St. Louis 7-3-0; New Jersey 4-3-3

Season series: This is the first meeting since Feb. 9, 2012, when the St. Louis Blues scored a 4-3 shootout victory against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center. The teams will play their final game this season Jan. 28 in St. Louis.

Big story: The Blues opened their four-game road trip Monday with a 4-1 victory against the Detroit Red Wings to snap a two-game losing streak. The four-goal outburst was the team's highest total in five games (2-3-0). Following Tuesday's game against the Devils, the Blues travel to Madison Square Garden to play the New York Rangers on Thursday and Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum for a matinee against the New York Islanders on Saturday. The Blues are 14-2-1 against Eastern Conference teams in 2013-14.

Team Scope:

Blues: A severe case of the flu sidelined forward Vladimir Tarasenko on Monday, marking the first game Tarasenko (15 goals, 14 assists) missed this season. Alexander Steen, who returned to the lineup Saturday after missing 11 games with a concussion, had two assists in the victory against Detroit to boost his season totals to 24 goals and 16 assists, and goalie Jaroslav Halak made 22 saves to earn his 20th victory.

"The first two periods we played the way we had to play," coach Ken Hitchcock said. "I thought the scoring chances might've been even in the first two periods, but the zone time was in our favor and that's our game. Our game plan was more based on volume and zone time and wearing people out, and that's what we accomplished in the first two periods."

Devils: The Devils return home after closing out a four-game road trip with one win and four points (1-1-2). The team had its six-game point streak snapped Saturday in a 3-2 loss against the Phoenix Coyotes. Coach Peter DeBoer told The (Bergen) Record that there's a good chance right wing Damien Brunner could return to the lineup after missing the past 14 games with a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee. The 27-year-old Brunner returned to practice Monday for the first time since being injured on a knee-on-knee hit from Anaheim Ducks defenseman Mark Fistric on Dec. 20.

"He's worked his [rear end] off to do that, he really has," DeBoer said of Brunner. "The reports from the rehab people here have been this guy has worked as hard as anyone has worked here to get back, which is a great sign."

Brunner had four goals and five points in the five games before sustaining his injury.

"For me, I'm practicing with the team now, I feel 100 percent and I'm ready to go," Brunner said.

Who's hot: Devils center Adam Henrique has six goals and 10 points over the past 12 games. … Blues right wing T.J. Oshie has at least a point in three of the past four games (three goals, one assist).

Injury report: Tarasenko (flu) is day-to-day and forward Maxim Lapierre (lower body) is on injured reserve. … Brunner (knee) is probable and defenseman Peter Harrold (foot) is day-to-day.

Re: GDT #49: 1/21/14 > Blues @ Devils > 6:00 PM > FSMW/KMOX

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2014 10:02 am
by sseagle
No god, only Zuul!


No Zuul, only HOCKIES

Re: GDT #49: 1/21/14 > Blues @ Devils > 6:00 PM > FSMW/KMOX

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2014 4:00 pm
by dmiles2186
[tweet][/tweet]

Re: GDT #49: 1/21/14 > Blues @ Devils > 6:00 PM > FSMW/KMOX

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2014 5:10 pm
by sseagle
dmiles2186 wrote:[tweet][/tweet]

Better not... I've already got my pants off and am starting the pregame rituals...

Re: GDT #49: 1/21/14 > Blues @ Devils > 6:00 PM > FSMW/KMOX

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2014 5:53 pm
by ViPeRx007
Way to go, global warming....making everywhere ridiculously cold...in the winter....

LET'S GO BLUES! 60 MINUTES OF EFFORT, 100% FULL CONTACT HOCKIES, HITS, PUNCHES, ABUNDANT BLUES GOALS!

Re: GDT #49: 1/21/14 > Blues @ Devils > 6:00 PM > FSMW/KMOX

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2014 6:05 pm
by Oaklandblue
sseagle wrote:No god, only Zuul!


No Zuul, only HOCKIES

Hitch addresses the team: "When a Devil asks if you are a Hockey God, you. Say. YES." :grin:

Re: GDT #49: 1/21/14 > Blues @ Devils > 6:00 PM > FSMW/KMOX

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2014 6:08 pm
by Oaklandblue
Image

BLUEZ DAWG SEYZ: NEW JERSEY DEVILS....IS WHAT'S FOR DINNAH!

Re: GDT #49: 1/21/14 > Blues @ Devils > 6:00 PM > FSMW/KMOX

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2014 6:08 pm
by dmiles2186

Re: GDT #49: 1/21/14 > Blues @ Devils > 6:00 PM > FSMW/KMOX

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2014 7:58 pm
by glen a richter
Despite the lousy weather, the game wasn't canceled. Unfortunately, the Blues didn't seem to get the memo.

Re: GDT #49: 1/21/14 > Blues @ Devils > 6:00 PM > FSMW/KMOX

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2014 8:19 pm
by Nyghtewynd
Might as well keep saying it. Ryan Miller, please.

Re: GDT #49: 1/21/14 > Blues @ Devils > 6:00 PM > FSMW/KMOX

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2014 8:31 pm
by ViPeRx007
What the hell was that shit?

:facepalm:

Re: GDT #49: 1/21/14 > Blues @ Devils > 6:00 PM > FSMW/KMOX

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2014 9:22 pm
by cardsfan04
I didn't get to see any of the game. But, I'm going to chalk this up as just one to forget about right away.

Hopefully there is some silver lining and 3 bad games in the last 4 wakes them up a bit.

Re: GDT #49: 1/21/14 > Blues @ Devils > 6:00 PM > FSMW/KMOX

Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 12:00 am
by gaijin
cardsfan04 wrote:I didn't get to see any of the game. But, I'm going to chalk this up as just one to forget about right away.

Hopefully there is some silver lining and 3 bad games in the last 4 wakes them up a bit.
Yeah, shit happens. The encouraging thing is that all teams, even top-tier teams, suffer games like this, even in the years they eventually win the Cup. You look back at Cup winners, and there are several games during their season they should have won, but didn't, or got blown out like this. Not saying we're winning the Cup because of this, but you've got to have adversity if you're going to learn to overcome it.

Learn from it and rebound the next game. That's all you can do.

Personally, I chalk this up as continued punishment for dmiles mocking teh hockie gods.

Re: GDT #49: 1/21/14 > Blues @ Devils > 6:00 PM > FSMW/KMOX

Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 7:41 am
by dmiles2186
Nyghtewynd wrote:Might as well keep saying it. Ryan Miller, please.
I'm not trying to be a jerk here, but how would Ryan Miller have fixed the absolute crap defense, crap passing, lack of offense, constant shooting into the skates of the Devils, etc? Last night was a complete team breakdown.

Re: GDT #49: 1/21/14 > Blues @ Devils > 6:00 PM > FSMW/KMOX

Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 9:56 am
by glen a richter
dmiles2186 wrote:
Nyghtewynd wrote:Might as well keep saying it. Ryan Miller, please.
I'm not trying to be a jerk here, but how would Ryan Miller have fixed the absolute crap defense, crap passing, lack of offense, constant shooting into the skates of the Devils, etc? Last night was a complete team breakdown.
Haven't you noticed, Nyghtewynd makes me look like Mr. Sunshine Optimism.

a 7-1 asswhooping is just what the doctor ordered. No way Hitch lets that slide. He'll let them know it and we're looking at a 10+ game run now.

Re: GDT #49: 1/21/14 > Blues @ Devils > 6:00 PM > FSMW/KMOX

Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 10:22 am
by ComradeT
Wonder if pre-olympic caution has set in some of the top Blues and they think more about not getting injured than finishing the check, getting in front of goal and whatnot.

Re: GDT #49: 1/21/14 > Blues @ Devils > 6:00 PM > FSMW/KMOX

Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 10:31 am
by ecbm
I'm not trying to be a jerk here, but how would Ryan Miller have fixed the absolute crap defense, crap passing, lack of offense, constant shooting into the skates of the Devils, etc? Last night was a complete team breakdown.
Can't disagree about the team breakdown last nite but goaltending is holding back this squad. You see it in the games-hands up if you thought Halak's body language was saying anything good last night-and it's showing up in the statistics. Only one team (the Devils, ironically) allow fewer shots per game this year than the Blues. Unfortunately, since we have only the 18th-best SV% at .910 (likely inflated by Elliott doing very well up to recently in limited playing time), we fall down to 3rd in leage GAA. That .910 sticks out like sore thumb among our defensive stats: 3rd in team GA, 2nd in team SA/G, 4th in team GAA, 18th in team SV%. That's an outlier.

I'm ready for Miller to be brought in too, if nothing else because I don't want either of the current wildly-inconsistent and always-folding-in-the-clutch incumbents to become Allen's mentor. I wouldn't re-sign either.

Re: GDT #49: 1/21/14 > Blues @ Devils > 6:00 PM > FSMW/KMOX

Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 11:21 am
by cardsfan04
glen a richter wrote:
dmiles2186 wrote:
Nyghtewynd wrote:Might as well keep saying it. Ryan Miller, please.
I'm not trying to be a jerk here, but how would Ryan Miller have fixed the absolute crap defense, crap passing, lack of offense, constant shooting into the skates of the Devils, etc? Last night was a complete team breakdown.
Haven't you noticed, Nyghtewynd makes me look like Mr. Sunshine Optimism.

a 7-1 asswhooping is just what the doctor ordered. No way Hitch lets that slide. He'll let them know it and we're looking at a 10+ game run now.
Yeah, something like that is what I was meaning with my silver lining comment. This is where Hitch/Backes, etc., need to step up and right the ship.

Re: GDT #49: 1/21/14 > Blues @ Devils > 6:00 PM > FSMW/KMOX

Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 11:52 am
by Nyghtewynd
Because, for once it would be nice if the St. Louis Blues didn't cheap out and actually fixed an obvious problem with an obvious solution rather than going the year with a team that doesn't seem ready to get out of the second round of the playoffs.

Re: GDT #49: 1/21/14 > Blues @ Devils > 6:00 PM > FSMW/KMOX

Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 12:59 pm
by not_a_wings_fan
Nyghtewynd wrote:Because, for once it would be nice if the St. Louis Blues didn't cheap out and actually fixed an obvious problem with an obvious solution rather than going the year with a team that doesn't seem ready to get out of the second round of the playoffs.
I don't know if there is consensus that the problem is in net. I don't think Miller is the straight solution even if there was a clear problem.

This team is not doing an effective job playing hockey right now and that can't be placed on the net minder. Bad goals aside, the team has not played well in big games.

Spending to the cap isn't "cheap out" tactics.

I would love to read what you have to say about it in the Screw Miller thread.