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GDT #51: 1/25/14 > Blues @ Islanders > 12:00 PM > FSMW/KMOX

Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 7:32 am
by dmiles2186
Midday hockey today, boys!
BLUES (34-11-5) at ISLANDERS (21-25-7)

TV: FS-MW, MSG PLUS

Last 10: St. Louis 6-4-0; New York 7-3-0

Season series: This is the second of two games between the St. Louis Blues and New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak stopped 22 shots and five Blues scored in a 5-1 win at Scottrade Center on Dec. 5.

Big story: While the Blues continue to try to chase down the Chicago Blackhawks for the Central Division lead -- they're three points back with three games in hand -- the Islanders continue an important homestand that began Thursday with a 6-4 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Team Scope:

Blues: A concussion sidelined top goal scorer Alexander Steen for 11 games earlier this season, but in four games since returning he has two goals and two assists. That includes a goal Thursday in a 2-1 win at the New York Rangers, but unfortunately for St. Louis it lost Steen's services again later in that game due to a lower-body injury. His status is day-to-day.

The Blues held practice Friday afternoon at Ingalls Rink on the campus of Yale University so they could also attend the beginning of the women's game Friday night against Brown, which will celebrate the life of late Yale player Mandi Schwartz, the sister of Blues forward Jaden Schwartz. She died of leukemia in 2011.

"He's just humble, down to earth, and it comes from his family," Steen said of Schwartz in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "They're all the same; I've had the pleasure of meeting his parents. It's going to be a special night for us as well. The hockey aside, it's important for us to show him what he means as a friend, not just as a player."

Islanders: Among the hottest teams in the NHL in the new year, New York scored at least four goals for the fourth consecutive game Thursday and the seventh time in 12 games this month. The surge has lifted the Islanders to 13th in League scoring at 2.74 goals per game.

On the flip side, they're the second-worst defensive team, after the Edmonton Oilers, allowing 3.24 goals per game. That turned out to be a poor recipe for success against the Penguins; after jumping out to an early 2-0 lead, the Islanders gave up the next four goals and found themselves playing catch-up the rest of the way.

"For some reason, we're not good enough without the puck, I guess," forward Frans Nielsen said in Newsday.

"Not everybody had a good night for us," coach Jack Capuano added.

Who's hot: Halak has won his past two starts, allowing a single goal in each game. Schwartz and linemate David Backes each have two-game assist streaks. … Islanders forward John Tavares, second in League scoring to Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby, has 10 goals and 15 assists in his past 15 games. Forward Kyle Okposo has two goals and four assists during a four-game point streak. Forward Brock Nelson has three goals in his past four games.

Injury report: Steen is the only injury concern for St. Louis. … New York defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky (concussion) is practicing and hopeful of returning before the Olympic break. Goalie Evgeni Nabokov (lower body) could also be back soon. Defenseman Travis Hamonic (concussion) is out indefinitely.

Re: GDT #51: 1/25/14 > Blues @ Islanders > 12:00 PM > FSMW/K

Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 8:33 am
by gaijin
Game time 9pm for me! SaWeeeet!

2 points, please. :letsgoblues:

Re: GDT #51: 1/25/14 > Blues @ Islanders > 12:00 PM > FSMW/K

Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 9:37 am
by glen a richter
Frank the Isles. That is all.

Re: GDT #51: 1/25/14 > Blues @ Islanders > 12:00 PM > FSMW/K

Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 10:43 am
by sseagle
I hate morning games. I had to stop drinking at 7 to get ready.

Re: GDT #51: 1/25/14 > Blues @ Islanders > 12:00 PM > FSMW/K

Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 11:08 am
by glen a richter
sseagle wrote:I hate morning games. I had to stop drinking at 7 to get ready.
Good thing you hate baseball. What would you do for the Red Sox annual Patriots Day game? 11 AM start every Boston Marathon day.

Re: GDT #51: 1/25/14 > Blues @ Islanders > 12:00 PM > FSMW/K

Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 11:27 am
by dmiles2186
glen a richter wrote:
sseagle wrote:I hate morning games. I had to stop drinking at 7 to get ready.
Good thing you hate baseball. What would you do for the Red Sox annual Patriots Day game? 11 AM start every Boston Marathon day.
The good thing about baseball is that you drink DURING the games to make them interesting. :mrgreen:

I say this as a baseball fan.

Re: GDT #51: 1/25/14 > Blues @ Islanders > 12:00 PM > FSMW/K

Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 11:33 am
by dmiles2186

Re: GDT #51: 1/25/14 > Blues @ Islanders > 12:00 PM > FSMW/K

Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 1:44 pm
by glen a richter
Pretty disgusted with the game, thus far. Someone forgot to remind the boys this is the freaking Islanders. Draw some penalties, don't do stupid shit to negate power plays, and don't let these asshats control the play--ever.

Re: GDT #51: 1/25/14 > Blues @ Islanders > 12:00 PM > FSMW/K

Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 2:49 pm
by glen a richter
Well that was some horseshit.

Re: GDT #51: 1/25/14 > Blues @ Islanders > 12:00 PM > FSMW/K

Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 2:53 pm
by glen a richter
Wait what the.... they overturned that? I'll take it. Back to watching the game.

Re: GDT #51: 1/25/14 > Blues @ Islanders > 12:00 PM > FSMW/K

Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 3:00 pm
by glen a richter
Uhm... I'll take the 2 points thanks. Kind of a gift from the refs.

Re: GDT #51: 1/25/14 > Blues @ Islanders > 12:00 PM > FSMW/K

Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 3:58 pm
by cardsfan04
I was fully ready to change the channel when they came out for the OT goal explanation. I have no idea how they think that was a kicking motion. Sure, it hit his skate, but that wasn't kicked in. I'll take the extra point though.

Re: GDT #51: 1/25/14 > Blues @ Islanders > 12:00 PM > FSMW/K

Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 4:15 pm
by glen a richter
I shut the game off immediately after the "goal" and came on the computer to bitch and moan. Then I saw on twitter that it was overturned and I bolted downstairs to turn it back on. From everything I saw, that was about the shittiest no goal call in a very very very long time. To be fair, there were a couple of posts there in the 3rd that it should have never gone to OT, but a post is a post and not a goal and it is what it is. The Islanders played really strong, and I'm going to just hope that the only reason they looked flat for the first 50 minutes was because they were tired from the travel to and from Yale, waking up early in Manhattan and busing to Uniondale in expressway traffic early in the morning.

I am glad I didn't go to the game because I have no doubt some Islanders fans might have jumped me in the parking lot after what transpired there at the end.

Re: GDT #51: 1/25/14 > Blues @ Islanders > 12:00 PM > FSMW/K

Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 4:45 pm
by Oaklandblue
We so did not deserve to win that game, but we did, so no complaints here. Team supported Mandi AND took a win the next day, SO or otherwise. That's what matters.

Shot in the dark here, but it occured to me that since we've been running without the CPR line that we've been back and forth with things. With the CPR line, our only main issue was lack of goal scoring. I haven't sat down and looked at the intangibles (Checks, hits, turnovers, etc.) but I'm starting to think that the lack of this line might be contributing to the hurt. Thoughts?

Re: GDT #51: 1/25/14 > Blues @ Islanders > 12:00 PM > FSMW/K

Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 7:03 pm
by dmiles2186
So in the future, when you are tempted to say, 'We're the Blues! We always get screwed! The NHL hates us!'...Remember that goal being overturned. Because I've watched it and I still think they should have won. I'd absolutely be upset if I was an Islanders fan. Not only does the team cough up a goal in the final 30 seconds, you get absolutely bent over by the war room in Toronto. So seriously, we don't always get screwed. Today is a prime example.

As for the CPR line stuff, that line hasn't been together for much of the season, so I don't think they've contributed to the hurt at all. Unless I'm misunderstanding what you mean by that. But the Blues physicality hasn't really changed either way, in good times and bad. I think the Blues are chasing the game more and that's what's contributed to their issues.

Re: GDT #51: 1/25/14 > Blues @ Islanders > 12:00 PM > FSMW/K

Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 7:17 pm
by Oaklandblue
dmiles2186 wrote:So in the future, when you are tempted to say, 'We're the Blues! We always get screwed! The NHL hates us!'...Remember that goal being overturned. Because I've watched it and I still think they should have won. I'd absolutely be upset if I was an Islanders fan. Not only does the team cough up a goal in the final 30 seconds, you get absolutely bent over by the war room in Toronto. So seriously, we don't always get screwed. Today is a prime example.

As for the CPR line stuff, that line hasn't been together for much of the season, so I don't think they've contributed to the hurt at all. Unless I'm misunderstanding what you mean by that. But the Blues physicality hasn't really changed either way, in good times and bad. I think the Blues are chasing the game more and that's what's contributed to their issues.
I mean, why don't we run that line anymore? I can see running other lines and mixing up players to see what's dynamite, got absolutely no problem with that, but there was just something very durable about CPR that even made me a believer and wondering why we don't run that line again, even if occasionally. I'd rather see them play than Stewart or Bergy or such. Would like to see Derek Roy paired up with better linesmen than them, simply because at least Roy tries, he ain't afraid to shoot and he's not afraid, for a little guy, to get in the middle of the action. 8 Goals, 23 Assists shows that at the very least he plays a team oriented game, at least to me. Maybe Roy - Reaves and Porter/Cole? I don't know, just something I had up my craw. I've grown to like Roy, mainly because he's Roy and not Wah. Pronunciatingly speaking :). I'm biased, what can I say?

Re: GDT #51: 1/25/14 > Blues @ Islanders > 12:00 PM > FSMW/K

Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 7:18 pm
by dmiles2186
Vanek claimed league bias on the overturned call.

http://www.newsday.com/sports/hockey/is ... -1.6878236
"I think it's a terrible call," said Vanek, who appeared to end things on an Islanders power play when the puck went in off his skate. After a review, however, the league officials in Toronto saw a "distinct kicking motion" and overruled the call on the ice.

"I don't know if it's who we are," Vanek continued. "If that's Pittsburgh or a top team, that's maybe a goal. It's just a terrible call. We all know what a kicking motion is."

Re: GDT #51: 1/25/14 > Blues @ Islanders > 12:00 PM > FSMW/K

Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 8:19 pm
by glen a richter
Vanek is right. If it was Pittsburgh the refs would be shuffling the players off the ice asap with not even a review.

Re: GDT #51: 1/25/14 > Blues @ Islanders > 12:00 PM > FSMW/K

Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 11:15 pm
by ViPeRx007
It was a bad call, but it's not like we haven't had our share go against us. Granted, this one was at a more critical point, but still.

We got lucky. Simple as that. Anyone who says that was a kicking motion is a homer. Of course, we were also unlucky as well; 3 posts or whatever it was. It could have easily been 5-2 Blues at the end of regulation and the OT fiasco wouldn't have even transpired. Whatever. The encouraging thing to me about this game is that there were some flashes I saw of the pre-slump Blues in there; moving the puck better, getting more shots on net, etc. Sometimes it's a game of bounces, and this was definitely one of them. We had some go against us, and one big one go for us.

Hopefully they can get some more consistency back because that's the part that's lagging right now. They'll follow up a great play with something stupid.

Anyway, 2 points is 2 points. You take them any way you can. These ones were definitely in gift form though.

Re: GDT #51: 1/25/14 > Blues @ Islanders > 12:00 PM > FSMW/K

Posted: Sun Jan 26, 2014 1:42 am
by sseagle
ViPeRx007 wrote:It was a bad call, but it's not like we haven't had our share go against us. Granted, this one was at a more critical point, but still.

We got lucky. Simple as that. Anyone who says that was a kicking motion is a homer. Of course, we were also unlucky as well; 3 posts or whatever it was. It could have easily been 5-2 Blues at the end of regulation and the OT fiasco wouldn't have even transpired. Whatever. The encouraging thing to me about this game is that there were some flashes I saw of the pre-slump Blues in there; moving the puck better, getting more shots on net, etc. Sometimes it's a game of bounces, and this was definitely one of them. We had some go against us, and one big one go for us.

Hopefully they can get some more consistency back because that's the part that's lagging right now. They'll follow up a great play with something stupid.

Anyway, 2 points is 2 points. You take them any way you can. These ones were definitely in gift form though.

It was a kicking motion, anyone that says it wasn't doesn't have EYES. That puck didn't have the momentum to deflect of the skate in that direction, its simple physics and gee-ometry. But I'm a retard that says (Frank) a lot.. so what would I know?