Season series: Rookie Robby Fabbri's first NHL goal was the game-winner in the third period lifting the St. Louis Blues to a 3-1 victory against the Edmonton Oilers in the season opener for each team on Oct. 8. Vladimir Tarasenko and newcomer Troy Brouwer also scored for St. Louis, which has defeated Edmonton seven straight times and 12 of the past 13.
Blues team scope: Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk left a 4-3 victory at the Calgary Flames on Tuesday with a lower-body injury and probably will not play against the Oilers, according to coach Ken Hitchcock. Shattenkirk took a wrist shot with 4:45 remaining in the second period and immediately left the ice, headed for the locker room and did not return. The Blues held an optional practice in Calgary on Wednesday and Shattenkirk was not among the skaters. The Blues have four games left on a season-long six-game trip and recalled defenseman Chris Butler from Chicago of the American Hockey League. Robert Bortuzzo would play should Shattenkirk not be able to go. St. Louis placed Fabbri on injured-reserve after he sustained a concussion last Saturday against the Minnesota Wild. Goalie Brian Elliott, who made 15 saves against Calgary, will start Thursday. He made 23 saves in the season opener.
Oilers team scope: Edmonton plays its home opener after a three-game trip against Central Division foes to begin the season. The Oilers had the day off Wednesday. Rookie Connor McDavid, the first pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, scored his first NHL goal in a 4-2 loss against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday. Forward Taylor Hall played despite missing the morning skate feeling sick. His status will be updated at the morning skate. After backup Anders Nilsson made 48 saves Tuesday, Edmonton is likely to go back to Cam Talbot against the Blues. He made 28 saves in the loss at St. Louis in the opener.
A second early season matchup with the St. Louis Blues likely won't solve the Edmonton Oilers' woes.
The Oilers return home and will go for their first win Thursday night against a Blues team they've seen little success against recently.
Edmonton (0-3-0) didn't salvage a point from a three-game road trip to begin the season, which included a 3-1 loss in the opener at St. Louis. The Blues (2-1-0) used third-period goals from Robby Fabbri and Troy Brouwer to notch a seventh consecutive win in the series.
The Oilers were outscored 30-11 in those seven games and earned just one point from an overtime loss in November. The struggles stretch back further as Edmonton is 3-17-1 against St. Louis since Dec. 21, 2009.
Points have been hard to come by so far this season too, as the Oilers have been outscored 9-3 while going 1 for 9 on the power play.
"I think our team will score. I really do," coach Todd McLellan told the club's official website. "Once we get a little more rhythm and execution on the power play, get a sense of where we need to be and what we're trying to accomplish, we'll have more opportunities there to score."
Edmonton's 18-year-old center Connor McDavid got his feet wet with his first NHL goal during Tuesday's 4-2 loss at Dallas. He registered his first point of the season by redirecting Andrej Sekera's shot midway through the second period to knot the score at 2.
''Connor getting his goal was a nice reward,'' McLellan said. ''I know that he's been squeezing the stick tight and I'm sure that he's felt some pressure to score.''
Colton Parayko had twice the fun Tuesday, scoring his first two NHL goals in St. Louis' 4-3 win at Calgary. The defenseman has logged 54 minutes, 18 seconds of ice time so far for coach Ken Hitchcock.
''He's got poise with the puck and for a big man, he's got foot-speed,'' Hitchcock said. ''He has great composure and he's getting better every day.''
While one youngster excelled on the ice, another might not see it again for some time for St. Louis. Hitchcock announced Monday that the 20-year-old Fabbri has been diagnosed with a concussion from an elbow he took to the head during Saturday's 3-2 loss to Minnesota.
Fabbri played three more shifts at center after the concussion but left in the first period and did not return. Hitchcock gave no timeline for his return.
"We're going to miss Robby," Hitchcock told the team's official website. "We're going to miss his spunk, but (Scottie Upshall and Scott Gomez) will be excellent replacements."
Upshall scored against Calgary, while Gomez has yet to play this season.
The Blues will look to add to their nine-goal total against the goaltender they beat in the opener. Cam Talbot took the loss after allowing two goals while stopping 28 shots.
Jake Allen will make his second start this season and fourth of his career against the Oilers. Allen suffered the loss against Minnesota, surrendering three goals while making 16 saves. He is 2-1-0 against Edmonton despite a .789 save percentage.
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Goalie Brian Elliott, who made 15 saves against Calgary, will start Thursday. He made 23 saves in the season opener.
Jake Allen will make his second start this season and fourth of his career against the Oilers. Allen suffered the loss against Minnesota, surrendering three goals while making 16 saves. He is 2-1-0 against Edmonton despite a .789 save percentage.
Hmmm.....
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Goalie Brian Elliott, who made 15 saves against Calgary, will start Thursday. He made 23 saves in the season opener.
Jake Allen will make his second start this season and fourth of his career against the Oilers. Allen suffered the loss against Minnesota, surrendering three goals while making 16 saves. He is 2-1-0 against Edmonton despite a .789 save percentage.
Hmmm.....
Maybe they'll take take turns, kinda like they do in warmups?
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Goalie Brian Elliott, who made 15 saves against Calgary, will start Thursday. He made 23 saves in the season opener.
Jake Allen will make his second start this season and fourth of his career against the Oilers. Allen suffered the loss against Minnesota, surrendering three goals while making 16 saves. He is 2-1-0 against Edmonton despite a .789 save percentage.
Hmmm.....
Maybe they'll take take turns, kinda like they do in warmups?
If they end up taking turns, that would mean there was an injury or we're witnessing a collosal meltdown of the defense. Neither is a palatable option.
So it's Jake Elliott or Brian Allen in goal tonight if there is a colossal meltdown.
I'm betting Jake Allen starts, because, yes, Ells beat Calgary and didn't really stand a chance on the goals allowed, but they didn't win the game due to Els play in net. So, it's Allen's turn. I'm fine with them rotating until one of them actually plays a standout game and earns more playing time, vice just playing and getting wins.
They will get opportunities to stand on their head against odd-man breaks they are not expected to stop. IMO, if/when one of them starts doing that, the other guy sits until the one doing it falters.
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One of the complaints last season, which if memory serves me was from Oshie which is probably why he's in Washington now, was the complete level of confusion and information overload presented by Hitch. Part of confusion, unrelated to information overload, is confusion over who your #1 goalie is. I don't care who you are, a team needs a #1 goalie and a #2 goalie. Not a 1A/1B. This has been a problem with the Blues for quite a while now. Having a definitive #1 goalie is part and parcel to being a successful team and they need to just pick one and stick with them good or bad. This rotation stuff is getting ridiculous. I hope the next coach realizes this and just decides on one to ride with. Hitch, evidently, will never do that. Especially if a guy like Allen, a young guy still getting his feet wet, gets lit up for 6 or 7 goals against a lousy opponent, you don't bench him the next game, you throw him back in there and tell him A) you trust him and B) he needs to trust himself to get right back in the groove. Allen seems to have major confidence issues and having 1A/1B is doing nothing to fix that.
Parayko makes a great play knocking his man into the boards and stealing the puck and making a clearing pass. He looks very poised, as usual, in front of his friends and family, in Alberta.
The Blues are lucky to be tied 1-1 at the end of The 1st, as The Oilers are playing fire alarm hockey, and holding their own.
We see how much not having Shattenkirk in the lineup hurts, not only by removing his offence, but by having Bortuzzo in on a regular shift. Actually Bort has played fairly well for him. But, his relative immobility and relative slowness in reactions and reading plays hurts his whole shift forcing more than one teammate to cover more ground.
How did The Oilers not score in that sequence??? Great block by Gunnar, several great saves by Elliott. Great scrumming by the defence. A minor miracle kept it tied!
