St. Louis Blues News

Blues down, but not out, in their battle for final playoff spot
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March 18
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
 
"As the post-game media conference ended Tuesday night, Blues Coach Davis Payne was asked how he will keep his team motivated in the face of great odds against earning a playoff berth. "Not difficult in that regard," Payne responded matter-of-factly. "Lots of fight and lots of time left in our hockey club." The response echoed similar sentiments from the Blues players after they threw everything but the Zamboni at the Colorado Avalanche and backup goalie Peter Budaj, yet still managed to lose the game, 5-3. It was a cruel fate for the Blues who dominated play in the second and third periods, but could not overcome three goal posts and a blown "no goal" call by referee Dan O'Rourke on a ..."
Blues players say playoff hopes are still alive
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March 18
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"In the latter stages of the 2005-06 season, the talk among fans centered on potentially having the No. 1 overall draft pick. As the '06-07 season wound down, the emergence of Lee Stempniak gave the club's faithful something to look forward to the following season. And as '07-08 closed, the discovery of Brad Boyes, the arrival of rookies Erik Johnson and David Perron, and the promise of more young talent were the focus. The buzz, of course, last March and April was the Blues' playoff push. And that was the case again this year until Tuesday, when the Blues lost 5-3 to Colorado, remaining seven points out the playoffs with only 13 games remaining. In many eyes, the Blues' fate has been ..."
Blues appear to have stalled
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March 18
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 columnist Bernie Miklasz
"The 2009-2010 St. Louis Blues have continued their tradition of being the Chicago Cubs of hockey. The Blues are a tease who usually find a way to break their fans' hearts. They aren't close to winning the league championship. And waiting for next year — hoping that it will be better than the last — is a way of life. After losing consecutive games to Minnesota and Colorado, the Blues are on the road for games at the New York Rangers and the New Jersey Devils. They'd fallen into a crevice in the Western Conference standings, trailing eighth-place Detroit by seven points and seventh-place Nashville by 10 points with only 13 games remaining. The math is bleak. Last season the Blues put on a ..."
Blues lose to Colorado again, lose more ground in playoff hunt
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March 17
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
 
"It was a game the Blues absolutely needed to win in order to stay in the playoff hunt. Trouble was, they were playing the Colorado Avalanche, who have owned them this season. The Avalanche completed a four-game sweep of St. Louis as white-hot winger Peter Mueller scored a pair of goals and set up another in a 5-3 victory before another sellout crowd of 19,150 at Scottrade Center Tuesday night. The Blues deserved a better fate as they dominated play in the second and third periods, outshooting the Avalanche 30-14 in the final 40 minutes. Missed opportunities were the rule, however, as the Blues hit three goal posts, had a goal disallowed and missed a wide open net on another chance. With ..."
Berglund re-discovers his confidence
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March 17
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
 
"Patrik Berglund is feeling as good this second half of the season as he did the first half of last season. As a rookie center in 2008-09, the 6-foot-4 Berglund got off to a great start and scored 14 of his 21 goals in the first 41 games. In the second half, he scored seven goals, but went for long stretches – 10 games and 11 games – without a goal. This year has been a reversal of fortune for Berglund. He started slowly this year and was banished to the press box as a healthy scratch on several occasions under Coach Andy Murray during the first 41 games. On Jan. 2, the Blues parted ways with Murray and brought in Davis Payne to run the show. Since that time, Berglund has re-discovered his ..."
St. Louis Blues' David Backes earns an 'A'
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March 17
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Blues forward Keith Tkachuk has played 19 full seasons in the NHL, and he has the contusions to prove it. This season, at times, has been especially trying. Tkachuk lost four teeth when he was hit by a slap shot in January. More recently, he required surgery on a finger when he was hit with another shot. But while those developments were painful, the transfer of the "A" from his sweater to the one worn by David Backes is not the least bit uncomfortable. "It's fine, it's good," Tkachuk said. "You don't need a letter to be a leader, to embrace the things and do things you need to do to. I'm at the end of my career and David is an elite player on this team at this point. When you have done ..."
Blues' hopes take another big hit from Colorado
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March 17
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"If the Blues don't ride another magic carpet into the playoffs this spring, they will need to look no further for reasons than their season series with the Colorado Avalanche. With a number of their closest Western Conference rivals winning, the scrambling Note could ill afford not to keep pace. Instead, Colorado applied more Kryptonite, defeating the Blues 5-3 on Tuesday at Scottrade Center. The Avs finished off a four-game sweep of the season itinerary, collecting all eight points and dealing a crushing blow to the Blues' postseason aspirations. With 13 games to play, the Blues are still at the plate, but it seems like the bottom of the ninth, two outs and nobody on. "A lot of things ..."
Blues looking forward to first home game in more than a month
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March 16
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
 
"In most scenarios, getting eight of a possible 12 points on a road trip would be considered quite a success in the National Hockey League. The Blues aren't in the middle of such a scenario, however. Perfection is the goal as the Blues attempt to stage another stretch-run miracle. Losing to the Minnesota Wild 4-2 Sunday night left a sour taste in the mouths of the team. Fourteen games remain and veteran forward Keith Tkachuk said now is the time for the Blues to go on a final tear. "We have to go on a serious run, there's no question about it," he said, admitting that the team can't help but watch the scoreboard around the NHL. They were doing just that Monday night as the Detroit Red Wings ..."
Blues face an uphill battle
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March 16
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"With 14 games remaining on the regular schedule, there is an ever-present big picture for the Blues. The big picture will be there daily until one of two things happen — a playoff berth is secured, or tee times are made. But when the Blues step on the ice at Scottrade Center at 7 tonight, making their first appearance at home since a victory over Washington on Feb. 13, there will be a picture in a picture. On the opposite side of the ice there will be the Colorado Avalanche. "For whatever reason, we're struggling against them," said Blues forward Keith Tkachuk. "Obviously, they've played well against us. They've scored lots of goals, they've got a lot of great young players, and they're ..."
Hesitant power play plays key as St. Louis Blues fall
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March 15
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Sunday could have been a profitable day for the Blues in the Western Conference standings. With some help, the Blues could have pulled to within four points of No. 7 Nashville and three points of No. 8 Detroit. But in a game that ended before the Blues' began, Nashville edged Los Angeles, adding more distance in the standings. In the end, the Blues failed to help themselves. Wrapping up a six-game trip with their third game in four nights, the Blues lost 4-2 to Minnesota. Although their energy and execution was better Sunday than it had been recently, the Blues suffered some self-inflicted wounds. Despite outshooting the Wild 38-20, they went one for six on power plays, passing up many ..."
Scuffle highlights first period of Blues' loss
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March 15
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The Blues' D.J. King and Minnesota's Derek Boogaard didn't waste time obliging fans who anticipated a heavyweight scrap in Sunday's game. Just 3 minutes, 58 seconds into the first period, after a hit by Minnesota's John Scott on Blues defenseman Mike Weaver, King and Boogaard squared off near center ice. The bout covered nearly one-third of the rink, ending up behind the Wild net. Boogaard landed the most punches, but it was King who bloodied Boogaard with a right-handed blow. The Wild enforcer, who apparently suffered a broken nose, didn't return to the game. "I'm not too sure what happened (to Boogaard)," King said. "Going into the fight, he's such a big guy, I just wanted to throw as ..."
Proposal pleases Pleau
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March 14
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The NHL is about to get more serious on shots to the head. Last week, the league's general managers met in Florida and emerged with a rule proposal that will penalize blind-side hits to the head. Blues general manager Larry Pleau was pleased with the progress made on the issue, which has gained wide interest this season with a couple of headline cases, including a shot by Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke on Boston's Marc Savard, who is out indefinitely with a concussion. "I think this was a positive move (by the GMs)," Pleau said. "These last couple of hits, nobody wants that to happen in our game, even though it's a legal hit. There's a lot more back pressure in our game. It's a lot different than ..."
Blues grab a win on the road in Columbus
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March 14
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"On paper, Andy McDonald is right. "I feel like we're playing probably the best hockey we've played all year," McDonald said. The Blues won for the seventh time in their last eight games Saturday, knocking off the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-1 at Nationwide Arena. The victory pulled the Blues to within five points of a playoff spot in the Western Conference. But the Blues didn't pick up their first shot until 10 minutes into the action and disrupted their play with more penalties in the offensive zone, so there is drastic room for improvement. On Saturday, the offense used some sharp-shooting to pull away from the Blue Jackets, breaking the game open with second-period goals by McDonald, David ..."
Blues are just too fast and strong for the Blue Jackets
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March 14
Columbus Dispatch
 
"The writing of this entry is initiated at the start of the third period because, by this juncture, the die is cast. The St. Louis Blues are just too fast and strong for the Blue Jackets on this night. What is more, the Blues are firing lasers at Steve Mason, and the Jackets stopped getting shots – of any kind – in the first period. Things started well enough for the home team. The Jackets had a couple of early power plays and they moved the puck around, bip-bip-bip, to generate a few solid chances. Even the Dorsett-Brassard-Mayorov unit looked pretty good with the man advantage. But by the end of the first period, the momentum had begun to shift. T.J. Oshie was stoned on a redirection ..."
Blues hope they can finally find some success in Columbus
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March 13
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
 
"If the St. Louis Blues fail to make the playoffs, their struggles against the Columbus Blue Jackets could be part of the reason why. The Blues try for their second win in five attempts this season against the Blue Jackets when the teams meet Saturday night at Nationwide Arena. St. Louis (31-26-9) is trying to move back into playoff contention in the Western Conference but is currently six points behind the eighth and final spot. However, the Blues have played well recently, winning six of seven, including a 2-1 shootout victory over the Islanders on Thursday, improving them to 3-1-0 on this six-game road trip. St. Louis is 19-10-4 on the road, its most away wins since earning 27 in the ..."
Alex Steen has become one of Blues most valuable players
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March 13
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
 
"Quietly, Alex Steen continues his methodical contribution to this season's Blues hockey club. The guy described as a "depth player" after he was acquired in a trade with Toronto early last season has emerged as someone far more valuable. In fact, if individual teams were to hand out their own Hart Trophy to the most valuable player, Steen would be a serious candidate for such an honor this season. Methodically, Steen has earned marquee status even though he is often an afterthought, a guy who lives in the shadows of prolific scorers such as Brad Boyes or future Hall of Famers like Keith Tkachuk. He doesn't carry the star power of Paul Kariya, who has built a wonderful career as one of the ..."
Blues are in almost the same spot they were last season
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March 13
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"As the Blues prepare for game No. 67 of their season tonight, the team is in the same neighborhood in the Western Conference standings as it was a year ago. In 2009, the Blues were in 12th place in the West with 68 points; before Friday's games, they were in 10th place in the conference with 71 points. Like last season, only a few points separate them from the eighth and final playoff spot at this point. The difference is the neighbors. A year ago, the club was battling Columbus, Anaheim, Minnesota and Nashville for the final playoff berth. Turn to this season, and it is staring down Calgary and Detroit - two perennial postseason contenders - along with Nashville. The Red Wings have been ..."
Matchup: St. Louis Blues at Columbus Blue Jackets
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March 13
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"BLUES PREVIEW - The Blues have won six of their last nine road games and are 3-1 on their current six-game trip. The team, however, is just 3-7 on its past 10 trips to Columbus. BLUE JACKETS PREVIEW - After making the playoffs for the first time in club history last year, Columbus is playing spoiler down the stretch this season. The Blue Jackets are coming off a 2-1 win over Atlanta. WHAT TO WATCH - The Blues' Patrik Berglund takes a career-high, six-game point streak into tonight's contest. He netted his 11th goal of the season Thursday and has three goals and three assists in his past six games."
Nash, Huselius Out Vs. St. Louis
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March 13
Columbus Dispatch
 
"The Blue Jackets will be without two-thirds of their No. 1 line on Saturday when they play the St. Louis Blues. Right winger Rick Nash will miss his third straight game with a lower body injury, while left winger Kristian Huselius will sit because of an upper body ailment. Huselius returned Thursday after a two-game absence, but apparently aggravated the injury."
Oshie gets attention with his new style
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March 12
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The Blues' T.J. Oshie has 20 points in his last 23 games, but that's not why he's getting attention around the locker room. The curls from a perm Oshie got over the Olympic break are still noticeable when he takes off his helmet. "I thought it was part of a rookie initiation two years later," Blues broadcaster Kelly Chase said. "My mom used to do that to my hair and I used to cry." Oshie's teammates haven't been any more kind to the second-year forward. "They've been on me for a while now," Oshie said. "I don't remember who it was, but I had someone ask me if I felt I was getting old, so I cut my hair to look like I'm 17 again." Oshie, 23, scored the first of two Blues goals in Thursday's ..."
Blues edge Islanders
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March 12
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Considering the circumstances, the Blues' performance Thursday against the New York Islanders wasn't what they had in mind. The club is involved in a tight playoff race, and a sloppy start, a number of failed opportunities on the power play and a costly penalty in overtime won't close the gap on most nights. But considering the circumstances, the Blues were elated with a 2-1 shootout win over the Islanders at Nassau Coliseum. That's because after a four-day layoff, the team was able to overcome a below-par night and pick up a much-needed victory. "We found a way," said Blues forward Brad Boyes, who along with T.J. Oshie gave the team a 2-0 decision in the shootout. "It was an Eastern ..."
New York Islanders fall to St. Louis Blues
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March 12
New York Daily News
 
"NOW THAT THEY are a season-high 11 points removed from the playoff cutoff in the Eastern Conference, the Islanders appear headed toward their third straight spring without reaching the postseason. If Garth Snow had his way, however, that would not be the case in future years. The Islanders' general manager acknowledged making a proposal at the GM meetings earlier this week in Boca Raton in which teams that finish between eighth and 15th in each conference would play what amounts to a single-elimination "play-in" tournament to qualify for the playoffs as the No.8 seed. "It would be seven games total, and the winner would play three extra games to get the eighth seed in the playoffs," Snow ..."
Blues use time off working to correct defensive breakdowns
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March 11
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
 
"Four days without a game in the stretch run might be viewed as a godsend for most National Hockey League teams. And while the Blues made the most of this unusual break in the schedule, they spent the time wisely, concentrating on correcting the miscues that plagued them in their last game. Saturday night's 7-3 loss to nemesis Colorado on the road temporarily derailed the streaking Blues, who were riding the crest of a five-game winning streak that thrust them back into the thick of the Western Conference playoff race. Rather than dwell on the specifics, the Blues chose to focus on getting back to the structure that made them successful in the stretch immediately before and after the Winter ..."
Blues get favorable matchups on the road
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March 11
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"s the Blues resume their playoff push tonight, seated 11th in the Western Conference with 69 points, they couldn't ask for much more to be in their favor. First of all, they're back on the road, which is where they've played their best collective hockey this season. Secondly, the club's next three opponents are at the bottom of their respective standings. And meanwhile, the team is coming off four days rest. There are no excuses for the Blues, who enter tonight's game against the New York Islanders six points behind Calgary for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. "These are important games," Blues forward Alex Steen said. "We know what we have to do. It's up to us in the room ..."
Blues' Doug Armstrong ready to assume new role
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March 10
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"When Canada's Sidney Crosby scored the game-winning goal in a 3-2 overtime win over the United States at last month's Olympics, Blues director of pro personnel Doug Armstrong felt 16 months of pressure lift off his shoulders. Armstrong was an associate director for Canada's gold medal-winning team. He acted as a right-hand man to general manager Steve Yzerman and was directly involved in the selection of the country's 23-man roster, a process that began in 2008. The Olympic tournament took many twists for the Canadians, who were the favorites in Vancouver, but "when we saw Sidney celebrating, and the puck was in the net, all of the emotions just flowed out," Armstrong said. "It capped off ..."
Blues try to look past loss
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March 9
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Judging by the noise at the Blues' practice Monday, few would have known the team was manhandled 7-3 by the Colorado Avalanche two nights earlier. The voices are on the ice were loud, and whenever there was a competition drill, Paul Kariya was in everyone's face, either high-fiving teammates or rubbing the results in their face. "He's probably the biggest cheater on the team, that's for sure," Blues goaltender Chris Mason said. "He cheats at every drill he does and he definitely taunts the other team a lot." The Blues hadn't forgotten about Saturday's disappointing performance, in which a season-high seven goals against snapped their season-best five-game winning streak. They addressed it ..."
St. Louis Blues' Boyes shows signs of breaking slump
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March 8
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"It is a well-known adage in sports that sometimes the best deals are the ones not made. Perhaps the Blues are in the process of validating the concept. A few days ago, as the NHL trading deadline approached, the Blues made shoppers know they were willing to part with marksman Brad Boyes. The situation was somewhat ambiguous. If there was one asset the Blues were seeking in a trade, it was scoring help. That said, under the right circumstance, they were willing to deal the player who has been their top goal scorer the past three seasons. In the richly rewarding world of professional sports, you're only as desirable as your last evaluation period. A contract considered a bargain turns into a ..."
Avs rout Blues 7-3, tie for Northwest lead
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March 7
InDenverTimes.com
 
"Led by Chris Stewart's hat trick and two goals from Milan Hejduk the Colorado Avalanche routed the St. Louis Blues 7-3 Saturday night in Denver. The victory ended the Blues five game winning streak and moved the Avalanche back into a tie with Vancouver for the lead in the Northwest Division. David Perron gave St. Louis the lead at the 8:35 mark of the first period when he tipped a shot from Eric Brewer past Avs goalie Craig Anderson. That lead would last all of 11 seconds. The Avs controlled the face-off after the St. Louis goal and moved the puck into the Blues zone, where Peter Mueller hit a streaking Milan Hejduk with a pass that Hejduk shot past St, Louis goalie Chris Mason at 8:46 to ..."
Mason struggles again in Denver as Avalanche bury Blues
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March 7
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
 
"It's safe to say Chris Mason will never become an employee of the Denver Chamber of Commerce. The Blues goaltender had another short evening at the Pepsi Center on Saturday, absorbing an onslaught that sent him to the bench for his second straight appearance in Colorado as the Avalanche rudely snapped the Blues' five-game win streak with a commanding 7-3 victory. The loss at least temporarily snuffed out the good vibes surrounding a Blues team that entered Saturday on a major roll. But the St. Louis players know they have plenty of time to make another late-season run to the playoffs. Not, though, if their defense plays as it did on Saturday night. "You definitely have to give (Colorado) ..."
Winning streak ends for the Blues
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March 7
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"As he said a few days ago, Blues coach Davis Payne knew his team was not going to come back from the Olympic break and run the table. His intuition was right; the table tipped Saturday night at the Pepsi Center. Despite a brief lead, the Blues were overwhelmed 7-3 by the Colorado Avalanche and remain three points removed from the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Blues entered the game with 18 road wins, matching their take for all of last season. "It's a game we have to bury and move on," said Blues goalie Chris Mason. "We haven't got outworked a lot lately, but we definitely did tonight. We knew these guys were a hard-working team; they've been that way all ..."
Stewart's hat trick helps Avs rout Blues
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March 7
Denver Post
 
"Every season in the NHL, there are matchups of similarly decent teams that turn out to be lopsided. In this instance, much of it can be tied to the inexplicably subpar play of St. Louis goalie Chris Mason whenever he has seen Colorado burgundy and blue, and the Avalanche routed the Blues on Saturday night for the third consecutive time this season. Winger Chris Stewart continued his remarkable turnaround since his brief revisit to the American Hockey League early in the season, getting a hat trick and an assist and increasing his team-leading goal total to 24 as the Avalanche won 7-3 at the Pepsi Center. The hats came flying out of the seats when Stewart, awarded a penalty shot after ..."
Mason's goaltending helps fuel Blues' rise
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March 6
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The fireworks have been spectacular. The Blues lit up the American Airlines Center on Thursday night with six goals against the Dallas Stars, six even-strength goals at that. That six-pack came after the team gave Phoenix a high-five in a 5-2 victory two nights earlier. The scoring onslaught has produced five consecutive games in which the team has scored four or more goals, the longest such streak since the 1992 season. Oh, and by the way, the Blues have used the ordnance to string together a five-game winning streak, their longest stretch of victories since December of 2003. "We're getting balanced scoring from each line, everyone contributing," said T.J. Oshie, who has scored goals in ..."
Matchup: St. Louis Blues vs. Colorado Avalanche
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March 6
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"BLUES PREVIEW: They have scored four or more goals in each game of their five-game winning streak. They have 23 goals during that stretch. AVALANCHE PREVIEW: The Avalanche power play has heated up. Colorado has four power-play goals in two games with John-Michael Liles and Peter Mueller manning the points. The team went three for 37 with the man advantage in the previous 11 games. WHAT TO WATCH: Colorado has owned the Blues this season, beating them by a combined score of 9-2 in two previous games. But Blues goalie Chris Mason has been hot, with a .948 save percentage and 1.79 goals-against average over his last five games."
Blues rout Dallas Stars
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March 5
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"It's not often in this NHL race to the finish that the rewards of a particular night are so clear. With two of their playoff-berth competitors losing in regulation on Wednesday, facing an opponent immediately ahead in the standings, the carrot in front of the Blues was obvious Thursday night at American Airlines Center. And they snatched it with authority, defeating the Dallas Stars 6-1 for their season-high fifth victory in succession. The Blues (30-25-9; 69 points) catapulted past the Stars (68) and moved within a point of idle Detroit (70) for the eighth and final playoff slot in the Western Conference. Are last season's second-half specialists on another run? Perhaps, but for Davis ..."
Blues offense generates recent surge
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March 5
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"There are a number of reasons the Blues are scratching and clawing for their playoff life this season, not the least of which is the parity in the NHL. But certainly a sluggish offense has often been prominent in governing the Blues' fortunes. St. Louis has been among the lowest-scoring teams in the NHL for most of season, but not recently. After a 6-1 victory Thursday night at American Airlines Center, the Blues are riding a stretch of five games in which they have four or more goals to their credit. While two of those games included the decisive shootout "goal," it still represents the team's longest such stretch since 1992, when they had eight straight games of four or more goals. Not ..."
Blues decide against big trades with playoff spot in reach
Comment
March 4
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
 
"The fact that the Blues have won four consecutive games and appear to be making a serious run at a berth in the Stanley Cup playoffs played a big role in their lack of activity leading up to Wednesday's National Hockey League trade deadline. On Tuesday night the Blues dealt minor league right wing prospect Aaron Palushaj to the Montreal Canadiens for forward Matt D'Agostini. Then on Wednesday, the club traded veteran forward Yan Stastny to the Vancouver Canucks for Pierre-Cedric Labrie. The deals came after Tuesday night's impressive 5-2 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes, which started a six-game road swing and moved them (prior to Wednesday night's games) to within three points of the ..."
Deadline passes as Blues stand pat
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March 4
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"It worked last season, so the Blues tried it again. The club was quiet at the NHL trade deadline for the second year in a row Wednesday, making a minor-league deal with Vancouver as it swapped St. Louisan Yan Stastny for forward Pierre-Cedric Labrie. The only addition to the Blues' NHL roster during this year's trading frenzy came in a late-night deal Tuesday, when they acquired forward Matt D'Agostini for minor-league prospect Aaron Palushaj. So, tonight, when the Blues face the Dallas Stars, they will do so with essentially the same lineup. A similar decision at last year's deadline paid off for the Blues. After a trade that would have sent Keith Tkachuk and David Perron to Boston fell ..."
D'Agostini joins Blues after 'whirlwind' day
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March 4
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The life of a professional hockey player is not always so glamorous. Take Matt D'Agostini, for example. He was in a hotel bed in Boston at midnight Tuesday, minding his own business, still soaking in a 4-1 victory for his Montreal Canadiens over the host Bruins, when the phone rang and turned his life upside down. The 23-year-old winger answered the call and got news he had been traded from Montreal to the St. Louis Blues. There is a first time for everything, including a first time to be traded for the Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, native. "It's been a whirlwind," said D'Agostini, whose name is pronounced Day-guh-steenie. "I found out at midnight last night, and I didn't know what to think ..."
Blues send Yan Stastny to Canucks
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March 3
TSN.ca
 
"Yan Stastny is on the move as the Vancouver Canucks have acquired him from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for minor-league forward Pierre-Cedric Labrie. The 27-year old Stastny has played only four games this season with the Blues, picking up one goal."
Blues trade prospect Palushaj to Montreal for Mike D'Agostini
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March 3
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
 
"The Blues Tuesday nhight traded one of their top prospects, Aaron Palushaj, to the Montreal Canadians for forward Matt D'Agostini. Team President John Davidson announced the deal following the Blues' 5-2 victory at Phoenx, their fourth straight win. D'Agostini, 23, has played in 40 games this season with Montreal, recording four points on two goals and two assists to go along with 26 penalty minutes. Last season, the 6-foot, 198-pound forward appeared in 53 games for the Canadiens collecting 12 goals and nine assists for 21 points and 16 penalty minutes."
For St. Louis Blues, no deal is imminent
Comment
March 3
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Things were mostly quiet on the Western (Conference) front Tuesday, at least where the Blues and the NHL trading deadline were concerned. "There's nothing imminent," Blues President John Davidson said late Tuesday afternoon. The Blues did announce a minor deal after Tuesday night's game. They picked up forward Matt D'Agostini from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Aaron Palushaj. D'Agostini, 23, has two goals and two assists in 40 games this season with Montreal. He had 12 goals and nine assists in 53 games last season. Palushaj, a 20-year-old forward, had been playing with the Peoria Rivermen. The Blues have showed signs of a bigger deal in the works with the trading deadline ..."
Blues get back to winning
Comment
March 3
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"In professional football, where the regular season is but 16 games long, each game holds significant value. At this point, the NHL season has been reduced to an NFL scale. For the Blues, the condensed schedule contains 19 more dates, each holding the same kind of exaggerated value. Winners of three straight before the Olympics, the Blues began the critical stretch of post-Olympic play with a hardy 5-2 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes on Tuesday at Jobing.com Arena. The victory moved the Blues (29-25-9) to within three points of the idle Detroit Red Wings for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference standings. They were in a similar spot last season, when they finished ..."
Blues acquire RW Matt D'Agostini from Montreal
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March 3
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The Blues will have at least one new player on the roster Thursday night in Dallas. Late Tuesday night, on the eve of the NHL trading deadline, they acquired right winger Matt D'Agostini from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Peoria Rivermen forward Aaron Palushaj. D'Agostini, 23, will report to the Blues for their game Thursday. I'm told he would need waivers to report to Peoria, and the Blues won't risk losing him in that process. NHL rosters can now be expanded above the usual 23-player limit. D'Agostini was drafted in the sixth round (190th overall) in the 2005 NHL draft. He has played in 94 career games with the Canadiens, including 40 this season. He recently missed 13 games ..."
Mason, Blues believe team can repeat sprint to the playoffs
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March 2
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
 
"Let's see…where were we? When the NHL went on its Olympic break a little more than two weeks ago, the Blues were in the process of starting another dazzling stretch run in an effort to secure one of the coveted eight Western Conference playoff spots. The Blues reeled off consecutive victories over Detroit, Toronto and Washington and were just four points out of the eighth and final playoff spot. "We did it last year…who says we can't do it again?" asked defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo, referring to the team's second-half dash that earned them the sixth-best record in the conference and a playoff spot. "We have the same exact guys in the room," he said. "If anything, we've added better players. ..."
Blues hit a tough stretch of road
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March 2
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"For Eric Brewer, it was a few days with his family in Florida. For Mike Weaver, it was a trip to Mexico. For Cam Janssen, it was a boat in the Bahamas. For B.J. Crombeen, some time in New York. For all but three of the Blues — Olympic team members Roman Polak, David Backes and Erik Johnson — the past two weeks were a vacation oasis in what is normally a most demanding stretch of the NHL's 82-game season. But the Olympics and the siesta are over, and what lies ahead is daunting. The Blues, in 12th place in the Western Conference standings, reboot their postseason drive when they face the Coyotes at 8 tonight in Phoenix. The game is the first of six consecutive away games for a team ..."
Blackhawks acquire Toivonen, Richmond
Comment
March 1
Sportsnet.ca
 
"The Chicago Blackhawks have acquired goaltender Hannu Toivonen and defenseman Danny Richmond from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for goaltender Joe Fallon and have assigned both players to the American Hockey League's Rockford IceHogs. "Hannu and Danny will add great depth to our Rockford team and will have an immediate impact on their roster," Blackhawks General Manager Stan Bowman said. "I am happy with this move because it bolsters what is already a strong IceHogs lineup." Toivonen, 25, has notched an 11-11-3 record with a 2.73 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage in 26 games with the AHL's Peoria Rivermen this season. The Kalvola, Finland, native has appeared in 61 career ..."
Colaiacovo hopes trade deadline is much ado about nothing
Comment
February 28
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
 
"Carlo Colaiacovo was cool, calm and collected after Friday's practice. This despite the fact that his name has been mentioned in trade rumors just days before the March 3 National Hockey League trade deadline. The Blues defenseman is one of three players - veterans Paul Kariya and Keith Tkachuk being the other two - who have been mentioned as possible players on the move in recent weeks. Not because of their play, mind you, but because all three will be unrestricted free agents at the end of this season. If the three aren't traded or re-signed by the Blues by July 1, they will be free to negotiate with any other team. Scratch Tkachuk off the list - he underwent surgery Friday to repair a ..."
Keith Tkachuk will be absent when Blues resume play on Tuesday
Comment
February 27
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
 
"The Blues learned Thursday they would be without Cam Janssen when the NHL season resumes Tuesday night, and Friday they found out Keith Tkachuk also will be sidelined for several days. Tkachuk underwent surgery Friday on the little finger on his left hand. Tkachuk, who had not played in the Blues' last three games before the Olympic break because of the injury, is expected to miss about 10 days, said team president John Davidson. The surgery was performed by Dr. Charles Goldfarb at Barnes Jewish Hospital. Janssen was suspended by the NHL for five games for a hard hit on Washington's Matt Bradley on Feb. 13. His suspension will begin on Tuesday when the Blues play at Phoenix, and he will ..."
St. Louis Blues raise prices for season tickets
Comment
February 27
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The Blues announced a price increase for 2010-11 season tickets Friday. The rate of the increase depends on whether season-ticket holders "iced their price" this season by renewing before the deadline last April. For those who did, and therefore didn't have a price increase this season, the average jump will be 14 percent. For those who didn't renew by last April, and paid a 10 percent increase this season, the average hike is 4 percent. "I think it's important that there was no increase last year, which was the right thing to do then," Blues Enterprises CEO Peter McLoughlin said. "Now the pricing for them will be consistent with the new buyers ... It's an extremely good value. The ..."
Scouting chief Jarmo Kekalainen roots for Blues
Comment
February 26
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"When the Blues' Erik Johnson and David Backes are on the ice for today's Olympic semifinal between the U.S. and Finland, they will not be wondering what is being said about them on television. But afterwards, don't be surprised if the two track down a copy of the game from the Finnish station YLE. The color commentator tonight will be Jarmo Kekalainen, who is the Blues' director of amateur scouting and drafted both Johnson and Backes. "We'll have to get the transcript from what he's saying about us," Backes joked Thursday, as the Americans prepared for their semifinal matchup, which begins at 2 p.m. (St. Louis time). The U.S. advanced with a 2-0 victory over Switzerland Wednesday, and ..."