Blues News

Misplay is the spoiler in Eric Brewer's improvement
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November 7
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Defenseman Eric Brewer has been back in the Blues' lineup for only three games and already he's become a target for some fans. Brewer's handling of a puck that was teetering on the goal line resulted in Calgary's first goal Thursday night, and the Flames went on to win 2-1 over the Blues in overtime. After a shot by Jarome Iginla trickled past Blues goalie Chris Mason, Mason was gloving the puck away from the line when Brewer inadvertently knocked it in. "I didn't see it," Brewer said. "I saw the puck go through (Mason's) pads ... when 'Mase' kind of leaned back, I didn't actually see it. I just took a mad swipe at it, but I didn't know where it was, to be honest with you. But I'm trying ..."
Kipper anchors Flames' triumph
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November 6
Calgary Herald
 
"Lickety-split, Miikka Kiprusoff went from the sick bay to the winner's circle. From feverish . . . to just plain hot. Wednesday in Dallas, he was turning down his start. Thursday in St. Louis, he was shutting down the Blues. With a sensational evening's work, the Calgary Flames' netminder lifted his squad to 2-1 overtime success in National Hockey League action at the Scottrade Center. Jarome Iginla scored first (3:24 into the contest) and Dion Phaneuf scored last (2:50 into overtime), but the story was Kiprusoff. "Oh, I'm all right," croaked the Finn. "Just had a little cold there. It's gone now. I feel good again." Obviously. The day before, the goalkeeper had been too sick to ..."
Trust-win game for backup
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November 6
Calgary Sun
 
"Miikka Kiprusoff was back between the pipes last night. But a game like the one Curtis McElhinney had in Dallas Wednesday stopping 38 shots in a 3-2 OT win is exactly what the Flames brass and fans needed to see. Confidence in him -- and his own confidence on the ice -- had been sagging. "He responded to the challenge," head coach Brent Sutter said a day after the backup made an unexpected start when Kiprusoff came down with a bug in the morning. "I challenged him as a coach. I wanted his level of play up where it needs to be, and yet the team's level of play where it needs to be playing in front of him.""
Rest easy! Kipper's back
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November 6
Calgary Sun
 
"Making his first appearance since undergoing an emergency appendectomy late last month, St. Louis Blues centre T.J. Oshie was determined to make an impact. Starting in goal one night after he was too sick to even sit on the bench as a backup, Flames netminder Miikka Kiprusoff was equally set on keeping the sophomore from making a difference. Kiprusoff got the best of that battle, and Dion Phaneuf got a piece of the young Blues star, banking his overtime winner in off Oshie to give the Flames a 2-1 win. "He was great," Flames captain Jarome Iginla, who opened the scoring just a few minutes into the game, said of Kiprusoff's performance. "We didn't know (if he'd play). Yesterday, he had the ..."
Darryl Sydor signing pays off for St. Louis Blues
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November 6
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"If the Blues had known that defenseman Eric Brewer would be back in the lineup before November, it's questionable whether they would have signed veteran Darryl Sydor. But even with Brewer back sooner than expected, the addition of Sydor has been a blessing, factoring in both his mentoring of the Blues' young defensemen and the ankle injury suffered by Barret Jackman. "Everything happens for a reason," Sydor said. "I'm just thankful to be able to get that opportunity. I just want to be steady." Sydor was a plus 4 in 12 games before Thursday night's meeting with Calgary. With Jackman missing his 10th game, Sydor has played more NHL games in his career (1,256) than the five other defensemen ..."
St. Louis Blues net goal, but still fall
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November 6
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The Blues haven't been beating their opponents lately, but Thursday night they at least managed to end a bad trend. Entering Thursday night without a goal in their last two games, the Blues went into the third period against the Calgary Flames without lighting the lamp. Then finally, Blues rookie Lars Eller, who was making his NHL debut, ended two long droughts when he scored a power-play goal midway through the third period. Eller's goal ended the Blues' scoreless spell at 168 minutes, 7 seconds and also snapped an 0 for 26 power-play drought. But while the tension lifted for a brief moment, the Blues learned that the hard times were hardly over. In overtime, Calgary's Dion Phaneuf ..."
Lars Eller gets the call to spark offense
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November 5
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"With Andy McDonald still feeling the effects of Saturday's collision with the boards, the Blues were in an emergency situation with 11 healthy forwards Wednesday and needed to make a call-up for tonight's game against Calgary. In a bit of a surprise move, the club promoted highly regarded prospect Lars Eller, who is playing his first season in North America and has suited up in only 11 games in Peoria. The Blues say that Eller, who was the 13th overall pick in the 2007 NHL draft, is ready and they expect him to make his debut tonight. It's been a bumpy road to the NHL for Eller, who first suffered a wrist injury, then a shoulder injury and this preseason battled a case of mononucleosis. ..."
St. Louis Blues' Andy McDonald improves, gets back on ice
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November 4
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Andy McDonald skated Tuesday, showing some progress from Saturday's scary crash on the ice, but the Blues still aren't sure whether the veteran center can play Thursday against Calgary. McDonald was injured in the third period of Saturday's 4-0 loss to Florida when he lost his balance and slid hard into the boards, absorbing most of the collision with his face and neck. "He skated this morning, and that was encouraging," Blues coach Andy Murray said. "Today was the first time Andy was back on the ice. He took therapy for a couple of days and got back out there today." McDonald is listed as day to day. Although the Blues aren't sure if McDonald will return by Thursday, forward T.J. Oshie ..."
Blues look to reignite fire from last season
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November 3
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Although his team was jockeying for its own respect at the time, Columbus coach Ken Hitchcock was unabashed when describing what impressed him most about the Blues last season. "They're relentless," Hitchcock said. "They just keep coming after you, coming after you. They just keep playing and playing, and if you don't have the stomach for the fight, they just break you right down." That was in March, as the Blues were in the process of posting the NHL's best record in the second half of the season and completing their bid for a playoff spot. Eight months later, it's doubtful that Hitchcock or any other coach would have that same evaluation of the Blues. They are 5-6-1 overall and 1-5 at ..."
McDonald says he's OK after hitting boards
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November 2
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Andy McDonald was at Scottrade Center briefly Sunday morning but left as the Blues took the ice for practice. Nonetheless, McDonald said he was not seriously injured in his crash into the boards Saturday against Florida. McDonald lost his balance while racing with a Florida defenseman and flew unimpeded into the boards at Scottrade. At the last second, he lifted his head and absorbed most of the impact with his face and neck. Had he hit the wall with his head down, he might have suffered a serious spinal injury. McDonald's status for later in the week will be evaluated each day. But his "upper body injury" recovery will have more to do with stiffness than anything else."
Blues struggle while Johnson and Pietrangelo shine
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November 2
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"These are self-examining, soul-searching times for the St. Louis Blues. A strong finish in 2008-09 and a grand beginning to the present campaign have given way to a 10-game stutter step. Since going to Sweden and sweeping two games against a Stanley Cup finalist from last season - the Detroit Red Wings - a sour Note is 3-6-1 overall and 1-5 in its own building. To make matters worse, the Blues have gone two games in succession without scoring, six straight periods without seeing a red light. With three more off days before the schedule resumes against Calgary at Scottrade Center on Thursday, there will be extensive appraisal of these figures, in the media and in the team's practices. MORE ..."
Oshie remains sidelined after surgery
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November 1
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"With four days off before the Blues play again, forward T.J. Oshie is expected to return to the lineup Thursday when the club faces Calgary at Scottrade Center. Oshie had surgery to remove his appendix following the Blues' 3-1 victory over Minnesota Oct. 23. He played 17 minutes, 33 seconds in the game, after which he complained of being nauseous. "I started feeling it the night before the game," Oshie said. "I didn't notice as much when I was on the ice. I didn't think it affected my play. Going into the hospital, the doctors told me it's probably not appendicitis ... it might be something else. Then they came back with the results and told me I was going into surgery.""
Panthers' Vokoun blanks Blues
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November 1
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"As it turns out, Alex Pietrangelo's goal in the third period of the Blues' loss to Dallas on Oct. 24 was memorable for more reasons than one. It was Pietrangelo's first goal in the NHL, and two home games later, it remains the team's last goal at Scottrade Center. The Blues were shut out for the second straight game Saturday, losing 4-0 to the Florida Panthers, and have now gone 123 minutes, 50 seconds without scoring at home. The team has scored only seven goals in six games at Scottrade Center this season, and one was an empty-netter. The Blues registered a season-high 34 shots against Florida, giving them 66 in their last two games, but again they were kept off the board. "Whatever it ..."
Panthers' Victor Oreskovich caps comeback bid with NHL debut
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November 1
Miami Herald
 
"Defenseman Keaton Ellerby and right wing Victor Oreskovich arrived in St. Louis from Rochester of the American Hockey League in time to join the Florida Panthers. Ellerby was called up just in case Bryan Allen couldn't play because of injury. Oreskovich, on the other hand, was recalled to replace Michal Repik in the lineup. It was the third game in four nights and the second in a back-to-back situation in their schedule for the Panthers and coach Pete DeBoer wanted at least one fresh body in the lineup. ``Have to go light, go to the go-to guys and Vic is bigger and stronger than Rep [Michal Repik],'' said DeBoer. ``He's a great story, getting his shot playing in his first NHL game. I ..."
Offensive surge boosts Florida Panthers to victory
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November 1
Miami Herald
 
"Tomas Vokoun was elated at finally winning his first game since a 4-3 victory over Chicago on opening night in Sweden. But he will always remain true as a friend in shutting out the St. Louis Blues 4-0 for his 32nd career shutout and beating his old Nashville netminding partner Chris Mason. ``I can't think of a better friend to have than Chris Mason,'' Vokoun said after stopping 34 shots to end his 0-7-1 slump. ``We were best of friends in Nashville and still are. We talk often . . . and I know our wives talk ever more often, trying to keep one another up to date with what is having with our families. ``He taught me a lot about battling and fighting to be better in goal. And he pushed me ..."
Panthers top Blues 4-0 for first consecutive wins this season
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November 1
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
 
"The three previous times the Panthers played on back-to-back nights this season, they looked like a tired team in the second game. And it showed in the results — three losses. Saturday was a different story, though. Riding the momentum of an emotional shootout win in Dallas the night before, the Panthers played a strong first period, seizing a two-goal lead on their way to a 4-0 win against the Blues at Scottrade Center. "We were a pretty fragile team going into this weekend," coach Pete DeBoer said. "This was exactly what we needed." With consecutive wins for the first time this season, they flew home Saturday night with renewed optimism and a more respectable record (4-7-1) that, ..."
Blues left shooting blanks
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October 30
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Two areas that were advantages for the Blues last season have proved to be disadvantages in the early part of the 2009-10 season. The Blues built a home-ice advantage at Scottrade Center a year ago, finishing with a record of 23-13-5 in the regular season. They also reached a comfort level on the power play, closing out the season with the eighth-best unit in the NHL. But after 11 games this season, neither the friendly confines nor the extra attacker have been good for the Blues, who saw those trends continue in a 2-0 loss to Phoenix on Thursday. The Blues fell to 1-4 this season at Scottrade Center, where the club's 11-game sellout streak was snapped Thursday with a crowd of 18,087. They ..."
Brewer back in lineup a little early
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October 30
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The progress of Eric Brewer's nerve issue has been so rapid since early September the Blues' defenseman has surprised even those inside the organization. "We were worried," Blues President John Davidson said. "You didn't know if it was going to be another three months, six months, career, whatever ... we just had no idea." The club hinted Monday that Brewer was close to returning, but even with that clue, it was a jolt Thursday when he was inserted into the lineup against Phoenix. After missing 64 regular-season games, he stepped onto the ice 1 minute 40 seconds into Thursday's game and was greeted by applause from the crowd. "I wasn't very nervous," Brewer said. "I've kind of gone over ..."
St. Louis Blues use hot start to finish off Carolina Hurricanes
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October 29
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Six minutes into Wednesday's game at Carolina, the Blues appeared to be in for another physical battle reminiscent of Saturday's game with Dallas. Brad Winchester and Cam Janssen dropped the gloves with a couple of willing Hurricanes, and the tone was set. What ensued was something unexpected, particularly for those who have paid attention to the Blues' first periods this season. They scored three goals in the opening period, and despite being outshot 36-18 in the game, the Blues handled the Hurricanes 5-2 at RBC Center. "They outshot us for the game, and I think it's something that we have to look into, but in the end it's the goals you get, and in the end, it's the win," Blues forward ..."
Blues battling inconsistency, injuries
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October 28
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"When Blues coach Andy Murray listened to comments from Carolina coach Paul Maurice recently, he stopped and thought about the similarities in their teams' situations. The Hurricanes, like the Blues, had a terrific second half in 2008-09 to qualify for the playoffs. That raised expectations in Raleigh, N.C., and St. Louis this summer, but after sluggish starts to the 2009-10 season fan bases in both cities have begun revising those expectations. On Monday, Murray quoted Maurice as saying about the Hurricanes, "We're basically the same team as last year … it's the same guys. It was a battle for us last year, and it's going to be a battle for us this year." "It's the same thing for our guys," ..."
Blues' King goes down swinging
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October 27
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Dwayne "D.J." King is 6 feet 2, 228 pounds and chiseled from Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan rock. If you talk to hockey coaches and scouts, King is one of the league's most intimidating players. According to a website that purports to keep track of such things, King has had a highly successful 27 fights in his NHL career, losing a couple of bouts with Derek "The Boogeyman" Boogard. And let's face it, when you challenge the 6-8, 258-pound Boogard, it's kind of like messin' with Sasquatch. Even with his imposing presence and intimidating reputation, it is also safe to say King has been among the least-feared tough guys in the NHL over the last two seasons. How's that, you might say? Simple. He's ..."
Blues lose D.J. King to injury
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October 26
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"After Blues enforcer D.J. King connected on a blow to the head of Dallas' Krys Barch, ending a one-sided fight Saturday night, King headed quickly to the locker room. "It was a great moment to see him out there doing what he does best ... then I saw the look on his face," fellow Blues enforcer Cam Janssen said. "We looked at each other and then I looked at his hand. It was the worst feeling in world, knowing something was wrong." Several sources have indicated that King has a broken hand and will miss significant time, but the Blues made no announcement Sunday regarding his injury status. Following Saturday's 4-1 loss to the Stars, the Blues said only that King had an upper-body injury. So ..."
Surgery for Oshie
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October 25
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Blues forward T.J. Oshie will miss approximately seven to 10 days after undergoing an appendectomy Saturday morning. Oshie felt nauseous following Friday's 3-1 win over Minnesota, in which he played 17 minutes, 33 seconds. He was taken to Barnes Jewish Hospital, where after a scan, doctors decided on the operation. "I'm just glad he was able to get through the game," Blues President John Davidson said. "It's unfortunate it has to be this time of the year. You always like to see that stuff in the offseason, if you see it. But it's just the way it is." Blues goaltender Chris Mason underwent an emergency appendectomy last October. He was out for about two weeks, missing four games. The Blues ..."
Blues physical tilt against visiting Stars
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October 25
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The Blues admitted that they lost their focus Saturday night after Dallas' Steve Ott leveled defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo in the second period. Fighting a one-goal deficit at the time, the Blues spent more time fighting the Stars the remainder of the game and fell 4-1 at Scottrade Center. There were a total of 26 penalties and 86 penalty minutes in the game, including 20 penalties and 62 penalty minutes that came after Ott's controversial hit on Colaiacovo. "We had energy, we had some legs and we were working," Blues coach Andy Murray said. "We lost our focus in the second period ... didn't stick with our game. The Blues' record dropped to 4-4-1 overall, as they fell back to .500 for the ..."
Stars top Blues
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October 25
Dallas Morning News
 
"The Stars wouldn't have told you this a month ago, but this really was a challenging start to the season. Seven of the first 11 games on the road. Seven games in 11 days in their current stretch.It would have been easy to come up with excuses, like a new system, some new kids in the lineup, or a couple of key injuries.But Dallas came up with a 4-1 statement win over St. Louis on Saturday, and enters its first three-day break of the season with a 5-2-4 record and a franchise-best 4-0-3 start on the road."We're not ordering the championship rings or anything, but yeah, this is what we were hoping to see," said Brad Richards, who had two assists Saturday and has four points since returning ..."
T.J. Oshie undergoes emergency appendectomy
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October 24
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Blues forward T.J. Oshie had an emergency apendectomy this morning and will be out of the lineup indefinitely, a source has told the Post-Dispatch. Oshie went to the hospital Friday night, following the Blues' 3-1 victory over Minnesota at Scottrade Center. He played 17 minutes, 33 seconds in the game."
Zanon, Mason 2 bald peas in a pod
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October 24
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Take a look at side-by-side pictures of St. Louis goalie Chris Mason and Wild defenseman Greg Zanon, and they might as well be brothers. Chrome-headed. Beard. "We could have been separated at birth," Mason said, laughing. They also have another thing in common. They both lunge their bodies in front of high-speed pucks. The difference is Zanon isn't wearing a mask, full chest protector and 34-inch leg pads. "I loved playing behind Zooch in Nashville," Mason said. "People don't notice his skill, but when you're a goalie killing penalties, you see it from certain defensemen. He was the best I've ever seen at clearing pucks and getting pucks down the ice. "He puts his body on the line every ..."
Blues' quick start dazes Wild in latest poor showing on road
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October 24
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
""Outchanced, outshot, outworked, outforechecked ... outeverythinged." Friday morning, that's the way St. Louis Blues coach Andy Murray had described his team's first period during Tuesday's blowout loss in Pittsburgh. And Murray might well have described his Blues' domination of play the same way during the first period of the Blues' 3-1 victory over the Wild on Friday at Scottrade Center. "Nine games into the season, we've got to figure out by now how to be ready when the game starts," frustrated Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom said. "We can't afford to do it every night. The league's full of good teams. We can't give 20 minutes to any team." The Wild, which tied a franchise record by ..."
St. Louis Blues will take cautious path with injuries
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October 24
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The Blues say they'll take a cautious approach with the returns of injured defensemen Barret Jackman and Eric Brewer. Jackman missed his fifth consecutive game Friday night with an ankle sprain, which he suffered Oct. 8 against Atlanta. He has not rejoined the team in practice. "We'll go through the weekend and see how he is," Blues President John Davidson said. "Ankles are ankles, you just don't know. It's the time of the season that if we get him into the lineup too early and he reaggravates it, then you double your time frame." Brewer has not played since last December because of a back and leg injuries. There is no timetable for his return, but the Blues are showing optimism for the ..."
St. Louis Blues bounce back, tame Minnesota Wild
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October 24
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"One of the Blues' best traits last season was putting their last game behind them. They needed to draw on that ability Friday night, three days after an embarrassing loss in Pittsburgh. Led offensively once again by members of the defensive stopper unit, the Blues toppled the Minnesota Wild 3-1 for the team's first victory this season at Scottrade Center. The triumph in front of a sellout crowd came against a Wild team that entered the night with the second-fewest points in the NHL. But after a demoralizing 5-1 defeat Tuesday against the Penguins, the NHL's top team in points, the Blues were glad to finally get the sour taste out of their mouth. "There's those games that you've just got to ..."
St. Louis Blues coach and Minnesotan Andy Murray advises patience as Wild build new team under new coach
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October 24
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"St. Louis Blues coach Andy Murray said he listened with alarm from his Minnesota home over the summer to discussions about the Wild's new attacking offense. It wasn't because Murray was worried about Minnesota unveiling a high-powered offense, either. "I live in Faribault, so I heard all the talk," he said of media reports centering on a more aggressive and up-tempo style for the Wild under new coach Todd Richards. "I said, 'Uh-oh.' " Affable as a puppy when he's not behind the bench, Murray recalled thinking, "This is dangerous." Dangerous, he explained, because it might tempt Minnesota fans to begin salivating over the possibility of five or six goals a game, "and that just doesn't ..."
Minnesota Wild remain winless on the road
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October 24
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"The Wild have two gaping problems: They can't get out of the gate and they can't win on the road. Friday night at the Scottrade Center, fresh off just their second win of the season two nights earlier, the Wild started a bit like a Zamboni with a flat tire, fell behind 1-0 in the first minute and couldn't muster enough of a rally in dropping a 3-1 decision to the St. Louis Blues in front of 19,150. "We were talking about having a good start, and then the first shift, they score a goal," forward Antti Miettinen lamented. "It's not exactly what we were looking for, you know?" Not exactly. Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom said this team needs to shape up. Now. "We're nine games into the ..."
Blues anxiously wait for Boyes to be Boyes
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October 23
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"These are scary times for Brad Boyes. Oh, he's healthy and all, everything is fine, nothing paranormal going on. But Boyes is a goal scorer. In fact, according to NHL statistics over the last two seasons, Boyes is second only to Calgary's Jerome Iginla when it comes to goals by players listed as right wingers. His 76 goals over the past two seasons is the best back-to-back total for a St. Louis goal scorer since Brett Hull scored 85 goals in 1995-96 and 1996-97. In this his third full season with the Blues, Boyes now has gone five games without a goal. His tally in the second game of the Sweden trip remains his only marker. He has yet to score on North American soil in 2009-10. Problem ..."
St. Louis Blues seek answers, find more questions
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October 22
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"While the Pittsburgh Penguins' pasting of the Blues was still drying Tuesday night, an investigation into the cause of the team's horrendous performance already had been launched. Outside the team's locker room, Blues coach Andy Murray was huddled up with strength coach Nelson Ayotte, apparently addressing the physical preparation leading up to the listless 5-1 loss to the Penguins. Upon arrival in St. Louis, the team had a players-only meeting at the airport to search for answers to their 1-3-1 record since opening the season with back-to-back wins over Detroit. And Wednesday, Blues President John Davidson said that management would meet soon to discuss patterns of inconsistency, ..."
No waffling on St. Louis Blues goalie Chris Mason
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October 21
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Blues backup goaltender Ty Conklin was coming off a shutout over Anaheim on Saturday, but coach Andy Murray said there was no doubt which netminder to start against Pittsburgh on Tuesday. Chris Mason was back in net for the Blues, a decision Murray said was made before Conklin's 26-save performance against the Ducks. "Our decision was made before Ty played the game in Anaheim ... no matter what the circumstances were (afterward), Chris Mason was going to play the game here tonight against Pittsburgh," Murray said. "Chris has played really well. We would have no reason not to go back to our No. 1 goaltender at this point. That is how we will proceed in the early part of the season here." ..."
Energy crisis hits St. Louis Blues
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October 21
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The talk in Pittsburgh the past couple of days was that the Penguins, with a record of 7-1 before Tuesday's game against the Blues, were almost boring to watch. It's amazing what winning a Stanley Cup does to expectations. Well, for anyone who thought their start wasn't satisfying enough, the defending champs put on a clinic in Tuesday's 5-1 victory over the Blues, who were overmatched from the outset. Pittsburgh outshot the Blues 43-20, including a whopping 20-3 in the first period, when the Penguins showed they were just getting started. They led 4-0 in the second period before Paul Kariya put the visitors on the scoreboard. Blues coach Andy Murray was as little concerned about the ..."
Sydor returns to the Mellon with the Blues
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October 21
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Former Penguins D Darryl Sydor played in Mellon Arena for the first time since asking GM Ray Shero for a trade last season. Sydor was traded to Dallas for D Phillippe Boucher on Nov. 16, 2008. Boucher helped the Penguins win the Stanley Cup before announcing his retirement. Sydor signed with St. Louis this summer and maintains a good relationship with many Penguins. "I was watching every playoff game," he said. "I was texting the defenseman every night. I knew they could do it." • Sydor was a veteran with the Penguins when many of their defensemen were just breaking into the league. He has been impressed with the progress of D Kris Letang and D Alex Goligoski. It was only a matter of time, ..."
Penguins beat the Blues
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October 21
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"The streaking Penguins rolled past the St. Louis Blues, 5-1, tonight at Mellon Arena. They took over the top spot in the NHL standings with 16 points, have won six games in a row and, at 8-1, have tied a club record for the most wins in October. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury boosted his record to 8-0, the first time he has won that many games in a row. The Penguins thoroughly dominated the first period, outshooting St. Louis, 20-3, and taking a 2-0 lead. Tyler Kennedy opened the scoring at 11:19 with a slap shot from the right circle that beat Blues goaltender Chris Mason to the far side. At that point, the Penguins held a 10-1 edge in shots. Evgeni Malkin made it 2-0 at 10:26 with a ..."
Sydor fills familiar role for Blues
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October 21
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"For much of the summer, Darryl Sydor was unsigned. Then, St. Louis called. The veteran defenseman, who began last season with the Penguins, got a training camp tryout with the Blues, then signed with them and has played regularly, including their game last night against the Penguins at Mellon Arena. "I just tried to come in and do what I do, take my experience that I had here in Pittsburgh with a younger team, being an older guy," Sydor said. "Now, it's a similar situation in St. Louis. "There are some adjustments to new systems. Obviously, I didn't adjust well when I came to Pittsburgh with the system. It's been good so far here. The organization has been a class act. It's just good to ..."
Penguins beat Blues but lose Gonchar
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October 21
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"This is not as easy as the Penguins made it look last night. It could not be. If it were, they would finish the season 81-1, and that is not going to happen. No way. Hard to imagine them doing any better than 80-1-1. Maybe even 79-3, if they go into a prolonged slump at some point. That does not seem like an imminent threat, however, because the Penguins' 5-1 victory against St. Louis at Mellon Arena was their sixth in a row and pushed their record to a league-best 8-1. "It looks easy, but we worked really hard," defenseman Kris Letang said. "We worked smart. It's not only about working hard. It's about being smart on the ice, being in good position." And being in the other team's zone as ..."
McKee is a good fit with the Penguins
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October 20
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Jay McKee took a few days to comprehend the Blues' decision last June to buy out the remaining year on his contract, then put his focus on finding a new home. Nashville and Chicago showed interest in McKee, but then Pittsburgh got involved in talks with the veteran defenseman. McKee thought the Penguins would be a good fit, but he had no control over their decision. "I wanted go to a winning organization and you can't really look too much farther than the defending (Stanley Cup) champs," McKee said. "I could want to come here as bad as I wanted to, but I needed them to want what I brought, and they did. I'm very fortunate for that." McKee signed a one-year, $800,000 contract with the ..."
Blues' young players strut their stuff in win
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October 19
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The correlation between the Blues breaking out in Saturday's 5-0 victory over Anaheim and the breakout of the club's younger players was unmistakable. T.J. Oshie scored a goal and had an assist, Patrik Berglund netted a goal, Erik Johnson had three assists, and although David Perron didn't have any points, he showed more spark. "When you see our young guys play with determination like that ... Oshie, Bergy, Erik and Perron ... that was good," Blues President John Davidson said. "That has got to be there consistently." Veteran Andy McDonald scored two goals in the Blues' win over the Ducks, but afterward, he was taking note of the club's 20-something nucleus. "They seemed to have their ..."
Blues notebook: Jackman won't be back Tuesday
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October 19
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Defenseman Barret Jackman was holding out hope that he could join the Blues at the end of their three-game trip, but he won't be back when the trip wraps up Tuesday night in Pittsburgh. Jackman was placed on the injured-reserve list after suffering a sprained ankle in the Blues' 4-2 loss to Atlanta on Oct. 8 and has yet to resume skating. "I'm going to wait until the guys get back Wednesday and see how it feels," Jackman said. "I've been doing rehab and cardio every day, but I just want to keep it out (of the skate) for now. Some days it's sore after rehab, but it's getting better." MORE BLUES TICKETS: Go here and find games under "upcoming events" SOUND OFF: Blues Talk forum BLUES BLOG: ..."
Ducks' loss something to jeer
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October 18
L.A. Daily News
 
"They still cheer a little for Andy McDonald in Honda Center, no matter what jersey he's wearing. So most of the boos Saturday were reserved for the St. Louis Blues' Paul Kariya and the hometown Ducks. Not that the 14,902 in attendance were especially happy to see McDonald, a former Duck, score twice in the Blues' 5-0 victory. But with the men in black giving so few reasons to cheer - they were booed off the ice after the final two periods - who could blame them? By the time the third period rolled around, the Ducks were looking mighty frustrated. Mike Brown got into a fight long after a whistle blew. Corey Perry drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. "We need to be a team that comes out ..."
Goaltending has been strong
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October 18
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"One Blues player who hadn't been guilty of sleeping when the puck dropped this season was goaltender Chris Mason. If not for Mason, the club might have found itself buried quickly in a few games. "That's my job," Mason said. "Maybe the team gets off to a slow start, but hopefully I can keep them in the game until they get their feet under them. You need your goalie to make the save ... it's the difference between getting points or getting no points." Hoping for a good start Saturday and to pick up a couple of points against the Anaheim Ducks, the Blues weren't able to rely on Mason's early-game focus. The team turned to backup Ty Conklin against the Ducks, giving Conklin only his second ..."
Blues blank Ducks
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October 18
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"If after Saturday's 5-0 victory Blues coach Andy Murray had any "coachable moments," as he often calls player's mistakes, he was being extra picky. The Blues played as sound a game against the Anaheim Ducks as they've delivered in a long time and no doubt turned in their best performance of the young 2009-10 season. Forwards cycled the puck and took plenty of shots, defensemen cleared the zone with crisp passing and the goaltending was impeccable. The result Saturday was the Blues' first shutout of the season, snapping a three-game losing streak that was beginning to raise concerns for a team that opened the schedule with back-to-back wins over Detroit. Former Anaheim Duck Andy McDonald ..."
Andy McDonald nets 2 goals in 5-0 win over Ducks
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October 18
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
 
"Andy McDonald had two goals and an assist, and the St. Louis Blues ended a three-game losing streak with a 5-0 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday night. Ty Conklin made 26 saves to earn his first shutout of the season and the 11th of his NHL career. After consecutive wins over Detroit in Sweden two weeks ago, the Blues had lost three straight back in North America, going 0-10 on the power play. St. Louis quickly reversed the trend against the Ducks. Patrick Berglund and Carlo Colaiacovo scored man-advantage goals for a 2-0 lead early in the second period. McDonald scored two even-strength goals and T.J. Oshie added one. Brad Boyes and Erik Johnson each had two assists."
Blues have the talent, but can they sustain the effort?
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October 17
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 columnist Jeff Gordon
"The Blues took a step Thursday night. It was a small step, for sure, but progress nonetheless. They got a point at Phoenix, reaching overtime against the Coyotes before losing on Ed Jovanovski's goal. This was not the desired result, of course, but every point matters in the frantic Western Conference race this season. Andy Murray's team looked like its old self through the middle portion of the game. The Blues pressed the action and stayed after the puck. They earned a forecheck goal when Coyotes defenseman Keith Yandle got careless with the puck coming around his net. Paul Kariya took a swipe at it and connected, stunning both Yandle and Phoenix goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov. "We talked ..."
Blues adjust after injury to Alex Steen
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October 17
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The significance of Alex Steen's long-term injury will run deeper for the Blues than losing a third- or fourth-line forward. Steen, who is expected to miss six to eight weeks after fracturing his right wrist Thursday in a 3-2 overtime loss in Phoenix, was among the Blues' best players early in the season. He was one-third of the team's most successful line thus far - the defensive stopper unit, with Jay McClement and B.J. Crombeen - and he played in the Blues' top penalty-killing pair. "He's going to be missed, that's for sure," McClement said. "I know he's pretty frustrated with the injury. I guess we'll have to fill the hole until he gets back." The Blues have decided against calling up ..."
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