By LOU KORAC
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Troy Brouwer remembers the drive down Constitutional Ave. to get to Verizon Center on gamedays. They tended to be scenic and quite therapeutic.
The former Washington Capital, who spend four seasons in the nation's capital, will make quite the different drive today, and enter the building making sure he doesn't take a wrong turn towards the home team's locker room.
"I used to drive down Constitution (Ave.) to get to the game," Brouwer said. "I don't think we will from the hotel, but just seeing the landmarks, seeing things that I saw every day that I saw for four years during the season, it brings back good memories."
Brouwer makes his long-awaited visit to Washington as a member of the Blues, nearly nine months after the trade that sent the right wing along with goalie prospect Pheonix Copley and a third-round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft for right wing T.J. Oshie.
The Blues (44-22-9) visit the Capitals (53-15-5) for the first meeting of the season; the teams play the rematch in St. Louis on April 9, and according to coach Barry Trotz, Oshie's reunion with his former teammates will have to wait until then because he will miss a second straight game with the flu.
The trade at the time sent shock waves around the NHL, and it was one that those around the organization expected after a third straight first-round ouster from the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Blues were destined to make an impact change or more, but it was unknown at the time who would be the player or players sent packing.
Oshie, the Blues' first-round pick in 2005, was deemed expendable.
At the time, Blues general manager called said it's not often that a pure "hockey trade" is consummated anymore, but in this case, these were players that had thrived in the systems they were in, but they were players that perhaps offered different elements that the trading team needed.
The Blues felt they needed Brouwer's grit, playoff experience and penchant for scoring at crucial times, and the Capitals wanted Oshie's energy and skill to add to an already potent offense.
Oshie's 23 goals and 22 assists in 72 games show slightly better offensive numbers, but Brouwer, who has 15 goals and 18 assists in 75 games, has played his best hockey down the stretch at the right time. Exactly what the Blues were hoping for.
It shows the trade has worked out for both teams.
"I do, I really do. I know my production's down a little bit from previous years, but it goes to being in a more defensive conference, being on a team that's a little bit more focused on structure," Brouwer said. "A few things like that, but I feel all-in-all, I've had a great contribution to the team so far this year. Hopefully still a lot more contribution yet to go, but on the other side, I still pay attention to what Washington does and Oshie's having a good year over there as well. Sometimes trades don't always work out both ways, but I feel this trade's worked out on both sides ... so far at least."
Captain David Backes agreed.
"I'm not the NHL insider that's going to break that down for you, but 'Brouw' does bring some different elements than 'Osh' and 'Osh' does bring some different elements than 'Brouw' but both teams are so far in good positions; you just get into the playoffs and you got a chance and we've got to make the next steps," Backes said. "'Brouw's been a guy that's won a Cup before, he's been deep other times and he'll bring that intelligence to our group and hopefully help boost our chances of continuing to move on.
"He's a big body that has a great shot and he's able to create a lot of offense. I think him and Paul (Stastny) are starting to click really well with 'Fabs' ability to be all over the ice, make plays and finish as well. It's another asset we can use. He's great in the room and fit right in. No question that he's going to be playing his best hockey right now."
Brouwer played four seasons with Washington and had 83 goals and 69 assists in 293 regular season games, including career-highs in points (43) in each of the past two seasons; he scored a career-high 25 goals in 2013-14.
"Right when you get traded, one of the first things you when the schedule comes out is see when you're going to be playing your old teams and for me, Chicago, we play them so often, I didn't really have to look at that one, but Washington, I was a little disappointed that we play them so late in the season," Brouwer said. "It's going to be fun, it's going to be exciting. I know always tough going back and playing your old teams. I haven't done it with Washington yet, so the first time's going to be weird playing against that jersey that I played for for four years, and being in that building on the different side of the crowd, but to go in and see those guys again, wish them well going into the playoffs, but it's going to be a tough game against two really good hockey teams."
Oshie spent the first seven seasons of his NHL career wearing the Bluenote, where he had 110 goals and 200 assists in 443 regular season games. But the emotions of the trade have long wore off and the potential first matchup -- which may not happen tonight because Oshie had the flu Friday and his status won't be known until late this afternoon -- may not have the kind of feelings he may have had if the game was earlier in the year.
"You know right away, I think there's a lot of emotions flying, you know feeling like you maybe didn't accomplish what you wanted to accomplish in St. Louis and they got rid of you kind of thing," Oshie said. "Now that the dust has settled a little bit, it will definitely be emotional, but not as emotional if we would have played right away.
"... If it was up to me, I'd be playing. This is the time of year, I think the docs are shutting me down so everybody else doesn't get sick. So I mean, if there's a way, I will find it."
Oshie had great ties to St. Louis. His daughter Lyla was born in St. Louis, and he had built not only his hockey career but personal life to the point that took up roughly 25 percent of his life.
But he went from being a player that held more defensive responsibilities under coach Ken Hitchcock to a more open, offensive style that has seen him score a career-high 23 goals in 72 games playing with the likes of Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetzov and Nicklas Backstrom.
"I'm still kind of working (skill) back into my game a little bit," Oshie said. "I think just from the years of trying to be defensive-minded that I kind of got that out of my game, I got the creativity out of my game a little bit. Here, that came back a little. It's opened up, they let me play a little bit ... with being responsible at the same time. I think before I had a hard finding that happy medium. Obviously playing with some of the players here, with the skill and talent they have, it's worked out pretty well so far."
"(In St. Louis), there's still definitely an accountability factor. But at the same time, the time and place, there is a time that we can make a play and try to score a goal. I think it's maybe always been like that ... it's just maybe I didn't understand the message as well and just couldn't find that happy medium. Especially lately, I've started to find that a little bit more, where maybe 'Hitch' was trying to tell me not to pass and I just couldn't find the medium where it was either all offense or all defense. I think I've found that a little bit more, maybe that comes with some maturity, as I am getting older."
Some would say Brouwer's slight dip in numbers coming from the Capitals may be an indication of having to be more defensively-responsible under Hitchcock, but that's not the case.
"I would say maybe from their previous years, when (Barry) Trotz took over, he implemented a lot more structure in their systems," Brouwer said of the Capitals. "I think it took a year. We were a good hockey team last year, but they're even a better hockey team this year. That structure's gone a long way towards keeping their goals against down. I think they're in the top three in goals-against, but for us to have that structure, we like to play with that structure. That's how we control games and they're a little more free-wheeling. They're one of the highest offensive teams, if not the highest offensive teams. We've got to try and control that and contain that somehow and try and just ... not slow-play them to death, but we've got to find a way to make the game our game and not the way they want to play it."
There's still a good part of Oshie that regrets not being able to help the Blues move deeper into the postseason.
"I think we had teams that had very good chances to take it deep," Oshie said. 'I don't know, I think some of it is we just underperformed. Some of it maybe the wrong game plan. I don't think there's one thing, I don't think you can (point) to one thing and say this was definitely the reason that we didn't make it past the first round or beat L.A. in the second round. I think it was kind of a collection of things. So, I hope they can get out of that soon. I think the players there definitely deserve to go deeper, hopefully not too deep though."
So with Oshie out tonight, he will get the chance for an even more emotional return on April 9 in St. Louis, where fans still love him.
"I hope I'll be in that game," Oshie said. "Hopefully this will be my little break and I can play in the end."
"... I want to play them both times. You want to kind of go and show them what they traded away, what they're missing out (on). I think that's just the mentality of anybody that goes back and plays their old team. ... I think there's a little of that, a little feeling that you want to go and prove that maybe you could have stayed and helped the team, or maybe you weren't the problem. It's no hard feelings or anything like that ... it's just, I think, human nature maybe. I just want to go in there and play well."
Brouwer was a popular player in Washington who certainly will have some emotions when he steps on the ice.
"It's still great memories that I had there, unbelievable franchise," Brouwer said. "I thank them for everything they've done for me and my family and my career. Going back there, it'll be a special day to see the old guys again. I know we play them again in a couple weeks, but it would have been nice to be able to have a day off before so I can go have some dinner with a couple of the guys and see the girls, the kids and have a little bit more time there but that's how it goes. I'll enjoy the time that I have there and it's going to be fun for me; it's going to be special for me and my family."
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Blues players geared up for the chance to face Oshie, a popular player and close friend to many. It will have to wait.
Close friend Jaden Schwartz said when the trade went down, it hit the players hard.
"I was pretty shocked," Schwartz said. "It was tough to see him go. I was actually in Minnesota at the time. It just shocked me for a few minutes to think such a good teammate, such a good friend would be gone. Lucky for us, we got 'Brouws.' He's a great teammate as well and a big part of our team. He's really helped us out, and that's nice, but when you haven't been as successful as you want to be, everybody knows that this is kind of a business. ... Changes happen at some point, but it was tough for sure. It's win-win for both. That team's doing great over there and we're having a terrific year as well.
"I haven't thought about (the potential matchup) too much yet, but it'll be weird. For me as a young guy coming in, he was such a good teammate, a really really nice guy and always positive. He was kind of guy who was always smiling and a good locker room guy. We obviously miss him, but he's having a terrific year over there. For those two-and-a-half, three hours though, we'll have to treat him a little bit differently but definitely before and after the game, it'll be nice to catch up with him. ... He was a good role model for me to watch."
Said Backes, who played many games on the same line with Oshie: "He's been a good friend, a good linemate, but we'll say pleasantries before and after. But during the game, I've played him before. There's going to be no holds barred and it will be a full-on competition between him and everyone in this room. It's not him against us, it's our team and our squad binding together against his team and what they're doing."
Goalie Jake Allen, who gets the start tonight, said he's looking forward to the chance, should he see an old friend. That chance won't come tonight.
"It'll be fun," Allen said. "It's always fun with that friendly rivalry, but I'm sure he's going to be gunning for us as hard as we are for him. It'll be a good test. He's having a great year and it'll be fun.
"You always like playing against the best. I think Washington is the only team I haven't played against in the league. It'll be a good test (tonight). A familiar face with 'Osh,' it'll be fun too."
Even though they're not teammates anymore, Oshie, like Brouwer, still pays attention to what the Blues are doing.
"Yeah, we keep in touch a little bit," Oshie said. "I talk to 'Berg Dog' quite a bit, 'Schwartzy' here and there, along with 'Shatty.' I'm sure there will be a lot more in the summer."
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Allen gets the net tonight for the first time since losing two straight in Alberta against Calgary and Edmonton, where he allowed nine goals on 43 shots. Prior to that, he played in the 10 straight games that Brian Elliott missed due to a knee injury, winning six in a row at one point.
"I've felt my practices the last week have been great," Allen said. "Get a little bit of rest. Haven't faced them yet this year. Best team in the league all year, so it's going to be a challenge and I'm looking forward to it.
"Definitely the rest is nice to get some quality practice time, which I didn't have a whole lot before this last week. I feel good back out there now and ready to go tomorrow."
Hitchcock said both Brian Elliott and Allen would get "important games" down the stretch.
Elliott didn't even make the trip to Washington for tonight's game and Anders Nilsson will be the backup.
"I think we've both played enough this year," Allen said. "It's not like one guy's played 70 games and the other guy's played 10. I think both over the 40-game mark, which is rare in a season. But to get in the net again, to get a few more games in before playoffs and see where it goes from there, it's going to be good for me. Get back on my feet and feel the game speed again will be nice."
Elliott, coming off three straight shutouts, including a 15-save performance Friday in a 4-0 win against Vancouver, sees the rationale in both guys getting games.
"You want that work to stay sharp and get ready for the big games," Elliott said. "We're all putting that pressure on ourselves to perform and not kind of take a back seat when you do clinch a playoff spot. That's sometimes the hardest part, letting your foot off the gas, but I think we've learned a lesson and we've got to keep it on."
And to go against the Capitals, who have 111 points and the best record in the league, Allen said: "You've got to be on your toes, you've got to be aware of every scenario around you and understand what's going on, know there's so many dangerous threats. You can't take your foot off the gas. ... It's going to be a good measuring stick for us. It's late in the year. It's so weird that we haven't played them yet but we play them twice in the last few games. It'll be a good test for us to see where we're at. We're proud of the group, proud of what we've accomplished so far. We have a few games to polish it off and it'll be a good test for the playoffs."
Added Backes: "They've been playing really well, best team in the league probably right now. We've got to have our 'A' game on the second of a back-to-back with some travel. I think they play the night before as well, so it's going to be a testament of wills. Whoever's got more gas in the tank, plays a harder 60 minutes, sticks to their game will have success and it will be a great contest."
Transitioning from a game like the one against the Canucks to the one against the Capitals will be a great challenge.
"You better be ready to go," Hitchcock said. "Better be ready to go right off the hop. There's no shifts off, there's no breathing room, they're on your ass, we're going to be on their ass so we'll see where we go. It's going to be good."
- - -
When the puck drops tonight, the Blues will know if they have a chance to jump into solo possession of first place for the first time since Oct. 19.
The Blues and Dallas, tied atop the Central Division with 97 points, play San Jose today at 3 p.m. (CT), and depending on that score, the Blues could move atop alone. A Stars win would require the Blues to keep pace, but as long as the teams are tied in points, Dallas has the tie-breaker edge right now based on regulation or overtime wins (ROW's) at 42-39.
"To me, it's just day to day," Hitchcock said. "There's a lot of hockey to get played, and ... we'll wake up (this) morning and we've got the two top teams in the league go at it (tonight). That's a helluva hockey game that we're going to have to play (tonight) to win in that building. So that's the focus and then the focus is ... we're going to get one desperate team on Tuesday against Colorado. There's lots of games to play before then. I think there's lots of things that we've got to get done. This is just Check One of four or five things. We've worked all the way to get to the top of the heap now. I don't want to see us give this up and I don't think the players do either."
- - -
Hitchcock spoke pregame and said defenseman Carl Gunnarsson, who sustained a lower-body injury in the win against Vancouver, will not play tonight. Petteri Lindbohm will slot into the lineup.
"It's going to put three young guys back there and they're going to get great experience from playing in this atmosphere and against this team," Hitchcock said. "It's going to be a real good test and it's going to be a good school exercise for a lot of young guys today."
The Blues' projected lineup (defensive pairs will be updated after pregame warmups):
Jaden Schwartz-Jori Lehtera-Vladimir Tarasenko
Robby Fabbri-Paul Stastny-Troy Brouwer
Dmitrij Jaskin-Patrik Berglund-David Backes
Scottie Upshall-Kyle Brodziak-Ryan Reaves
Kevin Shattenkirk-Alex Pietrangelo
Joel Edmundson-Colton Parayko
Petteri Lindbohm-Robert Bortuzzo
Jake Allen will start in goal. Anders Nilsson will be the backup.
Healthy scratches include Magnus Paajarvi and Brian Elliott. Alexander Steen (upper body) and Steve Ott (hamstrings) are on injured reserve. Jay Bouwmeester (upper body) and Carl Gunnarsson (lower body) are day-to-day.
- - -
The Capitals' projected lineup:
Alex Ovechkin-Nicklas Backstrom-Justin Williams
Marcus Johansson-Evgeny Kuznetsov-Andre Burakovsky
Jason Chimera-Jay Beagle-Tom Wilson
Stanislav Galiev-Mike Richards-Daniel Winnik
Karl Alzner-Matt Niskanen
Dmitry Orlov-Brooks Orpik
Nate Schmidt-John Carlson
Philipp Grubauer will start after Braden Holtby played Friday night in New Jersey.
Healthy scratches include Michael Latta, Mike Weber and Taylor Chorney. Former Blue T.J. Oshie (flu) will not play tonight.
Saturday, March 26, 2016
Friday, March 25, 2016
Blues clinch playoff spot with 4-0 shutout of Canucks
Elliott earns third straight shutout; team ties
Dallas in standings for first in Central Division
ST. LOUIS -- The Blues learned their lesson last week, and Brian Elliott just continues to teach lessons.
The Blues learned from a pair of losses against teams playing out the string last week with a playoff spot on the line, and Elliott simply continues to fire up goose eggs.
The Blues became the fourth team from the Western Conference to clinch a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 4-0 blanking of the Vancouver Canucks on Friday before 19,580 at Scottrade Center.
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| (St. Louis Blues photo)
Blues goalie Brian Elliott makes one of 15 saves in a 4-0 win against the
Canucks on Friday. Elliott has three straight shutouts.
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Elliott, who missed 10 games with a knee injury, has come back with three straight shutouts for the third time in his career, which matches a franchise record also shared with Greg Millen.
Elliott made 15 saves and his shutout streak reached 180:00. He also had three straight shutouts from April 7-11, 2013 and March 22-27, 2012. It’s a franchise record he shares with Greg Millen, who had three straight shutouts from Dec. 1-6, 1989.
Elliott is 9-0-1 in the past 11 games he's started with a 1.61 goals-against average and .950 save percentage.
"We talked about it before the game; you work so hard during the season to lock that up," Elliott said. "These last few games, we've definitely done a great job of playing our style of hockey. We want to be playing going into the playoffs and to solidify it tonight in front of our home fans, it puts icing on the cake. We've still got work to do and it's just a first step in a mountain climb here."
Said center Kyle Brodziak, who scored his second shorthanded goal of the season: "We had a couple not-so-good games in Alberta last week against teams that were out of the playoffs. It's kind of a different animal when you're playing against teams like that. A lot of times, they play with nothing to lose, and I thought tonight, we did a good job weathering it and controlling the play and were able to come out with a lead."
The Blues (44-22-9) tied the Dallas Stars with 97 points in the race for first place in the Central Division; the Stars own the tiebreaker because they have 42 regulation and overtime wins to 39 for the Blues. Each team has seven games remaining; the Blues play at the league-leading Washington Capitals on Saturday.
"Yeah, this one feels different. This one was up for grabs," Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said of the playoff spot. "This was a real challenge. It was a challenge where, I think without an experienced coaching staff, this could have gone off the rails. You see it with other teams, it went off the rails. But I think our experience knowing that two goals or even at times one goal has to get you points, and the way to manage the game and manage players that way really helped. Because we got points in games where we didn't score. We got points in games where we weren't the best team, but we had frustrated the opposition, and I think that's experience. That's what I'm proud of. I'm proud of the players and I'm really proud of the coaching staff. We managed a very difficult time with a lot of players missing in a very direct and I think concise way and I think it got us points when other teams it didn't get them.
"... The thing that stood out for me is that we got better and better as it went on. We were loose in the D-zone in the first period and then everything tightened up. As the game went on, we got more and more engaged in both zones. We were really competing in the offensive zone for 60 minutes, but we weren't doing what we do really well in our zone, which have really changed and have done a good job of a little while now. We went back to some of the strategies we had before and the guys really adapted and we got better and better as it went on."
The Blues joined the Stars, Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks in clinched playoff berths.
Rookie defenseman Joel Edmundson had his first NHL goal, and Brodziak, Robby Fabbri and Carl Gunnarsson scored for the Blues, who have won three in a row and nine of 11. Paul Stastny had two assists and has 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in eight games. Troy Brouwer also had two assists.
The Canucks (27-34-13) lost their seventh straight game (0-6-1); they've been shut out in four of their past five. Jacob Markstrom made 33 saves.
Brodziak scored his second shorthanded goal of the season to give the Blues a 1-0 lead. He started an odd-man rush with Scottie Upshall when he deflected a Linden Vey pass; Upshall broke out of the zone, carried down the left side and fed Brodziak in the crease for an easy redirection past Markstrom at 10:51 of the first period.
"Open net, and sometimes those are a little easier to miss than you would think," Brodziak said. "He read the play perfectly right from the d-zone and took off. As soon as the d-man let me go backdoor, he found me perfectly and it was just a tap-in goal."
Fabbri's 11th point (four goals, seven assists) in 11 games was his 18th goal and came after linemates Stastny and Brouwer made quick passes, with Stastny feeding Fabbri in the left circle. Fabbri beat Markstrom with a quick wrist shot at 15:25 for a 2-0 lead.
Gunnarsson scored his first goal since Feb. 20 on a slap shot from the point with Brouwer setting a screen in front of Markstrom at 15:32 of the second period to make it 3-0. The Blues had been buzzing around the Vancouver net and nearly scored moments before Gunnarsson's goal when Markstrom made a right pad save on defenseman Robert Bortuzzo's backhand shot.
Elliott, who also shut out the Canucks in Vancouver on Saturday in his first game back after the injury, made breakaway saves in the first period on Jannik Hansen and Chris Higgins to keep his streak alive. Elliott denied Daniel Sedin on a shot from the slot in the second period after a lengthy shift in the Blues' zone.
Edmundson made it 4-0 at 12:15 of the third period after Vladimir Tarasenko laid a big shoulder hit on Canucks defenseman Nikita Tryamkin, then made a backhand pass to Edmundson, whose slap shot beat Markstrom.
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| (St. Louis Blues photo)
Blues defenseman Robert Bortuzzo (41) cuts to the net to get a backhand
shot on Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom on Friday.
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"I blacked out after I scored," Edmundson said. "It was a special moment for me and my family and I'm pretty happy about it.
"I heard all the boys were jumping over the boards so I knew they were pretty happy for me."
Now that the Blues have locked up a playoff spot, they have their sights set on winning the division and gaining as high a seed on the Western Conference as they can.
"It's been that way all year," said Elliott, who leads the League with a 1.95 GAA and .934 save percentage. "At the start, [the Stars] were kind of out of reach and we've slowly kind of climbed back. That's where we want to be, at the top of the mountain in the regular season and take it in the playoffs."
(3-25-16) Canucks-Blues Gameday Lineup
By LOU KORAC
ST. LOUIS -- It's a simple formula for the Blues: win and they're in.
A victory in any fashion against the Vancouver Canucks today (7 p.m.; FS-MW, KMOX 1120-AM) clinches a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the Blues. A victory also pulls the Blues into a tie for first in the Central Division with the Dallas Stars at 97 points.
With the amount of injuries the Blues have endured throughout the season, to be in the position they're in is gratifying.
"We've been down this path and we have to keep trending our game in the right direction," captain David Backes said. "We'll use these last eight games to get to playoff tempo and playoff compete level. ... We've got plenty of tough games ahead of us that'll prepare us.
"We've definitely hit adversity, we've had injury issues, we've had stretches where we haven't played very well; our goaltenders, which have been the backbone of our team, each injured at different times and we've come out of it with our heads above water and we're starting to get a bunch of healthy bodies back now. That being said, we really haven't accomplished anything. We can't think we've done something. We've made the playoffs, OK check one one the list and then to get to No. 2, and that's the first round and figure out who we're playing, when we're playing and Game 1 and start focusing on that."
To have the chance to clinch in front of the home fans is something to be said, according to coach Ken Hitchcock. But the Blues are coming off a lengthy five-game, 11-day trip, and the first home game back can always be tricky.
"I think being at home, it's important," Hitchcock said. "The proverbial first game off the road trip ... how do you play, how do you react? One good thing here is we've had an extra day to get ready here. A lot of the stuff you get after you come off a long road trip is out of the way now and we're able to focus. We had a real good practice yesterday, great tempo in the practice, so that was a good sign. Our skating legs were there.
"As I told the players this morning, you've got to be careful. If you're a betting man right now, you've got to be careful how you bet on these games because you don't know what's going to happen. Some of the teams that have looked the best are teams that aren't in the playoffs; they looked very good last night. And the teams that are in the playoffs are hoping that the game's going to be a little bit easier and finding out it's not. We're up next; we've got to be ready for it. I thought Vancouver played great against Nashville last night and deserved probably a better fate."
But with injuries to so many key players throughout the season (Kevin Shattenkirk, Alexander Steen, Alex Pietrangelo, Brian Elliott, Jake Allen, Robby Fabbri, Steve Ott, Jaden Schwartz and Patrik Berglund to name a few), it's a testament to how tough it's been to maintain a competitive edge and succeed.
"It speaks volumes of timing," Hitchcock said. "It seemed when one group went down, another group stepped up and that's been the story whether it's been in goal, on defense, up front, it just seems like we've been able to absorb.
"I don't want to say we've continued on, but other people have stepped up and it just seemed to be all year when somebody big went down, somebody was kind of coming back in at the same time. We didn't have to absorb except for maybe that one month, we didnt' have to absorb like some of the other teams are. But it's been a challenge for everybody. You're hopeful with everything that we've gone through that we get to somewhat towards the end of the year be healthy and go at it."
But is it a surprise to the players?
"No, not really," Steen said. "It was a goal of ours going into the season. Injuries, that's stuff you can't control. It happens. Our goal is to make the playoffs. Hopefully, we'll clinch that in the next couple days and set our sights on the big dance."
- - -
Defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, who sustained an upper-body injury in the 1-0 victory at San Jose on Tuesday, will not play tonight or the Blues' road game at Washington on Saturday; he is considered day-to-day.
Robert Bortuzzo will slot into the lineup and the Blues will move Shattenkirk up to play with Pietrangelo.
"He's a big part of our team and hopefully he's just out day-to-day," Hitchcock said of Bouwmeester, who missed four games earlier this season with an upper-body injury. "We have Robert Bortuzzo that will go in, but we're switching up all three pairs. We haven't used the set that we're going to use tonight very often except when we're down a goal. It'll be interesting to start a game line this, but we haven't played 'Shatty' and 'Petro' together really until the third period. It'll be a good challenge for us."
The Blues normally use Shattenkirk and Pietrangelo together in a game if they're down or in some form, chasing the game, but it's nor often that they start a game together.
"We obviously like (Carl) Gunnarsson and (Colton) Parayko together, but 'Shatty' and 'Petro' are a real good pair," Hitchcock said. "We haven't been afforded the time much to be able to play them together other than when we're chasing games and stuff like that. It'll be an interesting challenge for those guys. The biggest difference for us is when they play together, we want them to play with more risk because we're chasing the game. Now they've just got to start by playing against good players and make the obvious choices that we need a top pair to make. When Bortuzzo and 'Eddy' have played together, they've been good. Obviously 'Gunny' and Parayko have been good, so we're comfortable where we're at right now.
"Hopefully (Bouwmeester's) back next week and rolling. It's day-to-day. We'll see from there. ... It's one incident, it's one play."
- - -
The Blues' projected lineup:
Jaden Schwartz-Jori Lehtera-Vladimir Tarasenko
Robby Fabbri-Paul Stastny-Troy Brouwer
Dmitrij Jaskin-Patrik Berglund-David Backes
Scottie Upshall-Kyle Brodziak-Ryan Reaves
Kevin Shattenkirk-Alex Pietrangelo
Carl Gunnarsson-Colton Parayko
Joel Edmundson-Robert Bortuzzo
Brian Elliott will start in goal. Jake Allen will be the backup.
Healthy scratches include Magnus Paajarvi, Anders Nilsson and Petteri Lindbohm. Alexander Steen (upper body) and Steve Ott (hamstrings) are on injured reserve. Jay Bouwmeester (upper body) is day-to-day.
- - -
The Canucks' projected lineup:
Daniel Sedin-Henrik Sedin-Jannik Hansen
Sven Baertschi-Bo Horvat-Jake Virtanen
Alexandre Burrows-Linden Vey-Emerson Etem
Brendan Gaunce-Jared McCann-Chris Higgins
Ben Hutton-Alex Biega
Dan Hamhuis-Nikita Tryamkin
Matt Bartkowski-Yannick Weber
Jacob Markstrom is expected to start in goal after Ryan Miller played Thursday at Nashville.
Healthy scratches include Andrey Pedan and Alexandre Grenier. Alexander Edler (leg), Luca Sbisa (upper body), Brandon Prust (ankle), Radim Vrbata (knee), Brandon Sutter (jaw), Christopher Tanev (back), Derek Dorsett (undisclosed) and Markus Granlund (upper body) are all out.
ST. LOUIS -- It's a simple formula for the Blues: win and they're in.
A victory in any fashion against the Vancouver Canucks today (7 p.m.; FS-MW, KMOX 1120-AM) clinches a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the Blues. A victory also pulls the Blues into a tie for first in the Central Division with the Dallas Stars at 97 points.
With the amount of injuries the Blues have endured throughout the season, to be in the position they're in is gratifying.
"We've been down this path and we have to keep trending our game in the right direction," captain David Backes said. "We'll use these last eight games to get to playoff tempo and playoff compete level. ... We've got plenty of tough games ahead of us that'll prepare us.
"We've definitely hit adversity, we've had injury issues, we've had stretches where we haven't played very well; our goaltenders, which have been the backbone of our team, each injured at different times and we've come out of it with our heads above water and we're starting to get a bunch of healthy bodies back now. That being said, we really haven't accomplished anything. We can't think we've done something. We've made the playoffs, OK check one one the list and then to get to No. 2, and that's the first round and figure out who we're playing, when we're playing and Game 1 and start focusing on that."
To have the chance to clinch in front of the home fans is something to be said, according to coach Ken Hitchcock. But the Blues are coming off a lengthy five-game, 11-day trip, and the first home game back can always be tricky.
"I think being at home, it's important," Hitchcock said. "The proverbial first game off the road trip ... how do you play, how do you react? One good thing here is we've had an extra day to get ready here. A lot of the stuff you get after you come off a long road trip is out of the way now and we're able to focus. We had a real good practice yesterday, great tempo in the practice, so that was a good sign. Our skating legs were there.
"As I told the players this morning, you've got to be careful. If you're a betting man right now, you've got to be careful how you bet on these games because you don't know what's going to happen. Some of the teams that have looked the best are teams that aren't in the playoffs; they looked very good last night. And the teams that are in the playoffs are hoping that the game's going to be a little bit easier and finding out it's not. We're up next; we've got to be ready for it. I thought Vancouver played great against Nashville last night and deserved probably a better fate."
But with injuries to so many key players throughout the season (Kevin Shattenkirk, Alexander Steen, Alex Pietrangelo, Brian Elliott, Jake Allen, Robby Fabbri, Steve Ott, Jaden Schwartz and Patrik Berglund to name a few), it's a testament to how tough it's been to maintain a competitive edge and succeed.
"It speaks volumes of timing," Hitchcock said. "It seemed when one group went down, another group stepped up and that's been the story whether it's been in goal, on defense, up front, it just seems like we've been able to absorb.
"I don't want to say we've continued on, but other people have stepped up and it just seemed to be all year when somebody big went down, somebody was kind of coming back in at the same time. We didn't have to absorb except for maybe that one month, we didnt' have to absorb like some of the other teams are. But it's been a challenge for everybody. You're hopeful with everything that we've gone through that we get to somewhat towards the end of the year be healthy and go at it."
But is it a surprise to the players?
"No, not really," Steen said. "It was a goal of ours going into the season. Injuries, that's stuff you can't control. It happens. Our goal is to make the playoffs. Hopefully, we'll clinch that in the next couple days and set our sights on the big dance."
- - -
Defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, who sustained an upper-body injury in the 1-0 victory at San Jose on Tuesday, will not play tonight or the Blues' road game at Washington on Saturday; he is considered day-to-day.
Robert Bortuzzo will slot into the lineup and the Blues will move Shattenkirk up to play with Pietrangelo.
"He's a big part of our team and hopefully he's just out day-to-day," Hitchcock said of Bouwmeester, who missed four games earlier this season with an upper-body injury. "We have Robert Bortuzzo that will go in, but we're switching up all three pairs. We haven't used the set that we're going to use tonight very often except when we're down a goal. It'll be interesting to start a game line this, but we haven't played 'Shatty' and 'Petro' together really until the third period. It'll be a good challenge for us."
The Blues normally use Shattenkirk and Pietrangelo together in a game if they're down or in some form, chasing the game, but it's nor often that they start a game together.
"We obviously like (Carl) Gunnarsson and (Colton) Parayko together, but 'Shatty' and 'Petro' are a real good pair," Hitchcock said. "We haven't been afforded the time much to be able to play them together other than when we're chasing games and stuff like that. It'll be an interesting challenge for those guys. The biggest difference for us is when they play together, we want them to play with more risk because we're chasing the game. Now they've just got to start by playing against good players and make the obvious choices that we need a top pair to make. When Bortuzzo and 'Eddy' have played together, they've been good. Obviously 'Gunny' and Parayko have been good, so we're comfortable where we're at right now.
"Hopefully (Bouwmeester's) back next week and rolling. It's day-to-day. We'll see from there. ... It's one incident, it's one play."
- - -
The Blues' projected lineup:
Jaden Schwartz-Jori Lehtera-Vladimir Tarasenko
Robby Fabbri-Paul Stastny-Troy Brouwer
Dmitrij Jaskin-Patrik Berglund-David Backes
Scottie Upshall-Kyle Brodziak-Ryan Reaves
Kevin Shattenkirk-Alex Pietrangelo
Carl Gunnarsson-Colton Parayko
Joel Edmundson-Robert Bortuzzo
Brian Elliott will start in goal. Jake Allen will be the backup.
Healthy scratches include Magnus Paajarvi, Anders Nilsson and Petteri Lindbohm. Alexander Steen (upper body) and Steve Ott (hamstrings) are on injured reserve. Jay Bouwmeester (upper body) is day-to-day.
- - -
The Canucks' projected lineup:
Daniel Sedin-Henrik Sedin-Jannik Hansen
Sven Baertschi-Bo Horvat-Jake Virtanen
Alexandre Burrows-Linden Vey-Emerson Etem
Brendan Gaunce-Jared McCann-Chris Higgins
Ben Hutton-Alex Biega
Dan Hamhuis-Nikita Tryamkin
Matt Bartkowski-Yannick Weber
Jacob Markstrom is expected to start in goal after Ryan Miller played Thursday at Nashville.
Healthy scratches include Andrey Pedan and Alexandre Grenier. Alexander Edler (leg), Luca Sbisa (upper body), Brandon Prust (ankle), Radim Vrbata (knee), Brandon Sutter (jaw), Christopher Tanev (back), Derek Dorsett (undisclosed) and Markus Granlund (upper body) are all out.
Thursday, March 24, 2016
(3-25-16) BLUES NOTEBOOK
Elliott, Allen to split weekend games, Hitchcock to monitor performances
closely; Steen, Ott skate, unlikely to play Friday, Saturday; Lindbohm recalled
ST. LOUIS -- Coming off back-to-back shutout performances, Brian Elliott will get the start in goal when the Blues (43-22-9) host the Vancouver Canucks (27-33-13) today at 7 p.m. (FS-MW, KMOX 1120-AM).
But with back-to-back games slated for tonight at Saturday at Washington, Jake Allen will start against the Capitals.
Coach Ken Hitchcock will use the final eight games to evaluate his goalies and make a determination who will start in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. But with Elliott's run of late (8-0-1 with a 1.61 goals-against average and .948 save percentage), it will be tough to supplant him as the go-to guy heading into the playoffs.
"This is the best Brian's played since he's been here," Hitchcock said. "He's played excellent. Both guys have played very well and sound, but this is the best Brian's played since he's been here for me."
"It's been great to get him back for one," right wing Troy Brouwer said of Elliott. "To see him play the way he has the last two games with two shutouts for us is a confidence booster after coming off an injury. It's a good problem to have. Coaches are going to have to make some decisions on who's going to play the majority of the games down the stretch."
Elliott's back-to-back shutouts, which give him a three on the season (all in his past 12 games played) and 24 with the Blues -- a franchise record, come on the heels of missing 10 games with a knee injury sustained Feb. 22 against San Jose.
"He looked the same until he got hurt," Hitchcock said. "The injury ... because he was on long-term injury, it allowed us an extra seven, eight, nine days to really work with him. He was really ready a week before. It afforded us to spend a lot of time. To me, the timing's given us the record we've got because it seems like when one guy's gone down injury-wise, the other guy's been ready to step up. It's not surprising that they've both played well when the other guy's been out. It's a lot of pressure to put on one guy, but they've both handled it really well."
Now Elliott, 19-7-6 with a 2.01 GAA and .933 save percentage, and Allen, 24-14-3 with a 2.42 GAA and .917 save percentage, are both on the ice for the first together and pushing each other for the job.
"They push each other anyway. That's not a surprise," Hitchcock said. "They're good friends, but they're competitors. That's a great sign for us. The decision I have to make is at the end of the year. We still have lots of big games ahead. It's going to be a telltale sign of how they play in these big games. They're both going to get chances to play in big games and then I've got to make a decision."
Hitchcock left the door open that he could go to both if the situation warrants.
"What's the difference? If you've got both guys going and you start one guy. If it doesn't work out, you play the other guy or whatever, or if one guy takes it and looks (like) the obvious choice," Hitchcock said. "These are good decisions for a coach to have that you've got two such good, capable goalies. I think there's a lot of coaches that would be envious of the position that we're in because they've been quite frankly the story and the strength of our team all year.
"Chicago just won the Cup with (two goalies). Where would they be without the way (Scott) Darling played to help them? I think you can go either way. Who cares who gets the wins as long as you get the wins."
No matter who the Blues go with, the players feel the security blanket behind them at all times.
"As far as the players are concerned, either way that we go with will be a great option in goal," Brouwer said.
* Steen, Ott skate; not ready -- Both forwards Alexander Steen (upper body) and Steve Ott (hamstrings) took part in the full practice on Thursday but neither is expected to be ready for weekend games. In fact, there's no real time set for when either can return.
Steen has missed the past 13 games since crashing hard into the boards from a collision with Arizona's Kevin Connauton, and Ott has been out since Dec. 5 (47 games).
"Slow process but moving forward. Like with everything, time helps," Steen said. "I have no timeline. We haven't even discussed a timeline. We're just trying to get a feeling as good as we can."
Ott's in the same boat.
"It's a work in progress every day," he said. "We're having a lot more good days than bad days. ... Inching closer to the playoffs, I'd say time is at a premium, but I've got to be able to perform before I can play a game. ... I don't think we're there that early. ... I hope; you never know, but it's probably still a little ways away.
"... We're tackling something new, so that's the hard thing. You're dealing with different issues you're trying to work on and get stronger every day. All of us know our bodies well; it's our engine. You have that type of feeling in your body you know when you're ready and when that time comes, I can probably go to Hitch or the trainers and let them know. But in the meantime, the training staff's been phenomenal and continues to try and progress me every week."
Steen, who is second on the team in points (47) and tied for the team lead with Paul Stastny in assists (30), was to be reevaluated in four weeks from the time of injury Feb. 20.
"We've had some talks and we've been happy with the progress I've been making," Steen said. "Not ready just yet. Still not great, but we're getting there."
Steen skated in a red jersey centering the fourth line, and Ott was wearing blue, mixing in with the line of David Backes, Patrik Berglund and Dmitrij Jaskin.
Both ratcheted up their workouts on Thursday, and according to Steen, it's a day-to-day occurrence as to what he can/can't do.
"It's been a little bit kind of both. Obviously we've had a plan, but somedays you've got to step back, sometimes you're able to push it a little bit," Steen said. "It's just reading the body."
* Bouwmeester, Brodziak miss practice; Lindbohm recalled -- Defenseman Jay Bouwmeester has an upper-body injury and is listed as day-to-day, according to Hitchcock. As a precaution, the team recalled defenseman Petteri Lindbohm from the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League.
Also, center Kyle Brodziak took a personal day, according to Hitchcock, but is expected to play Friday.
Bouwmeester, who played 21 minutes, 55 seconds in the Blues' 1-0 win at San Jose Tuesday, is questionable.
Friday, March 11, 2016
Four-goal third period sends Blues to 5-2 win against Ducks
Battle for first place in Central Division when St. Louis plays at
Dallas Saturday; Tarasenko's two goals, assist fuel win against Anaheim
ST. LOUIS -- When the Blues wake up Saturday morning in Dallas to face the Stars in the second of back-to-back games, could anyone have imagined that in Game No. 70, they'd be playing the first-place Stars for first place in the Central Division with all the injuries they've had to endure this season?
But after another convincing 5-2 victory Friday night on home ice against the Anaheim Ducks, the Blues (40-20-9) leapfrogged over the Chicago Blackhawks into second place with 89 points, one behind Dallas, which trounced the Blackhawks 5-2 on home ice Friday, and one ahead of third-place Chicago.
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| (St. Louis Blues photo)
Troy Brouwer (left) celebrates with Paul Stastny after Stastny's
goal in the second period of the Blues' 5-2 win against Anaheim.
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The Blues, who have tied a season-high with their fifth in a row and have scored 19 non-shootout goals in doing so, began the week with a stretch of four games in seven nights against Stanley Cup Playoff teams and have gone 3-0-0 with the chance to win all four if they can beat the Stars Saturday.
"I like the fact that we've ... with everything we've gone through, we wake up tomorrow morning in a hockey game for first place," Hitchcock said after the game. "Nobody would have thought of that because everything these guys have been through. That's been a feather in their cap. This is 3-0 against top teams, a chance to go 4-0 tomorrow. A tough opponent, but pretty impressive that we've been able to maintain a competitive level despite missing key guys all year."
Jori Lehtera and Patrik Berglund scored goals 1:04 apart early in the third period to help the Blues break a 1-1 tie; they would score four times in the third.
The Blues turned the tables on the Ducks in the third period, whose forecheck was creating issues for St. Louis early in the game.
Lehtera gave the Blues a 2-1 lead 1:55 into the third when linemates Vladimir Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz forced Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler into losing the puck. Schwartz fed Lehtera in the left circle for a slap shot past goaltender Frederik Andersen.
Berglund scored at 2:59 when he picked off a Josh Manson pass in the slot, turned and beat Andersen with a slap shot for a 3-1 lead.
"I thought both teams really struggled against the other team's forecheck," Hitchcock said. "I thought we had some really good shifts in the first period on our forecheck and obviously we scored three goals (in the third period) because of it. They put the heat on us too. They come at you with a lot of speed, a lot of size. They come at you really hard."
Tarasenko had two goals and an assist and Paul Stastny scored. Jake Allen made 26 saves to earn his career-high 23rd victory. He is 4-0-0 lifetime against Anaheim.
"Like I said before, we have a lot of lessons this year," Tarasenko said. "Some of them was really bad, some of them was really good. We need to decide what's wrong and look moving forward. ... We're happy to get these two points. It's really important for us."
Allen said: "Yeah, it was nice. Got a couple of big goals at the start (of the third), buried on our chances. It was a great sign, a good start to this trip we're about to embark on.
"Great pressure on the forecheck, creating turnovers, making them make mistakes. Causing our own problems that turned into goals, two wide-open shots, great shots by the guys, credit to them on those."
Ryan Getzlaf and Rickard Rakell scored for the Ducks (37-21-9), who are 0-2-1 after a 14-game point streak (12-0-2). Andersen made 18 saves.
"We give them two shots right from the start (in the third period)," Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said. "It's tough. They're a good team, but we can't make those defensive mistakes. We haven't in a long time and you would like to say those things happen and we haven't seen them happen. We don't want to see them happen anymore."
After the quick goals by Lehtera and Berglund, Rakell made it 3-2 with 4:33 remaining when he scored an unassisted goal that the Blues actually put into their own net. Allen made an initial save, but Troy Brouwer's clearing attempt caromed in off the skate of Stastny and into the net.
To which Allen joked: "Maybe 'Brouw' owes me a beer."
But Tarasenko made it 4-2 with 2:38 remaining, beating Andersen with a slap shot from the slot. Ducks defenseman Simon Despres couldn't handle Fowler's cross-ice pass and Tarasenko picked it off.
Tarasenko capped off his three-point game by hitting the empty net with 1:22 remaining for his 32nd goal of the season from three-quarter length of the ice.
"Yeah, not many guys shoot from there, but he's pretty confident in his abilities and so are we," Allen said of Tarasenko. "I was glad he took it."
The Ducks took a 1-0 lead at 5:17 of the second period when they cashed in on a two-man advantage. Getzlaf knocked in Ryan Kesler's shot from the slot to put Anaheim ahead.
After Lehtera was whistled for interference, the Blues were caught with too many men on the ice for 1:03, but Getzlaf was on the doorstep to bat a loose puck out of midair past Allen.
The Blues tied it at 16:36 when Stastny scored his first in 14 games. He redirected defenseman Carl Gunnarsson's shot-pass from the left point past Andersen for his seventh goal of the season. Brouwer, playing in his 600th NHL game, dug a puck out of the corner and fed Gunnarsson, who waited momentarily before finding Stastny alone to the left of Andersen after the Blues center peeled away from the top of the crease.
"We had one earlier, but we were a little off-target me and him," Stastny said. "Our line's playing well. We're creating chances, we're comfortable out there. We've got to find ways to keep chipping in and keep getting on the scoreboard. That was a big goal for us after they scored a 5-on-3; that's going to happen. We got the momentum back and we just kind of went from there.
"All four lines are clicking. I think when we can roll four lines line that, it's nice that we can kind of play four lines. The last couple games, we've had a lot of penalties in the first period. It's tough to get everyone going, but I think when we're at our best, we roll four lines. When we've got all the guys like that, I think the bench is fluid, I think everyone's kind of moving getting their feet wet and everyone's playing well."
Gunnarsson signed a three-year contract extension for $8.7 million before the game.
"I just got my head up and I was going to go bounce away, but he just peeled out and it worked out OK," Gunnarsson said of Stastny. "... It's always nice instead of being down a goal. Good timing and get some momentum going."
And first place? There will be 12 games left after Saturday, but the approach of just taking it one game at a time has been the best recipe for success.
"Yeah, to be honest, I think we were thinking about that more last year than we are this year," Allen said. "I think this year, the experience we went through last year in the playoffs ... I think the standings to be honest doesn't matter a whole lot. We're going to have to beat all these good teams to get to where we want to go. First place is great, yeah, but in the end of the day, it just matters with wins. I really don't think that's a focal point right now. I think we're just focusing on wins and just trying to get better. Once we get 'Steener' back and 'Ells' and 'Otter' and get our full lineup going, just be ready for playoffs.
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| (St. Louis Blues photo)
The Blues' Jori Lehtera battles Anaheim's Korbinian
Holzer for puck battle Friday at Scottrade Center.
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"This is crucial. I think we had one of the hardest schedules to finish the season in the league. To be able to start the way that we did, the way that we have, is great but we've got a long way to go. Only a handful of games left, it feels like the season has flown by already. But we want to finish on the right foot and head into the playoffs on a winning way and just everybody have that confidence again."
Said Stastny: "It's hard to look at the standings because you lose three games in a row, and all of the sudden, you're worried you're going to drop to seventh or eighth. And then you win four or five in a row, you're in first or second. It seems like everyone's winning, everyone's finding ways. We're taking care of that home ice knowing we don't have that many home games. Obviously a big road trip coming up, and after that, we only have two or three. That's important for us and now we've just got to maintain that on the road.
"Last time we played there, they steamrolled us. It's a tough building to play in. We've just got to be ready to go."
Blues extend Gunnarsson for three more years
Defenseman gets $8.7 million contract, $2.9 million salary/AAV across the board
ST. LOUIS -- The Blues made sure they kept a piece of their defensive core before he could hit the free agent market this summer.
The team announced before they faced the Anaheim Ducks on Friday that they signed defenseman Carl Gunnarsson to a three-year contract extension worth $8.7 million.
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| (St. Louis Blues photo)
Defenseman Carl Gunnarsson signed a three-year
extension Friday for $8.7 million
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The 29-year-old Gunnarsson, who was set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer, will have a salary and average annual value of $2.9 million in 2016-17, $2.9 million in 2017-18 and $2.9 million in 2018-19.
Gunnarsson has never been an unrestricted free agent before, and the Blues gave him ample reason not to be one this summer either.
"It feels nice," Gunnarsson . "I haven't talked too much about it, but when we started talking, eventually got it done, I think we're both happy. I'm happy to be here another three and part of the organization. I'm thrilled to get it done before the season, too. It's perfect.
"I've never been on the unrestricted free agency market. It was certainly appealing, but then, we got along, we both found a deal we were happy with and I like what we've got going on here. Not reason not to stay."
Gunnarsson has appeared in 124 regular season games with the Blues and has 20 points (four goals, 16 assists).
Gunnarsson is completing a three-year contract he signed with the Maple Leafs worth $9.45 million. He's making $3.45 million in salary this season.
True to his nature, Gunnarsson didn't tell anyone he had signed. Many of his teammates found out by exterior means.
"He's so quiet around here, he didn't tell anyone," center Paul Stastny said. "Everyone had to find out on their phones before he told anyone. That's just Carl for you.
"Deservedly so. It couldn't happen to a better guy. Everyone's excited saying something to him after that big play (on the game-tying goal Friday night). Happy to have him around a few more years."
Goalie Jake Allen agreed.
"Yeah, it couldn't happen to a better guy," Allen said. "I don't think anyone knew until just before game time. He sort of kept it a secret, he's a low-key guy, but real happy for him. I know he likes it here a lot. He's been a key steady component to our team and it's very well deserved."
Blues coach appreciates the versatility Gunnarsson has brought to the team.
"He's a good partner," Hitchcock said. "What makes him a good player is he's a good partner, so you can play him up or down the lineup, you can play him 20 minutes, you can play him 15 minutes and he's a good partner. He's a good partner for 'Shatty,' good partner for (Colton) Parayko, he's a good partner for 'Petro.' You get guys like that, they're glue-guys on your hockey club. They're underrated players. You've got to have those kind of players in this type of cap economy. You've got to have players that complement other players. He's a great complementary player, a smart player with the puck. I think he's found a home here competitively-wise. Obviously management likes him and the coaching staff likes him a lot, so it's a good fit."
(3-11-16) Ducks-Blues Gameday Lineup
By LOU KORAC
ST. LOUIS -- Ken Hitchcock's parting words of "the beast is back" can only mean one thing: Steve Ott is on the ice.
Ott, out since tearing both hamstrings Dec. 5 against Toronto, has been skating on his own for the past few weeks, but on Friday as the Blues (39-20-9) put a four-game winning streak in the line against the Anaheim Ducks (37-20-9) at 7 p.m. (FS-MW, KMOX 1120-AM), he was skating with teammates.
He was talking, and talking, and as David Backes put it "yapping."
"It's a lot louder on the ice with 'Otter' out there, that's for sure," Backes said smiling. "He can't keep his mouth shut. He's always yapping, he always brings a level of energy to the group. You just love to see him back on the ice with how horrific that injury was."
Ott tore both hamstrings trying to lay a check on then-Toronto defenseman Dion Phaneuf and crashed hard into the side boards.
Needless to say, it's been a long and arduous process getting back, since his injury is a first of any kind in the NHL.
"The ice is one thing, but to be in the dressing room with the guys, the stuff you miss you take for granted," Ott said. "It surely is missed. ... It's the worst. You just want to be a part of it somehow, someway. The boys have played phenomenal. With the amount of injuries we've had, big games missed, the team's continued to play phenomenal.
"Today was my first time with a bunch of guys out there. It sure felt good. ... The rehab's been a long time coming. I took off last week to work with a guy I've been using in the summer time. ... Now I'm at the level where I get to be with the team. I'm practicing on a daily basis now. I'm going on this road trip, slugging away and continuing the hard work we've all put in not just myself, hopefully will prepare me for that first game back."
Ott was joined by Alexander Steen (upper body) and Brian Elliott (lower body), giving the Blues a training camp feel to it as far as bodies are concerned.
"For 'Steener' to be out there, he hasn't lost a step and Elliott, still with every puck or shot, he doesn't want it to to into the net," Backes said. "You love to see that battle. Those three guys back on the ice, it's all hands-on deck with the practices and we hope to have all hands-on deck for the games shortly."
Hitchcock was more joking about the additions.
"With Steen and Elliott, it's uplifting," Hitchcock said. "With Ott, it's not. The pain is back and we've got to deal with him. He's part-player, part-alumni, part-coach, part-head coach. We have a lot of fun together, but now I have to deal with a lot of opinions and a lot of debate and a lot of dialogue. It's fun in some ways, but the beast is back. What can I say?"
Ott will accompany the Blues on their season-long trip of the season that begins Saturday in Dallas. There's no set time for him to come back, but he has made it clear: he will be back.
"There's no set timetable in the sense of this injury," Ott said. "No one really's done this in the NHL. I guess we're writing the paper for it all and I feel sorry for the poor (person) that does it again. ... To have something repaired the way I had it; you had to pull your hamstring back up and to reattach it, sitting on your butt for the first six weeks not being able to do anything but let it heal and the amount of rehab to get going, it's an up-early, leave-late kind of thing. All of us would do it if you want to play in this league. For myself, I think I've got a lot left in me and I'm starting to feel real good."
Said Blue left wing Jaden Schwartz: "We miss those guys. Otter especially, who's had a long rehab process. He must be getting anxious and excited. Steener hasn't been out quite as long, but they're obviously big parts of our team. They looked like they're having fun out there.
"A little more chatter, a little more excitement and that's always nice to have. It keeps the guys loose."
- - -
It's been 12 games played now for Schwartz, who returned after a horrific injury of his own when he fractured his left ankle Oct. 22 in practice crashing into the net.
Schwartz, who has five goals and four assists, has settled in nicely and rejoined "STL Line" teammates Jori Lehtera and Vladimir Tarasenko, said the ankle is holding up as well as could be but may be a while before he feels 100 percent, if it ever gets to that point.
"It's still different. Its tough to explain, but mobility and stuff, it's not where it needs to be," Schwartz said. "When you come in from the off-season, you're working out all summer, lifting weights and things like that. I didn't get a chance really to lift much weights with the injuries, so you're really kind of going in not quite where you want to be. With that being said, you don't want to make excuses. I go in every game not thinking about it. Just go in, do my job, do what I can to help out. In practices and things like that, you can try to make it as best as you can. It's not the same, but it's just kind of a different process of how you get ready and things you can do on the ice.
"To try and get back to 100 percent, you don't even know if you'll get there eventually, but you want to try to get there as close as you can. There's no doubt as far as working on the mobility, strength, that will take a while. I'm hoping when next season comes that I can get into it as good as it can. But I'll worry about that when the time comes and just focus on playing right now."
Schwartz will have to put in more time, specifically targeting for the ankle, in the off-season to try and get the stability and mobility to where he wants it. To try and do that in the crunch part of the season is virtually impossible.
"There will be more ankle work done, more mobility on what I've previously done because I hadn't had to go through that," Schwartz said. "It'll be a little different managing it and working on it. With that being said, I'll do a lot of the similar stuff.
"You're not going to be able to change a whole lot, but you can do ankle, you can do rehab process as far as strength and workouts with the legs. That's a little bit different just because of the work schedule. I'll do everything I can to get it better. Once you get into the playoffs, that's when you want to try and get it as good as possible."
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With the 2017 Bridgestone Winter Classic being awarded to St. Louis, Blues right wing Ryan Reaves was ecstatic for the city.
But the Winnipeg native was asked how his hometown is going to react to the awarding of the 2016 Heritage Classic to the Jets, who will host the Edmonton Oilers in October.
"I don't know how they're going to last minus-50 degrees and sitting outside like that," Reaves said. "It's going to be cold. I definitely wouldn't be going to watch that."
Cold in October though?
"You're talking about Winnipeg; it's not St. Louis," Reaves joked. "It'll start getting cold. October may not be as chilly. We had a warm October (last) year, so I'm sure they'll pay them back this year."
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The Ducks enter play 0-1-1 in the past two games after a 14-game streak of games with at least a point (12-0-2). They're coming off a 3-0 loss at the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday.
Anaheim was in St. Louis on Oct. 29, a 2-1 Blues win, and at the time, there was talk that coach Bruce Boudreau may be fired.
The Ducks have not only turned their season around but are, like the Blues, in a fight for a division title.
"The biggest change for us is they've changed so many different players," Hitchcock said. "I think there's six or seven different players collectively on their team between injuries and stuff that went on. We've got to adjust to that. They play a real honest game. They play collective on the ice. They've got five guys up, five guys back all the time. That's why they're having such a good season right now."
- - -
With a win tonight, Blues goalie Jake Allen, who is 3-0-0 with a 0.87 goals-against average and .966 save percentage in four career games against the Ducks, can set a career-high for wins in a season with 23.
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The Blues' projected lineup:
Jaden Schwartz-Jori Lehtera-Vladimir Tarasenko
Robby Fabbri-Paul Stastny-Troy Brouwer
Patrik Berglund-David Backes-Dmitrij Jaskin
Scottie Upshall-Kyle Brodziak-Ryan Reaves
Jay Bouwmeester-Alex Pietrangelo
Carl Gunnarsson-Kevin Shattenkirk
Joel Edmundson-Colton Parayko
Jake Allen will start in goal. Anders Nilsson will be the backup.
Healthy scratches include Magnus Paajarvi and Robert Bortuzzo. Alexander Steen (upper body), Brian Elliott (lower body) and Steve Ott (hamstrings) are on injured reserve.
- - -
The Ducks' projected lineup:
David Perron-Ryan Getzlaf-Ryan Garbutt
Jamie McGinn-Rickard Rakell-Corey Perry
Andrew Cogliano-Ryan Kesler-Jakob Silfverberg
Nick Ritchie-Nate Thompson-Mike Santorelli
Cam Fowler-Kevin Bieksa
Hampus Lindholm-Josh Manson
Simon Despres-Korbinian Holzer
Frederik Andersen will start in goal. John Gibson will be the backup.
Sami Vatanen (upper body), Brandon Pirri (ankle) and Chris Stewart (jaw) are on injured reserve. Clayton Stoner and Shawn Horcoff are healthy scratches.
ST. LOUIS -- Ken Hitchcock's parting words of "the beast is back" can only mean one thing: Steve Ott is on the ice.
Ott, out since tearing both hamstrings Dec. 5 against Toronto, has been skating on his own for the past few weeks, but on Friday as the Blues (39-20-9) put a four-game winning streak in the line against the Anaheim Ducks (37-20-9) at 7 p.m. (FS-MW, KMOX 1120-AM), he was skating with teammates.
He was talking, and talking, and as David Backes put it "yapping."
"It's a lot louder on the ice with 'Otter' out there, that's for sure," Backes said smiling. "He can't keep his mouth shut. He's always yapping, he always brings a level of energy to the group. You just love to see him back on the ice with how horrific that injury was."
Ott tore both hamstrings trying to lay a check on then-Toronto defenseman Dion Phaneuf and crashed hard into the side boards.
Needless to say, it's been a long and arduous process getting back, since his injury is a first of any kind in the NHL.
"The ice is one thing, but to be in the dressing room with the guys, the stuff you miss you take for granted," Ott said. "It surely is missed. ... It's the worst. You just want to be a part of it somehow, someway. The boys have played phenomenal. With the amount of injuries we've had, big games missed, the team's continued to play phenomenal.
"Today was my first time with a bunch of guys out there. It sure felt good. ... The rehab's been a long time coming. I took off last week to work with a guy I've been using in the summer time. ... Now I'm at the level where I get to be with the team. I'm practicing on a daily basis now. I'm going on this road trip, slugging away and continuing the hard work we've all put in not just myself, hopefully will prepare me for that first game back."
Ott was joined by Alexander Steen (upper body) and Brian Elliott (lower body), giving the Blues a training camp feel to it as far as bodies are concerned.
"For 'Steener' to be out there, he hasn't lost a step and Elliott, still with every puck or shot, he doesn't want it to to into the net," Backes said. "You love to see that battle. Those three guys back on the ice, it's all hands-on deck with the practices and we hope to have all hands-on deck for the games shortly."
Hitchcock was more joking about the additions.
"With Steen and Elliott, it's uplifting," Hitchcock said. "With Ott, it's not. The pain is back and we've got to deal with him. He's part-player, part-alumni, part-coach, part-head coach. We have a lot of fun together, but now I have to deal with a lot of opinions and a lot of debate and a lot of dialogue. It's fun in some ways, but the beast is back. What can I say?"
Ott will accompany the Blues on their season-long trip of the season that begins Saturday in Dallas. There's no set time for him to come back, but he has made it clear: he will be back.
"There's no set timetable in the sense of this injury," Ott said. "No one really's done this in the NHL. I guess we're writing the paper for it all and I feel sorry for the poor (person) that does it again. ... To have something repaired the way I had it; you had to pull your hamstring back up and to reattach it, sitting on your butt for the first six weeks not being able to do anything but let it heal and the amount of rehab to get going, it's an up-early, leave-late kind of thing. All of us would do it if you want to play in this league. For myself, I think I've got a lot left in me and I'm starting to feel real good."
Said Blue left wing Jaden Schwartz: "We miss those guys. Otter especially, who's had a long rehab process. He must be getting anxious and excited. Steener hasn't been out quite as long, but they're obviously big parts of our team. They looked like they're having fun out there.
"A little more chatter, a little more excitement and that's always nice to have. It keeps the guys loose."
- - -
It's been 12 games played now for Schwartz, who returned after a horrific injury of his own when he fractured his left ankle Oct. 22 in practice crashing into the net.
Schwartz, who has five goals and four assists, has settled in nicely and rejoined "STL Line" teammates Jori Lehtera and Vladimir Tarasenko, said the ankle is holding up as well as could be but may be a while before he feels 100 percent, if it ever gets to that point.
"It's still different. Its tough to explain, but mobility and stuff, it's not where it needs to be," Schwartz said. "When you come in from the off-season, you're working out all summer, lifting weights and things like that. I didn't get a chance really to lift much weights with the injuries, so you're really kind of going in not quite where you want to be. With that being said, you don't want to make excuses. I go in every game not thinking about it. Just go in, do my job, do what I can to help out. In practices and things like that, you can try to make it as best as you can. It's not the same, but it's just kind of a different process of how you get ready and things you can do on the ice.
"To try and get back to 100 percent, you don't even know if you'll get there eventually, but you want to try to get there as close as you can. There's no doubt as far as working on the mobility, strength, that will take a while. I'm hoping when next season comes that I can get into it as good as it can. But I'll worry about that when the time comes and just focus on playing right now."
Schwartz will have to put in more time, specifically targeting for the ankle, in the off-season to try and get the stability and mobility to where he wants it. To try and do that in the crunch part of the season is virtually impossible.
"There will be more ankle work done, more mobility on what I've previously done because I hadn't had to go through that," Schwartz said. "It'll be a little different managing it and working on it. With that being said, I'll do a lot of the similar stuff.
"You're not going to be able to change a whole lot, but you can do ankle, you can do rehab process as far as strength and workouts with the legs. That's a little bit different just because of the work schedule. I'll do everything I can to get it better. Once you get into the playoffs, that's when you want to try and get it as good as possible."
- - -
With the 2017 Bridgestone Winter Classic being awarded to St. Louis, Blues right wing Ryan Reaves was ecstatic for the city.
But the Winnipeg native was asked how his hometown is going to react to the awarding of the 2016 Heritage Classic to the Jets, who will host the Edmonton Oilers in October.
"I don't know how they're going to last minus-50 degrees and sitting outside like that," Reaves said. "It's going to be cold. I definitely wouldn't be going to watch that."
Cold in October though?
"You're talking about Winnipeg; it's not St. Louis," Reaves joked. "It'll start getting cold. October may not be as chilly. We had a warm October (last) year, so I'm sure they'll pay them back this year."
- - -
The Ducks enter play 0-1-1 in the past two games after a 14-game streak of games with at least a point (12-0-2). They're coming off a 3-0 loss at the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday.
Anaheim was in St. Louis on Oct. 29, a 2-1 Blues win, and at the time, there was talk that coach Bruce Boudreau may be fired.
The Ducks have not only turned their season around but are, like the Blues, in a fight for a division title.
"The biggest change for us is they've changed so many different players," Hitchcock said. "I think there's six or seven different players collectively on their team between injuries and stuff that went on. We've got to adjust to that. They play a real honest game. They play collective on the ice. They've got five guys up, five guys back all the time. That's why they're having such a good season right now."
- - -
With a win tonight, Blues goalie Jake Allen, who is 3-0-0 with a 0.87 goals-against average and .966 save percentage in four career games against the Ducks, can set a career-high for wins in a season with 23.
- - -
The Blues' projected lineup:
Jaden Schwartz-Jori Lehtera-Vladimir Tarasenko
Robby Fabbri-Paul Stastny-Troy Brouwer
Patrik Berglund-David Backes-Dmitrij Jaskin
Scottie Upshall-Kyle Brodziak-Ryan Reaves
Jay Bouwmeester-Alex Pietrangelo
Carl Gunnarsson-Kevin Shattenkirk
Joel Edmundson-Colton Parayko
Jake Allen will start in goal. Anders Nilsson will be the backup.
Healthy scratches include Magnus Paajarvi and Robert Bortuzzo. Alexander Steen (upper body), Brian Elliott (lower body) and Steve Ott (hamstrings) are on injured reserve.
- - -
The Ducks' projected lineup:
David Perron-Ryan Getzlaf-Ryan Garbutt
Jamie McGinn-Rickard Rakell-Corey Perry
Andrew Cogliano-Ryan Kesler-Jakob Silfverberg
Nick Ritchie-Nate Thompson-Mike Santorelli
Cam Fowler-Kevin Bieksa
Hampus Lindholm-Josh Manson
Simon Despres-Korbinian Holzer
Frederik Andersen will start in goal. John Gibson will be the backup.
Sami Vatanen (upper body), Brandon Pirri (ankle) and Chris Stewart (jaw) are on injured reserve. Clayton Stoner and Shawn Horcoff are healthy scratches.
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