Bobby Plager "The Wise"

I was fortunate enough to go listen to Mr. Plager last night...He was a guest on Blues Buzz, a sports talk radio show hosted by Andy Strickland. I had never seen Mr. Plager play hockey, but as I listened to him talk, I gained more and more respect for him.  My dad used to tell me stories about Mr. Plager and the ol' Blues teams, so that's how I came to know his name.  But, up until now, I had no impression of the man personally.


Mr. Plager was an original Blue.  Traded from the New York Rangers to St. Louis in 1967, to play for one of the six expansion teams, the St. Louis Blues.  Last night, he didn't talk about himself, though. He talked about the current team and their struggles to find that something special they had last season. But, maybe that's just it...Maybe that was last season and this is this season...Maybe the Blues have to find something NEW.  That's what Mr. Plager discussed with Andy last night.  He said, "...these young guys like T.J. Oshie, Eric Johnson, Patrik Berglund and David Perron are on everyone's radar..."  He talked about how they're not going to be able to get away with some of the stuff they did last year.  Many things that made them so successful won't work unless they figure out some way to shuffle the plays around and occasionally work in the plays that used to create the offense, along with new ideas too.  All the other coaches and players are ready for those "signature" Blue moves from last season.


In an earlier post I wrote, I talked about Brad Boyes and the one-timer.  Well, Mr. Plager covered that one too.  He said those opposing players know to look out at the wing for Brad now.  Every time they see him leak out there, a stick is going to be right there to block it or force a pass.

Another one of the many things he discussed, was again about the youngsters.  He stressed the importance of a mentor. He said that he learned from the greats.  During a discussion about Eric Johnson, one of the things he said was that Johnson's trying to do too much. He's missed a lot of games and hasn't even played 100 in the NHL. He's young and has a lot to learn, and what better way to learn than to pick the brain of #2, Al MacInnis. 

I, myself learned quite a lot in forty-five minutes, last night.  Things that, as a fan, do not really enter most trains of thought.  He gave me a little more insight of what players and coaches have to go through and that it's a little more difficult than finding one thing and making it work. 

I hope our players take heed to Mr. Plager's advice.  Let's Go Blues!

Not Quite A Winning Streak

David Backes discussed the back-to-back wins with Chris Kerber before the lose tonight against Boston. He said it doesn't really count as a streak until you win more than two consecutive games.  I agree...and I can't really say much more.  I haven't been able to watch the last couple games unfortunately, so I'm going to keep this one short.  However, I can say that statistics don't lie.  The Blues power play is of the worst in the league.  This cannot go unchanged if the Blues are looking to take another go in the playoffs.

It's disappointing, I know. The Blues record drops below .500, again. After the Islanders game, New York's coach, Scott Gordon said, "I can't believe (the Blues) are just .500 (8-8-4). That just blows my mind with all the talent they have."  Enough said....

The next game is Wednesday against the Stars in Dallas.  This, as always, is going to be an intense match up.  Look for a lot of physical play and maybe a little payback.

Here, this might CHEER US UP!

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!!!

When John Kelly screams, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" ya know something big just happened.  The Scottrade Center erupted last night after Johnson went end to end, scoring the game winning goal in overtime.  The Blues could not let Phoenix get by with another win in St. Louis.  Mason stood on his head last night, I mean "Holy Jumpin'! Did you see that save?"  Mason played absolutely outstanding, which he has this whole season.  But, last night he was fire on ice.  Thank you, thank you, thank you, Mr. Chris Mason...

And what can I say about Keith...You are one of the most talented players to have played the game.  Using that "Big Walt" strength and driving that puck into the net, was classic Tkachuk.  Thank you, thank you, thank you, big Walt....

Hey Phoenix, you just got "OSHIED!"  T.J. Oshie showed us again why he has become such a fan favorite.  The creativity and skill that he has is just outright, scary. To think about the potential Oshie and some of the other young stars the Blues have, makes me wonder if there is an end to how good they could become. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Oshie...oh and thanks for the autograph the other night, too!

Eric Johnson, you have saved us from overtime hell.  You have brought back something the Blues haven't had in a defense-man for a long time...OFFENSE!  I had to defend you in a little argument I had on facebook the other day...This guy was another one of those disgruntled, impatient fans who only picks out the negative points and loves to broadcast them to the world.  Anyways, the fact of the matter is that we didn't have anyone last year that fills the role you do now. Thank you, thank you, thank you, E. J.

To finish off this post, I would just like to say that for all of those people who think Andy Murray is incapable of doing his job, should really take a step back and listen.  Calling into radio stations and writing reviews, questioning if Coach Murray is right for this organization, is the last thing you should be doing as a fan.  Do your research before sounding like an idiot, please.  The management respects him, the players respect him, and so should the fans.  Don't bitch about the coach, save it for the weather.  Thank you, thank you, thank you, Coach Murray...

"Another Great Effort, But..."

Hard work doesn't always equal a win.  The Blues outplayed and out-shot San Jose the entire game, but again could not finish.  This lose makes the Blues home record 3-7-1, without winning back-to-back games since Sweden.

The Blues out-shot the Sharks 39-17 with McClement scoring the only goal. Where's the offense?  Well, "I" think it comes down to the ugly ones.  By ugly ones, I mean the opportunities that the Blues have around the net. There were so many around the net last night that were inches from going in, but the Blues couldn't catch a break.  I say "break" because you can never count on those scrappy chances around the net.  The Blues did a great job of crowding the goal but we never seem to be in the right spot for the rebound and if we are, the puck races right past one of our players before he gets a chance to shoot. I'm exaggerating a little because I'm frustrated...

One thing I can say about tonight's effort, was that we didn't do that great of a job on the blue line and setting up plays. We definitely need to work on the one-timers. We had some good opportunities on the power plays, but we need the element of surprise.  Boyes and McDonald were clutch on those last year, so why not this year?  Rebounds and the "ugly" ones will come and go, but we need to set up and make more quality shots.

One Step Back

The Blues take a step in the wrong direction after having a great win over Vancouver on Tuesday night. Tonight's game started right where they left off earlier this week.  The Blues attacked first when Brad Boyes scored his fourth goal of the season in the first period, assisted by Eric Johnson.  This would be the only goal of night for the Blues. But after scoring six goals two days ago, it kind of left me wondering where the motivation had gone.

Andy Murray said in the post game interview, that the team was a little too loose at practice. Perhaps it was the beating they put on Vancouver? Regardless, Murray said he shouldn't have to warn his players not to take any team for granite. The Blues were a different team tonight and Nashville took advantage.  They definitely showed their youth, and not in a good way.

The Blues have to go out on the ice with the same enthusiasm, mental and physical preparation ever period.  There is no other way you can be a competitive team in the NHL without these points. Focus and take advantage of these next home games, Blues. You're going to have to want it a little more than you did tonight, to beat San Jose.

Payback with a Hat-Trick

Tonight I was lucky enough to have gone to the best Blues game so far this season! WOW, what a game. All of the built up frustration was finally released tonight with a whopping 6-1 over the Canucks.

First and for most, give it up for David Perron (DP), getting his first hat-trick of his NHL career. What a night to remember. But as we all know, this Blues team has never been about one guy. Our go to guys that many people have been expecting a lot from, stepped it up tonight: Boyes, with a goal and three assists; McDonald with a goal and two assists; Johnson with a goal and a couple assists, and of course DP with the hat-trick.  All around great team effort and great hockey!

Not letting go of that playoff sweep the Canucks pulled on us last year, Janssen and Crombeen got into a couple brawls each tonight.  Some people are totally against fighting in hockey and it has been debated and debated on if it should be apart of hockey...Why the hell not?  This gets our players and the fans going.  You might not think it, but a good fist to cuffs is sometimes just what the team needs to step it up a level.

Way to go on the penalty kill, Blues! We are proving to the league that you're going to need a little more than a five on four advantage to score on our PK team. A job well done.

Lastly, I think this is just what the doctor ordered for the Blues. Motivation is a huge factor for this month. We have eight home games in the month of November.  The next four games are at Scottrade as well, and you can bet that with this huge victory over Vancouver, the Blues are going to be very tough to beat at home. 

Alright guys, ya got the goals behind you, ya got the fans behind you, so lets do some damage during this home stretch and get back into the battle.

2 is better than 1

Unless you're playing golf, two is better than one. That's how the Blues fell to Calgary last night to make this their third straight loss at Scottrade.  Granted it was an overtime loss, the Blues still haven't won a home game since Oct. 23, against Minnesota.

It's very unfortunate when you play as hard as what the Blues did last night, and in the midst of battling, two goals go in the net by means of ricochet or your own teammates stick.  But hey, that's the NHL and you can never count on luck.  The Blues should know this more than any other team in the league now.  It's hard to take away positive things from shutouts, but this time we actually SCORED! So players and fans, don't feel so bad. Sure, we didn't win, BUT we now have something positive we can use.  Speaking of scoring, maybe we should bring up a guy from Peoria every game, hmm? With Eller scoring his first goal last night, this would be the second time this year we brought up a guy from Peoria and in their first night playing, scored a goal.  Stastny, having his first goal of the season against Carolina, was the other Rivermen.

What Would Bernie Do?

I am a little depressed after this home stretch for the Blues. However, I believe that things are about to change for the better. Last night was the first time I saw, in a while, the Blues starting to shoot with more creativity. Their passes were better, they played with more awareness, and Oshie's determination is nothing but contagious. Watch out Philadelphia and don't expect to (fly) away with this one. LET'S GO BLUES!

Oshie and Eller in the Mix

It's Thursday, and after four days of practice, the Blues are ready to get back to winning.  To help in that quest is T.J. Oshie, who has been out since Oct. 23 due to an appendectomy, and Lars Eller, who was called up from Peoria.

Tonight, the Blues will take on Calgary at home.  Some of us are cringing a little bit because "home" hasn't felt much like home yet this season. With a record at home of 2-5-0 (including the win in Sweden), the Blues are looking for the offense that they seemed to have temporarily lost. Notice, I say temporarily...Why? Because now that the Yankees have won the world series, they are going to return the Blues offense that they stole at the beginning of October. (note: This will be the only time I discuss the Yankees in this blog...no more)

Tonight would be an important win with Philadelphia and Atlanta up next on our schedule. Having some momentum going into these next couple games is a definite plus. Speaking of Atlanta, how they spoiled our home opener and have a better record than us is just plain wrong. 

Alright Oshie, we need you to step it up tonight. Use your pee-wee football training and take out some Flames!    

Mason, "Player of the Month"

Okay, so the Blues website is having an open "Player of the Month" voting booth this year. The three players up for it this month are as follows: Chris Mason, Jay McClement, and Keith Tkachuk.  Considering the lack of offense the Blues have created in October, I am going to have to go with Mas.

Yes, Mason has let a few go through. However, he's not getting a lot of help defensively. The defense and offense are getting lost in their own zone, chasing the puck in stead of anticipating. Last year, our forwards would battle in the corners and were pretty successful. This year, we are lacking physically and in many other little aspects.  The Blues are a solid team and will soon prove to be this season. The expectations are high, unlike the past few years, but every team once in a while has a slump. That's right, a slump...Remember last October? It's great to start off winning, but there is a long season ahead of the Blues.

Anyways, I digress. Mason is a confident goalie and he gets the job done mentally and physically. It's hard to see the goods things when there's a slump, but just remember how lethal the Blues are when the offense shows up and Mason is between the pipes.  honk, honk, honk. 

My First Post

Hello Blues fans. This, as you can see from the title, is the first of many posts on this new blog dedicated to the St. Louis Blues and its' fans. I will be posting my thoughts as well as some action shots from the games. I try to attend as many games as I possibly can/afford. I am not a season ticket holder ( I wish ) but a college student trying to catch a glimpse of what this young and exciting St. Louis Blues team has to offer. So all you fans, enjoy...LET'S GO BLUES!