Keys to snapping the slump

After getting off to their best start in franchise history, the Blues were ravaged with injuries and essentially went into a tail-spin, losing its next 5 games. That 5-game skid included an 8-1 thrashing from Columbus and an odd 7-3 loss to the Detroit Red Wings. That loss to the Red Wings was the fifth and final loss of that skid for the Blues, but Detroit’s final 4 goals of that game came in a short 3-minute burst midway through the third period.

The Blues returned home following that loss in Detroit to take on the Ottawa Senators and New Jersey Devils. It turns out that some home cooking was all the Note needed to bounce back. Yes, Ottawa and New Jersey were struggling heading into the weekend’s games. However, given how poorly the Blues had been playing, no one really knew what to expect heading in.

Carlo told me that it helped playing in Scottrade Center again, but that it was important for the team to get back to the style of play it utilized earlier in the season.

“Obviously, this year we have been a really good team at home and basically getting back to the style of play that made us really successful for the first handful of games this season,” Carlo said. “We made it clear to ourselves that we can’t be making excuses and we still have a good enough team and good enough players to win hockey games.”

Power Surge

When I interviewed Andy Strickland a couple of weeks ago, he told me that he didn’t realize how much the Blues’ powerplay relied on Carlo.

“I didn’t realize Carlo Colaiacovo was this important to the powerplay and he really is,” Andy said. “I knew he was important and in some ways he’s their quarterback and he’s the best in distributing the puck on the power play from a defensive standpoint. He’s really good at it. He’s also good at getting the puck into the zone and being able to make that first pass to really get things moving”

Andy was right. At the time of the interview, Carlo had been out for the last 7 games due to a concussion he sustained after taking a big hit from Nashville’s Jordan Tootoo. Without the 27-year-old defenseman in there, the Blues were an astonishing 1-27 on the powerplay. However, since Carlo’s return on November 16, the Blues have scored at least one goal with the man-advantage in each of those games.

Defensive Prowess

Despite seeing their goals against total nearly triple during their 5-game losing streak, the Blues still rank amongst the NHL’s top 10 in goals against. Obviously a lot of credit has to be given to the goaltenders, Jaroslav Halak and Ty Conklin. However, the Blues’ defense has been spectacular in not allowing shots to get through and controlling opposing offenses once they enter the zone.

Quick Hits

Mood during the skid

“You know, we were one of the best teams road teams in the league last year and I think we gotta get back to that and if we can get back to that then we’re going to be right at the top where we were. Right now we just gotta focus on continuing to do the little things and make sure we don’t get stuck in a funk like that again.”

Maintaining momentum

“We’re not going to win too many hockey games when we try to run and gun with teams, I think. Our record shows a lot of the wins we have, we’ve been winning a lot of close games and low scoring games, so I think we have to continue that trend.”

Jaroslav Halak

“I think the one thing you see about Jaro is he’s got such a calm demeanor in the net he tries, doesn’t try, but he basically does make everything a little bit easier than it looks, which is a huge sign of confidence for himself as well the guys playing in front of him.”

Parting Shot

The Blues faced off against Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins earlier this season and will play Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals to open up the month of December. I asked Carlo about what it’s like to play against two of the leagues superstars in “Sid the Kid” and “Alexander the Great”.

Superstars

Let me start off by apologizing for the long gap between posts on Hockey Independent. I have been extremely busy with school and working on The Postgame Tailgate, a weekly feature on the University of Missouri football team, for my website, Hank’s Sports Blog (I know, that was a shameless plug, but I have to spread the word about my site wherever I can, right?). But enough about football, let’s talk some hockey.

Opening Faceoff

After getting off to the best start to a season in franchise history, the Saint Louis Blues have fallen on some hard times. Injuries to TJ Oshie and David Perron have hurt an already struggling offense and Jaroslav Halak and Ty Conklin have reinforced the fact that a team cannot rely solely on goaltending to win games in the NHL.

Obviously, Halak and Conklin have been money in net so far this season and I’m not trying to talk down on them just because they haven’t been holding teams to 0-1 goals recently. My point is, that no matter how talented and how well the Blues’ net-minders play, it will all be for not if the offense cannot find the back of the net.

I was talking to a buddy of mine about how it’s sort of unfortunate for Jaroslav Halak that the two teams he has been with so far in his career have struggled offensively. This guy has the potential to become one of those legendary goaltenders, if he can just get some help on the other end of the ice.

In last season’s Stanley Cup playoffs, the only reason, I think, that the Habs weren’t able to make it into the finals was because they relied to heavily on Halak. I’m sure to many of you die-hard hockey fans this is no earth-shattering revelation, but that is one big difference between the 2010-2011 Saint Louis Blues and the 2009-2010 Montreal Canadians. This Blues team has the potential on offense to light the lamp 3-4 times a night, even without a guy like TJ Oshie.

No, I’m not saying that the loss of number 74 won’t hurt the team. That’d be stupid. However, there are plenty of guys on this club who have shown the ability over their careers to score goals in large quantities.

Brad Boyes is the first name that comes to mind for a lot of fans and rightfully so. The former Bruin scored over 40 goals in his first season with the Blues, but struggled last season, netting just 14 goals.

Last season, Alex Steen broke onto the scene scoring 24 goals. He is going to need to prove that wasn’t just a fluke for this team to continue being successful. Obviously some of the other “big name” forwards on this team including Patrick Berglund and Andy McDonald need to step up as well, but the final forward that I want to focus on is David Backes.

David recently signed a 5-year contract extension with the Blues worth about $4.5 million. This is a guy who the fans love and has been tabbed by many as next in line for the captaincy. However, for as much as Backes brings to the table in terms of size, ability on face-offs, and leadership he has to step up on offense. The only way this “scoring-by-committee” system that the Saint Louis Blues have adopted will work is if everyone starts chipping in goals and I believe, given his size, that the best way for Backes to start putting that puck in the back of the net is just to sit in front of the net (ala Keith Tkachuk) and work on screening the goalie and banging in rebounds. With a big man like Backes in front of the net, that opens up things for snipers like Berglund and Boyes as well as some of the defensemen like Erik Johnson and Nikita Nikitin.

I’d be remised if I didn’t mention the play off Matt D’Agostini. This guy has been clutch for the Blues this season. Who would have thought with a roster that includes guys David Perron, Brad Boyes, and Alex Steen that Matt D’Agostini would be the team leader in goals. He has been coming up huge for the Blues and they are going to need him to continue coming up big if they want to be successful.

One last thing before I get to the more objective portions of this feature. You can back off the edge of the cliff, Blues fans. This team is going to have their losing streaks. Keep everything in perspective. We aren’t even 20 games into the season yet. This offense will start clicking and the defense, while young, has shown the ability to meet all the challenges it has been faced with. There are going to be growing pains, but they will bounce back. You cannot get too high or too down on the Blues this early in the season. They are going to have their ups-and-downs throughout the year and fans just have to keep things in perspective and maintain a level head.

There is just one thing fans should be a little worried about, however, and that is where we will start with this week’s edition of The Two Line Pass.

Power outage

One major aspect of the Blues’ game that was a glaring negative even amidst their best start in franchise history is the power play. Heading into tonight’s game against Colorado, the Blues have tallied just 8 goals with the man advantage despite having 68 opportunities (that’s an 11.8% power play percentage and leaves them among the bottom 5 in the league).

The Blues’ power play woes stem from their disorganization inside the offensive zone. InsideSTL Blues writer Kevin Lorenz said that it all starts with how the team enters the zone.

“The Blues’ biggest problem is with their entry into the zone,” Kevin said. “They have a lot of trouble gaining strong possessions in the zone. It’s tough to set up a play without the puck.”

Andy took a similar approach, focusing on how the team sets up once it does cross the opposing team’s blue line.

“They’re unsuccessful because they’re completely unorganized,” Andy said. “You got guys playing out of position, guys who are in positions where they don’t wanna be. Sometimes as a coach it’s best when you have veteran players who have had success on the power play, talk to those guys and see where they feel the most comfortable on the ice.”

As for how the Blues can remedy their problems on the power play, Andy believes that it starts at the blueline with newly appointed assistant captain, Erik Johnson.

“Erik Johnson, to me, has been disappointing. This guy’s gotta shoot the puck…You don’t make plays in the NHL from the blueline,” Andy said. “The way you create plays as a guy who is playing from the point is by getting the puck on net. So, you gotta shoot.”

Andy said that he recently talked about how it appears that Carlo Colaiacovo was the lynch pin to the Blues power play. He admitted that those who saw or heard his comments might not have taken him seriously because it doesn’t seem like Carlo would play such an important role on this team. However, Andy reinforced his point and stressed the importance of a healthy Carlo Colaiacovo to this Saint Louis Blues team.

“I mean this and I wrote about it and it may have sounded like I was half joking but I really wasn’t, I didn’t realize Carlo Colaiacovo was this important to the powerplay and he really is,” Andy said. “I knew he was important and in some ways he’s their quarterback and he’s the best in distributing the puck on the power play from a defensive standpoint. He’s really good at it. He’s also good at getting the puck into the zone and being able to make that first pass to really get things moving…So, they need this guy to get back, not only to sure up their situation they’re dealing with defensively, but they need Carlo Colaiacovo for the power play.”

Injuries

Amidst one of their hottest starts in franchise history, the Saint Louis Blues were struck hard with the injury bug.

Defensemen Barret Jackman and Carlo Colaiacovo have both been out for an extended period of time while Roman Polak is not expected to be back with the team for another month and a half.

Obviously the loss of these players will hurt the Blues. However, without Jackman on defense, the team loses a significant physical presence.

“You know besides the leadership, [Jackman’s] ability and willingness to stand up for his teammates, that physical presence, it’s just the way he plays,” True Hockey founder Andy Strickland said. “He brings a different demeanor and attitude than most of the other players on defense. Pietrangelo, Johnson, and some of these other guys, they don’t necessarily play that intimidation, in-your-face style of hockey that Barret Jackman has to play to be successful…he’s going to be missed big time.”

In addition to what the team loses on the ice, Jackman’s absence also takes away that key veteran presence. To fill in for that role, the Blues will look to their captain Eric Brewer to continue stepping up. While the team captain has not necessarily been a fan favorite over the past few seasons, he is coming off one of his first completely healthy off-seasons and is quietly playing some of the best hockey that we have seen from him. The loss of Barret Jackman means that even more attention will be put on Brewer and his response will be key to the team’s success.

“[Brewer’s] going to have to [continue stepping up] because he plays big minutes. He’s playing against the team’s best players, playing in penalty kill situations, so this guy has no choice,” Andy said. “It’s one thing to ask guys like Pietrangelo and Johnson to come up big, they’re going to have to too, but Brewer’s got the C on his jersey and he’s got the games played and the experience and the edge over all these guys.”

In addressing how the team will respond to the injuries on defense Andy and I focused on first round draft pick Alex Pietrangelo. After a mediocre preseason, Pietrangelo has really stepped up with some big minutes on D for the Blues and has shown the ability to meet the lofty expectations put upon him at the beginning of the year.

“When you look at the Blues right now, defensively, who’s been more consistent than this guy? Nobody. I’m impressed by what I’ve seen from him,” Andy said. “You know what, it’ll be interesting to see how he handles whatever is thrown his way and the Blues are going to depend on him in a big way and he’s going to have to come up big.”

With a guy like Roman Polak out, however, Pietrangelo will be under even more pressure to perform at a high level. Andy says that the young defenseman has already shown the ability to step up in the absence of key players, but that it will be interesting to see how he responds to the adversity that every rookie faces at some point during his first full season.

“I think that he’ll handle it just fine. I mean he’s given you no reason to think he can’t handle it,” Andy said. “Now, every rookie is gonna struggle and how he responds to that adversity is going to be interesting to see, but his demeanor in general is just so calm. Everything about him is just so poised that you just don’t worry about anything being too big for him or him just being too rattled. He’s been able to handle everything.”

Buzzer Beater: Nikita Nikitin

With Roman Polak out for 2 months, Andy named Nikita Nikitin as a player who looks to have a solid chance of staying with the NHL club for an extended period of time to fill in for Polak.

No one expected him this season, the Russian kid, and all of a sudden he just looks like an NHL-er to me. It just looks like he belongs. I mean, how do you send this guy back as he continues to make strides and get better?

Physically, he’s there in terms of strength necessary to play in the NHL. He’s got great vision, makes a good first pass, he’s got a really strong stick, his skating ability’s good, he can shoot the puck with the best of them. He along with Erik Johnson have looked sharp from the point.

This guy’s the real deal in terms of the whole package and he’s real raw. So, there are some tools to work with and he’s only going to get better.

Quick Hits

Andy gives his take on a few topics surrounding the Blues.

Ian Cole: I like the way he tries to make plays when he gets the puck. He’s not a guy who’s content with just getting off the glass and out, even when he’s under pressure. This guy has the ability to see plays around him, to see the ice, to take a look over your shoulder when going back to retrieve the puck and see what’s behind him and be able to make that tape-to-tape pass as opposed to just making the safe play and just getting it out and worrying about making a mistake.

The Blues as a team: You know who the Blues remind me of? And I wrote about this on True Hockey, they remind me of the Colorado Avalanche team from last year. They just sort of came out of nowhere, got really strong goaltending from Craig Anderson, had a really strong, enthusiastic, energetic team that outworked the opposition every single night, just a really tough team. When you look back, they struggled a bit at the end, but they still made the playoffs, but this is a fun team to watch.

Division: Can they win the division? Sure they can, but they got a long way to go and they have to continue winning at this pace and in reality, from this point going forward they’re not going to win 9 out of every 10 games, but you know what I’m saying. In order to keep pace with some of these teams like Detroit, it comes down to consistency and bringing the same game to the ice every single night.

Parting Shot: Replacing TJ Oshie

Kevin talks about the injury to TJ Oshie and analyzes the team’s decision to call up Chris Porter from Peoria. The team’s decision to bring Porter up to the NHL club seems somewhat surprising at first glance. In breaking down the team’s options for replacing TJ, I didn’t include Porter because he is not the goal scoring forward one would think the team could use. Even Jeremy Rutherford tweeted that the move was a bit surprising. After talking to Kevin, however, the Blues’ decision to call up Chris Porter makes a lot more sense.

TJ Oshie and Chris Porter-Lorenz

Last List of Links: Check out Andy’s website True Hockey. You can read Kevin’s articles on InsideSTL. You can follow me on Twitter @Brian_Haenchen and @HanksSportsBlog.

Thanks for reading!

Opening Face-off

10.09.10-vs. Philadelphia Flyers (W 2-1)

Carlo Colaiacavo made sure the Saint Louis Blues opened up their season with a W, netting the game-winning goal in overtime against the Philadelphia Flyers. The Blues defender skated in at just the right time and buried the rebound from an Alex Steen backhander to seal the victory for the Blues 1:47 into OT.

Forward Brad Boyes accounted for the Blues’ other goal, netting a power play goal late in the first period. The Flyers’ lone goal came on a quirky shot from Danny Briere off a rebound. Unlike last season where the team would sometimes play more conservatively after giving up the equalizer in the third period, the Blues remained extremely aggressive and came close on numerous occasions to ending the game in regulation.

10.11.10-vs. Anaheim Ducks (W 5-1)

The Blues beat down a struggling Anaheim Ducks and broke a couple long standing records in the process. The first record to fall came in the first period when David Backes and Andy McDonald both scored just 6 seconds apart, breaking a 42-year-old franchise record. Record #2 to fall? The Blues out-shot the Ducks 53-14, the largest spread in shot differential for the team in franchise history.

Matt D’Agostini had a big game scoring 2 of the teams other 3 goals (and nearly netting a third as the final seconds ticked away). BJ Crombeen accounted for the other remaining goal for the Blues.

This week’s guest: Jeff Quirin

Blue Note Zone founder Jeff Quirin. In addition to writing for and running his own website, Jeff also writes for Hockey Independent.

Road trip!

After back-to-back home games to open up the season the Blue Note now heads out to Nashville to kick off its first road trip of the season. The three game, four day round trip will take the Blues to Nashville, Dallas, and Chicago. After getting such a strong start at home, it should be interesting to see how the Blues are able to perform on the road against three teams that gave them fits last season. Here is what Kevin and Jeff say Blues fans should expect to see from the Note over the next 4 days and how the playing styles differ between games at home and abroad.

Jeff: [These will be] three hard fought games as the cohesion they started building in the melee against the Ducks continues to grow. There seems to be a realization of just how important the first month to six weeks of the season can be. They’ll bring the home effort level on the road trip and outwork three groups of defensemen who have seen better days. To an extent there is [a change in playing style between home and away games]. Shifts are shorter, less risks are taken, players try to reduce chances to take penalties. In short the game is simplified to minimize the various advantages that come with being the home team.

Kevin: I would expect a lot of the same that you’ve seen so far.  Davis Payne emphasizes a game by game approach so every game is as important as the team prepares. [In terms of differences in playing style], because the home team gets the last change, the road game for some coaches can actually be less complicated since they are not able to match lines as effectively.  Other than that, like I said previously Davis has the same home and road approach.

Janssen Injury

Blues enforcer Cam Janssen took a hard hit from teammate Brad Winchester during the season opener against the Philadelphia Flyers. Winchester and Janssen were both moving in to run over Flyer Oskars Bartulis. However, Janssen skated in front of Bartulis and was hit in the head by Winchester’s elbow.

The hit knocked Janssen to the ice and broke his stick. After he was carted off the ice it was revealed that Janssen suffered a concussion and and sternum contusion that will keep the Saint Louis native out for at least two weeks. Coach Davis Payne cited a combination of the hit, the ice, and the broken stick (a piece of which went into Janssen’s chest) as causes for the injuries his player suffered.

The biggest loss the Blues suffer without a player like Janssen on the roster is definitely energy. His frenetic style of play energizes both his teammates and the fans. Here is how Kevin and Jeff broke down the loss of Janssen and its effect on the team.

Jeff: Who is the spark plug? Who goes out with reckless abandon because his job is to stir the pot and amp up the energy level? Cam fills that role perfectly, especially at Scottrade. Momentum shifts come from special teams conversions, goals, fights and big hits. Losing Janssen means that half of the Blues game changing abilities are reduced.

Kevin: Cam brings a lot of intangibles to the game aside from his role as a physical deterrent, like energy play and constant encouragement on the bench.

In terms of how Coach Davis Payne can replace a player like Janssen, Kevin and Jeff both agreed that Brad Winchester and Ryan Reaves will be relied upon to step up and take over as the team’s agitators during Janssen’s absence.

Brew Crew

The game against Anaheim showed that just because the Blues are without their tough-guy, they are not going to be easy to shove around. Numerous players dropped the gloves and laid some punishing hits on the opposition in defense of their teammates. The most meaningful fight, in my opinion, came in the third period when team captain Eric Brewer dropped the gloves with Aaron Varos after he took a cheap shot at one of the Blues players.

Despite standing up for his teammate and exemplifying the reasons why he was selected to remain on as team captain, Brewer continues to take heat from the Blues faithful. While he has done a lot in the past to warrant such harsh criticism, it’s objectively true that he has done nothing to draw criticism from this season from the fans. In fact, his fighting Varos in the third period should earn him a little praise from the fans.

Point blank question: What does Eric Brewer have to do in order to earn some respect from Blues fans?

Jeff: I don’t think he will ever be able to endear himself to the fans. I have seen many temper their stance and acknowledge that Eric really is a capable hockey player. Then I see someone complaining that Brewer’s fight with Aaron Voros in the third period killed a 3 on 2 rush and shake my head. At that point of the game sticking up for your teammate and pairing partner is vastly more important than one odd man rush when the Blues were up by three goals. It’s a situation where he is wrong no matter what he does.

Kevin: He just needs to play his game and not worry about the fans, not that he has worried before.  Brewer is what he is, a solid (not bad, but not great) defenseman.

Quick Hit: Power Outage

Despite starting the season so strongly, the Blues powerplay has struggled going just 2 for 18 in their first 2 games. Personally, I find their 11.1% powerplay percentage rather alarming. Here are Jeff and Kevin’s takes.

Jeff: There has to be concern right away. The 9 missed opportunities on the power play in the home opener allowed the Flyers to score just one goal in the third period to force Overtime. A second of third power play conversion puts that game out of reach before the Flyers tie the game. At this point they seem to really be relying on the shot from the point and it’s not there. Id like to see the Blues physically move more and utilize Pietrangelo as a offensive zone rover. Movement creates shooting lanes and right now they aren’t moving enough.

Kevin: I think it’s a little too early.  You can see the changes on the power play being effective in terms of puck possession and shot totals; the goals will come.

Parting “Flick”

Ranked as the 4th smartest man in sports by The Sporting News, George Parros looked like a moron in the third period of Anaheim’s loss sticking his tongue out and flicking Blues defenseman Barret Jackman. Here’s the video of the “altercation” between the two.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Barret was on The ITD Morning After in Saint Louis, MO and had this to say about what happened. “I’m not gonna fight some big dummy like that and miss 2-minutes of the game,” said Jackman. “He figured if he flicked me enough it might agitate me, but no. It was more just of a laugh off by me and he went to the penalty box.”

The ITD Morning After can be heard live weekday mornings from 7-10 on 590 The Fan KFNS and online at InsideSTL.com. As always you can check out the full transcript of the interviews with Kevin Lorenz and this week’s guest, Jeff Quirin, on Hank’s Sports Blog.

Thanks for reading!

Special announcement:

Kevin Lorenz

Starting in October, I will be featuring a Blues player each month as part of The Two Line Pass.

Each month, I will interview a Blues player (along with Kevin Lorenz-more on him later) for The Two Line Pass and do a special feature on him for Hockey Independent. No definite line-up of players has been set yet, but I will announce who the player will be each month as soon as I know and create a thread on the HSB forum for any questions you want me to ask him.

InsideSTL’s Kevin Lorenz has also agreed to be a regular guest on The Two Line Pass. Each week during the season, I will interview Kevin along with another Blues media member or Blues player.

I’m extremely excited about the potential this feature has and I’d really appreciate your feedback. If there’s something you’d like to see added, tweaked, or removed from The Two Line Pass or you have questions you’d like answered, please let me know! I really appreciate the feedback and would love to get Blues fans involved as much as possible.

I’d like to give a big thanks to Blues Vice President of Public Relations Mike Caruso for helping me set everything up as well as Kevin for helping me get this thing started and for agreeing to be a regular guest.

This week’s guest: Andy Strickland

Andy Strickland, who has won numerous broadcasting awards and was named Best Reporter in 2004 by The River Front Times, recently started up True Hockey, the newest source for NHL news. Andy can be heard in Saint Louis on 590 The Fan KFNS. In addition to his journalism activities, Andy is also a coach with the AAA Blues organization.

Assessment of Blues preseason

The Saint Louis Blues fell to the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 in their preseason finale. BJ Crombeen, TJ Hensick, and Patrik Berglund all found the back of the net, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the 4 goals given up by back-up goaltender Ty Conklin in the 2nd period. The loss dropped the Blues to 5-3. Even though it doesn’t count, the Blues did finish 2nd in the Western Conference with 10 points.

Here is what Andy and Kevin took out of the Blues’ preseason performance:

Strickland: A couple of guys stand out right away, first of all David Perron and Alex Steen were the two most impressive players, by far, in training camp. These two guys really look like they have the ability to break out. They’re kind of under the radar players, not necessarily in Saint Louis, but in the broad scope of things in the NHL. I don’t think people in the league realize just how good these guys are and just how confident they are with the puck right now. I don’t think anybody’s more confident than those two. So, that sticks out right away.

There’s certainly some competition on the back end, without a doubt. Jaroslav Halak gives his team a lot of confidence on the back end. I don’t think scoring is going to be as big of an issue as maybe it was at times last season.

The big question continues to be how good is this team going to be inside its own end? That’s just something we’re going to have to pay attention to and watch.

Lorenz: Overall strong performance, but some things that stick out:

1. Slow starts: In all three losses the Blues started off sluggish just to finish strong, but not strong enough. Granted the first two losses were with a jumbled mix of prospects and NHL players, but the final game against Chicago, and even the OT win against Dallas the team started off slowly only to finish strong.

2.  The penalty kill is good, but not as good. Losing Mike Weaver really hurts the penalty kill, and someone will have to step up if the Blues want to rely on their kill.

3. The power play is better. Davis Payne has re-worked the power play setup and continues to draw up ways to make the units less predictable. The entry seems better than last season so far.

4. Jaroslav Halak won’t disappoint. Don’t let the numbers fool you (most goals he has let in so far have been odd), he will be a stabilizing force in the net.

Impressions of Jaroslav Halak

After a loss to Colorado in the preseason opener at Scottrade, newly-acquired goaltender Jaroslav Halak won his next two starts including a thrilling come-from-behind overtime victory over the Dallas Stars. While he didn’t necessarily show it in his 3 preseason starts, Andy believes Halak has the ability to shut out opponents, but will once again have to prove himself as worthy of holding the starting job. “He’s going to get his fair share of shutouts, but now he’s the premiere goaltender on this team,” said Strickland. “It’s a new situation for him because he’s never come into a season as the true number one. It’s new territory and he’s going to have to prove himself all over again, even considering what he did last season in the playoffs.”

Kevin agreed with Andy, noting that “It will be a rare occurrence where you will be able to pin a loss on Jaro. You can expect a GAA in the mid-twos and a save percentage in the lower to mid nines. He will keep the Blues in games.”

Checking on the kids

Kevin and Andy were both impressed by 1st round draft pick Ian Cole. “Ian Cole is a guy who doesn’t seem to have a learning curve. His transition from Notre Dame in the NCAA to Peoria was seamless, as was his jump to the NHL in preseason,” said Lorenz. “Ian has a legitimate chance to make the opening day roster, and if he doesn’t you can expect to see him as a call-up this season or in a full time role next season.”

Andy also mentioned goaltender Ben Bishop* and Russian D-man Nikita Nikitin. Bishop’s only goal against came on the first shot he saw from the Minnesota Wild in the team’s 2nd preseason game. After shutting down the Wild for the remainder of the game, he shut out the Colorado Avalanche at the Pepsi Center.

Nikitin tallied 2 points in his 3 preseason games. While he may not be a household name, the young defenseman’s ability to move the puck and willingness to throw his body around means he could become a real asset to this team in the future.

Here is what Andy had to say about Nikitin, “[Cole] sticks out along with Bishop and the Russian kid, Nikita Nikitin, who we didn’t know a lot about. He’s a big strong kid who I think handled the adjustment of not only being over here in North America with the language and everything [well], but just handling the smaller ice surface and just playing with a faster brand of hockey.”

*Ty Conklin will once again be serving as the Blues’ second string goalie. However, if prospect Ben Bishop plays as well in Peoria as he did during the preseason, Andy believes that he could find himself on the NHL club. Check out what Andy had to say about the Saint Louis native here**Link to HSB trasncripts.

Quick Hits: Pluses and Minuses

Andy and Kevin state what they believe to be the Blues’ biggest strength and their biggest weakness heading into the regular season.

Strength

Andy: They’re young, the enthusiasm and energy they play with. They’re hungry to prove people wrong. They’ve got underrated skill and they got good goaltending. They got a bunch of guys who can play real well at this level. I think the strength of this team has to be the ability to play an aggressive, up-tempo, fast brand of hockey.

Kevin: Team defense and Goaltending

Weakness

Andy: Their biggest weakness comes defensively. They didn’t do anything to upgrade their defense from last year. Do they have enough guys who can really jump start that up-tempo transition game?…I think that was an area heading into the offseason that they wanted to improve, but they didn’t get that done.

Kevin: Unproven scoring.

Parting shot: Where will they finish?

Andy: I think this team making the playoffs is realistic. They have to stay healthy, they have to be consistent and show that consistency throughout the season. If they don’t make the playoffs it’s going to be a drastic step in the wrong direction for this organization.

Kevin: I predict they will finish anywhere between 6 and 10th place in the Western Conference.

Check out transcripts of my full interviews with Kevin and Andy on Hank’s Sports Blog.

Thanks for reading!

With training camp opening in about a week, Blues fans’ attention turns towards prospects who have potential to make contributions to the NHL team this season. While assessing prospects is a task for every team in the NHL, it is especially important for the Blues who have been marketing their youth movement for a few years.

Here are Kevin’s selections for the player with the most to gain and the player with the most to lose heading into camp:

“I would say Ian Cole has a chance to make the NHL club out of camp, although a very slight chance.  While most are projecting him to make the AHL club, most also projected him to have some growing pains in his first 5 games at the end of Peoria’s 2009-2010 season. Instead he stood out as a comfortable minor league defenseman.  Most experts agree that four defensemen are competing for the final two spots; if Cole can play as well this year as the Blues expect him to play in the future, he can make this team this year.”

As for the player he believes has the most to lose…”On the other side of the defensive coin, Alex Pietrangelo is expected to finally earn a permanent spot on the St. Louis Blues, but no one has given him his spot, he will need to earn it. Consistency is his biggest rival, and if he sputters in camp he will start the season in Peoria.”

<<Patrik Berglund

After putting up 47 points two seasons ago, Patrik Berglund had something of a letdown last year posting just 26 points. Without a “big-name” goal scorer, the team is going to need Berglund to make some serious contributions on offense.

Despite the fact that Berglund is one of the centerpieces of the team’s youth movement, he was involved in offseason trade rumors, and given the strength of the Western Conference, the Blues need to be firing on all cylinders from the start of the season and may not be able to wait on Berglund to right the ship.  I asked Kevin about the possibilities of a trade involving Berglund, should he start struggling early in the year.

“It all depends on what you would get back for Berglund.  If you trade a project for a project does it really do you any good?  The Blues know what they have in Berglund, a skilled player who struggled early and spent the rest of the season trying to work his issues out on the ice.  You don’t always know what you are getting in return.”

Pressure on Brad Boyes

Brad Boyes experienced a major drop in his offensive numbers as well, going from 33 goals scored in 08-09 to just 14 last season. The forward will be relied on heavily this season to get back to the 30-goals scored level. While Kevin believes that Boyes is one of the players under the most pressure this season, he does believe that Boyes still has the ability to score 30-goals a season.

“You could easily make the argument that Brad Boyes and Berglund are tied for first in the pressure rankings.  Boyes makes his paychecks by being an elite sniper.  His defensive game has drastically improved but the Blues don’t pay him to win Selke Trophies.  If Boyes cannot be a go-to guy in St. Louis the Blues will be in trouble,” Lorenz said. “I 100% believe that Brad will get back to 30 goals. He may never again score 40, but he is a sniper, and I believe he has multiple 30 goal seasons in him.”

Quick hits: Jaroslav Halak

Expectations of Halak this season: Consistency.  If Halak can play to his level night in and night out you can count on a successful season.  The bigger question is what happens to Eller in Montreal if he struggles?

With the loss of Chris Mason, a guy who was well-respected in the locker room, how the team will adjust to their new teammate: I think the players will be able to adjust to Halak pretty quickly.  Given the amount of class he showed the fans of Montreal on his way to St. Louis, and the amount of fan anger when Montreal traded him, there is no indication that he’s a problem-type guy in the locker room.  The culture of the locker room is trending younger and I think Halak will fit right in.

I talked to Kevin about the press conference held for Halak last Thursday. Here’s what he said about it: Audio

Parting Shot: Calling all captains

Breaking down this season’s team captains

The full transcript of this interview can be found at Hank’s Sports Blog. To see what other guests are lined up for The Two Line Pass or to submit your questions for one of the Blues experts, go to the Blues board at the HSB forum.

Cam Janssen (R) with agent Scott Norton

The recent economic downturn has affected many people financially. Strapped for cash, almost everyone has been counting their pennies and saving whenever possible. Unfortunately, these cutbacks normally include eliminating donations to the poor. However, when it comes to helping the less fortunate, contributions can go beyond simply donating money to a charity or giving cash to a homeless person. That is the focal point of sports agent Scott Norton’s new program called “Make My Day Mondays.”

Every Monday people are encouraged to do something to help out a person in need. Whether it is something simple like helping an elderly person cross the street or something more time consuming like helping to renovate an old house, the focus of Scott’s plan is not on any sort of specific dollar amount or goal. Instead, people are encouraged to behave with a sense of strong morality and support for their community.

“People feel they can not give enough, so they don’t give at all. Many people get phone calls and letters from various charitable organizations asking for amounts that are out of their range, and because there is a recession they feel its excusable not to give, but its not,” said Norton. “We should help, but be allowed to offer what we can, even if its only a dollar or five minutes of our time.”

Norton uses both his clients and the social media to spread the word about his new venture. Two of his clients, Los Angeles Kings captain Dustin Brown (@DustinBrown23) and St. Louis Blues tough guy Cam Janssen (@CamJanssen55), utilize Twitter to spread the word about Make My Day Mondays.

The use of Twitter to spread the word about Make My Day Mondays is not just limited to these two athletes, however. Search for the hash-tag #MMDM on Twitter to see the hundreds of people who have already started participating.

It is important to understand that the point of explaining what you did for MMDM on Twitter is not to simply brag about yourself. The point of using a site like Twitter is to spread the word about MMDM. Explaining what you did to your followers, gives them an idea of what the program is all about.

Kings captain Dustin Brown

The motivation behind having athletes tweet about their good deed is the same. Having high-profile athletes like Janssen and Brown tell their fans what they did, exemplifies the meaning of the program.

“We want people not to merely try to imitate a players slap shot, but a player’s good will,” said Norton.

With the amount of bad publicity surrounding athletes these days, it is important to recognize those who are doing the right thing and Make My Day Mondays exemplifies some of those athletes.

Scott Norton is the president and founder of Norton Sports Management. He has been an NHL player agent for 17 years. You can follow Scott on Twitter @NortonSports.

Blues tough guy Cam Janssen talks about Make My Day Mondays

On the off-season contract negotiations: “It was pretty frustrating at first, not knowing where you’re going to be, but once the deal was done, I was pretty excited.”

Off-season Training

Cam talks about meeting up with his teammates in Saint Louis to practice skating and stay in shape during the off-season.

Teammates

“Our young guys are going to be really good this year…Boy, I tell you what, we’re going to have a damn good team.”

Acquisition of Jaroslav Halak

While Halak dazzled hockey fans in last year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, Cam points out that the young net minder has yet to fully prove himself in the league. He also talks about the departure of Chris Mason.

Loss of Keith Tkachuk

Cam talks about what it was like playing with Keith Tkachuk and his invaluable leadership qualities: “Walt is an unbelievable guy. He was a great guy in the locker room. He was a father figure, he was a leader, he was our coach, he was everything put together. We loved the guy and he is going to be missed.”

DJ King

Discussing what it was like having to split time with DJ King and what their off-ice relationship was like.

Coach Davis Payne

Relationship with head coach Davis Payne and how Payne’s knowledge of the game from a player’s perspective has benefited Cam so far.

Prospects

Cam keeps in contact with the younger players down in Peoria fighting for a spot on the NHL team and is excited to see who wins out. He also talks about his connection to fellow-Saint Louis native Phil McRae.

Home Woes

For whatever reason, the Blues were unable to win games at home last season. However, the players have put that in the past and are ready to dominate Scottrade Center this season.

Baseball Brawls

Did you know that Washington Nationals’ outfielder Nyjer Morgan actually played hockey in the WHL with Saint Louis Blues defenseman Barret Jackman? For those of you who don’t follow baseball or haven’t seen/read/heard any sort of baseball-related news, Morgan has had a recent streak of absurd behavior.  Here’s a rundown of what’s happened:

1. Threw ball at heckler in the stands

2. Went out of his way to bump Cardinals’ back-up catcher Brian Anderson when he didn’t even have the ball.

3. Trucked the Florida Marlins catcher, dislocating his shoulder.

4. After getting thrown at in retaliation for injuring the Marlins’ catcher, Morgan stole 2nd and 3rd base with his team down by 11 runs (you don’t do that).

5. In response to Morgan’s actions the night before, Marlins pitcher Alex Sanabia threw behind the young outfielder. Morgan dropped his bat and charged the mound where he was clothes-lined by Marlins’ first baseman Gaby Sanchez.

In 2003, the young net minder helped carry the Slovakian U-18 team to a silver medal and was named top goalie in the tournament. In that tournament, Halak played the most minutes in net (419) and still managed to have the second lowest goals against average at 2 per game.

Following that performance at the World U-18 championships, Jaroslav made the jump to North America playing a season in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. While he spent time at both the QMJHL and AHL levels in 2004-05, Halak shone with the Lewiston Maineiacs in the Quebec League, leading the team into the playoffs.

Even though they were knocked out by the eventual Memorial Cup runners-up, Halak’s record of 24-17 and a 2.78 goals against average in a league known for its high-powered offense, earned him a spot with the Bulldogs in the AHL.

Prior to the 2005-06 season, Halak was promoted to the Canadiens’ ECHL affiliate in Long Beach where he posted the league’s second best goals against average and led the league in save percentage. Despite suffering injuries during the season, he was called up to the AHL where he would stay for good.

Halak started to dominate at the AHL level, leading the league in goals against average and recording the second best save percentage. His impressive numbers earned him goaltender of the month in November and a place as starting netminder for the Planet USA All-Star team.

That performance in the AHL also earned him a spot in Montreal where he played a big role in the team’s late-season surge for a playoff spot.

Obviously Halak’s performance in the AHL earned him a spot on the NHL team. However, performance at the AHL level is exponentially more important for goaltenders as compared to position players. In discussing goaltending prospects Cory Schneider and Ben Bishop, BluesBuzz writer Andy Strickland stressed that young goalies must earn their spot in the NHL.

“People talk about Cory Schneider. He’s just getting to the NHL this year. He’s paid his dues in the minors and while he was there, he was the best goaltender in the entire league,” said Strickland. “You don’t just hand guys assignments to the NHL. [You have to] dominate the AHL before we start talking about the NHL.”

While continuing to pay his dues in the AHL with the Hamilton Bulldogs, Halak earned 6 appearances with the Habs behind Carey Price and Cristobal Huet. During his time that season with the NHL team, Halak posted 1 shutout and finished with a 2.11 goals against average. He also got in on 2 playoff games that year with Montreal playing a total of 77 minutes.

While it was Price who ultimately became the Habs' back-up, Halak started his NHL career playing behind Price.

Despite stints in the NHL, Halak remained focused while in the AHL posting 2 shutouts, 2.10 goals against average, and a .929 save percentage in 28 games with the Bulldogs.

Halak played the majority of the 2008-09 season in the NHL. Backing up 2005 first round pick Carey Price, Halak put up a respectable record of 18-14 in 34 games played.

It was last season, however, that Halak was finally able to break through on the NHL level. With Price struggling to find his consistency at times during the season, Halak was given the majority of the appearances during the regular season and did not disappoint. In 45 games played the 24-year-old goaltender posted a record of 26-13 with a 2.40 goals against average.

Halak’s hot streak continued into the playoffs where he essentially carried the Canadiens past the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins, two NHL powerhouses. The magic ran out in the Eastern Conference Finals, however, and the Philadelphia Flyers eliminated the Habs in 5 games. To give you an idea of how unprecedented the Habs’ 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs push was, no 8^th seeded team had ever come back to win the opening round series after being down 3 games to 1.

Halak’s performance between the pipes was undoubtedly the driving force behind that playoff run. Only two Canadiens scored more than 4 goals (and only 1 scored more than 10) and just 3 of the team’s victories were by more than 1 goal.

Halak was a fan favorite in Montreal. Needless to say, the fans were unhappy with his departure.(Click for article)

While the Canadiens front office was hoping to keep both Price and Halak, allowing the two to alternate throughout the season, neither goalie wanted to share time with the other, forcing the Habs to make a move. Despite his performance in the playoffs, it was Halak, much to the chagrin of many Habs fans, who was traded to the Saint Louis Blues for forward Lars Eller (pictured below).

While GM Doug Armstrong and the Blues may have traded away a player with potential to evolve into one of the leagues’ most prolific forwards, Halak has the potential to become a consistent, reliable net minder, something the team has been searching for, for the past few years.

It should be interesting to see if Halak is able to perform like he did last year and how fans gauge the success of this deal. Even if Halak develops into one of the league’s top goaltenders, the big question will still be was it still worth giving up a player like Eller for him, especially if he evolves into a top notch forward.

With Jaroslav locked up for 4 more years, the Blues will essentially live and die with him between the pipes. They have invested too much in him to give up on him, should he start to struggle. While Ty Conklin is one of the league’s best back-up goaltenders, it doesn’t make much sense for the Blues to have their 4-year/$15 million investment riding the bench throughout this season.

Another possible downside to this deal (and by no means am I suggesting that this will happen or that I am hoping any of this happens) is that the Blues have invested a lot marketing wise into Halak. As soon as he was acquired, the team began to promote his addition to the team, and he wasn’t even signed at the time. While it looks bad for the team’s star acquisition to struggle on the ice, it looks even worse to sit that guy on the bench, allowing him to “gather dust.”

Now I turn it over to you, Blues fans. What are you expecting out of Halak? And even if he is “successful” during his time with the Blues, was it still worth trading away your top prospect in Lars Eller (assuming he becomes one of the league’s best forwards)?

Thanks for reading!

Kevin Lorenz and Kelsey from The Late Night Score

My first guest for the 2010-2011 season of The Two Line Pass is Producer Kevin Lorenz “The Non-Gay”. The Blues writer for InsideSTL, Kevin has been playing hockey for the past 17 years of his life, starting in the Chesterfield Program. The Non-Gay played 4 years at DeSmet Jesuit High School, including one appearance in the Mid-States Championship Game (that appearance ended in an overtime loss to the CBC Cadets). During college, Kevin played 2 years on Mizzou’s varsity in-line team and coached the B-team for 2 years.

Formerly an intern for The ITD Morning After, Kevin Lorenz now produces and hosts The Late Night Score, an entertainment and St. Louis news talk show, from 10 pm-midnight on 590 The Fan KFNS.  Kevin is joined on the show by Kelsey, Kasey, and Wendy. David Cline of Hedonism runs the webcam.

You can listen to The LNS live on 590 AM in Saint Louis or online at KFNS.com. If you’d like to see the crew, but can’t make it out to that night’s location, there is also streaming video on InsideSTL.com

In addition to his duties with The LNS, Kevin also helps produce The One to Three Show a Saint Louis sports and entertainment talk show featuring Jay Randolph Jr., Joe Pelusi, and Sara Bruce. The One to Three Show can also be heard locally on 590 AM or online at KFNS.com.

You can see a full transcript of this interview at Hank’s Sports Blog. I hope to make this into an actual podcast in the coming weeks so stay tuned. I’m still searching for a copy of Adobe Photoshop, if you or someone you know could help me out please let me know! This is going to be a weekly feature, so if you have a question you’d like me to ask that week’s guest, let me know!

Barrett Jackman on the block

St. Louis Post Dispatch Blues beat reporter Jeremy Rutherford first reported last week that the Blues were shopping around Barret Jackman. Among the teams the Blues were reportedly trying to strike a deal was the Washington Capitals.

Being a specialized defenseman, Jackman’s value depends heavily on the needs of the team trading for him. Among the names being mentioned as trade candidates were Alexander Semin and Thomas Fleischmann. Producer Kevin said that a deal involving either of those players would most likely involve the Blues giving up another player or draft pick.

I asked Kevin “The Non Gay” about his thoughts on trading Jackman and was rather surprised by his answer.

“I know I’m in the minority, but I’m not a big proponent of trading Barret,” said Lorenz. “I think his defense is underrated on a team that did not score much last season, but it is very valuable on a team that expects to score more this season.”

Kevin continued to say that Jackman’s leadership and experience are two intangibles the Blues will need this season, especially without Keth Tkachuk.

In addition to his value as an experienced team leader, many fans overlook the emergence of Jackman and Polak as a “highly talented shutdown pairing” on defense last season.

Contingency plan in net

Should newly acquired goalie Jaroslav Halak start to struggle early this season, the Blues could be in serious trouble. Given the strength of not only the Blues’ division, but also the Western Conference as a whole, head coach Davis Payne may not be able to tough it out with Halak.

If Halak struggles early, the season may not be lost for the Blues. Kevin points out that the Blues have one of the better backups in Ty Conklin and their goalies in the AHL could help out on the NHL club as well.

“Conklin has shown in the past that he is able to handle a demanding starting role; the 2008 season with the Penguins he went 18-8-5 in 33 games, and in 2009 with the Red Wings he posted a 25-11-2 record in 40 games,” said Lorenz. “At the AHL level Ben Bishop and Jake Allen will battle for the starter’s role, it’s possible, but unlikely that Bishop could see some time in the NHL.”

Quick hits: Prospects

On Vladimir Tarasenko staying one more year in the KHL: An extra season in Russia could help him develop as long as the Blues are giving him the proper workouts and he is working on correcting the issues that are keeping him out of the NHL now, however I would prefer he played in the AHL this season. In my opinion, Tarasenko will be contributing to the Blues sometime in 2012 since he will need a short stay in the AHL.

On if Alex Pietrangelo will be on the NHL roster: The Blues are no longer in a position where they need to fast track their top draft picks, especially on defense, so it doesn’t matter to them that “Petro” was the 4th overall pick in 2008. If he doesn’t make the team out of camp this season, it doesn’t make him a bust either.

Other prospects who could make the Blues’ roster: Two other guys who look to make the team this season are Tyson Strachan and Nikita Nikitin; in fact, one of them likely will make the team with Pietrangelo this season. On the forward front, Phil McRae and Nick Drazenovic have outside chances to make the team, but I’d be surprised to see either on opening night.

Parting shot:

Kevin gives a quick summary of the Blues’ ownership situation:

“TowerBrook is going to divest their 75% stake in the Blues, that is for certain, however they will not do so until Dave Checketts and Co can find suitable buyers for that 75% stake. The ownership situation doesn’t help matters in that respect as they certainly aren’t going to go over their internal budget until it is resolved, but Checketts insists it is not affecting the day-to-day operations.”

Thanks for reading!

Oshie was the state scoring champion his senior year and was selected to the AP All-State first team.

Born Timothy Oshie Jr., TJ Oshie is developing into a big time playmaker for the Saint Louis Blues.

Drafted 24^th overall by the Blues in 2005, Oshie played his high school hockey in Warroad, Minnesota. During his senior season at Warroad High School, the 23-year-old forward lead his team to an undefeated season and a Class A state title. That season Oshie put up 37 goals and 62 assists, en route to earning the title of state scoring champion and a spot on the AP All-State first team.

After high school, Oshie spent a short time in the USHL with the Sioux Falls Stampede before enrolling in the University of North Dakota.

Prior to his first year of college, Oshie was selected in the 1^st round, 24^th overall in the 2005 NHL Draft by the Blues. That ’05 draft was loaded with big name NHL players including Sidney Crosby, Bobby Ryan, Jack Johnson, and Jonathan Quick.

Despite being drafted into the NHL, Oshie decided to stay in school and went on to score 24 goals, the most of any first year player in the entire NCAA. That same year he was also selected to Team USA for the World Junior Championships (that team lost to Finland in the Bronze medal game).

The then-Blues prospect went on to play two more seasons at North Dakota putting up 52 points his second season and a team-high 45 points in his third and final season. During his final year with the Fighting Sioux, Oshie was a Top 10 Hobey Baker Award finalist and earned all-tournament honors at the WCHA Final Five and NCAA Midwest Region Championship. He was also selected to the American Hockey Coaches Association first team West All-American and the All-Western Collegiate Hockey Association first team.

Oshie played a pivotal role in the Blues’ 2008-09 playoff run putting up 39 points (14 goals, 25 assists). His goal against the Vancouver Canucks on March 25 earned him the NHL’s 2008-09 Goal of the Year honors and his hits against Rick Nash late in the season energized both his teammates and fans and earned him a spot in Urban Dictionary.

Last season, the young Blues forward showed improvement from his rookie year putting up more goals, assists, and points.

While he may not become a big-time scorer, Oshie does posses the ability to create plays and score goals in the clutch.

“Is he ever going to be a 35 goal scorer? He hasn’t shown any signs to make you think that he will be, but it’s going to be real interesting,” said HockeyBuzz writer Andy Strickland. “He’s a hard player to figure out. There’s so much value to his game outside of his offensive production. He kills penalties, relentless worker, responsible in all 3 zones, creative offensively, he can score, he’s an all-around player.”

If he continues to contribute timely goals and create plays, Oshie has the potential to be the driving force behind the Blues young offensive attack. His creativity on the ice and ability to put the puck in the back of the net forces opposing players to pay more attention to him, opening up space for his teammates.

EJ scored 10 goals and put up 39 points with the Blues last season earning him a new 2-year deal with the team. (Chris Lee/PD)

Blues defenseman Erik Johnson has been at the center of the Blues’ youth movement. Drafted 1^st overall in the 2006 NHL Draft, Johnson represented the start of the new revitalization plan put in place by Owner Dave Checketts and President of Hockey Operations John Davidson.

Born in Bloomington, Minnesota, Johnson played for the Academy of Holy Angels in Minnesota before transferring to Ann Arbor, Michigan to play for the National Team Development Program.

In 2007, he played for the U20 American team that won a Bronze Medal in the World Championships. Johnson became the first defenseman to lead the tournament in scoring, putting up 4 goals and 6 assists. That 10-point performance earned Johnson a spot on the tournament’s All-Star Team and selection as the tournament’s Best Defenseman.

Following his time with the USNTDP, Johnson played a season with the Minnesota Golden Gophers where he racked up 24 points (4 goals, 20 assists). During that 2006-07 season, Johnson and the Gophers defeated North Dakota in overtime in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association finals before falling to the Fighting Sioux in overtime by the same score (3-2) in the NCAA Quarterfinals.

Johnson became just the 2nd American-born defenseman to be drafted 1st overall. (Chris Lee/PD)

Johnson became just the second American defenseman to be selected first overall in the NHL Draft in 2006 when he was selected by the Saint Louis Blues. EJ is also one of just six American hockey players to be drafted first overall in the NHL draft (Patrick Kane, Rick DiPietro, Mike Modano, Bryan Berard, and Brian Lawton).

Just 6 months after he signed a contract with the Saint Louis Blues, Johnson scored his first career goal, a game winner against the Los Angeles Kings on October 6, 2007.  He would tack on 4 more goals and rack up 28 assists in 69 games and was selected to play in that season’s NHL Youngstars Game.

Just before the 2008 season was about to start, the Blues announced that EJ would undergo season ending knee surgery to repair damage to his ACL and MCL. According to the team, Johnson’s injuries were sustained when he got his right foot caught between the accelerator and brake pedal of his golf cart during a team golf outing in mid-September.

As pointed out by Brad Lee, the reason given by the Blues for the injury EJ suffered was probably a line of crap. Johnson was just 20-years-old at the time of the incident which occurred at a “team bonding event” at the Lake of the Ozarks. It obviously would not be a good PR move by the Blues to tell fans that their number one pick hurt himself while drinking illegally.

The Blues defenseman bounced back from that knee injury with a solid 2009-10 season. In the NHL season, Johnson put up 39 points with 10 goals scored in 79 games with the Blues. EJ also contributed to the US Hockey team that won the silver medal in the Vancouver Winter Olympics.

Johnson with teammate David Backes showing off their silver medals. Both scored goals for team USA in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.

From his rookie season to last year, Johnson’s goal total doubled from 5 to 10. His plus minus also improved from -9 to +1. If he continues to improve like this, Johnson could become one of the elite defenseman in the league.

Interestingly enough, Johnson models his play after his favorite player of all-time, Hall-of-Famer Al MacInnis. MacInnis played for the Blues from 1994-2004 (his final season was shortened due to an eye injury suffered in a game against Nashville on October 16, he officially retired due in large part to that injury on September 9, 2005) and is now the Vice President of Hockey Operations.

While it is still too early to compare Johnson to the great number 2, it is not too farfetched to say that he has the potential to evolve into one of the top defensemen in the NHL.

Ben Bishop

With the signing of Jaroslav Halak, the Blues starting goal-tending situation seems to be solid. However, back-up Ty Conklin’s contract is up after this season meaning that the 2^nd string goalie job could be up for grabs. Among those who could make a run at the job is St. Louis native Ben Bishop.

Bishop, who was drafted 85^th overall out of the University of Maine in 2005, had a decent 2009-’10 season in Peoria, going 23-18 with a 2.77 goals against average. Big Ben received a lot of hype from those of us living in Saint Louis because he was a local boy. After a very brief stint in the NHL, the excitement surrounding Bishop has quieted and not much has been said about him.

I sat down with Andy Strickland of HockeyBuzz.com and KFNS on Friday afternoon and asked him about Big Ben and what effects the recent signing of Halak will have on Bishop’s chances of making it to the NHL.

“If Bishop has a very strong season in Peoria this year, it’s very possible that he becomes a part of the equation here in Saint Louis the following year,” said Strickland. “This guy’s gotta accept where he is, he’s gotta understand how much work he’s gotta do. Statistically, he hasn’t been very impressive over the past few years…you don’t just hand guys assignments to the NHL. [Bishop] has to dominate the AHL before we start talking NHL.”

Strickland also mentioned that there are “some question marks internally” with Bishop and what type of goalie he will turn out to be. While this doesn’t necessarily mean that they are down on Big Ben, Strickland said the organization is definitely not as high on him as they were when he was initially drafted.

Erik Johnson update

With David Perron wrapped up, the Blues attention now turns to defenseman Erik Johnson. Strickland says that the Blues are nearing a deal with Johnson and that he does not expect it to “linger much longer.”

Johnson, the Blues number 1 overall pick in 2006, put up 39 points last season and will most likely sign a contract similar to Perron’s. These short term deals allow the Blues to keep pushing the young players to earn a longer, more lucrative contract.

“[The Blues] want to keep that carrot dangling in front of the player’s nose to keep them hungry, which I don’t think will be an issue with either [Perron or Johnson],” said Strickland. “It all comes down to the Blues just don’t wanna give them any sort of long term security right now to make them feel too comfortable.”

DJ King update

Restricted free agent DJ King remains unsigned after he allowed a 1-year offer from the Blues to expire earlier this month.

One possible reason behind King’s hold out is that he believes that he deserves a contract similar to Derek Boogaard (4-year deal worth $6.5 million from the New York Rangers), whom he has beat up on over the past few years. The only problem for King is that he has only played 13 games over the past few years due to injury and has yet to prove himself in the NHL.

If he continues to hold out, King could be royally screwed by the Blues.

“They could just give him a 2-way offer and that’s it. [Because he’s a restricted free agent,] he has no choice but to take that offer,” said Strickland. “They could throw him in the minors and pay him $50,000 if they wanted to.”

While Strickland doesn’t think the Blues will try and screw King over, the RFA forward is definitely not helping himself by holding out.

Once King re-signs with the Blues, they will be presented with a serious dilemna: what to do with two enforcers on the team.

The first, and one of the worst things they could do, is hold onto both King and Cam Janssen. If they were to do that, coach Davis Payne would be forced to alternate King and Janssen, meaning that every other night one of the two is stuck in the press box.

The second, and more realistic option is to trade either King or Janssen. Strickland said that Montreal, Detroit, and Edmonton are all searching for fighters and a trade could be completed with one of those three teams after King’s contract situation is solved.

When asked if he preferred King or Janssen, Strickland said this (let me editorialize this a little bit and say that Ol’ Dirty Strick got pretty fired up when answering this question):

“I’m taking Cam. This isn’t boxing. Cam is an energy guy. I want a guy who will bring fans out of their seats. DJ King did that a few years ago with all that ‘King Kong’ stuff a few years ago, but Cam is an entertainer. You get your money’s worth [with Cam] and at the end of the day that’s what it’s all about.”

Random notes and quotes:

-On Alex Pietrangelo: “Pietrangelo will have to prove [that he’s ready] in camp. They won’t hesitate one bit to put him in the minors, same for Ian Cole. Cole could be better than Pietrangelo in camp for all we know. It’s a big year for Pietrangelo to step it up and to really show some dividends for being that guy. I think he’ll have that opportunity under Davis Payne. ”

-Don’t expect any free agent signings from the Blues this off-season. “Any offseason upgrade to their roster will come via trade,” said Strickland. As for players that they could acquire via trade, Strickland didn’t name any specific players but said that if something “falls into the Blues lap,” they’ll take it. He also noted that any deal the Blues make, will be a “hockey trade, dollar-for-dollar” and will not be for a player who is publicly on the trading block.

I am going to start doing regular interviews with Ol’ Dirty Strick (ODS) once the season starts. I will post a recap of the interview here on HockeyIndependent and will have a full transcript of the interview (and maybe even a podcast of the audio) on Hank’s Sports Blog.

If you have questions that you’d like me to ask ODS about the Blues, shoot me an email at haenchenb9@gmail.com (subject line: Question for ODS). Also, I need a title for this little feature so if you have any suggestions, email them to me (haenchenb9@gmail.com; subject line: Title Ideas).

Thanks for reading!

Check out the full interview here.

Earlier this summer, one of the major investment companies announced that it would be divesting its shares in the Saint Louis Blues as soon as another suitor was found. This news coupled with the extra revenue lost when the team failed to make the playoffs, left GM Doug Armstrong’s hands tied. With a smaller-than-anticipated budget, it became obvious that the Blues front office could not afford a big-name free agent while still re-signing their numerous free agents.

For 22-year-old forward David Perron, all this means that he will be relied upon heavily to step-up and become that prolific scorer his team desperately needs, but can’t quite afford.

Born in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Perron entered the 2007 draft as Central Scouting’s 10^th best North American prospect. This lofty ranking was not undeserved.

During his first and only season in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Perron, playing for the Lewiston Maineiacs, scored a team-high 39 goals and tallied 83 points over 70 games. That season he led the Maineiacs to their first QMJHL championship, scoring 12 goals and adding 16 assists.

Following his ’06-’07 QMJHL campaign, NHL Central Scouting’s Kim Houston told Hockey’s Future writer Kevin Forbes that Perron has “some deadly one-on-one skills and some great puck skills and he’s always seems to know where that puck is…I’ve been impressed with him.”

Another important facet of Perron’s game is his work ethic. Despite the obvious raw talent he possesses, Perron is constantly working to improve his game. His driven approach to the game of hockey did not just start when he reached the NHL. Perron has been working at improving his game since he was in the QMJHL.

Lewiston head coach Clem Jodoin told Forbes that even though Perron was not a perfect hockey player; he always works to improve his weaknesses. “In Lewiston, we have the ice as long as we want, so sometimes the practice starts at ten o’clock on the ice and he comes off the ice at noon, so he’s always on the ice, two and a half, three hours a day.”

Perron’s hard work finally paid off in 2007 when he was drafted 27^th overall by the Saint Louis Blues. It should be noted that the future Blues forward was drafted in a first round that included Patrick Kane and Lars Eller.

As soon as he was drafted Perron made an impact. After a strong training camp, it was announced that Perron, just three years removed from Midget C level in Fleurimont, would start the 2007-’08 season playing with the Saint Louis Blues.

Progression seems to be a staple of Perron’s career. Just a month after it was announced he would be playing in the NHL, the Blues rookie netted his first career goal against the Chicago Blackhawks. Two years later, on November 10, 2009, he scored his first NHL hat trick against the Vancouver Canucks.

Perron’s numbers have improved as well. From QJAHL to QMJHL, his goals scored increased from 24 to 39. In the NHL, he has gone from 13 goals during his rookie campaign to 15 in ’08-’09 to a new career high, 20 goals scored last season.

Unlike Patrick Kane and Sidney Crosby, players whom Perron most resembles in terms of his ability to create plays through his stick handling abilities, his physicality and confidence makes him more of a balanced hockey player. By no means am I giving Perron the edge over Crosby or Kane, but his willingness to slam other players and to push around opposing defenders in front of the net sets him apart from Kane and Crosby who tend to let their respective team’s enforcers handle the dirty work. Often when there is a congregation around the net following a play, Perron is found in the middle of it.

St. Louis Post Dispatch writer Jeff Gordon broke down some of the other young players on the Blues roster and noted what they bring to the table. It’s a very good article and I strongly recommend you reading the whole thing, but here is a quick rundown of what Perron’s teammates bring and what makes him unique:

-TJ Oshie is “a tempo-setter” through his agility and physicality. He “shows flashes of becoming an impact scorer”

-David Backes is a power forward. Similar to Keith Tkachuck, he is willing to “crash the net and score dirty goals” and, like Oshie, has the “potential to become an impact scorer”

-Patrik Berglund’s “unusual size/skill combination makes him a potential 60- to 70-point center.”

-Alex Steen, who had a breakout season last year, is a “versatile forward” with the ability to blend “smoothly with other skilled forwards.”

Now to Perron, his unselfishness, natural ability to move around with the puck, and shooting skills make him the ultimate spark plug. With the tools around him, Perron has the ability to provide the spark necessary to light up the Blues offense and get it rolling.

Gordon writes that, “This season could define [Perron’s] career.”

Only time will tell if Perron will turn into the prolific scorer the Blues are missing, but if he continues to progress as he has throughout his career, he has the potential of leading the Blues to Lord Stanley’s Cup.

Thanks for reading!

Jeremy Rutherford writes that due to problems with team ownership, the Saint Louis Blues will be forced to rely on the players currently within the organization to provide the offense next season.

When TowerBrook Capital Partners decided to divest their share of the team, it left the Blues with some serious budget constraints. Not including new contracts that will be issued to David Perron, Erik Johnson, and DJ King, the Blue Note’s payroll will be around $40 million, that’s $8 million less than last year.

GM Doug Armstrong tells Rutherford that despite the budget constraints, the Blues are okay in relying on their current roster.

Question: Do you agree with Armstrong’s statement? Or do you think that the Blues could have been doing more this off-season in terms of signing/trading for “big-name” scorers? If you think they could have been doing more, who do you think they could have gone after?

Perron gets 2-year extension from Blues

Blues forward David Perron inked a 2-year contract extension with the Blues late Wednesday morning.

Perron, 22, netted a career-high 20 goals last season for the Blues, including what many regard as the goal of the year against the New York Islanders.

The Blues forward will be with Jay Randolph Jr., Joe Pelusi, and Sara Bruce on The One to Three Show on 590 “The Fan” KFNS Thursday afternoon around 2:05 CT. You can stream the show (or listen to a podcast of the interview) at InsideSTL.com.

Blues’ Production: Murray vs. Payne

The Blues had a spike in offensive production following the replacement of Andy Murray with Davis Payne. After coach Payne took over for Murray on January 2, the Blues scored 117 goals in 41 games. Apply that number over a whole season and the Blues would have ranked 7th in the NHL for goals scored.

Question: Do you think the Blues offense will be able to continue generating goals at a high rate this season under coach Payne?

Blues’ salary cap figures for 2010-11

A breakdown of the Blues’ salary cap numbers for the upcoming season. While it does not include Perron’s new contract or pending deals for DJ King and Erik Johnson, it does give you a pretty good idea of where the Blues stand in terms of salary cap room.

NHL Too Slow to React?

Andy Strickland examines the NHL’s reaction to Ilya Kovalchuck’s 17-year contract and gives an update on the Blues’ contract negotiations with Johnson and King. ODS also looks at some possible players the Blues may make try to trade for.

Question: Do you think the NHL did the right thing in rejecting Kovalchuck’s contract with the Devils? And do you think they would have done the same thing to Sidney Crosby had he signed a similar contract with the Penguins?

On the topic of DJ King: King allowed a 1-year offer from the Blues to expire on July 15 meaning that he remains a restricted free agent. Once King re-signs with the Blues, GM Doug Armstrong will most likely trade either King or fellow enforcer Cam Janssen.

Question: Who would you rather see the Blues keep: DJ King or Cam Janssen?

DJ King and Cam Janssen actually dropped the gloves during the 2004 Memorial Cup. Here’s footage of their little scuffle:

Click here to view the embedded video.

In conclusion…

With Perron signed for 2 more years, the Blues will now focus their attention on RFAs Erik Johnson and DJ King. Patrick Berglund’s name has been mentioned as being possible trade bait, but personally, I don’t see any trades coming from Armstrong until King signs, and even then, I’m not sure that there are even teams out there looking for an enforcer.

As for Berglund, I’m not ready to give up on him just yet. He has potential to become the prolific scorer the Blues have been looking for. I think that if you pair him up with Steen and Perron or Boyes and he has the potential to put up some big numbers this season.

This is my first post for Hockey Independent. My goal is to put together a post like this (with interesting stories/links) and a regular story or two each week. I am also trying to line up some interviews with local Blues reporters so I will definitely post those if/when I am able to line them up. I look forward to writing for Hockey Independent and working with fellow Blues writer/fan Jeff Quirin. Thanks for reading! Here are today’s questions…

1. Could the Blues have done more this off-season?

2. Do you think the Blues offense will be able to continue generating goals under Davis Payne this season?

3. What did you think about the NHL rejecting Kovy’s contract? Would they have done the same thing if it was Sid the Kid signing a 17-year deal?

4. DJ King or Cam Janssen?