stljam

"It's a great day for hockey!"

St. Louis, MO • United States • 39 Years Old • Male

Blues look to rebound in Toronto

ETA - All of the trends continued with Steen getting three helpers, Oshie a goal and an assist and Backes with a goal and the Blues winning yet another game against a Canadian team.

After struggling in the city of brotherly love on Thursday, the Blues look to right the ship in the friendly confines of Canada. They hope to improve on their 8-3-1 overall and 4-1 road record against Canadian teams while ending Toronto's two game home winning streak. The Leafs home records is a respectable 18-13 that mirrors the Blues road record of 18-11-3.

Some of the Blues best players had a rough game Thursday night with Backes, Pietrangelo, Steen and Oshie combining for no points and a -12. Toronto may be just what the doctored ordered for the SOB line. Steen has destroyed his former Leafs club, scoring five goals and four assists while racking up an impressive +10 rating in only six games. Backes is equally impressive potting seven goals and five assist in twelve games. Oshie rounds out the trio with seven points in six games. The Blues hope this translates into more offense as the team continues to struggle in scoring.

Leaf players to watch
- Phil Kessel - eight points in nine games against the Blues
- Dion Phaneuf - five points in six games against the Blues
- Nazem Kadri - two points in three games against the Blues

Lineup notes:
- Looks like Olli Jokinen will replace Marcel Goc in the lineup and get to play against his former team
- Brian Elliott is expected to get the start in net. He has a 5-5-1 career record against Toronto though he is 2-0-0 with the Blues against Toronto.

Other news and notes:
- Newcomer Zybnek Michalek skated for the first time in almost a month. Hopefully he suffers no ill effects today and can continue his road back to playing.
- Kevin Shattenkirk skated with the team for the first time since his surgery.
- Teams better check the rearview mirror as the Wild won again moving them within four points of the Hawks.
- Keep an eye on what should be a dog fight between Vancouver, Calgary, Los Angeles, and San Jose for two, maybe three, playoff spots.
- Speaking of Jokinen, his quote regarding how he handles himself and how players should consider the media was very refreshing. He said - "The guys have tendencies when things go well, they like to go read stuff about themselves. They get in this cycle that they have to read about themselves all the time." "At the end of the day, all that matters is what the coaches say, management says and your teammates. That's it. And your wife." :They [the players] pay too much attention what the people outside say because, at the end of the day, it shouldn't matter." Cheers to you Olli. I hope some of the players hear this message.

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