1st Period
The Red Wings had Chris Osgood in net. He entered last weeks game in relief of Dominik Hasek, who gave up 4 second period goals against the Note. The Blues called on Manny Legace, who had been remarkable in their 4 game win streak. The Blues did not get the start they wanted when Eric Brewer scooped the puck over the boards in his own zone while trying to clear. Brewer was called for a delay of game penalty. The Red Wings won the ensuing face off and Tomas Holmstrom fed Henrik Zetterberg who put the puck past Manny Legace, only 22 seconds into the game. Despite having the Number 1 penalty kill in the NHL, there was nothing they could do about the first goal. The Blues PK was tested again very soon, as Barrett Jackman was called for high sticking, just over four minutes in. The Blues penalty kill was able to stop that power play however.

Early in the first period, the Blues were dominated physically by Detroit. Whether it was chasing for a loose puck or even just trying to bring the puck in, the Blues were easily pushed off the puck or knocked down. Around the middle point of the period, the Blues started to find a rhythm and the play began heading back and forth. The Blues best chance came around the 7:30 mark when Lee Stempniak and David Perron had a 2 on 2. Stempniak put a shot on goal, but it was turned away by Chris Osgood. The Red Wings got their third power play of the period with just under 5 minutes remaining, when Bryce Salvador was called for hooking after having had the puck stolen from him. The Blues were able to kill that one off as well. Right after the power play ended, the Red Wings had a great chance when Jiri Hudler fired at shot that Manny Legace was able to snare out of the air.

The Blues biggest problem seemed to be their inability to apply offensive pressure. They were not only out-worked by the Wings, they were severely out-played. The Red Wings looked like they were in a completely different league and pretty much dominated the Blues for the first period.

2nd Period
The Blues came out in the second period hoping to replicate the success they had in the second period in last week’s win, in which they scored 4 goals and came from behind. It did not look like that was going to happen early on. Just over a minute into the period Martin Rucinsky was called for a penalty while defending Chris Chelios on an odd man rush. Ryan Johnson did get a shorthanded breakaway, but was unable to score. The Red Wings started peppering Legace late in power play but Legace stood strong. However, Dan Hinote was called for an iffy interference call right on the Legace’s doorstep that gave the Wings their 5th power play of the game. To this point, the Blues had zero. Also to this point, the Red Wings had outshot the Blues 15-5.

The Wings were able to score another power play goal towards the end of Hinote’s penalty. This made the score 2-0. The Blues got their first power play with six minutes gone in the second period. The Note however were held without a shot on goal while on the power play. The Blues received another power play with just under 9 minutes left in the period. The Blues best chance came when Keith Tkachuk fed a streaking Brewer who was robbed on a slap shot by Osgood. The Blues struggled again once both teams were at even strength. Detroit increased their lead to 3 when Dan Cleary had a miniature breakaway and put it past Legace. Things never really improved for the Blues either.

The first flash of physicality came in the form of Barrett Jackman laying a hit on a Red Wings player, only to be called for hooking less than a minute later, giving the Red Wings their 6th power play, this time a double minor. The period ended with the Blues on the penalty kill. My biggest gripe thus far in the game was the Blues’ lack of physical play. In their last meeting the Blues played much tougher than Detroit. That was not the case tonight however. They most frustrating evidence came when Dan Cleary tried to put a rebound past Legace. After the whistle was blown, Cleary poked at Legace a few times while Christian Backman pretty much just stood there and watched. Keith Tkachuk eventually came up and pushed Cleary out of the way. Cleary then came back on his next shift and scored a goal. I truly believe that if Backman would have laid out Cleary for poking at Legace, he would not have come back and scored a goal. Through the second period the Blues were out-shot 24-10. Ouch.

3rd Period
The Blues started the period on the penalty kill and were able to keep the Wings from scoring. They still were not able to get any momentum though. Coach Murray continued to tinker with his lines, as he had all game. His latest groupings had Stempniak and Kariya swapping places. The Boyes-Stempniak-Tkachuk line did get a couple of chances. The Blues were back to their old tricks before long though as they took yet another penalty. David Perron was called for holding 6 minutes into the third. The Blues were once again able to stop the Wings from scoring on that power play. However, the Red Wings got another power play. Tkachuk was called for a double minor high sticking. Before that penalty ended however, the Red Wings were called for a penalty, when Tomas Holmstrom was called for interference after pushing Jackman down in front of the Blues net.

The Blues were not able to get on the board during their power play. The game ended pretty much the way it started, with the Blues on the penalty kill. Erik Johnson was called for his first NHL penalty with just over a minute left in the game. Ultimately the Blues were out-shot 38-12. That really is inexcusable. I think that the Blues were tired, playing 4 games in 6 nights.  They looked sluggish and were outplayed by a ton. They had no physical presence, which is exactly what they need when playing against the Red Wings. The Wings are a more talented and cohesive unit, but when teams, especially the Blues come at them with a physical, tough game, they can be beat.

The Blues resume action on Friday when they welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Hopefully they can start another winning streak.

I don’t know if I believe this though. In the five games that McKee has sat, the Blues’ highest paid defenseman, Eric Brewer has looked atrocious. I have not been a fan of his ever since he joined the Blues. He consistently makes bad plays and is often out of position. Coach Murray however continues to claim that Brewer is one of the top defensemen in the Western Conference. I just don’t get it.

Anyways, on to the game tonight. The Blues have played pretty good against the Central Division going 6-4, where as the Red Wings have only gone 3-3-1. The Blues last 4 wins have all come against the Central, including beating Detroit in St. Louis last week. That game was a coming out party for the Blues rookies David Perron, Steve Wagner, and Erik Johnson. Perron scored two goals, with Wagner and Johnson collecting two assists each. Blues v Redwings are always good games and we should be in store for another one tonight.

1st Period
Right before faceoff, it was revealed that Jason Arnott was a late scratch for the Predators with a possible neck injury. The Blues had the first scoring chance at around 1:30 in. The Blues worked the puck deep into the Predators zone before getting a soft shot off. Both teams traded weak chances for the next 5 or so minutes. The Blues then had another good scoring chance when Doug Weight fed David Perron in front of the net. Chris Mason however was able to make the save. Perron was shaken up on the play, but did not miss a shift. The Preds got the next best scoring chance, but was turned away by Manny Legace. The back and forth play resumed until the first penalty of the game was called. At 11:07, Keith Tkachuk was called for a weak slashing call. This was the Blues first chance to show off their 1st ranked Penalty Kill. The Predators had a few chances early in the Power Play, however Legace was very strong. Ryan Johnson looked especially good on the kill. He blocked a shot and also chased a puck deep into the Nashville zone. Ryan Johnson was flying all over the ice after the kill as well. I really like the hustle that he shows every game. He is fearless when it comes to blocking shot and he also uses his great speed very well.

The Preds dominated play after their power play ended until the Blues got a power play of their own. The Blues were rushing into the Predators zone when Lee Stempniak was elbowed and interfered with. David Perron came in and laid a huge hit on the Predators player. Shea Weber was given a double minor and Perron was given a single minor. The Blues had a few good chances with the man advantage but were unable to get on the board. The Blues power play, which had been horrendous, is getting better. They had a number of sharp passes, however they were very hesitant to shoot. There were a couple oppurtunities for a one-timer but the Blues players passed it up. The Blues, like the Preds before them pretty much controlled the play once their power play ended. The Blues had a number of decent chances spread between their three top lines in the final 3 minutes. Their best chance was one that never occurred. Doug Weight fed Lee Stempniak at Nashville’s blue line, but he fanned on the shot. Overall the Blues looked good at the beginning and the end of the period. During the middle of it they looked sluggish, but were saved by great play from Manny Legace. Another good sight was that of the Doug Weight-Lee Stempniak- David Perron line. They had a number of chances and really worked their asses off all period. It was great to see both Stempniak and Perron get physical and stand up for each other.

Player of the Period-Manny Legace: Legace saved all 10 shots he faced and kept the Blues in the game throughout the period.

2nd Period
The Blues looked to continue the momentum they had ending the first period. One thing they wanted to change coming into the third period was the fact that Brad Boyes had 0 shots on goal in 8 shifts in the first period. Boyes is the Blues hottest scorer and had a couple opportunities where he should have put the puck on the net. The Blues were the first to get a good scoring chance in the second. Lee Stempniak had a nice shot just to Mason’s left, but it was stopped. The Blues had another good chance when Dan Hinote brought the puck in on the left wing and put a shot on Mason, who stopped it. Nashville received the first power play of the period at 3:06, when DJ King was called for high sticking. The Blues penalty kill did very well however and only allowed one shot on goal. They also had a couple of short handed chances led by Jay McClement. Play started getting chippy once again. After almost every stoppage in play and shot on goal, there was pushing and shoving. Often times, David Perron was in on this, which was good to see.

The Blues got their second power play right around the 7 minute mark. The Blues had a decent chance early but lost the puck in the Preds zone. Nashville brought the puck back into the Blues zone on a 2 on 1, but they were stopped by Manny Legace and the side of the net. The Blues were unable to get anything else going for the remainder of the power play until Lee Stempniak was tripped on a 2 on 1 in the Predators zone. This gave the Blues another power play. This time the Blues were able to capitalize. Erik Johnson fired a shot from the blue line that was deflected in front of Mason by Paul Kariya and gave the Blues the 1-0 lead. The goal was Kariya’s 5th on the season. Beginning with their power plays and continuing after the ended, the Blues played alot better. They chased every loose puck and put a body on any Predator player that entered their zone.

The Blues gave the Predators another power play with 5:30 left in the 2nd period when Doug Weight was called for hooking. The Blues held Nashville scoreless and actually had a couple short handed chances. They had a real nice chance when Doug Weight came out of the box. He made a nice move to get around a Predator defender but was stopped by Mason. The next chance came for the Predators. Martin Erat had a breakaway on Legace, but somewhat fanned and was stopped by Manny. Almost immediately after, Keith Tkachuk was tripped, giving the Blues their 4th power play. The Blues were able to get a couple shots on net, but ended the period with 30 seconds still left on the power play.

Player of the Period: Manny Legace - I think you can see where this is going. Although he faced less shots than in the first, he made a number of big saves, including one on a breakaway and another on a 2 on 1.

3rd Period
The Blues started the 3rd period on the power play, but were unable to make anything happen. The Blues did have a good chance when Perron made a very nice move to bring the puck into the Nashville zone and left it for Lee Stempniak, who was stopped by Mason. The Preds came right back when Zidlicky walked into the the Blues zone and fired a shot on net, but was turned away by Manny Legace. The Blues were able to work the puck into the Nashville zone thanks to two good plays by Keith Tkachuk. “Walt” made a nice play in the Blues zone and helped work the puck into the Predators zone. Tkachuk fired a shot on net, with Kariya scooping up the rebound and feeding it to Brad Boyes, who put the puck past Mason for his 12th goal on the year. It was yet another great series by the Blues top line. In 3 games against Nashville, Boyes has 4 regulation goals and a shootout goal.

After gaining the 2-0 lead, the Blues began playing a “prevent defense”. The Blues seem to do this in most games they have a lead late in the game. It is frustrating due to the fact that instead of keeping the Predators out of the Blues zone, they were allowing Nashville to pepper Legace. They did start to do better until Jay McClement was called for tripping with just over 7 minutes left. During the power play, the Predators lost David Legwand who left the ice with an apparent hand injury. At the end of their penalty kill, the Blues had a 2 on 1 chance with Paul Kariya with Brad Boyes. Boyes was drug down with the puck, however for some reason there was no call. The crowd went from booing to cheering loudly when Erik Johnson leveled Jordin Tootoo, to the delight of every fan in the Scottrade Center.

The Predators continued their pressure deep into the 3rd period. And once again, Legace answered the call. The Blues however, namely Keith Tkachuk took his second penalty of the game when he was called for high sticking with just under 2 minutes left in the 3rd period. This gave the Predators a 6 on 4 advantage after pulling the goalie. This lasted only around 20 seconds though after David Legwand was called for holding Bryce Salvador’s stick. The Predators however ended Legace’s bid for a shutout after Radek Bonk deflected a shot past Manny Legace. The Blues “prevent” doesn’t work and they need to try and stop doing it. The last 50 seconds the Predators pulled their goalie and had a couple of chances, but were unable to tie the game. The Blues won the game 2-1!!!

This win gave the Blues their 4th straight win, all against division foes. They are now 11-7-0 on the season. This was a huge win for the Blues. They have had such a tough time against the Predators prior to this season and it is great to see them overcome that. The Blues will play their 8th straight divisional game Wednesday as they take on the Detroit Red Wings in Detroit.

3 Stars:
#3- Brad Boyes- 12th goal of the season was the game winner
#2- Paul Kariya- Goal broke the 0-0 tie and got an assist on the game winner
#1- Manny Legace- Another strong game from Legace. Stopped 24 of 25 shots for his 9th win of the season

Key Stat- The Blues #1 ranked PK has stopped 18 straight power plays, including all 5 chances tonight.

Good News Bonus: Wendy Pleau, wife of Blues GM Larry Pleau has returned home after a lengthy hospital stay while battling cancer. She has been extremely tough and resilient through her entire battle. Wendy, keep it up! We are all praying for you!!!

1st Period
The Blues and the Jackets both started the game with their energy lines on the ice. The two teams traded weak chances and turnovers for the first few minutes. There was not a whistle blown until an icing call almost three minutes in. As expected in a game featuring Andy Murray and Ken Hitchcock, both teams started off slow, in a defensive game. The Blues did have a decent chance when Paul Kariya fed Brad Boyes who bounced a shot off of the crossbar. Boyes has a really nice shot and came very close to putting the puck over Pascal LeClaire’s shoulder and into the net. The Jacket’s best chance came right around the halfway point of the period when Jiri Novotny slapped the puck off of Hannu Toivonen’s chest.

The Blues penalty kill hit the ice soon after the Blue Jacket’s scoring chance. Bryce Salvador was called for hooking deep in the Blues zone. Less than 30 seconds later, Jay McKee was called for hooking giving the Blue Jackets a 5 on 3 advantage. The Jackets had a number of good chances. Hannu Toivonen made another nice save on a shot that came from his weak side. As the first hooking penalty was expiring the Jackets had a number of close chances, ultimately missing an open net. Right as Salvador was coming back on the ice, things started getting chippy. The Blues were then able to kill off the remaining 30 seconds of McKee’s penalty. Through the power play, the Jackets got eight straight shots.

After the penalty kill the Blues seemed to get into a shell. They seemed very tentative to move the puck up the ice. Once they did get in the Columbus zone, they struggled to get anything set up. The Blues then committed another penalty. The penalty was delayed for about a minute as the Blue Jackets toyed with the Blues. The Jackets were then able to get on the board as Adam Foote fed Manny Malhotra. The Jackets did a great job controlling the puck, allowing themselves to set up a play with the extra attacker on the ice. They were able to catch the Blues changing and ultimately had a 6 on 4.

All in all the period ended with the Blues trailing 1-0. The Blues were outshot 12-2 in the period and were quite lucky to only be trailing by 1. The Blues went the final 15 minutes of the first period without a shot on goal… One surprising stat in the first period was the 2:23 of ice time that Erik Johnson received. That is 11 seconds less than D.J. King had.

Player of the Period: Hannu Toivonen- The game could easily be 4-0 if not for his strong play.

2nd Period
Immediately after the face-off Jared Boll was called for diving. This gave the Blues their first power play of the game. The Blues looked decent on the power play in the fact that they actually had a few chances. Erik Johnson fired a slapper that was saved. After the power play ended, the Blues actually appeared to have some momentum. The Note started fore checking more and seemed to be skating a lot more confident. The Blues got another power play at around 7 minutes in. The Blues were able to get a couple chances before the Blue Jackets had an odd man short handed rush. Toivonen made the same and the Blues then got an odd man rush of their own. Keith Tkachuk was hooked on his way in and the Blues were given a 5 on 3. Paul Kariya fired a blast from the right circle, but Pascal LeClaire snagged the shot. The Blues were unable to score on the first power play, but still had 1 minute with a one man advantage. The Blues however were unable to do much.

The Blues had a number of quality chances but just could not seem to get the puck past Pascal LeClaire. He looked outstanding. The Blues were rather tenacious for most of the period. However, around the 13 minuted mark, the Jackets started to show some life. The physical play started to pick up as Dan Hinote personally hit 3 Jacket players in 10 seconds. The Blues continued their strong play in this period. They seemed to really key in on Rick Nash and fought to keep him away from the puck and the net. However, Nash was able to catch a loose puck in mid-air, turn with it and drop it. After dropping it, he fired it past Hannu Toivonen making the score 2-0.

Soon after Nash’s goal, Eric Brewer was called for an interference penalty. The call was weak, although a total momentum killer. The Jackets first shot on the power play went off of Barret Jackman’s ankle, who had to be helped off the ice by Jay McKee and trainer Ray Barille.

Overall, the Blues looked much better this period, however they were unable to put the puck in the net. Their defensive play also hurt them. On Nash’s goal, two defensemen were in the area yet failed to put a body on Nash. Add that to the number of turn-overs in their own zone and the lack of scoring oppurtunities and you are going to be hard pressed to find a win.

Player of the period: Pascal LeClaire- The Blues had a number of good chances, but were unable to score on LeClaire, one of the top netminders thus far this season.

3rd Period
The Jackets started the period on the power play and came out flying and had a scoring chance just 20 seconds in. They were turned away by Toivonen however. Barret Jackman also returned early in the third period. The two teams traded chances back and forth for a chunk of the period. Columbus had a large number of the chances, but the Blues were able to hold them off. The pace of this period was fast and furious.

The Jackets made the score 3-0 and then I lost cable access of the game…

I’ll have a more detailed postgame review tomorrow…

1st Period
The Blues took the ice with their top line of Kariya, Tkachuk and Boyes on the ice. However, the Blackhawks took the face off and almost instantly had a scoring chance. They shot the puck in on Legace, who then fought to keep the rebound. The Blues were the next to get a chance. Lee Stempniak rushed into the Hawks zone, only to be stopped. However, within 1 minute, David Perron brought the puck up the ice, made a smooth move around the Hawks defender and put a soft shot on net. He fought for the rebound and fed the puck to Marty Rucinsky who was also unable to bury the puck. The Hawks answered right back with Martin LaPointe getting a floating shot on Legace, who snagged it out of the air.

The Hawks were the first team on the board however. Dustin Byfuglien scored at 4:45 with assists going to Borque and Lapointe. The Blues looked to answer right back. Doug Weight and Perron created a number of chances with each other, however none were successful in tying the score. The teams traded consistent back and forth play. The Note were able to get the home crowd going when Barrett Jackman hit Jonathan Toews deep in the Blues zone. The Blues received the first power play of the game at 10:50, with a holding call on Adam Burish.

The Blues anemic power play continued their struggles. The Blues had a hard time passing effectively. Their best 2 chances were thwarted by bad passes and bouncing pucks. Right after the power play ended, Lee Stempniak had a nice shot on goal, streaking down the right side. Khabibulin kicked it aside however. The Blues duo of David Perron and Doug Weight, who had looked strong all period, tied the game for the Blues. Weigh made a nice play and fed a streaking Perron who was skating down the middle of the ice. Perron was pulled down, just as the puck came to him. Perron seemed to fall on the puck and slid into Khabibulin. The goal was reviewed, but it was awarded as a goal to Perron after a lenghty review. Assists went to Weight and Rucinsky.

The Blues almost added to their lead when Lee Stempniak fed Jamal Mayers who fired a wrist shot on net. Stempniak had numerous attempts this period and seems to really be trying to get “off his schneid”. Absent for the second part of the first period was David Backes. I’m not sure if it was an injury or equipment related, however Mayers took his place on a line with Stempniak and McClement. John Kelly later announced that Backes injured his knee and would not return to the game. This really hurts the Blues. Backes had been playing very strong.

The Blues overall had a pretty good period. They outshot the Hawks 8-6 and had better scoring chances. The Note however, gave the Hawks too many odd chances. A number of times the Blues allowed the Hawks to get behind the defense and get decent shots on net.

Player of the Period: David Perron- Even before scoring his first NHL goal, he had a very strong period. He was all over the ice. He and Doug Weight had a number of chances between the two of them and he played very physical. It was very refreshing to see!

2nd Period
Jamal Mayers took David Backes’ spot after he was injured. Stempniak and Mayers teamed up for a couple of chances in the first minute of the second period. Mayers also played on a line with D.J. King and Ryan Johnson. Eric Brewer also made a few nice plays early in the 2nd period to set up a couple of rushes. Keith Tkachuk also had a nice chance which was saved by Khabibuin. David Perron missed his second NHL goal by just a foot. Weight fought from behind the net and tried centering the puck to Perron, who missed the puck by a foot. Immediately after the play though, Weight left the ice with an apparent injury. He returned without missing a shift however.

The Blues got their second power play of the night right around the halfway point of the period. The Blues powerplay confuses me beyond belief… I just don’t know what they are trying to do while they have the man advantage. They are lucky to get a shot off. Normally the puck ends up bouncing over a d-mans stick or getting intercepted in front of the other team’s net after being passed one too many times. The Blackhawks got their first power play soon after the Blues’ ended when Stempniak was called for high sticking.

The Blues had a great shorthanded attempt when Jay McClement intercepted a pass on his own blue line. He had a breakaway attempt, but hit the crossbar. The rest of the Blues penalty kill was pretty good. The Blues held the Hawks without a shot on their power play. The Blues later got another power play of their own when Brad Boyes was pulled down next to the Chicago net. The Blues actually had a few nice chances on this one, including a shot by Kariya that hit the post and fluttered through the crease. The Blues late in the power play however started passing too much. Brewer, Backman and Kariya played give and go for a few seconds before Brewer dumped the puck in and it was turned over. The period ended with neither team scoring. Neither team really had many scoring chances.

The second was pretty much even keel back and forth hockey. The two teams played mostly solid hockey with the Blues getting the majority of the chances. The Blues outshot the Hawks 9-8.

Player of the period: Lee Stempniak- I know that many won’t agree with me, however I really believe that despite his struggles, he is trying his ass off. He had a number of chances between both periods and also made a number of good defensive plays. He did take a penalty midway through the period but the Hawks were held scoreless.

3rd Period
The Blues gave the Hawks an early power play after Jamal Mayers slashed Patrick Kane just over a minute into the 3rd. The Hawks were held without a shot in their first power play, however they had a number of chances this time. The Blues were able to hold the Hawks scoreless however, blocking 4 shots during the penalty kill. The Blues did not get their first shot on goal in the third until over 5 minutes in. The Blues got a power play shortly thereafter. David Perron and Jay McClement had a 2 on 1 when Jackman was held behind the play. This power play also showed some brightness, but not enough. The Blues had a couple decent chances but were very reluctant to shoot. The Blues then turned over the puck on the Hawks blue line. Patrick Sharp had a short-handed breakaway and was able to deke Manny Legace and put the Hawks up 2-1.

The short-handed goal helped show how pitiful the Blues power play has been. This team plays so much more confident while on the penalty kill. The Blues look very tentative while in the opposing teams zone. They look for a pass first almost every time they touch the puck and are not getting enough decent chances. After the Blues power play ended, the Blues and Hawks alternated scoring chances. The Note’s best chance thus far occurred on a rocket slap shot by Keith Tkachuk that went off the crossbar.

The Blues best line of the season tied the score at 2 at 14:40 into the third. Keith Tkachuk fed Paul Kariya who put a shot on goal that ricocheted off a Hawks player and into the net. Christian Backman got the other assist. It was Kariya’s third goal on the season. It was the 40th point of the season thus far for the trio of Boyes, Tkachuk and Kariya. The Blues got another power play with 4 minutes left in the third. The Blues had a couple of good chances, once again. Kariya fed Brad Boyes with a pretty pass, but Boyes was unable to get a decent shot.

For the second time, this period, Barret Jackman turned the puck over and the Hawks capitalized. Jackman lost the puck deep in the Blues zone, with Patrick Sharp once again getting the puck. Sharp was able to put the puck over Legace’s shoulder for his second shorthanded goal of the game. The Blues pulled their goalie within a minute of the Hawks’ goal. The Blues had a faceoff in the Hawks zone with 10 seconds left, but Eric Brewer was unable to keep the puck in, as is normal for him. The Blues were unable to get a shot on net and fell 3-2.

Overall, this game was very painful to watch. The Blues powerplay gave up 2 goals. Both goals were the result of shoddy play by the defense and should not have happened. The Blues and Coach Murray need to realize that something is not right with the power play. I don’t know if they need a personnel change, a formation change, or what, but something HAS to be done! Each game the Blues give up at least 3 or 4 shorthanded opportunities to their opponents. It is sad to watch. Erik Johnson is reportedly healthy, yet was kept out of this game. Why?!? He was arguably our most consistent point man on the power play until he went down with a broken foot.

This was the Blues’ game to lose. They came out looking strong in the 3rd until the Hawks scored their shorthanded goal. They then fought back to tie, only to give it up on another shorthanded goal. The Blues hit 4 posts on the night. One bright spot is that they were able to keep Toews and Kane off the scoresheet. This one will sting for a bit. The Blues take on the Blue Jackets tomorrow at 3:30pm so it will be interesting to see how they rebound.

3 Stars:
3: Manny Legace- Strong game despite 3 goals given up. 2 shorthanded goals were tough to stop.
2: David Perron- His strongest game of his short career. He played well all game and got his first NHL goal.
1: Patrick Sharp- 2 shorthanded goals in the 3rd period, including the game winner.

~Erich vonNida