The St. Louis Blues and the Arizona Coyotes faced off in the Scottrade Center Tuesday night to a somewhat lackluster crowd, likely due to the incredibly lackluster performance out of both the Blues and the Yotes the last time they played each other, in early January.
This game, while not edge-of-your-seat exciting, was a good match.
It was neat and fast, with few icings, only one or two minors, and no real calls to speak of. Multiple sticks broke, and hits were plentiful, but everything was kept inside the legal minimum. Arizona played harder tonight than they did in January, possibly due to a confidence boost, coming off a win to the Hawks, possibly because, while they are guaranteed to miss the playoffs this season, each skater is playing for his job.
“We got better puck movement, more composure, and we’re finding seams now. Maybe we can keep going on it.” – Head Coach Ken Hitchcock
The Blues took the first ten minutes to really get in the game, and at first were skating like they were half-asleep. The Coyotes led in shots on goal (9-3) for quite a while, leading some Blues fans to grow slightly frustrated.
I can’t blame them.
During this time Coyotes recent-acquisition Sam Gagner, previously of the Edmonton Oilers, who are apparently selling off their assets in order to start yet another rebuild, scored a beautiful, very patient goal against Jake Allen.
But about halfway through the first period, the Red Bull or Twizzlers or whatever it was kicked in and the Blues jumped on the forecheck and the backcheck with equal fervor. By the end of the first they had pulled ahead in shots on goal, prevented the Coyotes from adding more to their total, and tied up the score 1-1.
Alexander Steen put one behind Mike Smith on what turned out to be a fantastic, aggressive, crash-the-net kind of goal.
The second continued with the Blues dominating play, but at a slower pace than we’re used to seeing out of them. Their habit of playing to the level of their opponent means that every night is a fight, even when the team is significantly worse than they are.
The Coyotes did contribute too many men penalty in the second, putting the Blues on their first power play. It was disappointing, looking strong enough but lacking a leader to crash the net.
Ken Hitchcock spoke with FOX Sports Midwest correspondent Darren Pang in the second about the power play.
“We got better puck movement, more composure, and we’re finding seams now,” Hitchcock said. “Maybe we can keep going on it.”
They didn’t get another shot at the power play in the second, but they didn’t need it.
Jaskin got his seventh goal of the year in the 11th minute of the second period, putting one in the net behind Coyotes goaltender Mike Smith on an odd-man rush, off his backhand. It was a goal we’re unlikely to see again, bobbling through underneath Smith’s arm. That put a real cap on the second period, which ended without much more fanfare.
The third period started with a quick scrum behind the Coyotes net that started with Oshie bracing himself against a quick check and ended with David Backes sitting on a defenseless Coyote. It didn’t turn into anything, but was awfully funny.
They had a number of strong chances, but Mike Smith continued to do everything but stand on his head to keep the puck out. And the Coyotes turned it up to 11, rushing to the Blues’ defensive zone every opportunity they had.
Stars and Sticks
Allen, however, continued to fend off every attack, playing so well you knew he was still kicking himself over the first (and only) goal he let in.
Bouwmeester took the first STL minor of the evening, two minutes for hooking with fewer than three minutes to go in the game, giving the Coyotes their first and only power play of the game. It was a tense two minutes; they pulled Smith to give themselves a 6-4 power advantage, but the Blues were able to hold them at bay.
The last 50 seconds saw tense defense from St. Louis, a “Reaves is a God” sign, and still more great play out of none other than Oshie, who is fast becoming a player the Blues won’t want to do without.
T.J. Oshie skates past a “Reaves Is A God” sign during the last few seconds of the Blues-Yotes game. Screenshot of FOX Sports Midwest feed.
Oshie was great on the forecheck, pushing a number of pucks the right direction, and was the reason Steen was able to knock that goal in on the rebound. His backcheck was incredible tonight, and he blocked no fewer than two shots (though it could have easily been more).
Oshie won the third star of the evening, and in a quick interview with Pang, got to the heart of why the Blues won tonight against the Coyotes.
“We’re at our best when everyone’s getting involved,” Oshie said. “Tonight we did that and [it was] another great, standout performance by our goaltenders.”
Which was your favorite play of the game?