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St. Louis Blues Release Full 2016-17 Schedule

By Todd Panula

May 23, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; San Jose Sharks right wing Joel Ward (42) and St. Louis Blues right wing Vladimir Tarasenko (91) chase the puck in game five of the Western Conference Final of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Billy Hurst-USA TODAY Sports
May 23, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; San Jose Sharks right wing Joel Ward (42) and St. Louis Blues right wing Vladimir Tarasenko (91) chase the puck in game five of the Western Conference Final of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Billy Hurst-USA TODAY Sports /
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The St. Louis Blues released their full 2016-17 schedule. There are plenty of games to be excited about and some not so much.

The 2016-17 season just became a bit more tangible for the St. Louis Blues. They released their full schedule for the upcoming season.

Some of the dates we already knew. The Blues are going to open up with a back-to-back, road and home series. They’ll open the season against their rival, the Chicago Blackhawks, on the road on October 12 and then come home to face Mike Yeo’s former team, the Minnesota Wild for the home opener.

The St. Louis Blues are also playing in the 2017 Winter Classic, which will take place on January 2. In case you’re wondering why, it’s because January 1 is a Sunday and the NHL doesn’t have the pills to go up against the NFL.

Related Story: Blues Release 2016 Preseason Schedule

Here are some of the highlights from the St. Louis Blues page:

2016-17 SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS

OCTOBER – 5 Home Games

  • The 50th anniversary season begins Wednesday, Oct. 12 against the Central Division rival Chicago Blackhawks.
  • Opening Night – Oct. 13 vs. Minnesota Wild
  • The Blues host the long-time rival Detroit Red Wings at Scottrade Center on Oct. 27.

NOVEMBER – 8 Home Games

  • Former Associate Coach Brad Shaw returns to St. Louis with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Nov. 5.
  • Nov. 17 – The Blues and San Jose Sharks battle in a 2016 Western Conference Final rematch.
  • Nov. 23 – The Blues meet T.J. Oshie, Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals in the nation’s capital.

DECEMBER – 8 Home Games

  • Former Assistant Coach Kirk Muller returns to St. Louis with the Montreal Canadiens
  • The Blues gear up for the Winter Classic with a Dec. 17 home game against the Chicago Blackhawks just over two weeks before the big game at Busch Stadium.
  • Home for the holidays – after Christmas, the Blues begin a season-long six-game home stand that extends through Jan. 10.

FEBRUARY – 5 Home Games

  • On Feb. 4, the Blues will host the defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins
  • The Blues also will embark on a five-game road trip out East, visiting the Philadelphia Flyers, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens before wrapping up the trip with their final visit to Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.

MARCH – 5 Home Games

  • The Blues will embark on a very grueling month that features 10 of 15 games away from Scottrade Center as the season enters its final stretch. The team will also make their second five-game road trip of the season, this time going West for dates in Los Angeles, Anaheim, San Jose, Arizona and Colorado.

APRIL – 3 Home Games

  • The 50th anniversary season wraps up at home vs. Colorado on April 9 at 5 p.m.

The full schedule can be viewed here.

Overview

It’s exciting to see the schedule in front of us and already begin dreaming of those nights feeling the cool air of the ice inside the Scottrade Center. There are downfalls of the schedule though.

By my rough count, there are 12 back-to-back games throughout the season. Without looking at every schedule throughout the NHL, I have no comparison, but that still seems high.

Another interesting note is the relative ease of the end of the schedule. The NHL has a habit of random teams switching from bad to good, but given how they finished in 2015-16, the Blues have a pretty easy ride down the stretch. 10 of their last 12 games are against teams that missed the playoffs.

Next: Blues Prospect Profile: Logan Stanley

Any way you slice it, it’s exciting to look at even not knowing how other teams will line up. January and February look like a tough stretch, but anything can happen.

September and October can’t get here quickly enough.

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