Good morning Blues fans! The St. Louis Blues did not make it easy on themselves or the fans, but by the time the night was done it was mission accomplished.
The St. Louis Blues took on the Carolina Hurricanes last night. It was not the prettiest effort defensively, but by the time the night was over the Blues had gotten done what needed to be done.
Mission one was to get at least a point out of the game. That was done and the Blues knew they would officially be playing the Minnesota Wild once the final 60 minutes was over.
Mission two was to get the win. That took a bit longer and St. Louis had to survive some scary moments, including a post in overtime, but the Blues picked up a rare shootout win.
The teams didn’t seem overly interested in winning the way the game transpired. The Blues got the first goal, Carolina scored two more and then the Blues tied it.
After that, Carolina retook the lead and St. Louis scored two of their own before the Canes tied it up a little over halfway through the third. Jeff Skinner continued to be a thorn in the Blues side with his two goals, so thankfully St. Louis only has to see him a couple times a year.
On the Blues side, Carter Hutton would likely tell people he didn’t play his best. By no means did he have a bad game, but two of the goals were ones he would like to have back.
When you get the win and you have not played a full game in ten days, the result is what matters. Hutton did enough to keep the Blues in the game and get the two points.
Vladimir Tarasenko also scored again, though sadly he won’t get credit for this goal since it came in the shootout. It was a bullet shot that is more his forte instead of the deke moves he tried the last time he took a chance in the shootout.
Now the Blues can turn their focus to getting what rest they can and try to avenge their last loss to Colorado. St. Louis had a terrible game when they were in the Mile-High City the last time and can now get some momentum back on their side by taking down their divisional counterpart.
St. Louis has taken three of four games against the Avalanche so far this season. In their home games they have won by an average of 5-1. A nice, crushing victory would be nice as a little boost heading into the playoffs.
The only sad thing about the regular season ending is the Blues being unable to get 100 points. It is a small thing, to be sure, but it shows how poorly they played in the winter and how well they played since then to get 97 points and potentially 99.
St. Louis has had a fabulous turnaround, but imagine what they could have done if they had not been that bad in the middle. Hindsight is 20/20 and maybe they needed to hit bottom to realize their potential, but it would have been nice to hit 100 points for the fourth year in a row and sixth on average.
Here are your St. Louis Blues Morning Links to get your day started off right.
The Blues were relatively low key after yesterday’s win. Ryan Reaves, in his typical way, was particularly modest despite having another scoring night. (Blues)
Speaking of being low key, that perfectly describes coach Mike Yeo upon learning that his new team will play his old team in the postseason. While you have to feel there will be some satisfaction, the man himself and his players are saying the right things and not giving any bulletin board material. (STLToday)
Much was made about Vladimir Sobotka’s return to the Blues when the contract extension was signed. It turned out to be much ado about nothing in the short term as Sobotka’s debut was held off until the final home game. (Post-Dispatch)
The Blues and Wolves seem to be echoes of each other this year. Always similar, but never quite the same. That was quite true last night as the Wolves made a huge comeback in a wild game like their NHL counterparts. On top of that, they moved into a rather advantageous playoff position. (Wolves)
Next: Jake Allen Sticking It To The Doubters
Originally it was a good story that Bryan Bickell returned to the game after being diagnosed with MS. Now, it is a bit of a sad one as his game against the Blues will be one of his last. (NHL)
The hockey season just ended for the final universities that were playing for an NCAA crown. It took a special night from one particular player to earn his team a national championship. (ESPN)
Have a great day Blues fans!