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It's October 31, 2010, and the best team in hockey is.... |
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When I was a kid the Blues NEVER missed the playoffs, but also never made it to the dance...Two seasons ago the Blues finally made the playoffs again, only to get bounced in one round, but last year the Blues took a step backwards and missed the playoffs again after a season where they were just decimated by injuries...
But the talent was there and people in the NHL knew it. The players all knew it. I remember I would talk to non-Blues players last year about the Blues and they would all tell me something like, "Lookout for that team in the next few years...there is serious young talent on that team."
This summer, they had a summer somewhat similar to the Coyotes last summer. They found themselves riddled with ownership issues, and they were a team who appeared afraid to make any major UFA signings. (even afraid to make a trade)
There were people who said they were in on the Kovalchuk trade front last year, but were they really? That was a question asked often by Blues fans when it came to rumors. "Are they really in on this player or that player or is this just JD trying to make them 'appear' to be in the game to appease a fan-base?"
They had holes. The injuries last year showed a lack of depth, the need for a solid D-man, as well as a need for scoring.....Then, seemingly out-of-nowhere they made a trade for Jaroslav Halak. Of all the holes this team had, goaltending wasn't really being viewed as a major one. In fact, at the time of Halak's deal there was still a belief Chris Mason would be back.
It was known Montreal was shopping Halak (as well as Price, although they haven't admitted it openly) but most felt Halak would be dealt much later on in the summer. When the deal went down as it did, the belief was the Blues ownership needed "a story" due to their lack of what would be coming in the UFA market, and wanted to have a player to bring some excitement and sell some tickets. Who better than the affordable Halak, who was coming off of his fairy tale playoff run.
Now, here we sit....end of October and the NHL team with the best winning percentage in the NHL is...the St Louis Blues..
Quick Facts...
* They are an amazing 6-1-2 (the only team to have lost only 1 game in regulation).
* They are second to Chicago in the division by only 1 point, but have 4 games-in-hand.
* They have given up only 17 goals in 9 games, second best in the NHL to Boston.
* They are a perfect 4-0-0 at home
* They are 6-0-2 when scoring first, and have been their best in third periods outscoring opponents 9-3
* TJ Oshie has been hotter than hot with a 7 game point streak(which ended last night)
* They have been physical and punishing, averaging 20.1 PIM a game, most in the NHL
* at 6-1-1 Halak is off to the best start of any new goalie in Blues history.
* They are getting depth scoring. 12 different goal scorers, but guys like Berglund, Steen, McClement(hattrick last night), D'Agostini, McDonald, etc are stepping up to help the young gun trio of Perron, Oshie, and Backes.
While those facts may not be anything too spectacular, what they don't show is what you see when you face this team. They are quick and they are relentless. I suggest catching them on Center Ice or GameCenter in the near future. It may have been a while since non-blues fans actively sought out the Blues. This team, in middle America, is a team who doesn't often get the coverage they deserve. The have appeared non-descript for some time now...
So at the end of Month 1, the Buzz Team in the NHL is: The St. Louis Blues.
Who do you think the best team in the NHL is as of October 31, 2010?
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