Third Period Update & Post Game Quick Hits
Tampa tried to close the gap, but Halak had all the answers except for a well executed passing play resulting in Brendan Mikkleson's first NHL goal.
Stamkos and Martin St. Louis were unnoticeable through most of the game till the third period. Part of the cause surely was the Blues defensive plan, but there wasn't as much of a sense of urgency out of those two compared to their normal levels.
Most of the period was spent in the Blues end of the rink. There was very little in the way of forward pressure for the visitors, but that didn't really seem to matter. Premium scoring chances didn't not define the period.
Quick Hits
- The Mikkleson goal made Schwartz's first period tally the game winner. It also denied the Blues their 13th shutout of the season which would have tied an ancient record held by a young Scotty Bowman coaches club.
- Schwartz played 13:50 and scored on his only shot of the game. The key takeaway from his performance is not the goal, but how he looked on the ice. If there were any jitters they weren't apparent. It was a pro effort from end to end. Remember when Alex Pietrangelo first started making noise last season. The fifth game of 2010-11 in Chicago? He was paired with Barret Jackman behind Eric Brewer and Erik Johnson. There was a feeling that Petro was arriving and he was ready to excel in the NHL. I got that same feeling about Schwartz tonight. In terms of how they read and react which allows their skills to take them to a higher level on nearly on par.
- Schwartz earned his first Weenie Hat and was named the first star of the game.
- Much is made out of the Blues playing "a man's game". It's good to see Berglund becoming a contributing factor to that assessment late in the season. He's had his ups and downs over the last four years and there are far more ups than downs now. He's playing with far more fire and gusto than he has before. He had a solid "man's game" tonight.
- TJ Oshie will get his name mentioned on the NHL Network highlights for his two assists, but the impacts made that aren't reflected on the scoresheet earn him much deserved credit.
- Sobotka is tonight's Honey Badger of the game. Typically effective in typical Sobe style. Especially in his best attempt to be David Backes between Perron and Oshie.
- Speaking of Backes he did not play the remainder of the game after leaving in the second period. Darren Pang tweeted that he looked fine walking out of the arena. The Blues official account tweeted a Hitchcock quote clarifying further, "We'll evaluate him in a few days and he should be good to go. He blocked a shot and he'll be fine.". Sounds like the scored dictated half a night off. Take a deep breath and sleep easy.
- Kent Huskins filled in well. Barely noticeable which is a great thing for a third pairing defenseman who doesn't play on special teams.
- The win means the Blues are the first in the NHL to hit the 100 point mark and are also the first to clinch a playoff berth.
- Now four games in to this seven game road segment the Blues are 2-1-1. They'll enjoy three days off till a back to back set next week Wednesday and Thursday against the Anaheim Ducks and LA Kings.
Second Period Update:
After two periods of action it appears the reset button was found and hit. Almost all of the bad habits that caused trouble the last few games haven't shown up tonight.
David Backes hobbled off the ice to the bench after blocking a shot. He stayed there for a short time before heading down the tunnel to the locker room. Vladimir Sobotka replaced him on the top line with Perron and Oshie.
David Perron used his 15th goal of the season to push the lead to three goals. Reminder: The Blues are 36-0-1 when scoring three goals or more.
Halak made another big save on a talented Bolts sniper. Flashing the leather to stop Brett Connolly on a clean breakaway. Through two periods Halak has stopped all 14 Tampa shots.
For those who missed Schwartz's goal,
here it is.
First Period Update:
It didn't take long for Jaden Schwartz to bag his first NHL goal. It came late in the first period on a power play to put the Blues up 2-0. Battled in the corner, worked his way to the front of the net and collected the rebound and stuffed it behind Roloson.
It's not the size of the dog of the fight in the dirty areas, but the positioning and quick stick work. Schwartz had the correct position and the a faster stick than the man marking him.
Patrik Berglund opened the scoring midway through the period when he tapped in a Alex Pietrangelo pass for a shirt handed goal.
After a sloppy set of games, this first period is exactly what Dr. Hitch ordered. Back to basics and Tampa is not keeping up.
Credit Jaroslav Halak for keeping the game even early by making himself big in the net to stop Steven Stamkos rifling a shot from the slot as the extra man on a delayed penalty.
FYI - Kent Huskins took the place of Ian Cole in the lineup.
Game Day Quick Hits
After winning four straight road games in February and completing the trip through Canada and California with a 5-1-0 record hopes were high that the St. Louis Blues were becoming the Road Warriors they wanted to be. The success bred confidence that the next long term jaunt across North America wouldn’t end up in disaster as some had prophesied when the schedule was released last year.
Through three of the seven games that’s not been the case.
The Blues won the first game in Columbus, but it was from from ascetically pleasing. Since then they’ve dropped two straight to Chicago and Carolina. Without a return to Ken Hitchcock’s version of normalcy the skid will slide to three games.
This will be the second of two meetings this season between Tampa and St. Louis. Back on November 12th the Blues won 3-0 thanks to Brian Elliott’s 19 saves and goals from Kris Russell, Kevin Shattenkirk, and TJ Oshie.
With a win tonight the Blues will be the first team in the NHL to 100 points and also the first to punch their ticket to the post season. Not many would have believed that sentence to be mired in any sense of reality back in October, but they are today.
Tampa is not going to rollover and play dead for the Blues. They are seven points back of Washington with two other teams to jump over for the 8th seed in the East. Tonight is their 71st game. It’s a tall task but one that they’ll likely shy away from making an honest attempt at completing.
Who is ready for a battle of 2008 draft picks? Will 1st overall pick Steven Stamkos add to his spectacular statistical mark of 50 goals and 84 points and lead keep Tampa’s playoff hopes alive or will Alex Pietrangelo, the 4th overall selection, improve on his tall of 11 goals and 43 points which is 5th best among defensemen and lead the Blues to a triple digit point total?
In Goal
Jaroslav Halak returns to crease tonight in hopes of nabbing his 25th win of the season. Coming in to the game he is three wins shy of tying he career best win total, 27, which he set in 2010-11. In two career games against the Lightning he is 1-1-0 with a 3.04 GAA and .887 save percentage.
Dwayne Roloson will tend the net for Tampa. In 22 starts and 30 appearances this season the oldest goalie in the NHL is 8-13-2 with a 3.76 GAA and .881save percentage. Roloson’s career numbers against the Blues are fairly impressive. He sis 9-4-4 in 17 games with a 1.90 GAA and .929 save percentage.
Lineup
The expected lines and pairings are:
Perron – Backes – Oshie
Schwartz – Berglund – Langenbrunner
Porter – Sobotka – Stewart
Crombeen – Nichol – Reaves
Colaiacovo – Pietrangelo
Jackman – Shattenkirk
Cole – Polak
Jason Arnott, Kent Huskins and Andy McDonald are the likely scratches.
Note that Jaden Schwartz is in the lineup and will make his professional debut in a prominent role. There will be no toe dipping or coddling for the former Colorado College star as he'll be thrown straight in to the fire. He will fill in for Andy McDonald on the second line and on the power play.
Scott Nichol will play even after a kick from Carolina forward Jeff Skinner which earned him a two game suspension from the NHL. Interesting that Skinner was hit with supplemental discipline but Nichol wasn't tagged for his obvious slewfoot of Pittsburgh forward Joe Vitale earlier this season.
On the Injury Front
Forwards Alex Steen, Matt D'Agostini, and defensemen Kris Russell remain out of action. All three are in various stages of recovery from concussion symptoms.
Andy McDonald is considered "week to week" after injuring his shoulder Thursday as a result of a collision with Hurricanes forward Tuomo Ruutu. Blues TV color analyst Darren Pang
reports via Twitter than McDonald is feeling better today.
Thanks for reading. Enjoy the game and Let’s Go Blues!
As always, you’re welcome to follow me on Twitter:
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