Without further interruption, let's get to it.
Jochen Hecht (BUF), 11 GP, 0-3-3
Lee Stempniak (CGY), 8 GP, 4-2-6
Dennis Wideman (CGY), 8 GP, 2-5-7
Jamal Mayers (CHI), 6 GP, 0-0-0
Nikita Nikitin (CLB), 8 GP, 0-2-2
Erik Johnson (COL), 10 GP, 0-1-1
Carlo Colaiacovo (DET), 2 GP, 0-0-0
Kent Huskins (DET), 7 GP, 0-0-0
Tyson Strachan (FLA), 5 GP, 0-0-0
Mike Weaver (FLA), 9 GP, 0-2-2
Lars Eller (MTL), 8 GP, 1-2-3
Cam Janssen (NJ), 3 GP, 0-0-0
Bryce Salvador (NJ), 10 GP, 0-1-1
Brad Boyes (NYI), 10 GP, 3-4-7
Marty Reasoner (NYI), 10 GP, 0-1-1
Alexandre Bolduc (PHX), 7 GP, 0-0-0
David Rundblad (PHX), 3 GP, 0-0-0
Michal Handzus (SJ), 10 GP, 1-1-2
Eric Brewer (TB), 10 GP, 3-2-5
B.J. Crombeen (TB), 9 GP, 0-2-2
Jay McClement (TOR), 11 GP, 1-1-2
Craig Anderson (OTT), 9 GP, 6-2-2, 1.49 GAA, .950 SV%
Ben Bishop (OTT), 1 GP, 0-1-0, 5.00 GAA, .833 SV%
Chris Mason (NSH), 1 GP, 1-0-0, 1.00 GAA, .967 SV%
Wideman vaults to the top of the scoring leaders among ex-Blues with a 2-3-5 performance over the last 5 games, just edging his teammate Stempniak who was 2-2-4 in the last 5. The surprise here is that former ex-Blue and seemingly perpetual enigma Brad Boyes was 2-2-4 over the last 7 games to stand at 3-4-7 in 10 games on the season. Throw in long-time whipping boy Eric Brewer, and those 4 guys account for 12-13-25 of the combined 15-29-44 from all 24 ex-Blues in the NHL.
Colaiacovo holds at 5 injuries on the season (the last one being a real injury that put him on IR), while teammate Kent Huskins has joined him with at least 2 so far. Anthony Peluso has still yet to play in a game for Winnipeg, who plucked him off waivers prior to the start of the season. Perhaps they're going to try and help him set an NHL record for most games scratched in the season without actually playing in one? Janssen was waived by the Devils and sent to the AHL, and Mayers hung himself out to dry on the other end of an Andrew Desjardins check that a linesman thought was a clear hit to the head (even though every video replay available showed it was perfectly clean, and Duncan Keith was a moron for trying to feed Mayers a suicide pass) - aided by Mayers grabbing his head and rolling around a bit on the ice (before getting up and skating like nothing happened) and then complaining after the game, "oh yeah - it was definitely a hit to the head."
On the goalie front, not much changed there. Bishop finally got in net, letting up 5 in a loss to Tampa; Mason has yet to be put back between the pipes. Anderson continues his impressive play for the Senators, giving the coaches no reason at all to put Bishop back in net again - though Anderson surrendered a whole 3 goals last night in an OT loss to Carolina to drive his GAA up from 1.33 to 1.49 on the season.
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On the subject of Bishop: since Elliott has struggled in net this season, I've seen Blues fans in other places lament the fact that we traded Bishop away, and pine for bringing him back. Let's review the facts:
-- Bishop was an impending Group 6 UFA, and so he was going to walk for nothing at season's end.
-- He also knew he was #3 in the system, and wasn't going to take another 2-way contract to play at Peoria - especially since he was highly coveted by other teams who noticed his play last year in the AHL, where he had a breakthrough season in his 4th year in the league.
-- Bishop had already had a couple kicks at the NHL can for the Blues, going 4-5-1 with a 2.83 GAA and .896 SV% - but more importantly, he had demonstrated an inability to use his 6'7" frame to effectively clog up the net and showed a surprising vulnerability to shots put high on net.
Given those things, (A) Bishop wasn't going to come back unless he got a 1-way deal (which the Blues weren't about to give - but which Ottawa was) and (B) he hadn't shown he was really an upgrade over either Halak or Elliott. Getting a 2nd round pick for a guy taken in the 3rd round who you're not going to keep around anyway and whose NHL future is cloudy and based on potential from one (1) stellar AHL season? Yeah, I'll take that trade and not think twice about it. The fact is, Bishop is only an upgrade on Elliott if you think Elliott's current 3.30 GAA and .864 SV% are going to continue for the rest of the year, and you think Bishop has suddenly figured out how to quit playing like he's 5'7" - and I can guarantee one of those two things isn't going to happen this year.
***
Tomorrow: a preview of Blues/Ducks - where we see if the boys can shake off the last 3 games and get back on the right track.
St Louis Blues Blogger • 
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