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Its another day of high anxiety in Bufalo.
Pending UFA Matt Moulson missed the morning skate in Dallas which prompted speculation instaweather Moulson had been traded.
The LA Kings and Ottawa Senators want Moulson.
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Ryan Miller's St. Louis Blues debut got off to a wonky start when just 2:50 into the game, Welland native @BizNasty2point0 got credit for the first goal of the game when a shot kissed off Blues D Jackman's skate a found Miller's shelf.
Miller would later allow a second goal to the Coyotes' fourth line when Jeff Halpern scored on a goal mouth tap-in.
Patrik Berglund scored twice and Magnus Paajarvi and Kevin Shattenkirk added goals in the third period to give Miller and the Blues a 4-2 victory against the Phoenix Coyotes.
Miller was acquired Friday along with Steve Ott from the Buffalo Sabres, made 22 saves on 23 shots faced and improved to a perfect 7-0-0 against the Coyotes. He has beaten Phoenix three times this season, including two times while with the Sabres.
Miller liked what he saw of his new teammates. Especially the low shot count against him.
"They are a confident group, you can see it in the way they interact and talk," said Miller, acquired Friday along with Steve Ott from the Buffalo Sabres. "The locker room is a lot of fun and the guys have a lot of faith in each other. Not a lot of shots came my way after they got a little more puck control. They made the adjustments we needed and went from there."
Gone are the days that Miller will be facing 35+ shots per game. The Blues have forwards and D who love to create chaos with their patented puck pressure. That coupled with shot blockers who will eat a shot for the team, Miller is now in position to see less rubber than he did in Buffalo. Watch his save percentage and GAA improve as a result.
The Blues looked sluggish and indecisive through the first forty minutes of play.
Then, they hulked up and scored four third period goals to give Miller the 4-2 win in his Blues debut.
Steve Ott looked solid in his Blues debut as well.
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It didn't take Steve Ott long to make an impression in St. Louis. In his first game since Friday's blockbuster trade, Ott looked like he was back where he belongs.
“Steve I had as a kid,” Hitchcock said. “I went and watched him play when he was our draft pick. Then I had him in the first couple of training camps. And ever since then, coaching against him, I’ve always thought Steve Ott is a guy that is willing to go just a little bit further than the guy he is playing against. That, to me, is something we’re looking for.”
Ott made quite a name for himself in his nine-season tenure with the Dallas Stars.
Ott’s became the guy you love as a teammate and you hate as an opponent.
When he was traded to Buffalo in July 2012, Ott took on more of a leadership role. He immediately became of key member of the Buffalo leadership group that included then Sabres Ryan Miller, Jason Pominville, Thomas Vanek, Robyn Regehr, and Jason Pominville. In October 2013, Ott was named Sabres captain and he relished in that role. He held his teammates accountable and offered them the support that they needed as the Sabres navigated the choppy waters of the re-builing process.
Ott will be 32 this summer and now is his time to win.He hasn’t played in an NHL playoff game in six seasons. That will all change for the better bow that he is reunited with his Dallas connections Hitch, Army, and Morrow, in St. Louis.
He has 103 goals and 264 points in 674 career games.
You can say that Ott has gotten better with age.
“I’ve always been a late bloomer, from junior on up,” Ott said. “When I started, I was more of an energy kid. I learned a lot of great experience from the veteran guys they had (in Dallas), the Morrows and (Mike) Modanos, go down the list. There were so many great teammates that influenced me over my career. Now, I think my game is more of a complete game. I’ll help contribute, but I’ll also be very responsible out there.”
Blues fans will fall in love with Ott’s style. He loves to hit and he loves to get under the skin of opponents. On his first shift as a Blues player on Sunday night, he cranked Yotes D-man Z. Michalek with a heavy hit along the wall. That’s Ott’s way of saying “Hello”, to his opponent.
“This is a team that plays hard,” Ott said. “They play a well-structured game. My style of play hopefully fits in that mold. I’m just trying to help compete and help push that pace. Hopefully I contribute in some facet.”
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Ryanwas asked by the Post Dispatch to describe Ott.
“I think this is his style of hockey,” Miller said. “He’s going to play hard, he’s going to be scrappy. He really is a pain to play against ... sometimes as a teammate, he’s a little bit of a pain. He likes to have fun, he’s quick to joke around with those guys and he’s very likable in that way. The guys will take to him real quick and the other team will not like him even quicker.”
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FourthPeriod.com tweeted late Sunday night that Anaheim Ducks GM Bob Murray is aggressively seeking a trade or trades before the March 5 NHL trade deadline. Murray wants a forward and a D.
The report says that the Ducks are willing to move several of its young, gifted prospects in order to acquire veteran difference makers.
The report says that Murray is willing to part with impressive young Finnish D Sami Vatanen, and excellent young forwards Devante Smith-Pelly, Kyle Palmieri and Rickard Rakell.
Tim Murray knows Bob Murray very well having worked for the man.
Tim Murray has Matt Moulson and Christian Ehrhoff. Bob Murray would love to get his hands on Moulson in order to keep him out of the hands of division rival LA Kings. Ehrhoff would upgrade the Ducks' top four D.
At what price would Bob Murray be willing to trade for Moulson and/or Ehrhoff?
Vatanen is a great talent, however, where would he fit on the Buffalo blue line?You can say goodbye to Tallinder and McBain. Weber and Myers are the main cogs in the Buffalo D right now, however, Pysyk. Ristolainen, Zadorov, and McNabb are knocking on the door and should be ready to compete for Buffalo jobs next season. The Sabres also have Jake McCabe at U of Wisconsin. What if they draft Aaron Ekblad in the 2014 first round?
Would they have a need for Vatanen?
I would like to see Tim Murray do a deal with Bob Murray to add some big, skilled forwards to Buffalo's young core. A top flight goalie, too.
I've been told that Tim Murray is serious about acquiring a big, talented goalie. Anaheim has John Gibson waiting in the wings. They also have forwards Nick Bonino and Devante Smith-Pelly.
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