***UPDATE*** I'm sad to pass along news that former Blues coach Jacques Demers had a stroke last night and is hospitalized. Please keep him, his family and his friends in your thoughts. We are wishing you the best Jacques.
Many of you may not realize it but Jacques Demers had one of the most ingenious delay of game tactics in a playoff game ever and probably one of the funniest coaching incidents I have ever seen or heard of, rivaling Robbie Ftorek throwing a bench and Jim Schoenfield's donut incident. You have seen the timeout, the goal challenge, the goalie carousel switching, etc. but Demers used copper to delay a 1986 playoff game against the Minnesota North Stars. Demers tossed pennies onto the ice, knowing that they would have to stop the game to pick them all up. Amazingly, Demers was not fined for the incident.
Blues fans have been waiting for the MASH 63103 unit to slow down all season but the hockey gods seem to have other ideas. The team may have lost its other starting goaltender yesterday. Various people are reporting that Brian Elliott took a shot the hand, inside his blocker, and left practice in obvious pain. Luckily, if you can believe the things that are said about injuries this time of year, Elliott said that he was “totally fine. It happens every day in practice. You’re always taking shots. You get off the ice and you start hearing from people in Canada who think you’re hurt. With all the injuries we have, people get a little sensitive, but I’m all good and ready to go.… If Blues fans lacked confidence in Elliott, I wonder how they would feel about Nilsson or being forced to go with an injured Elliott or Jake Allen.
Also yesterday, we learned what Steve Ott’s setback was when the team announced that Ott is sidelined with Colitis and won’t even be re-evaluated for 2 weeks. As I understand it, some people have surgery to help correct the cause of the Colitis. Regardless, don’t expect to see Ott playing until early May. Jay Bouwmeester and Robby Fabbri have not been cleared to play yet. Perhaps that will happen later today. It seems the MASH reports are getting longer and the game day info shorter. Here’s to hoping that trend reverses.
Tonight the Blues will be at the United Center taking on the Chicago Blackhawks at 7:30pm. If the Blues can earn any points tonight, they will clinch at least second place in the division. If the Blues lose in regulation tonight, the Blues grip on second place gets a lot looser as the Blackhawks finish the year against the lowly Blue Jackets while the Blues host the NHL’s best Washington Capitals. With the Blues losing the tiebreaker, if the Blackhawks win their last 2 game and the Blues lose theirs, the Blues finish tied in points but in third place. Of course, it he Blues win tonight and the Stars lose to the Avalanche, the Blues would only need 1 point on Saturday to clinch the division and conference title. Both teams have similar records in their last 10 games with the Blues earning 14 points to the Blackhawks’ 13 and are coming off victories against the Arizona Coyotes. What might surprise people is that the Coyotes matched the Blues and Blackhawks 2-2 in even strength goals in those games. The Blackhawks have struggled in 5v5 hockey this year, having a -7 goal differential, compared to the Blues +19 goal differential. I expect both teams’ fans are looking forward to a spirited game tonight.
I should also note that in addition to being with Duncan Keith and Corey Crawford, expect Marian Hossa, Artem Anisimov and Andrew Shaw to be out as well.
Assuming that Fabbri and Bouwmeester don’t get cleared, my guess for the Blues lines are as follows but the full line blender could be in overdrive: Steen –Lehtera – Tarasenko Schwartz - Berglund – Jaskin Paajarvi - Stastny -Brouwer Upshall – Brodziak – Reaves Edmundson – Pietrangelo Gunnarsson - Shattenkirk Parayko - Bortuzzo Elliott
Notes from around the league: - Hat tip to Sycsam for this article on Alex Pietrangelo. - The NHL has to love tonight’s schedule – Boston/Detroit – battle for 3rd in the Atlantic and LA/Anaheim battle for 1st in the Pacific. - The NHL also has to like the last day of the regular season on Sunday with Anaheim and Philadelphia making up their games in hand and possible having playoff implications. - Congratulations to the Florida Panthers and ageless Jaromir Jagr on their division title. - Will the Capitals eclipse 120 points this season and will they win their 30th home game? - If the Flyers or Red Wings end up missing the playoffs will be because of their terrible shootout record? - Can the 3 best Central teams play better than the Penguins, Panthers Kings, and Ducks in the last 2 games and end up with 3 of the top 4 teams in the NHL? - Patrick Kane is making a late push for the Rocket Richard trophy, now 3 goals behind Alex Ovechkin. - Everyone seemed to be marveling about the Blackhawks OT success but the Kings have 12 3v3 goals. - Jonathan Drouin has been called back up by the Lightning. Maybe injuries can force reconciliation.
Clinch info from around the league: - Stars clinch the home ice through the first three rounds with a win tonight and a Blues non-extra time loss. - Ducks clinch the Pacific division title with a regulation win tonight and either earning 1 more point or the Kings not winning their last game. - Red Wings clinch 3rd in the Atlantic with any type of win tonight against the Bruins.
It’s a great day for hockey.