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fans rooted for their team to lose. I understood why, but I couldn’t do it then and I can’t do it now even with two absolute studs projected at the top of the draft.
Bill Simmons over at ESPN the Website a few years ago talked about how teams out of contention have been known down the stretch to often quit trying in the hopes of improving their draft status. If they can do it, then why can’t fans root for their team to
tank? So that’s what he did with his Celtics. He rooted for them to lose every game down the stretch in 2007 so
that they could be in a position to draft Kevin Durant or Greg Oden. They didn’t luck out and
got the fifth pick in the draft. So instead of drafting one of those two players, they made some trades and acquired Kevin Garnett and won the NBA title. So his tactic of fan tanking didn’t even work and it took an imaginative and daring front office to pull things together for the team to win.
“Less rational fans can’t stomach the thought of fan tanking, even when it’s with the
most noble intentions, because it makes them feel like traitors,” Simmons wrote.
I don’t think I’m less rational than most fans even though I write for an underground, fan-run paper about a below average hockey team and devote several hours to writing for the paper’s website. It’s not like I’ve got a playoff ticket jar on top of my refrigerator where I put spare change in with the hope of putting the money towards hockey tickets in April and May. If I did that, I would probably have enough money to buy a car since the Blues’ last trip to the playoffs.
(Continued on page 26)
By Brad Lee
The month of December isn’t even over yet and I’ve seen some Blues fans on the Internets talk about rooting for the Blues to tank the rest of the season in order to have the best odds at winning the first overall pick in the NHL draft lottery. That’s just crazy.
When the Blues have a stretch of schedule like this, it’s not like you have to root really hard for them to lose. Sunday they played Boston, the second best team in the NHL. Tuesday they played at Detroit, the third best team in the league. Tonight, they welcome San Jose, the best hockey team in the league so far this season. And the Blues could cry uncle tonight, setup to meekly lose to all three. More on that later.
Sure the Blues have lost seven of their last eight games with difficult to win games next on the schedule starting with the NHL-leading Sharks tonight. And of course three of the Blues’ best forwards and two important defensemen are out with injuries. Oh, and Andy Murray is criticizing almost the entire team through the media. Neither goaltender is showing he wants the starting job. Beer prices are a bitch. The ushers are inconsistent in stopping people from walking in during play. People still yell shoot too much on the power play. Other than that, the Blues are fine.
At the end of the 2005-06 season when the Blues were challenging for last place in the NHL and the best odds of winning the first overall pick in the draft lottery, a lot of St. Louis
Four Dollars Of Positive Mental Attitude The Game Day Guide To St. Louis Blues Hockey Established in 2005
Today’s Records, Injuries & News Today’s Team Records: Blues: Sharks: 13-18-3 (29 points) 27-4-3 (57 points) 5th in Central 1st in Pacific 15th in Western 1st in Western
Last Ten Games: Blues: Sharks: 3-7-0 7-1-2
Season Series: All-Time Series: 0-1-1 39-22-3-2
Today’s Injuries:
Blues: C Andy McDonald (fractured ankle), LW Paul Kariya (lower body), F TJ Oshie (ankle, again), D Fragile Jay McKee (broken finger) and D Eric Brewer (back surgery) are out.
Sharks: C Jeremy Roenick (shoulder surgery) and C Torrey Mitchell (broken leg) are out. LW Milan Michalek (upper body injury) is questionable.
Today’s News & Notes: • Recent rookie points leader Derrick
Brassard (CLB) had his first career fight last week. It ended badly as he injured his shoulder, needs surgery and will miss the rest of the season.
• Avalanche leading scorer Paul Stastny breaks his arm and is out indefinitely.
• Game Time staff looking for reasons to get out of the house at this point.
CAUTION: St. Louis Game Time contains extreme sarcasm and less-than-gentle language. But it is a hockey paper, so you should fucking just get over it.
Volume 4 , Issue 18 December 27 , 2008 Game Time
St Louis
From The Editor St. Louis Game Time
Established: November 6, 2005 St Louis, Missouri Phone: 402-2266
www.StLouisGameTime.com
Godfather Jeffio
Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
Sean Gallagher [email protected]
Advertising
[email protected] [email protected]
Distribution John Nicolay
Amy Benoist, Becky Benoist, Billy Cash, Clarence Walker
Columnists
Chris Gift, Duke, Brad Lee, Answer Man & Brian Weidler
Contributors
Jeffio, Jeff Browning, LosBri, Childhood Trauma, Dan Doke, Jeff
Fahrenkrog, Jeremy Pratte & Chris Reed
Photographer Andrew D’Angelo
Mission:
Game Time will provide prospect information, up-to-date statistics, articles
that spark discussion and humor that points out the best and worst about our
favorite team and sport. We are all fans of the Blues and our opinions will reflect
those of subjective fans. The paper is published for every home
game, excluding the pre-season, which we all know sucks.
Rights & Permissions:
All material printed herein is copyrighted and protected. Do not reprint in any format without expressed, written permission from Game Time LLC.
Logos & Photos
Team logos and pictures used herein are the property of the individual teams
and/or the NHL and are used solely for identification and editorial purposes.
Today’s Word: Mmm, chummy.
Since I’m not that big on writing the annual soft-focus Christmas/holiday piece, whether it be for the paper or for our website, the game before and game after Christmas usually leaves me in a bit of a conundrum. That’s an easy article to write, after all.
“Dear Santa…”
Unfortunately, it’s not my thing. Luckily enough for me, on our website I can just throw a stupid video of someone’s mom rapping about her failed Christmas shopping for a soup tureen (soup soup tureen) on the front page and call it a holiday. Also lucky for me, one of our regulars over at the website did me the favor of writing a pretty solid ‘Santa in St. Louis’ piece which was easily moved to the front page. Based on the responses he got, there is a desire out there for Blues fans to see some sort of festive holiday writing.
So, I’ll do it. Sort of. Again referring to the new and improved GT website, I posted a poll earlier this week harkening back to the made-up holiday of Seinfeld’s Frank Costanza. In accordance with his self-made Festivus, every year at the dinner table there is an Airing of Grievances. During this, you let everyone know how much they have disappointed you over the last year. My poll read: It’s Festivus, time for the Airing of Grievances. Which Blue has disappointed you the most this year?
As I put in the options, I tried to think of everyone who had let us down, but tried to keep it to just five choices. Obviously, that was a bit tough. After just a few days, here are the totals, along with the percentages of people who voted for them:
TJ Oshie: $250 on a new jersey, he’s played in 12 games (3%)
Jay McKee: 4 million dollars, 4 million broken bones (4%)
Eric Brewer: No robot has ever run a more inefficient program (16%)
Manny Legace: Time to stop blaming Sarah Palin’s carpet (30%)
Paul Kariya: The mascot has seen more ice than our elf has this year (45%)
Now, ignoring the fact that the numbers don’t add up to 100% (yes, I know you were already pulling out your phone to text/email me about that), I was surprised by a lot of these numbers. For one, the Oshie entry was pretty much intended to be a joke. I really
didn’t think he’d get any votes at all. But then again, I didn’t drop $250 on an Oshie jersey, either, so maybe I can see that.
The next most-surprising for me was Jay McKee. Honestly, I expected him to garner a much bigger percentage of the vote. But rather than look at as a sign of respect from the fans, I think the oppo-site has happened. People haven’t come
accept his unflashy play and the solid defense that McKee is known for; I think people have just
lowered their expectations and written off what we’re going to get out of Fragile Jay. We now know to only expect him to
play 20-60 games a year, score around zero points and endure two really weird injuries a season. We all already know too that when this contract ends, he’ll head back to Buffalo on a sweetheart hometown contract that will make the $16 million that the Blues paid him look more distorted than the buyout a certain guy with IV after his name took to sell out his family, loyal-to-a-fault employees, history and city.
Not to be all bitter. (Please return to enjoying your frosty Inbevweiser.)
The Robot’s comparatively low poll numbers also surprised me. Much like McKee, I guess the expectations that people have for Pronger’s most visible replacement have gone down a bit. I mean, excluding the one guy in every section who can’t stop yelling at him. Brewer has been exactly what his career has indicated he would be: a very solid defenseman who will put up modest point totals and will make defensive mistakes from time to time. A top-pairing defenseman he is, Chris Pronger he is not. Maybe people are starting to realize that.
Manny Legace’s high percentage struck me as odd, too. Legace, for as much as I’ve tried to point out his non-top-guy status lately, has a big following among Blues fans. But I guess that we’ve all gotten sick of the losing. And the bad goals. And the poorly-timed goals against. And, no matter what Bernie Federko tries to convince us of, the fact that the ones he lets in are not all ‘unstoppable.’
(Continued on page 27)
Volume 4 , Issue 18 December 27 , 2008
Top 11 Signs That You Are Drunk At The Game
11. You made a bet that you’d chug a beer for every roster player who has played in Peoria this year.
10. You joined the Blue Revolution. Tonight. 9. When the kiss cam came on, you started making
out with Towel Boy. 8. Bob Plager thinks you’ve had a few too many. 7. After the game you’ve vowed to dry hump the
Kung Fu bunny statue by Metrolink. No one doubts this.
6. You ran through the concourse wearing a giant blue rat head.
5. You keep trying to start the “Ricci’s ugly” chant. 4. When there is action right in front of your seats
in the front row, you stand up and bang on the glass like a caged monkey.
3. Horn guy thinks you’re a little loud. 2. You boo when the Mighty Mite players don’t
drop the gloves. 1. You swear Red Berenson is in the front row of
the mezzanine. Wearing a cowboy hat.
From the Empty Beer Cup of Brad Lee
Tonight’s Trivia By Childhood Trauma
G AME T IME Page 3
• Game Time apologizes for giving the Blues management just one gift for all of them to share this year. We’re not sure where we got that idea.
• Game Time printed the wrong picture of the weird Santa that showed up at the GT Christmas party in the last issue. The correct picture is shown here.
Corrections & Clarifications
First Period (true or false):
1. Through the first 30 games of this season San Jose has had the best start in NHL history.
2. Jody Shelley amassed more PIM in a single game for the Sharks last season than Erik Johnson has in his career.
First Intermission (T/F):
3. Shelley Winters is on the St. Louis Walk of Fame.
Second Period (multiple choice):
4. Nikolav Lemtyugov left the Blues AHL team to play in Russia. Which current Shark left his AHL assignment to return home during 2007: Alexei Semenov, Evgeni Nabokov, Marcel Goc, or Lukas Kaspar?
5. Which Shark did the Blues draft: Mike Grier, Alexei Semenov, Jody Shelly or Dan Boyle?
Second Intermission:
6. Which of these did Rosey Grier, Mike Grier’s uncle, not accomplish: authored a needlepoint book, starred in a movie about a man with two heads, won the Super Bowl, or take the gun from Sirhan Sirhan after Robert Kennedy was shot?
Third Period:
7. Name the three most recent members of the 500-goal club.
8. Who is the only player left from the Joe Thornton trade still playing for the Bruins?
9. What San Jose captain and 1,000-game NHLer did the Blues get when they traded Joe Murphy away?
Overtime!
10. The San Jose Sharks have an affiliation with what non-traditional, Western Hemisphere, city?
1. True. They’re 52 points beat the 1930 Boston Bruins’ 50. 2. True. Jody owns the Sharks single game record with 41 PIM. Erik Johnson has 33 career penalty minutes. 3. True. Shelley, born in St. Louis, moved to Brooklyn at age three. 4. Alexei Semenov leaft for Russia in 2007. 5. Mike Grier. His rights were traded with Curtis Joseph, to reacquire first round picks the Blues lost signing RFA Shayne Corson. 6. Rosey never won the Super Bowl. His one championship team was with the Giants before the Super Bowl existed. 7. The most recent three are Americans. Mike Modano reached the mark late in the 2007 season. The only players to reach it last season were Shark Jeremy Roenick and Blue Keith Tkachuk. 8. Marco Sturm. Wayne Primeau (Calgary) and Brad Stuart (Detroit) have moved on. 9. Todd Gill played 39 of his 1,007 NHL games in the ‘Note. 10. The Sharks are affiliated with the China Sharks based in Shanghai.
www.stlouisgametime.com
Just Here For The $9 Beer.
Volume 4, Issue 18 December 27, 2008 Page 4
G AME T IME Page 5
The Five Hole With Chris Gift
Merry belated Christmas to everybody. If Kwanzaa and Hanukkah are more your style; happy holidays to you as well.
For some insane reason, the one thing I really paid attention to while I was in my math classes was the bell curve. I guess it was taught more in my Statistics class than in any of my other conventional math classes.
Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division…counting, you’ll probably need to hire somebody else to do that for you, or at least give me a calculator and multiple choice for the correct answer, but figuring out where in the curve people, places or certain things are became simple for me.
For example, when listing cities in the United States, St. Louis, San Jose, Denver, Kansas City, Orlando, we’re all pretty much in the middle. Detroit is on the far, far left, and New York City is on the far, far right.
Almost everybody in everything they do fall in the middle of the curve. Those guys on the ice down there tonight, all of them, they’re on the very, very far right side of the curve when it comes to abilities as hockey players. Even the officials are the best of the best when it comes to officiating.
That being said, player for player, how many players do the Blues have that are better than their counterparts on the Sharks? How many players, for what they do, are better than what San Jose has?
In other words, I’m not saying that Patrik Berglund is a better player than Jody Shelley, that’s obvious. What I am saying is that from players 1-20 on San Jose compared to players 1-20 on St. Louis, you’ll be hard pressed to find an inferior Shark to a superior Blue.
Now comparing the Sharks to the Jets, that’s a different West Side story that we’ll not get too involved with tonight. But when you’re a Jet you’re Jet, from your very first day to your last cigarette.
Because going 1-20 player by player would take up too much room, let’s just focus on the goaltending position.
As most of you that didn’t take a round trip to Neptune for Christmas know, the Blues’ goaltending has been a bit suspect lately. In alphabetical order to not show favoritism, Ben Bishop, Manny Legace and Chris Mason (who bares a striking resemblance to Jason “Wee-Man” Acuna in the Blues’ opening video) have struggled. It isn’t just the goals that Bernie Federko says that “the goalie really didn’t have a chance” to stop. Three goals come to mind in recent games that separate what should be good goaltending, and what hasn’t been good goaltending. Each goaltender was respon-sible for one of them.
Jarome Iginla’s goal on December 16th off of Mason: While Iginla was left alone in the circle to Mason’s right and let go a blistering shot that beat Mason high to the
glove side, Mason should have made the save for two reasons: There was no traffic between Mason and Iginla, and Mason had squared himself to Iginla. Looking at the other end of the rink tonight, Evgeni Nabokov stops that, goalies on playoff teams stop that shot.
Alex Ovechkin’s goal on December 18th off of Bishop: Again, a star player is left wide open (although this time it was on the power play) in the circle to the goaltender’s right, and again the star player roofs it in the blink of an eye. No traffic between the shooter and the goaltender, and the goalie was square to the shooter.
Blake Wheeler’s shorthanded goal this past Sunday off of Legace: For the first half of the first period on Sunday, Wheeler became Bobby Orr. He zigzagged through the five Blues players and snuck the puck between Legace’s right leg pad and the post. Legace looked as confused as the other five Blues on the ice when the right-handed shooting Wheeler beat him on his forehand. What was Manny expecting? A cycle behind the net while the Bruins were shorthanded?
To go over every goal the Blues’ goalies have let in lately would fill up an entire issue, but those three were three that came at key times. Iginla’s was the first of the game, Ovechkin’s turned a two-goal early third period deficit into a three goal deficit, and Wheeler’s shortie negated both a power play goal later in that power play, and Jay McClement’s shortie later in the period).
I’m a firm believer that in all sports more championships are won with solid defense than flamboyant offense. For every offense based dynasty like the Edmonton Oilers had, there are more goaltending and defensive based dynasties like Patrick
(Continued on page 22)
The Jeffio Joke of the Day
Joe Thornton and Jeremy Roenick were driving to the rink. Thornton told Roenick to look out for cops — especially cops with their lights on. After driving for a while, Thornton asked Roenick, “Do you see any cops?”
“Yes,” answered Roenick.
“Are their lights on?”
Roenick stopped to think for a moment and then said, “Yes. No. Yes. No. Yes. No …”
Blues All-Time LeadersGames Played Bernie Federko 927Goals Brett Hull 527Points Bernie Federko 1,073PIM Brian Sutter 1,873Goalie GP Mike Liut 347Wins Mike Liut 151GAA Jacques Plante 2.07Shutouts Glenn Hall 16
St. Louis Blues Statistics
Volume 4, Issue 18 December 27, 2008 Page 6
*Statistics reflect time with St. Louis only. For full season totals, see Pg 14.
Unconcerned With Receiving Coal. St. Louis Game Time
Blues LeadersGoals Brad Boyes 16Assists David Perron 18Points Brad Boyes 31Plus/Minus Patrik Berglund 10PP Goals Brad Boyes 9Wins Manny Legace 9GAA Chris Mason 3.16Save PCT Chris Mason 90.2%
PLAYER GP G A PTS +/- PIM ATOI PPG PPA SHG SHA SOG SPCTBrad Boyes, RW 34 16 15 31 -21 14 19:33 9 7 0 0 91 17.6Keith Tkachuk, C 34 12 12 24 -9 33 18:13 8 2 0 0 87 13.8Patrik Berglund, C 29 12 10 22 10 6 15:42 4 4 0 0 55 21.8David Perron, LW 33 2 18 20 -1 18 15:27 0 6 0 0 68 2.9Andy McDonald, C 16 6 12 18 -12 12 19:55 2 9 1 0 46 13David Backes, RW 34 10 7 17 -4 89 17:04 2 2 0 0 65 15.4Paul Kariya, LW 11 2 13 15 1 2 18:06 0 9 0 0 31 6.5Jay McClement, C 34 3 8 11 -6 19 16:38 0 0 1 0 54 5.6Barret Jackman, D 34 2 7 9 -8 50 22:09 0 1 0 0 38 5.3B.J. Crombeen, RW* 18 6 2 8 -1 40 12:46 0 1 0 0 34 17.6Alexander Steen, LW* 15 1 6 7 2 2 17:45 1 3 0 0 29 3.4Roman Polak, D 34 1 6 7 -5 29 20:21 0 2 0 0 33 3Eric Brewer, D 28 1 5 6 -14 24 25:07 1 2 0 0 49 2Jeff Woywitka, D 20 0 6 6 -1 28 17:18 0 4 0 0 21 0Carlo Colaiacovo, D* 15 1 5 6 -3 17 18:14 0 5 0 0 21 4.8Brad Winchester, LW 16 4 1 5 -5 32 12:05 3 1 0 0 18 22.2T.J. Oshie, C 12 2 2 4 2 2 15:15 1 0 0 0 16 12.5Cam Janssen, RW 26 0 3 3 -6 70 5:42 0 0 0 0 10 0Cam Paddock, C 16 2 1 3 -4 0 10:41 0 0 0 0 17 11.8Yan Stastny, C 28 2 1 3 -14 20 12:54 0 0 0 0 25 8Jay McKee, D 30 1 1 2 -5 12 16:32 0 0 0 0 19 5.3Mike Weaver, D 16 0 2 2 -2 0 12:20 0 0 0 1 5 0D.J. King, LW 1 0 1 1 E 0 8:20 0 0 0 0 0 0Tyson Strachan, D 4 0 1 1 1 4 15:08 0 0 0 0 1 0Dan Hinote, RW 17 0 0 0 -6 19 10:56 0 0 0 0 10 0
PLAYER GP W L GAA SV SV% SHO TGA TSA PIM ENGManny Legace 19 9 7 3.34 432 88.7% 0 55 487 0 1Chris Mason 16 3 10 3.16 395 90.2% 1 43 438 0 5
Skater Statistics
Goalie Statistics
San Jose Sharks Statistics
Guaranteed Awesome. (Not Guaranteed.) www.StLouisGameTime.com
G AME T IME Page 7
*Statistics reflect time with current team only.
Sharks All-Time LeadersGames Played Patrick Marleau 829Goals Patrick Marleau 256Points Patrick Marleau 579PIM Jeff Odgers 1,001Goalie GP Evgeni Nabokov 454Wins Evgeni Nabokov 227GAA Evgeni Nabokov 2.38Shutouts Evgeni Nabokov 42
Sharks LeadersGoals Patrick Marleau 18Assists Joe Thornton 30Points Patrick Marleau 40Plus/Minus Devin Setoguchi 17PP Goals Ryane Clowe 9Wins Evgeni Nabokov 19GAA Brian Boucher 1.88Save PCT Brian Boucher 92.8%
PLAYER GP G A PTS +/- PIM ATOI PPG PPA SHG SHA SOG SPCTPatrick Marleau, C 34 18 22 40 16 8 21:24 3 4 3 0 122 14.8Joe Thornton, C 34 9 30 39 14 26 19:28 4 9 0 0 60 15Devin Setoguchi, RW 34 17 19 36 17 4 16:17 3 5 0 0 113 15Dan Boyle, D 33 11 18 29 6 30 23:18 6 10 0 1 95 11.6Ryane Clowe, LW 34 14 13 27 3 27 16:47 9 6 0 0 87 16.1Rob Blake, D 34 6 18 24 7 67 21:37 3 8 0 0 103 5.8Joe Pavelski, C 32 11 13 24 2 4 18:50 3 8 2 1 102 10.8Milan Michalek, LW 29 7 12 19 2 24 18:33 2 5 0 2 74 9.5Marc-Edouard Vlasic, D 34 3 16 19 13 12 24:22 1 11 0 1 49 6.1Christian Ehrhoff, D 34 2 14 16 3 32 20:43 1 7 0 0 68 2.9Mike Grier, RW 32 4 8 12 4 17 14:42 0 0 0 2 52 7.7Jonathan Cheechoo, RW 22 4 6 10 -1 20 16:09 2 1 1 0 49 8.2Jeremy Roenick, C 28 3 5 8 -1 22 10:21 1 0 0 0 32 9.4Tomas Plihal, C 30 4 4 8 -2 12 10:15 0 0 1 0 45 8.9Brad Lukowich, D 31 0 6 6 5 6 16:00 0 0 0 0 21 0Marcel Goc, C 26 1 5 6 -3 14 14:08 0 0 0 0 49 2Jody Shelley, LW 33 1 2 3 -2 58 6:06 0 0 0 0 27 3.7Jamie McGinn, LW 10 2 1 3 E 0 7:23 0 0 0 0 3 66.7Lukas Kaspar, RW 9 1 1 2 -2 8 8:39 0 1 0 0 10 10Alexei Semenov, D 10 0 1 1 2 10 14:00 0 0 0 0 6 0Tom Cavanagh, RW 9 0 1 1 -1 2 6:55 0 0 0 0 5 0Brad Staubitz, D 9 0 1 1 1 25 4:35 0 0 0 0 6 0Douglas Murray, D 29 0 0 0 -1 11 15:48 0 0 0 0 18 0Riley Armstrong, RW 2 0 0 0 -1 2 4:42 0 0 0 0 1 0
PLAYER GP W L GAA SV SV% SHO TGA TSA PIM ENGEvgeni Nabokov 24 19 3 2.48 586 90.7% 2 60 646 2 0Brian Boucher 10 8 1 1.88 245 92.8% 2 19 264 0 1
Skater Statistics
Goalie Statistics
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Great Rates! Perfect for autographs!
Great gifts for your favorite fan! View the shots online.
Contact: Andrew D’Angelo [email protected]
(314) 546-0369
Volume 4, Issue 18 December 27, 2008 Page 8
Howdy, Silicone Valley, you wanna know how big my Johnson is?
My Johnson is so big, it got its own iPhone before they hit the market.
My Johnson is so big, it won’t go over to Oakland anymore, either.
My Johnson is so big, hundreds of people have leapt to their deaths
from it.
The Big Johnson Joke of the Day
David Backes walks into the locker room and sees Roman Polak with a very long pole and a yardstick. He’s standing the pole on its end and trying to reach
the top of it with his yardstick.
Seeing Polak’s ignorance, Backes wrenches the pole out of his hand, lays it on the floor, measures it with the yardstick, and says, “There! 10 feet long.”
Roman Polak grabs the yardstick and shouts, “You idiot American! I don’t care how long it is! I want to know how high it is!”
The Roman Polak Joke of the Day
A man goes to a whorehouse that boasts of a prostitute that can sing and give BJs at the same time. He orders the singing BJ and the Madam takes him to a room. A young, plain girl enters, and tells him, “if you want a singing BJ, it has to be in the dark.” The man agrees, so she turns out the light and unzips his fly.
She begins, and this is the best BJ he’s ever had. AND she’s singing the Star-Spangled Banner at the same
time. The man is incredulous and amazed, but by the time he turns the light on, the prostitute has already left. He decides that he has to know how she does it.
The man goes back to the whorehouse, and requests the singing BJ again. The same routine occurs. But before she’s done, he whips out a flashlight and turns it on. Again, the girl is too quick for him, and flees. Still in the dark, he turns the light on, only to find a glass eye on the floor.
The BJ Crombeen Joke of the Day
Wanna Be Semi-Famous (Regionally)?
Do you have a different perspective?
Passion? Knowledge? Desire? Work well under deadlines?
Ever pay kick-backs to an editor to get better space?
We’re looking for writers, graphic artists,
statisticians and comedy writers. Contact: [email protected]
G AME T IME Page 9
The List The all-encompassing list of every person who has had the honor of wearing the ‘Note
Affleck, Bruce * Anderson, Glenn * Anderson, Perry * Anderson, Ron * Angotti, Lou * Arbour, Al * Arbour, John * Atcheynum, Blair * Attwell, Ron * Awrey, Don * Babin, Mitch * Babych, Wayne * Bacashihua, Jason * Backes, David * Backman, Christian * Bailey, Ace * Baker, Bill * Baron, Murray *
Baron, Norm * Barr, Dave * Barrasso, Tom * Bartecko, Lubos * Bassen, Bob * Batters, Jeff * Beaudin, Norm * Beckford-Tseu, Chris * Beers, Ed * Bekar, Derek * Belanger, Yves * Bell, Bruce * Bennett, Curt * Bennett, Harvey * Benning, Brian * Berenson, Red * Bergevin, Marc * Berglund, Patrik *
Bishop, Ben * Boguniecki, Eric * Bordeleau, Christian * Borotsik, Jack * Bothwell, Tim * Boudrias, Andre * Boulerice, Jesse * Bourbonnais, Rick * Bourgeois, Charlie * Bowness, Rick * Boyes, Brad * Bozek, Steve * Bozon, Philippe * Brackenbury, Curt * Brathwaite, Fred * Brewer, Carl * Brewer,
Eric * Brimanis, Aris * Brind’Amour, Rod * Brooks, Gordon * Broten, Paul * Brown, Jeff * Brownschidle, Jack * Bruce, David * Buchanan, Ron * Bullard, Mike * Bure, Valeri * Butcher, Garth * Butler, Jerry * Buynak, Gordon * Cajanek, Petr * Caley, Don * Cameron, Craig * Campbell, Jim * Campbell, Scott * Carbonneau, Guy * Cardin, Claude * Carey, Jim * Carlson, Jack * Carlson, Kent * Caron, Jacques * Carr, Gene * Casey, Jon *
Cavallini, Gino * Cavallini, Paul * Chapman, Blair * Chase, Kelly * Chasse, Denis * Chebaturkin, Vladimir * Chouinard, Guy * Christian, Dave * Clarke, Dale * Colaiacovo, Carlo * Collins, Bill * Collyard, Bob * Connelly, Wayne * Conroy, Craig * Corso, Daniel * Corson, Shayne * Courtnall, Geoff *
Cowick, Bruce * Coxe, Craig * Crawford, Bobby * Creighton, Adam * Crisp, Terry * Crombeen, BJ * Crombeen, Mike * Crossman, Doug * Currie, Tony * Curtis, Paul * Cyr, Dennis * Daigneault, JJ * Dallman, Kevin * Danton, Mike * Dark, Michael * Davidson, John * DeMarco, Ab * Delorme, Gilbert * Demitra, Pavol * Dennis, Norm * Dirk, Robert * Disalvatore, Jon * Divis, Reinhard * Donato, Ted * Dore, Andre * Downey, Aaron * Drake, Dallas * Dubinsky, Steve * Duchesne, Steve * Dufour, Luc * Dufresne, Donald * Dunlop, Blake * Dupere, Denis * Dupont, Andre * Dupont, Micki * Durbano, Steve * Dvorak, Radek * Eakins, Dallas * Eastwood, Mike * Ecclestone, Tim * Edestrand, Darryl * Edwards, Gary * Egers, Jack * Elik, Todd * Ellett,
Dave * Eloranta, Kari * Emerson, Nelson * Evans, Christopher * Evans, Douglas * Evans, Shawn * Ewen, Todd * Fairbairn, Bill * Featherstone, Glen * Federko, Bernie * Felsner, Denny * Ferraro, Ray * Finley, Jeff * Fitzpatrick, Rory * Flockhart, Ron * Forey, Connie * Fortin, Ray * Frig, Len * Fuhr,
Grant * Gamache, Simon * Ganchar, Perry * Gardner, Dave * Gassoff, Bob * Gibbs, Barry * Gilbert, Greg * Gilbertson, Stan * Giles, Curt * Gill, Todd * Gilmour, Doug * Gingras, Gaston * Giroux, Larry * Glumac, Mike * Goyette, Phil * Grant, Doug * Gratton, Gilles * Gray, Terry * Gretzky, Wayne *
Guerin, Bill * Gusarov, Alexei * Hall, Glenn * Hamel, Jean * Hamilton, Chuck * Hammarstrom, Hans * Handy, Ron * Handzus, Michal * Hanlon, Glen * Hansen, Richie * Harbaruk, Nick * Harlow, Scott * Harper, Terry * Harris, Ted * Hart, Gerry * Harvey, Doug * Hawerchuk, Dale * Hebert, Guy *
Hecht, Jochen * Hedican, Bret * Heerema, Jeff * Heinz, Rick * Helmer, Bryan * Hemingway, Colin * Henry, Camile * Hess, Bob * Hickey, Pat * Hill, Sean * Hinote, Dan * Hoggan, Jeff * Hollinger, Terry * Holt, Gary * Hoover, Ron * Hornung, Larry * Houlder, Bill * Housley, Phil * Hrechkosy, Dave * Hrivnak, Jim * Hrkac, Tony * Huck, Fran * Hucul, Fred * Huddy, Charlie * Hudson, Mike * Hughes, Brent * Hughes, Pat * Hull, Brett * Hunter, Mark
* Irons, Robbie * Irvine, Ted * Jablonski, Pat * Jackman, Barret * Janney, Craig * Janssen, Cam * Jirik, Jaroslav * Johnson, Bob * Johnson, Brent * Johnson, Craig * Johnson, Erik * Johnson, Mark * Johnson, Mike * Johnson, Ryan * Johnson, Terry * Johnston, Eddie * Joseph, Curtis * Junland,
Jonas * Kannegiesser, Gord * Karamnov, Vitali * Kariya, Paul * Kasatonov, Alexi * Kea, Ed * Keane, Mike * Keenan, Larry * Kenady, Chris * Khavanov, Sasha * Khmylev, Yuri * Kimble, Darin * King, D.J. * King, Derek * Klassen, Ralph * Knipscheer, Fred * Koci, David * Koivisto, Tom * Komadoski, Neil
* Korolev, Igor * Kravchuck, Igor * Kuntz, Murray * Labatte, Neil * Lafayette, Nathan * Laflamme, Christian * Lafreniere, Roger * Lalime, Patrick * Lalor, Michael * Lamby, Richard * Lampman, Mike * Laperriere, Dan * Laperriere, Ian * Lapointe, Guy * Lapointe, Richard * Larocque, Michel * Larose, Claude * Laurence, Donald * Lavallee, Kevin * Lavender, Brian * Lavoie, Dominic * Leach, Steve * Leeman, Gary * Lefley, Chuck * Legace,
Manny * Lemieux, Jocelyn * Levie, Craig * Lidster, Doug * Liut, Mike * Lorentz, Jim * Low, Reed * Lowry, Dave * Lukowich, Bernie * MacInnis, Al * MacLean, Paul * MacMillan, Robert * MacNeil, Bernie * MacTavish, Craig * MacEachern, Shane * Mackey, David * Madigan, Connie * Maki, Wayne *
Markell, John * Marois, Mario * Marotte, Gilles * Marshall, Jason * Martin, Seth * Martins, Steve * Mason, Chris * Masters, James * Matteau, Stephane * Maxwell, Bryan * May, Darrell * Mayers, Jamal * McAlpine, Chris * McAmmond, Dean * McClement, Jay * McCord, Bob * McCreary, Bill *
McCrimmon, Jim * McDonald, Ab * McDonald, Andy * McDuffe, Peter * McKee, Jay * McKegney, Tony * McKenney, Don * McLaren, Steve * McLennan, Jamie * McLeod, Jim * McRae, Basil * Mctavish, Gord * Meagher, Rick * Mellanby, Scott * Melnyk, Gerry * Merrick, Wayne * Metropolit, Glen * Micheletti, Joe * Miehm, Kevin * Millen, Greg * Miller, Kevin * Moizis, Tomas * Momesso, Sergio * Monahan, Hartland * Mongeau, Michel * Montgomery, Jim * Moore, Dickie * Morrison, George * Mullen, Joey * Murdoch, Robert * Murphy, Joe * Murphy, Michael * Myre, Louis * Nagy,
Ladislav * Nash, Tyson * Nattress, Ric * Nedomansky, Vaclav * Nedved, Petr * Nickulas, Eric * Nieminen, Ville * Nill, Jim * Noonan, Brian * Nordmark, Robert * Noris, Joe * Norton, Jeff * Norwich, Craig * Norwood, Lee * O’Shea, Danny * O’Shea, Kevin * Oates, Adam * Obsut, Jaroslav *
Odrowski, Gerry * Ogilvie, Brian * Olsson, Christer * Orszagh, Vladimir * Osbourne, Keith * Osgood, Chris * Oshie, T.J. * Ouimet, Ted * Paddock, Cam * Palazarri, Douglas * Papineau, Justin * Parent, Rich * Paizeau, Michel * Paslawski, Greg * Patey, Larry * Patrick, Craig * Patrick, Glenn * Pavese, Jim * Pearson, Robert * Pellerin, Scott * Peluso, Mike * Perrault, Joe * Perron, David * Persson, Ricard * Petrovicky, Robert * Pettersson, Jorgen * Picard, Michel * Picard, Noel * Picard, Roger * Pichette, Dave * Pietrangelo, Alex * Pilon, Richard * Plager, Barclay * Plager, Bill * Plager, Bob * Plante, Jaques
* Plante, Pierre * Plasse, Michel * Plavsic, Adrian * Poapst, Steve * Podein, Shjon * Poeschek, Rudy * Pohl, John * Pola’k, Roman * Polis, Gregory * Pollock, Jame * Porter, Chris * Posavad, Mike * Prokhorov, Vitali * Pronger, Chris * Quinn, Dan * Quintal, Stephane * Racine, Bruce * Raglan, Herb * Ramage, Rob * Reasoner, Marty * Redmond, Dick * Reeds, Mark * Regier, Steve * Reirden, Todd * Rheaume, Pascal * Richardson, Ken * Richardson,
Terry * Richer, Stephane * Richter, Dave * Riendeau, Vincent * Rivers, Jamie * Rivers, Wayne * Roach, Andy * Roberto, Phil * Roberts, David * Roberts, Gordie * Roberts, Jimmy * Robinson, Robert * Roloson, Dwayne * Ronning, Cliff * Root, Bill * Rucinsky, Martin * Rudkowsky, Cody * Ruff, Jason * Rycroft, Mark * Sabourin, Gary * Sacharuk, Larry * Salvador, Bryce * Sanderson, Derek * Sanford, Curtis * Sarjeant, Geoff * Sather, Glen *
Savage, Brian * Sawyer, Kevin * Schock, Ron * Schofield, Dwight * Schwarz, Marek* Seiling, Rod * Sejna, Peter * Selby, Brit * Shafranov, Konstantin * Shanahan, Brendan * Shaw, Brad * Shinske, Rick * Shires, Jim * Shishkanov, Timofei * Sillinger, Mike * Simpson, Reid * Simpson, Bobby * Skarda,
Randy * Skidmore, Paul * Smith, Rick * Smrek, Peter * Smrke, John * Snepsts, Harold * Spring, Frank * St. Marseille, Frank * Staniowski, Ed * Stankiewicz, Myron * Stastny, Peter * Stastny, Yan * Stempniak, Lee * Steen, Alex * Stephenson, Fred * Stevens, Scott * Stewart, Bob * Stewart, Ron *
Stewart, Bill * Stillman, Cory * Strachan, Tyson *Stuart, Mike * Stumpf, Bob * Sutherland, Bill * Sutter, Brian * Sutter, Rich * Sutter, Ron * Sutton, Ken * Talbot, Jean-Guy * Tardif, Patrice * Thomlinson, Dave * Thomson, Floyd * Tikkanen, Esa * Tilley, Tom * Tkachuk, Keith * Toivonen, Hannu * Trader, Larry * Trebil, Daniel * Tudor, Robert * Turcotte, Darren * Turek, Roman * Turgeon, Pierre * Turnbull, Perry * Tuttle, Steve * Twist, Tony *
Unger, Garry * Van Ryn, Mike * Varlamov, Sergei * Vasilevskii, Alexander * Veneruzzo, Gary * Vesey, Jim * Vigneault, Alain * Vopat, Roman * Wagner, Steve * Wakely, Ernie * Walker, Matt * Wall, Bob * Walton, Mike * Wamsley, Rick * Watson, Bryan * Watt, Jim * Weaver, Mike * Weight, Doug * Weinrich, Eric * Wells, Jay * Wensink, John * Wheldon, Don * Whistle, Rob * Whitfield, Trent * Wickenheiser, Doug * Wideman, Dennis *
Williams, Butch * Wilson, Bert * Wilson, Rick* Wilson, Rik * Wilson, Ron * Winchester, Brad * Woywitka, Jeff * Wright, John * Yablonski, Jeremy * Yake, Terry * Yawney, Trent * York, Harry * Young, Scott * Zabransky, Libor * Zanussi, Joe * Zezel, Peter * Zigomanis, Mike * Zombo, Rick *
Zuke, Mike
The Sharks are the best team in the league right now. It seems like just yesterday the Blues were the best team in the league. Into the playoffs they went as the number one seed,
facing the lowly Sharks who barely made it to the last playoff spot. Ever
since then, both clubs have gone in oppo-site directions. A very sad time indeed.
At least we have some hope on our team. Brad Boyes got his start in the NHL as a Shark, and
only a start. One game he played, and he took a penalty and was a minus-2. They must have been really upset since he was part of a package they got in return for Owen Nolan, their franchise leader and their best sniper in that series against the Blues (he really was a sniper, seeing how he scored from an abandoned warehouse downtown). They figured he would never amount to anything so they shipped him off to Boston where he would score 69 points the next season.
Boston also traded away their franchise player, Joe Thornton, shortly into Boyes’ breakout year. Thornton went on to be amazing, winning Hart and Art Ross honors that same year. With Thornton and Patrick Marleau on their team, they had the number one and number two draft picks from 1997 on their team. That draft started out very good with those two, then there was Florida’s franchise player Olli
Jokinen as well as the best goalie in years Roberto Luongo (interestingly enough, neither drafted by Florida). But things dropped off at number five with Eric Brewer going to the Islanders. At least that team had enough sense to get rid of him. Then things got even worse with number six, Daniel Tkaczuk (career stats – four goals in nineteen games) who would also go to the Blues in hopes that two Tkac’s are better than one. And since we are right here, in 1997 the Blues drafted seven players who never made the NHL at all, one who played nine games, and Ladislav Nagy who had three consecutive 20 goal seasons...after the Blues traded him.
Mike Grier was drafted by the Blues late in 1993 and was part of the Curtis Joseph trade. Besides that, there’s nothing except might have beens. Steve
Bernier played almost all of his career with the Sharks, averaging 14 goals a year, before going to Buffalo late last year and
then Vancouver in the offseason. I only bring this up because the Blues offered him
a one year $2.5 million offer sheet in the offseason. Future hall of famer Rob Blake refused to go to the Blues once, and he would go to the Avalanche only to beat the Blues and win the Cup that year. And I'm very sure the Blues were after backup goalie Brian Boucher once, but I also think they have gone after every backup goalie in the league at some point in time.
The Ghost of the Blues With Jeff Browning
Volume 4, Issue 18 December 27, 2008 Page 10
Blues Record When… With LosBri
Playing at HereComesAnotherLossCentre 8-7-2 Jody Shelley's parents must have hated him 13-18-3Playing on the road 5-11-1 Leading after the 1st 6-2-3Keeping the Bermuda Cup 13-18-3 Tied after the 1st 4-4-0They score f irst 7-2-3 Trailing after the 1st 3-12-0The other team scores f irst 6-15-0 PTMFUS! 13-18-3They score few er than 4 goals 4-17-2 Leading after the 2nd 8-1-1They score on the PP 10-9-3 Tied after the 2nd 3-2-2The other team scores on the PP 5-14-2 Trailing after the 2nd 2-15-0The other team scores shorthanded 1-2-0 Fight! Fight! Fight! 6-10-1A Blues players has multiple goals 6-2-1 No fights 7-8-2An opposing player has multiple goals 2-8-1 They are called for 7 or more penalties 5-8-2They take 30 or more shots 4-7-0 Other team called for 7 or more penalties 4-8-1They allow 30 or more shots 6-10-2 Emmanual "Wanna buy a house?" Legace starts 9-9-1They played the day before 4-4-1 Chris "Call me Dooks" Mason starts 3-8-1The other team played the day before 3-3-1 Ben Bishop Starts 1-1-1Sunday Game 1-1-1 Game is on FSN 5-13-3Monday Game 2-0-0 Game is on KPLR 4-4-0Tuesday Game 1-2-0 Playing the Eastern Conference 3-6-1Wednesday Game 0-6-0 Playing the Atlantic Division 0-2-0Thursday Game 1-3-1 Playing the Northeast Division 1-2-1Friday Game 3-1-1 Playing the Southeast Division 2-2-0Saturday Game 5-6-0 Playing the Western Conference 10-12-2Playing in October 5-4-0 Playing the Central Division 5-2-0Playing in November 5-6-2 Playing the Northw est Division 2-4-1Playing in December 3-8-1 Playing the Pacif ic Division 3-6-1iceBerglund for Caulder 12-10-22 Isn't Rob Blake a murderer? 13-18-3
Franchise Foundations
Page 11
What’d McGrath Trade For These Guys? St. Louis Game Time
Year Player1999 Barret Jackman ~ Drafted 1st rd (17 overall) by STL2001 Jay McClement ~ Drafted 2nd round, 57 overall by STL2002 D.J. King ~ Drafted in 6th rd (190 overall) by STL2003 David Backes ~ Drafted in 2nd rd (62 overall) by STL2004 Roman Polak ~ Drafted in 6th rd (180 overall) by STL
T.J. Oshie ~ Drafted in 1st rd (24 overall) by STLEric Brewer ~ Acquired from EDM with Jeff Woywitka and Doug Lynch for Chris ProngerJeff Woywitka ~ Acquired from EDM with Eric Brewer and Doug Lynch for Chris ProngerErik Johnson ~ Drafted in 1st rd (1 overall) by STLPatrik Berglund ~ Drafted in 1st rd (25 overall) by STLJay McKee ~ Signed as Free Agent (BUF)Dan Hinote ~ Signed as Free Agent (COL)Manny Legace ~ Signed as Free Agent (DET)Yan Stastny ~ Acquired from BOS for 5th rd pick in 2007Brad Boyes ~ Acquired from BOS for Dennis WidemanSteve Wagner ~ Signed as Free Agent (undrafted)David Perron ~ Drafted in 1st rd (26 overall) by STLKeith Tkachuk ~ Signed as Free Agent. Originally acquired from PHX in 2001 for a 1st rd pick in 2002, Ladislav Nagy, Michal Handzus and Jeff TaffePaul Kariya ~ Signed as Free Agent (NAS)Andy McDonald ~ Acquired from ANA for Doug Weight, Michal Birner and a 7th rd pick in 2008Cam Janssen ~ Acquired from NJ for Bryce SalvadorMike Weaver ~ Signed as Free Agent (VAN)Chris Mason ~ Acquired from NAS for a 4th rd pick in 2008Brad Winchester ~ Signed as Free Agent (DAL)B.J. Crombeen ~ Claimed off waivers (DAL)Alexander Steen ~ Acquired with Carlo Colaiacovo from TOR for Lee 'Dutchie' StempniakCarlo Colaiacovo ~ Acquired with Alexander Steen from TOR for Lee 'Dutchie' Stempniak
2007
2006
St. Louis Blues
2005
2008
Year Player1994 Evgeni Nabokov ~ Drafted in 9th rd (219 overall) by 1997 Patrick Marleau ~ Drafted in 1st rd (2 overall) by SJ1998 Jonathan Cheechoo ~ Drafted in 2nd rd (29 overall) 1999 Doug Murray ~ Drafted in 8th rd (241 overall) by SJ
Marcel Goc ~ Drafted in 1st rd (20 overall) by SJChristian Ehrhoff ~ Drafted in 4th rd (106 overall) by Tomas Plihal ~ Drafted in 5th rd (140 overall) by SJRyane Clowe ~ Drafted in 6th rd (175 overall) by SJTom Cavanagh ~ Drafted in 6th rd (182 overall) by Milan Michalek ~ Drafted in 1st rd (6 overall) by SJJoe Pavelski ~ Drafted in 7th rd (205 overall) by SJLukas Kaspar ~ Drafted in 1st rd (22 overall) by SJTorrey Mitchell ~ Drafted in 4th rd (126 overall) by SJDevin Setoguchi ~ Drafted in 1st rd (8 overall) by SJMarc-Edouard Vlasic ~ Drafted in 2nd rd (35 overall) Joe Thornton ~ Acquired from BOS for Marco Sturn, Brad Stuart and Wayne PrimeauJaime McGinn ~ Drafted in 2nd rd (36 overall) by SJMike Grier ~ Signed as Free Agent (BUF)Alexei Semenov ~ Signed as Free Agent (FLA)Jeremy Roenick ~ Signed as Free Agent (PHX)Jody Shelley ~ Acquired from CLB for a 6th rd pick in 2009Brian Boucher ~ Signed as Free Agent (PHI)Rob Blake ~ Signed as Free Agent (LA)Dan Boyle ~ Acquired with Brad Lukowich from TB for Matt Carle, Ty Wishart, a 2009 2st rd pick and a 2010 4th rd pickBrad Lukowich ~ Acquired with Dan Boyle from TB for Matt Carle, Ty Wishart, a 2009 2st rd pick and a 2010 4th rd pick
San Jose Sharks
2005
2001
2004
2008
2007
2006
2003
NHL LeadersPoints Goals Against Average Shootout Goals1. Evgeni Malkin, PIT 59 1. Steve Mason, CLS 1.98 1. Wojtek Wolski, COL 52. Alex Ovechkin, WAS 47 2. Tim Thomas, BOS 2.04 2. Nikolai Zherdev, NYR 53. Sidney Crosby, PIT 47 3. Manny Fernandez, BOS 2.09 3. Jonathan Toews, CHI 44. Jeff Carter, PHI 41 4. Craig Anderson, FLA 2.09 4. Milan Hejduk, COL 45. Patrick Kane, CHI 41 5. Scott Clemmensen, NJ 2.15 5. Brad Boyes, STL 330. Brad Boyes, STL 31 36. Chris Mason, STL 3.16
Goals Save Percentage Rookie Points1. Jeff Carter, PHI 26 1. Craig Anderson, FLA 94.1% 1. Kris Versteeg, CHI 262. Thomas Vanek, BUF 25 2. Tim Thomas, BOS 93.5% 2. Derrick Brassard, CLB 253. Alex Ovechkin, WAS 23 3. Jonas Hiller, ANH 93.1% 3. Patrik Berglund, STL 224. Phil Kessel, BOS 21 4. Steve Mason, CLS 92.9% 4. Mikhail Grabovski, TOR 215. Patrick Sharp, CHI 19 5. Roberto Luongo, VAN 92.8% 5. Blake Wheeler, BOS 2016. Brad Boyes, STL 16 31. Chris Mason, STL 90.2%
Plus/Minus Wins Defensemen Points1. Evgeni Malkin, PIT 23 1. Miikka Kiprusoff, CGY 19 1. Dan Boyle, SJ 292. Marc Savard, BOS 21 2. Evgeni Nabokov, SJ 19 2. Shea Weber, NAS 263. Alexander Semin, WAS 20 3. Henrik Lundqvist, NYR 18 3. Andrei Markov, MTL 264. Simon Gagne, PHI 19 4. Niklas Backstrom, MIN 16 4. Mark Streit, NYI 265. David Krejci, BOS 19 5. Ryan Miller, BUF 14 5. Brian Campbell,CHI 2538. Patrik Berglund, STL 10 26. Manny Legace, STL 9 85. Barret Jackman, STL 9
Volume 4, Issue 18 December 27, 2008 Page 12
NHL Leaders
Around The What Do You Get For Donating Baby Juice? — The Blackhawks have teamed up with a local Chicago group named LifeSource. Any Hawks fans who donate blood between now and Jan. 31 will be eligible to win a pair of tickets to an upcoming Blackhawks game. No word on how crappy the eligible game selection will be, but our guess is that it’s full of names like ‘Predators’ and ‘Blue Jackets’.
Requirements for the blood donors are that they are at least 17 years old (oh, the poor minors who are already stuck being Hawks fans!), weigh at least 110 pounds (no problem for Hawks fans—though they should thank the hockey gods that there is no max limit), and be in general good health (damn, so close!).
Hmm. Can The Blues Bench Everyone? — Clarke MacArthur, a third-year player for the Buffalo Sabres, found himself as the odd-man out recently, listed as a healthy scratch. The benching, which came on Dec. 13, was the first time this season. From the pressbox, he watched his team defeat the Devils 4-2 in New Jersey.
MacArthur took it personally.
“It was embarrassing,” he said. “You just have to do your best to take things into your own hands so that the coach won’t be able to take you out.”
Consider the coach’s message to be received loud and clear. After returning to the lineup Dec. 17, MacArthur tallied at least a point in each game for the four games heading into the Christmas break (3g/2a).
Leading up to coach Lindy Ruff’s decision to bench the 23 year old was a 16-game stretch in which MacArthur failed to score a goal – after netting six through his first 13 games of the year.
“I’m working harder. It’s paying off and helping to maybe create some bounces for me,” MacArthur said.
Caps to Retire Gartner's Number — The Capitals will honor Mike Gartner tomorrow night when they retire his No. 11.
Former Washington Capitals Greg Adams, Bob Carpenter, Bob Gould, Alan Hangsleben, Wes Jarvis, Yvon Labre, Rod Langway, Craig Laughlin, Dennis Maruk, Paul Mulvey, Larry Murphy, Errol Rausse, Gary Rissling and Scott Stevens will be in attendance for the ceremony.
Gartner, who played 10 seasons in Washington, will be only the fourth player in team history to have his number retired by the Caps.
Prior to the ceremony the current Capitals will wear special white retro jerseys on them during pregame warm-ups. Each jersey will have No. 11 on them along with the current player’s name. The jerseys will be autographed by Gartner and each jersey will be available at silent auction during the game with the proceeds going to World Vision, Gartner’s charity of choice.
The Caps will wear white jerseys during the game – as Gartner’s Capitals teams did at the Cap Centre – while Toronto will wear dark jerseys.
www.hockeywww.hockeywww.hockey---fights.comfights.comfights.com
Volume 4, Issue 18 December 27, 2008 Page 13
San Jose Sharks Probable Fighter
•Jody Shelley – Shelley is the Sharks main enforcer, and he’s a good one. He has good size at 6’3 and 225 pounds, and he’s a feared pugilist who likes to go toe to toe. He has been involved in eight fights this year. His last fight was a doozie, as he traded haymakers with Los Angeles’ Raitis Ivanans on 12/15.
•Brad Staubitz – Staubitz is an experienced and willing pugilist and agitator. He is 6’1 and weighs 215 pounds, and he has had three fights so far in only nine games played this season. His last fight came in the last game he was dressed, which was on 11/17 against Nashville’s Jordin Tootoo.
•Ryane Clowe – Clowe is a throwback winger who loves to throw his weight around and do the dirty work. He has good size at 6’2 and 225 pounds, and he’s on pace for a career high in scoring with 27 points in 34 games played. Clowe has racked up three fighting majors this season.
St. Louis Blues Probable Fighters
•Cam Janssen – Cam has done quite well filling in for the injured DJ King so far, hanging in there with much bigger opponents. He has been a healthy scratch a lot lately, though. He has 10 fights so far this season. His last two fights came on 12/16 against the Calgary Flames.
•BJ Crombeen – Crombeen is a high energy, physical player who is willing to drop the gloves when need be. He is 6’2, 212 pounds, and he’s a decent fighter who will win some and lose some. BJ has had 10 fights thus far, and he got tagged by Boston’s Milan Lucic in his last fight on 12/21.
•Brad Winchester – Winchester is a big guy with the size of a heavyweight at 6’5, 230 pounds. He’s a good fighter, and he beat Calgary’s Cory Sarich in his last fight on 12/16. Winchester has had four fights so far.
Fried Chicken’sFried Chicken’sFried Chicken’s
Best bet of the night: Cam Janssen vs Jody Shelley — Jason Travers, hockey-fights.com
Tonight’s Matchup: San Jose brings the best record in the league to the Scottrade Center tonight and the Sharks appear to be a bigger, tougher version of the Red Wings. They still rank near the bottom of the league with 17 fights on the season, though. With 34 fights so far, the Blues have been involved in twice as many fights as the Sharks. The Blues have met the Sharks in San Jose twice this season, and there were no fights in those games. These two teams met four times last season and there were two scraps that occurred in those games.
Date Combatants Description Decision
11/8/2008 BJ Crombeen vs
Ryane Clowe
This happened while Crombeen was playing for the Dallas Stars. They threw a lot of punches, but not many of them connected. Crombeen landed a solid punch at the end of the fight, though.
Edge: Crombeen
3/14/2008 Jamal Mayers vs Craig
Rivet
Mayers got in tight and threw a couple short punches that didn't connect. Rivet then countered with a couple short punches. Mayers then looked to land two, with the last being a punch/shove that caused Rivet to fall back with Mayers on top.
Edge: Mayers
3/1/2008 DJ King vs Jody Shelley
This was a real good fight between these two heavyweights. They grabbed each other with the lefts and started chucking away with their rights. King landed some jersey jabs with his left while he was grabbing on, and eventually both guys switched to their lefts and continued throwing bombs. This was a very close fight in which King appeared to land slightly better than Shelley.
Draw
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Volume 4, Issue 18 December 27, 2008 Page 14
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Volume 4, Issue 18 December 27, 2008 Page 16
NHL Referee Statistics
NHL Linesmen # Name # Name # Name # Name # Name17 Heyer, Shane 61 Seitz, Lyle 73 Rody, Vaughan 80 Nelson, Thor 91 Henderson, Don47 Schachte, Dan 65 Racicot, Pierre 74 Cameron, Lonnie 82 Galloway, Ryan 92 Shewchyk, Mark54 Devorski, Greg 66 Gibbs, Darren 75 Amell, Derek 84 Sericolo, Tony 93 Murphy, Brian56 Wheler, Mark 67 Champoux, Pierre 76 Cormier, Michel 86 Lazarowich, Brad 95 Murray, Jonny57 Sharrers, Jay 68 Driscoll, Scott 77 Nowak, Tim 88 Cvik, Mike 96 Brisebois, David59 Barton, Steve 70 Nansen, Derek 78 Mach, Brian 89 Miller, Steve 97 Morin, Jean60 Dapuzzo, Pat 71 Kovachik, Brad 79 Pare, Mark 90 McElman, Andy
Blues Games
Blues PP
Blues PK W L
OTL
Blues Games
Blues PP
Blues PK W L
OTL
2 Fraser, Kerry Sarnia, ON 1980 2 5 12 1 1 0 7 26 31 3 4 03 Leggo, Mike North Bay, ON 1997 3 14 10 1 2 0 10 48 41 4 6 04 McCauley, Wes Georgetown, ON 2003 2 4 7 0 2 0 5 14 18 1 3 15 Rooney, Chris Boston, MA 2000 3 11 12 1 2 0 10 46 53 3 5 26 Marouelli, Dan Edmonton, AB 1984 1 3 5 0 1 0 3 9 13 0 3 07 McCreary, Bill Guelph, ON 1984 3 16 11 1 2 0 5 26 20 2 3 08 Jackson, Dave Montreal, PQ 1990 1 3 4 0 1 0 6 21 27 4 2 010 Devorski, Paul Guelph, ON 1989 3 13 15 1 1 1 5 24 24 2 2 111 Sutherland, Kelly Richmond, BC 2000 4 19 16 1 3 0 8 30 28 1 6 112 Koharski, Don Dartmouth, NS 1981 2 9 9 0 2 0 4 21 15 1 3 013 O'Halloran, Dan Essex, ON 1995 3 21 23 1 1 1 9 42 56 5 3 114 LaRue, Dennis Savannah, GA 1991 2 9 8 1 1 0 8 33 34 2 3 315 Auger, Stephane Montreal, PQ 2000 1 7 5 0 1 0 7 41 48 4 2 116 Shick, Rob Port Alberni, BC 1986 3 10 14 2 1 0 9 28 39 2 6 018 Kimmerly, Greg Toronto, ON 1996 2 8 10 0 1 1 9 32 37 3 5 120 Peel, Tim Toronto, ON 1999 5 20 21 2 3 0 11 47 40 4 5 221 VanMassenhoven, Don Parkhill, ON 1993 3 17 15 1 2 0 10 44 47 6 3 123 Watson, Brad Regina, Sas 1996 3 16 16 1 1 1 8 35 40 3 2 325 Joannette, Marc Verdun, PQ 1999 4 18 22 1 2 1 6 25 30 1 4 126 Martell, Rob Winnipeg, MB 1996 3 11 15 1 2 0 12 51 62 8 4 027 Furlatt, Eric Trois-Rivieres, PQ 2001 3 15 12 1 2 0 6 29 28 3 2 128 Lee, Chris St John, NB 2001 2 13 13 0 1 1 6 28 31 2 2 229 Walsh, Ian Philadelphia, PA 2000 2 8 8 0 2 0 5 17 21 1 4 030 Hasenfratz, Mike Regina, SK 2000 3 9 10 1 1 132 Kowal, Tom Vernon, BC 2000 6 30 29 1 3 233 Pollock, Kevin Kincardine, ON 2000 1 4 3 1 0 0 6 26 27 3 3 034 Meier, Brad Dayton, OH 1999 1 4 2 1 0 0 8 34 30 4 3 135 Warren, Dean Toronto, ON 1999 6 34 25 1 3 236 Morton, Dean Peterborough, ON 2000 2 9 7 2 0 0 3 16 13 3 0 037 Rehman, Kyle Stettler, AB 2008 1 5 5 1 0 0 1 5 5 1 0 038 St Laurent, Francois Greenfield Park, PQ 2006 1 6 6 1 0 0 4 16 18 1 2 139 Dwyer, Gord Halifax, NS 2003 5 22 20 2 3 040 Kozari, Steve Penticton, BC 2006 6 30 26 3 3 042 O'Rourke, Dan Calgary, AB 1999 2 11 7 0 1 143 Pochmara, Brian Detroit, MI 2006 2 10 10 1 1 0 5 24 30 1 4 045 St. Pierre, Justin Dolbeau, PQ 2003 5 23 22 3 1 1
TOTALS 34 154 158 12 19 3 499 523 45 55 15
2008-2009 Since 20071st
GameBornOfficialNo.
St. Louis Game Time Scorecard St. Louis Blues vs. San Jose Sharks; Saturday, December 27, 2008
Referee: ________________________ Referee: ________________________
Linesman: ______________________ Linesman: ______________________
Shots Team
Sharks
Blues
1st
2d
3rd
OT
SO
F
Score Team
Sharks
Blues
1st
2d
3rd
OT
SO
F
Blues Starting Lineup
C:
LW:
RW:
D:
D:
G:
Sharks Starting Lineup
C:
LW:
RW:
D:
D:
G:
Three Stars of the Game
1st Star:
2nd Star:
3rd Star:
Other Stars of the Game
GWG:
GW Goalie:
Hard Hat:
Per. Time Team Goalscorer 1st Assist 2nd Assist
Per. Time Team Penalized Player Penalty
Goal Scoring
Penalties Called
Game Notes:
G AME T IME Page 17
Ask Game Time’s Answer Man
and leaders on their team. Sitting out doesn’t scream “leadership” so forgive me if I find it easy to lose respect for them. Should there be a rule to block any of this? I don’t think so but there should be an unwritten rule that if you pull a move like this, the team will move on without you.
Dear Answer Man,
I am noticing that after every big hit, a fight ensues. Back in my day, if a guy got caught with his head down, his team-mates would yell at him to keep his head up. Now, it is just an invitation to a fight. Are players losing respect for each other?
-Joe (St. Louis-MO)
Joe, save your “back in my day” crap. If you don’t like today’s game and what hockey has evolved into, then go watch baseball. Yes, you do see more fights after a big hit. The reason you lay someone out like that is to send a message that you rule and they drool. Dig it?
Do you not like to watch fights? If that’s the case then, why not? Is it scary and does it make you cry? Are you from South County?
What I really like about today’s game is that you see anyone fight. Yeah, you have your heavyweights, but you have guys like Jay McClement fight. They are sticking up for their teammates, their city and their fans. That right there is hockey. If you still believe, then stand and fight.
Some may argue that it takes away from the flow of the game. For me, it adds another great aspect to it. It sends a message to the other team that they need to be very careful about how they act. It is great to see the Blues play this way because other teams should hate playing here. Just like how Big Rhonda hates making change for an $18 Bridgeton Special.
This is a cardinal rule in hockey. You run one of my guys to try to take advantage of him? Then get ready to back it up like a man. If you don’t stand up and take your medicine, no one will back you up and you suck.
Send your questions on hockey (NHL or rec league), Busch beer or any other thing that keeps you awake at night to: [email protected] and have them answered here.
Dear Anwer Man,
What is the deal with players sitting out part of the season and then deciding to sign? Should there be a rule against this or does it harm anything?
-Bob (Maryland Heights, MO)
Bopper, we are seeing more and more of this the past couple of seasons. Yours truly has written about Brendan Shanahan in the recent past but that is totally different scenario. He isn’t doing this voluntarily. He needs to just lower his price. Who does he think he is, some hooker who lets you pay
double to go bareback? Sheesh!
This season it is Mats Sundin dragging his Euro Phruit feet. One week we he’s headed to Montreal,
the next it’s he’s a Ranger but oh wait, Vancouver offered his ass $10 million so he’s headed West after the long road trips are over. Ugh, I have heard enough.
Is the guy good? Sure he is. Would I want him on the Blues? Nah, I’ll pass. We already have one bald-o on the team and he’s a goalie. Too many bald dudes and it looks like a pride parade. Not that there is anything wrong with a pride parade. I enjoy them. There is always good food and everyone is really friendly to me. You can’t argue against a good back rub can you?
Last year we saw Scott Neidermeyer and Teemu Selanne sit out because “they just couldn’t decide if they wanted to play.” Bullshit. Yeah, I can see how it would be hard. You know, making all that money to play a game. A game. Oh, and live like a rock star and just have the Pelts jump in line outside of the locker room for a chance to take you for a ride. Boy, that would get tiring after a while.
Is it me or does Selanne’s helmet look like someone sat on the front of it with their bare ass? Just makes him look like a jerkoff even more.
The real issue I have with these guys is what sort of message does it send to their teammates? To me it says, “Yeah guys um, I’m not real sure right now. You go ahead and get started and when I think I’m ready I’ll jump in midway through. Good luck for now and take care. Okie dokie?” You know what else it tells me if I’m their teammate, “You guys go first. My vagina hurts right now and my breasts are sensitive so I’m going to take a breather.”
The three main guys who have sat out are all top players
Volume 4, Issue 18 December 27, 2008 Page 18
Driving The Google Search on ‘Bridgeton Special’. www.stlouisgametime.com
G AME T IME Page 19
If you’ve got a fantasy team at the bottom of the standings and you’re a Blues fan, the line separating fantasy from reality is getting thinner shift by shitty shift.
At this point in the season, it’s time to be introspective. If you’re winning, it’s probably because you drafted guys like San Jose blueliners Dan Boyle and Rob Blake in the latest hours of your draft, and picked up guys like right winger
Devin Setoguchi off of the waiver wire. If you’re losing, it’s time for you to bitch and complain about how the league rules should be changed.
If you’ve got a good core of guys (and gals) who play year in and year out, it might be time to think about making your league into a “keeper” league. In a stan-dard league, you get together with your competition to draft prior to the start of the season, trade, add, and drop players in a series of ill-advised, alcohol-influenced moves, and then the best teams in your league enter into a playoff near the end of the
NHL’s regular season, leaving everyone else out in the cold. If you’re not in the playoffs by season’s end, it’s all over. You’re finished. Just like the Blues and all of us will be.
Not so if you’re in a keeper league. Now, if you’re going to suggest that your league be transitioned into a “keeper” league, deciding now that next season will be year one would be the best approach. Mid-season rules changes are never a good thing. Everyone should have agreed on every last rule prior to the start of the season, and those rules should stay in place, without question, until the end of that season. Once everyone is aware that they will be drafting with “keeps” in mind, everyone will be on a level playing field.
There’s two ways to do this: you’re either keeping in a “standard” format, or you’re going by “value.” In a “standard” format, your league must decide on a set number of players
for each team to keep. For hockey, a good number is between five and eight. For the purpose of the article, we’ll stick with eight. Prior to the next season’s draft, each team will select their best eight players to be retained on their roster. Every season, year after year, each fantasy manager keeps their top-8, a core around which they can either continue their dynasty, or deal from upside talent in order to rebuild for the future. This format puts a great deal of emphasis on accumulating top talent, period.
In a “value” format, the league will similarly decide on a set number of players to retain for each team. This gets a little confusing, so anyone from Jefferson County might just want to skip over the rest of the article and get onto Brian Weidler’s dick jokes. That guy – nothin’ but dick jokes, I tell you.
OK, back to value. Let’s say you drafted Dan Boyle in the 18th round of your draft this season. If you chose to retain him as one of your keepers, he would be held on your roster prior to the next season’s draft at the cost of your 18th round selection… and if you want to keep a guy drafted in the 10th round, he’s yours at the cost of next season’s 10th round pick, and so on, and so on. If you’re not reading Weidler’s dick jokes yet, I’m sure you get the picture.
The rules for free agent pickups might vary, and it’s up to your league to figure it out. One way to do it is that anyone who was undrafted in the previous season and kept in the next will take the place of the owner’s final selection in the draft. The alternative to that is to put a “cap” or a limit on how late a player may be kept. A value-based keeper league gets to be extremely detailed and can be confusing, but is often the most satisfying way to go for the serious players. If you’re in the playoff hunt, you can trade either future draft picks or this year’s breakout stars for the early-round fantasy heavy hitters who won’t aren’t going to be worth keeping in the first or second round. The winners get to load up for the playoffs at the expense of next season’s strength, and the losers get to stock up on picks and players for the future at the expense of top talent that they weren’t going to be able to hang onto anyway.
Either way you do it, the most important thing is to keep everyone interested, engaged, and having fun – let’s go Blues!
The Fantasy Files By Duke
If Dan Boyle is on your fantasy team,
you’re lucky or a genius. And now you
probably want to start a keeper league.
• Winners get a free beer. Losers get the cattle prod.
• Cotton-Eyed Joe dance is done twice a period. In the section where Brad Lee sits.
• 100% less Towel Boy, 100% more Shaking Guy.
• Kiss Cam always ends with two guys from the opposing team.
• Instead of the Vision Test, we introduce, “Go Punch-For-Punch With Red Berenson Cowboy.”
• Instead of yelling out, “Let’s go Blues!” after a contest, people are encouraged to yell, “Fuck De-troit!”
• Angelllla will be given a pair of pants just like the big blue rat’s.
You Wanna Know How I Know… ...We Should Be In Charge of In-Game Entertainment?
appeared in a game for HC Davos since October 5, a 7-6 win over EHC Biel, and has been loaned to EHV Zug until the end of January while Davos hosts the Spengler Cup tourna-ment. His contract with Davos expires at the end of this season, and consequently we should know by 2009 Develop-ment Camp if Berra ever intends to take any kind of a run at a North American pro career.
Ben Bishop: The big Chaminade alumnus is clearly being groomed as the Blues’ goaltender of the (immediate) future; he has already gotten a cup of coffee in the NHL this season (3.18, 89.0%, 1-1-1), and has been installed as Peoria’s starter and number one goalie (2.80, 89.6%, 10-7-0) despite Chris
Holt’s best attempts to knock him out of that spot. Bishop will get the bulk of the starts for Peoria in calendar year 2009, and as he goes, so will go the Rivermen.
Ian Cole: The Notre Dame Fighting Irish sit atop the US College Hockey Online.com poll rankings, and the solid play of the 6’1, 216-pound Cole is a big part of the reason why. At 18th overall in 2007, Cole was taken highest of any Notre Dame player ever in the NHL Draft, and his experience with the US National Team Development Program, along with his 3-8-11 numbers, plus-12 and 30 PIM in 19 games, has helped him win a spot with Team USA at the World Juniors in Ottawa Dec. 26
through Jan. 5.
Mark Cundari: A solid performance as a free-agent invitee to the Blues 2008 Development Camp led to Cundari signing a contract with the Blues after the Traverse City Prospect Tournament, where he was 0-2-2 with a plus-2 and 20 PIM in four games for the fifth-place Blues. Cundari is a stocky (5’11, 200) and feisty (358 PIM in 154 career OHL games) left-shooting defenseman who also has some scoring upside (18-42-60 in his OHL career).
Nick Drazenovic: The second-year pro has shaken off the effects of a bout with mononucleosis that delayed the start of his rookie season last year, and has become a solid second-line center for Davis Payne’s Peoria Rivermen. Defensively responsible, and possessed of excellent faceoff skills, Draze-novic was Peoria’s leading rookie scorer last year (17th in the AHL) with 16-26-42 totals and a plus-13 in 69 games, and is 6-10-16 (two SHG) with a plus-3 in 31 games this year.
Lars Eller: The Blues’ top pick (13th overall) in 2007, Eller has rapidly climbed the Blues’ top prospect list, and is considered at this point an even bet to make the NHL roster out of training camp next season. Currently, Eller is toiling for the Frölunda HC Elitserien club, where he is 5-3-8 with a
(Continued on page 21)
As 2008 draws to a close, and the 2009 portion of the Blues’ schedule looms, your Game Time Prospect Department will be taking a quick look around the system at all 42 prospects not currently on the NHL roster, from Jake Allen to David Warsofsky and all points in between.
The players who won’t be reviewed in this section are, alphabetically, Patrik Berglund, T.J. Oshie, Roman Polak, Yan Stastny, Tyson Strachan (who seems to be adjusting to the NHL quite nicely with 0-1-1 totals, 4 PIM, a plus-1 and just over 15 minutes of ice time in four games), Brad Winchester and Jeff Woywitka. Nikolay Lemtyugov will not be reviewed, even though the Blues still hold his playing rights for anywhere outside Russia, nor will Ryan Turek, the 94th-overall selection by the Blues in 2006 who was dismissed from the Michigan State program earlier this month for “failure to meet expectations.”
Launching into the mid-season system review, then, let’s start at the beginning with...
Jake Allen: The Fredericton, New Brunswick native who led Canada’s U-18 squad to gold in last year’s World Junior Championships was one of the last cuts from this year’s U-20 squad. Denied the opportunity to represent his country in Ottawa, Allen is contenting himself with being one of the QMJHL’s leaders in every significant statistical category... 8th in wins (15), 11th in goals-against average (2.81), 4th in save percentage (92.0%), and 9th in minutes played (1556:14).
Jay Barriball: Small (5’9, 170) but mighty, Barriball has returned to form as a point-per-game player for Minnesota this season. Barriball has appeared in 13 of the Gophers’ 16 games played this year, and is 5-8-13 with a plus-6 mark (fourth on the club behind three teammates all at plus-11) and ten PIM. He notched the game-winner against in-state rival St. Cloud State back on Oct. 18, and has played on the second power-play unit all season (1-5-6 with the man advantage).
Kristoffer Berglund: A surprising omission from Sweden’s U-20 WJC roster, Berglund has been making his mark on the Elitserien at the tender age of 18 years and four months. Berglund’s 3-16-19 scoring totals in 32 games for Luleå HF have him tied for fifth in scoring among Elitserien defensemen; his 16 assists place him 16th among all players in the league; and his plus-11 mark has him tied for ninth place among all Elitserien players.
Reto Berra: The 2008-09 season has been more or less a wasted one in terms of Berra’s development. Berra hasn’t
Tomorrow’s Blues By Brian Weidler
The (Calendar) Year In Review, Part I
Lars Eller, T.J Fast, and David Perron watch their coach diagram a play in the
Blues’ 2008 Development Camp.
(Game Time photo by Brian Weidler)
Volume 4, Issue 18 December 27, 2008 Page 20
G AME T IME Page 21
Tomorrow’s Blues (continued)
plus-1 and eight PIM in 27 games, and helped Denmark to a second-place finish at the Division I-B U-20 World Junior Championships (3-3-6 in five games) last week.
Travis Erstad: Slated to begin skating for perennial NCAA power Wisconsin this year, Erstad decided at the 11th hour to return home to Stevens Point, WI and attend the Stevens Point campus of the University of Wisconsin instead. The Pointers compete in Division III, rather than the Division I level at UW-Madison, and Erstad’s development will be slowed signifi-cantly by his decision to play at a lower level. In 12 games at UW-SP, Erstad is 4-4-8 with 20 PIM.
Cade Fairchild: One word describes Fairchild’s game: offense. Currently serving as the trigger man on the deadly (21of 92, 22.8%) University of Minnesota power play, all of Fairchild’s three goals and eight of his 11 total assists have come with the man advantage. His 32 minutes in penalty time ranks third on the Gophers. Fairchild, along with Cole and Michigan star Aaron Palushaj, is currently skating for Team USA in the U-20 World Junior Championships in Ottawa.
T.J. Fast: Acquired by the Blues last summer from Los Ange-les for a fifth-round pick in the 2009 Entry Draft, Fast was unable to build off of a spot on the 2007-08 WHL Western Conference All-Star Team and started the 2008-09 season riding the pine in Peoria before being sent to Alaska (ECHL).
(Continued from page 20) The rangy defenseman is now back in Peoria and contributing (0-3-3, plus 3, 2 PIM in 13 games), and hopes to rediscover the scoring touch (20-56-76, plus-33 in 97 games) he had in junior.
Jonathan Filewich: A change of scenery might have been just what the former Penguin prospect needed to rediscover the scoring touch (52-40-92) he displayed in his first two AHL seasons. Filewich made his debut with Peoria on Dec. 21 after coming over in trade from Pittsburgh, and scored the game-winning goal in a shootout win over Houston. Last night, Filewich racked up a goal and two assists, and was named third star of Peoria’s 5-4 OT win in Grand Rapids.
Matt Foy: Signed by the Blues as a free agent over the summer by the Blues, the 6’2, 219-pound 25-year-old physical winger with 56 games of NHL experience (6-7-13, 48 PIM) underwent surgery for a sports hernia in October and has yet to play a game for Peoria this season. Foy is expected to be in the Peoria lineup shortly after the first of the year.
Next time in “Tomorrow’s Blues,” we’ll continue our mid-season look at the Blues’ stable of prospects with everyone from defenseman Alexander Hellström to forward Cam Paddock. Don’t miss it, and remember... “if we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil.”
Auf wiedersehen.
We Dare You To Find Better Prospect Info. St. Louis Game Time
Tomas Plihal Shoots: Left
Height: 6’ 1
Weight: 190
Birthdate: March 28, 1983
Birthplace: Frydlant, Czech Republic
A versatile forward who can play either center or left wing, Plihal is making the most of his chance this season to become a full-time NHL player.
Selected in the fifth round (140th overall) of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft by San Jose, Plihal has appeared in 30 of the Sharks' 34 games this season, and has established himself as a solid third-line forward with four goals (one SHG, one GWG), eight points, and 12 PIM.
Plihal has been playing in North America since his draft year, spending two years in major junior with Kootenay (WHL) and three years in the Sharks’ system before splitting time between Worcester and San Jose in 2006-07 and 2007-08.
Plihal has good puck skills, both shooting and stickhandling, and plays a solid all-around game. At 6’1, 190, he has the size to make it in North America, but he needs to develop additional strength in order to handle the rigors of a third-line checking assignment.
By Brian Weidler
Volume 4, Issue 18 December 27, 2008 Page 22
The 2008-2009
Lucky Skate Shuffle
Tracker
Finishing Point Times Occurred
This Year / Percentage
Puck finishes in same skate as starting point.
13 / 76.5%
Puck finishes in skate one place lower than start
point. 4 / 23.5%
Puck finishes in skate one place higher than start
point. 0 / 0.0%
Remember Me?
Darren Turcotte DOB: March 2, 1968; Boston, Mass
Position: Center
Played for the Blues: 62 games during the 1997-1998 season
Like many of the trades of the late 1990s, the acquisition of Darren Turcotte from San Jose was to rid the Blues of a Mike Keenan acquisition.
Turcotte came here in exchange for Stephane Matteau in late July of 1997. He was supposed to provide consistent, if not brilliant play on the second and third lines while killing penalties and occasionally playing when the team had the man-advantage.
Think Jay McClement but with a little less height and a little more offensive skill.
Injuries kept Turcotte out of 20 games during his year here, and his numbers (12 goals, 18 regular
season points; 10 playoff games with no points) were lower than he had previously posted in his more productive years in the league.
In his four full seasons playing for the New York Rangers, he topped 20 goals each year, and scored over 30 twice.
During the 1998 Expansion Draft, Turcotte was dealt to the expansion Nashville Predators for future considerations. He played less than 50 games there over the course of two seasons and added four more goals to his career total.
After his playing career ended, Turcotte made a few coaching stops in the North Ontario Junior Hockey League, including coaching the Abitibi Eskimos and the North Bay Skyhawks.
By Brad Lee & Chris Gift
The Five Hole (continued)
Roy and Colorado had, Marty Brodeur and New Jersey did, and JS Gigeure’s two playoff runs in Anaheim.
“Nabby” is one hell of a goalie. Any and all credit he receives is justified. The Sharks wouldn’t be where they are without him. Brian Boucher overcame a spell of crappy play in Philadelphia, Phoenix, Chicago, Calgary, Columbus, to become a more than serviceable backup to Nabokov.
Back to the bell curve: until the Blues start finding, signing, or developing more players that are to the far right of the curve, then this franchise will become to the hockey bell curve what Detroit has become to the bell curve of cities.
Contact: [email protected]
(Continued from page 5)
Somewhere Just North of Ridiculous.
G AME T IME Page 23
Top 11 Procedures That Eric Brewer Is Undergoing
11. Back surgery. 10. Front surgery. 9. Press Box Padding being added to posterior. 8. Enzyte suppository. 7. Wallet enlargement. 6. Andy Murray tongue lashing. 5. Exploratory spine stiffening. 4. Shamwowed. 3. Hot beef injection. 2. Lube job. 1. Upgraded operating system to Mojave.
From the perfectly normal adolescence of Childhood Trauma
“How much can you know about yourself if you’ve never
been in a
fight?”
St. Louis Game TimeSt. Louis Game TimeSt. Louis Game Time www.stlouisgametime.com
[Throughout the season we will occasionally check in on the progress of 2008 draftee Alex Pietrangelo. After being selected fourth overall by the Blues, Pietrangelo made the team, only to be returned to his junior squad on Nov. 13 after playing in eight NHL games.]
After returning to the Niagara (formerly Mississauga) IceDogs of the OHL, Pietrangelo quickly re-established himself with the team that he has played with for the last two seasons.
Despite missing over a month of the team’s schedule due to his eight games played with St. Louis (and six games missed due to injury thanks to a hit from behind during the game in Toronto), Pietrangelo stepped into OHL play with a vengeance, tallying five goals and 10 assists in nine games with the IceDogs. He is plus-3 and has only four penalty minutes. He was also named captain of the team.
But Pietrangelo’s hectic fall has continued a frantic pace as he tried out for and made Canada’s U-20 World Junior
Championships team. The WJC tournament began the day after Christmas in Ottawa and both Canada and Pietrangelo have gotten off to a hot start.
Team Canada has rolled early, skating to an 8-1 win over the Czech Republic. Pietrangelo scored a goal in that game.
Expectations are high for Pietrangelo and Team Canada, which is expected to win gold in the most prestigious exhibition of young hockey talent.
Upon his return to the IceDogs, Pietrangelo can expect the pressure to stay
high, as Niagara sits at the bottom of the divisional standings, but are within striking distance of second place if they can put together some wins. If that is to happen, Pietrangelo will have to lead the way.
Checking On Our Pieter
Volume 4, Issue 18 December 27, 2008 Page 24
NHL Standings—Don’t Look
Wish You Had Game Time When You Watch The Blues At Home?
Subscribe! [email protected]
Eastern ConferenceATLANTIC GP W L OTL PTS GF GA PP% PK% HOME AWAY L10NY Rangers 37 22 12 3 47 100 99 14.4 88.4 12-6-2 10-6-1 5-4-1Philadelphia 35 19 9 7 45 123 109 27.5 83.2 12-4-3 7-5-4 7-2-1Pittsburgh 35 19 12 4 42 114 102 19.0 81.3 8-6-2 11-6-2 4-6-0New Jersey 33 19 11 3 41 99 85 16.1 80.9 11-7-1 8-4-2 6-3-1NY Islanders 35 11 21 3 25 87 125 17.9 81.0 6-9-2 5-12-1 1-8-1NORTHEAST GP W L OTL PTS GF GA PP% PK% HOME AWAY L10Boston 34 25 5 4 54 126 77 26.6 81.1 13-1-1 12-4-3 9-1-0Montreal 33 18 9 6 42 98 86 14.6 81.2 11-4-4 7-5-2 5-3-2Buffalo 35 16 14 5 37 99 101 19.1 87.3 9-8-2 7-6-3 5-3-2Toronto 35 14 15 6 34 110 126 21.0 75.2 6-6-4 8-9-2 5-5-0Ottawa 32 12 15 5 29 77 89 18.2 81.2 9-6-3 3-9-2 4-5-1SOUTHEAST GP W L OTL PTS GF GA PP% PK% HOME AWAY L10Washington 36 22 11 3 47 116 108 22.4 79.7 14-1-1 8-10-2 8-2-0Carolina 36 17 14 5 39 95 108 14.9 77.3 9-8-1 8-6-4 5-2-3Florida 34 16 13 5 37 85 89 14.3 83.2 8-4-3 8-9-2 6-2-2Atlanta 35 12 19 4 28 105 130 21.2 72.3 6-10-2 6-9-2 4-5-1Tampa Bay 34 9 16 9 27 78 104 14.4 80.7 3-6-6 6-10-3 3-6-1Western ConferenceCENTRAL GP W L OTL PTS GF GA PP% PK% HOME AWAY L10Detroit 34 23 7 4 50 125 101 26.2 81.1 12-3-2 11-4-2 7-3-0Chicago 32 19 6 7 45 119 83 23.6 85.3 11-1-4 8-5-3 9-0-1Nashville 34 17 14 3 37 87 97 13.5 82.2 10-4-1 7-10-2 5-4-1Columbus 34 14 16 4 32 89 103 9.9 80.7 10-6-1 4-10-3 3-6-1St.Louis 34 13 18 3 29 97 118 21.4 80.4 8-7-2 5-11-1 3-7-0NORTHWEST GP W L OTL PTS GF GA PP% PK% HOME AWAY L10Calgary 34 19 11 4 42 101 102 18.4 85.2 10-4-3 9-7-1 5-2-3Vancouver 36 19 14 3 41 105 97 18.1 81.7 10-5-1 9-9-2 5-4-1Minnesota 33 17 14 2 36 87 76 22.9 89.1 10-6-2 7-8-0 3-6-1Edmonton 33 16 14 3 35 90 100 18.7 74.7 5-5-3 11-9-0 6-3-1Colorado 34 17 16 1 35 93 100 16.2 79.9 9-6-0 8-10-1 5-4-1PACIFIC GP W L OTL PTS GF GA PP% PK% HOME AWAY L10San Jose 34 27 4 3 57 121 80 22.9 86.0 18-0-2 9-4-1 7-1-2Anaheim 35 18 14 3 39 100 98 19.1 81.7 10-7-2 8-7-1 4-6-0Phoenix 36 17 14 5 39 94 101 14.8 80.7 11-4-2 6-10-3 5-2-3Los Angeles 35 14 15 6 34 91 100 18.5 83.2 10-7-6 4-8-0 4-4-2Dallas 33 14 14 5 33 98 115 15.2 76.5 7-5-3 7-9-2 6-3-1
St. Louis Blues Schedule and Results
G AME T IME Page 25
October January (continued)
DATE OPPONENT SCORE RECORD WINNING/LOSING GOALIE
DATE OPPONENT SCORE RECORD WINNING/LOSING GOALIE
Oct 10 Fri Predators 5-2 1-0-0 Legace/Ellis Jan 17 Sat Blackhaw ksOct 11 Sat @Islanders 2-5 1-1-0 MacDonald/Mason Jan 19 Mon @BruinsOct 13 Mon @Maple Leafs 5-4 SO 2-1-0 Legace/Toskala Jan 21 Wed @Blackhaw ksOct 16 Thu Stars 6-1 3-1-0 Legace/Turco Jan 24 Sat All-Star Skills/Young Stars GameOct 18 Sat Blackhaw ks 4-3 SO 4-1-0 Legace/Khabibulin Jan 25 Sun All-Star GameOct 22 Wed Red Wings 3-4 4-2-0 Conklin/Legace Jan 29 Thu SenatorsOct 24 Fri Kings 0-4 4-3-0 LaBarbera/Legace Jan 31 Sat FlyersOct 25 Sat Panthers 4-0 5-3-0 Bishop/AndersonOct 30 Thu Hurricanes 0-1 5-4-0 Ward/Mason
November February
DATE OPPONENT SCORE RECORD WINNING/LOSING GOALIE
DATE OPPONENT SCORE RECORD WINNING/LOSING GOALIE
Nov 1 Sat Penguins 3-6 5-5-0 Fleury/Mason Feb 2 Mon @Red WingsNov 5 Wed @Ducks 2-5 5-6-0 Giguere/Mason Feb 3 Tue @Blue JacketsNov 6 Thu @Sharks 4-5 SO 5-6-1 Nabokov/Bishop Feb 5 Thu OilersNov 8 Sat @Kings 3-5 5-7-1 Ersberg/Legace Feb 7 Sat AvalancheNov 12 Wed @Sabres 3-4 5-8-1 Miller/Mason Feb 10 Tue CanucksNov 14 Fri @Blackhaw ks 4-3 OT 6-8-1 Legace/Khabibulin Feb 12 Thu @PredatorsNov 16 Sun Canadiens 2-3 SO 6-8-2 Price/Legace Feb 13 Fri Blackhaw ksNov 21 Fri Ducks 3-2 OT 7-8-2 Legace/Giguere Feb 16 Mon RangersNov 22 Sat @Wild 2-1 8-8-2 Mason/Backstrom Feb 18 Wed @Blue JacketsNov 25 Tue @Predators 1-0 SO 9-8-2 Mason/Ellis Feb 19 Thu @PredatorsNov 26 Wed @Avalanche 1-3 9-9-2 Budaj/Legace Feb 21 Sat PredatorsNov 29 Sat Oilers 2-4 9-10-2 Roloson/Legace Feb 24 Tue CoyotesNov 30 Sun @Thrashers 4-2 10-10-2 Mason/Pavelec Feb 26 Thu @Stars
Feb 28 Sat @Coyotes
December March
DATE OPPONENT SCORE RECORD WINNING/LOSING GOALIE
DATE OPPONENT SCORE RECORD WINNING/LOSING GOALIE
Dec 3 Wed @Wild 0-4 10-11-2 Backstrom/Legace Mar 3 Tue Red WingsDec 5 Fri Flames 3-4 OT 10-11-3 Kipprusoff/Mason Mar 6 Fri @LightningDec 6 Sat Coyotes 4-3 11-11-3 Legace/Bryzgalov Mar 7 Sat @PanthersDec 8 Mon Predators 6-3 12-11-3 Legace/Rinne Mar 10 Tue StarsDec 10 Wed @Ducks 2-4 12-12-3 Giguere/Mason Mar 12 Thu SharksDec 11 Thu @Kings 2-6 12-13-3 Ersberg/Mason Mar 14 Sat Red WingsDec 13 Sat @Sharks 4-5 12-14-3 Nabokov/Mason Mar 15 Sun WildDec 16 Tue Flames 3-6 12-15-3 Kipprusoff/Mason Mar 17 Tue @OilersDec 18 Thu @Capitals 2-4 12-16-3 Varlamov/Bishop Mar 19 Thu @CanucksDec 20 Sat Wild 4-2 13-16-3 Legace/Backstrom Mar 20 Fri @FlamesDec 21 Sun Bruins 3-6 13-17-3 Fernandez/Legace Mar 24 Tue KingsDec 23 Tue @Red Wings 1-4 13-18-3 Conklin/Legace Mar 26 Thu CanucksDec 27 Sat Sharks Mar 28 Sat Blue JacketsDec 28 Sun Ducks Mar 29 Sun @Blue JacketsDec 30 Tue Devils
January April
DATE OPPONENT SCORE RECORD WINNING/LOSING GOALIE
DATE OPPONENT SCORE RECORD WINNING/LOSING GOALIE
Jan 2 Fri @Hurricanes Apr 1 Wed @Blackhaw ksJan 3 Sat Blue Jackets Apr 2 Thu @Red WingsJan 9 Fri @Canucks Apr 4 Sat @StarsJan 11 Sun @Oilers Apr 7 Tue @CoyotesJan 13 Tue @Flames Apr 10 Fri Blue JacketsJan 15 Thu Avalanche Apr 12 Sun @Avalanche
And yes, rooting against the Blues not only in one game but in dozens of games is being traitorous. While you root for them to lose now until April, are you doing that while wearing your Tkachuk jersey? You still going to games and doing that? How do those $10 beers taste while you root for the Red Wings? Are you even bothering to watch on TV?
I think it’s noble to be a dedicated fan. Anyone who went to multiple games in 2005-06 (and judging by the attendance, there weren’t many) deserves the equivalent of the Purple Heart for diehard hockey fandom. Putting up with this rebuild is going to take patience. Understanding. Gallons of hard alcohol. Something tells me that the Blues are going to have good draft picks this coming summer regardless of who I’m rooting for. And it doesn’t mean I’m expecting the Blues to win every night, but there’s something called hope. And hope is a good thing. Besides, I’d much rather enjoy a Blues win than reveling in a Blues loss.
Here’s the point. If you don’t want the Blues to win every game, why bother? There are no guarantees with prospects developing. Very few players even at the top of the draft at age 18 can be guaranteed to become superstars. Sure, either center John Tavares or defenseman Victor Hedman would be great additions to the Blues organiza-tion. At this point they seem to be the consensus top two players available in next summer’s draft. You pick third and you’ve got the best of the rest. Still, there are no guarantees.
Granted, it’s just a game. So winning and losing shouldn’t matter that much. Knowing that by losing the Blues might draft a franchise cornerstone that could provide years of joy watching him play wearing the Note, it should be easier. But I just can’t do it. I invest too much of myself into watching and following this hockey team. And if you’ve read all this so far, you might feel the same way
(Continued from page 1) I do.
The Sharks come into tonight with a 7-1-2 record in December. They won the last game against the Blues in San Jose 5-4 on Dec. 13. The Blues had a two-goal lead and blew it. Patrick Marleau scored the game winner with just over five minutes to play in the third period. It was his second goal of
the game. In the season’s first meeting between the two teams, the Blues held a two-goal lead, blew it late and San Jose won 5-4 – this time in a shootout. Maybe a change of scenery will be good for the Blues against the Sharks. Maybe they don’t like seeing all that teal in the building. The Sharks have yet to lose in regulation at the HP Shark Pavilion Tank place. Their 18-0-2 record is the best at home in the NHL. At 9-4-1 on the road, the Sharks are just above average.
Marleau, the Sharks’ captain, leads the team in scoring with 40 points, but he’s only been mediocre at best against the Blues. In 43 career games against St. Louis, he’s only scored 8 goals and 13 assists. And if you read the top of this story carefully, you’ll remember that two of those goals came in just the last game against St. Louis. Through 34 games this season, Marleau has 18 goals, one short of his 19-goal total from a season ago. Marleau is a good player, but as his career numbers against St. Louis attest, he rarely is the best player on the ice vs. the Blues.
Joe Thornton often looks like the best player on the ice against St. Louis. He’s scored 28 points in 23 games. Of those points, he’s totaled 22 assists, continuing to show that he’s an absolute passing machine. At 6 feet, 4 inches tall and 235 pounds, Thornton has the size to be a dominating goal scorer. But as the Sharks’ best center, he prefers to make his teammates better around him. It sucks.
Devin Setoguchi looks like a younger, hipper, more metrosexual So Taguchi. He has 17 goals and 18 assists giving the Sharks not one or two, but three players with more points than games played. Bastards.
Dan Boyle is close to being a point-a-game player with 29 in 33 games. Did I mention he’s a defenseman? His 11 goals is tied for first among defensemen while his 29 points are first for his posi-tion in the league. Bastard.
Evgeni Nabokov is taking it easy this season. He’s only played in 24 games with a sparkling 19-3-2 record. He’s tied for first in wins in the league, but his 90.7 save percentage is good for only 28th. Wonder if it’s a carryover for playing nearly every game last season. He played in a mind boggling 77 games last season. Brian Boucher of all people is backing up Nabby and has done a spectacular job. In five appearances last season, he was 3-1-1. Before that, he’s only had two winning seasons since making his debut in 1999-2000. He had a 10-19-10 season for Phoenix and a 1-10-3 season in Chicago. To coax winning hockey out of Boucher and see him with an 8-1-1 record this season, it shows what an average goalie can do behind a good team.
And to say the Sharks are anything but a great team is insane. It will be interesting to see if the Blues can play a close game and stay in contention tonight. They’ve shown in two games that they can play with San Jose. But can they beat them?
Let’s Go Blues!
This Might Bite
(continued)
Volume 4, Issue 18 December 27, 2008 Page 26
Even the promise
of Jon Tavares
is enough to make us root against
our team.
G AME T IME Page 27
Get five in a row in any direction and you win!
Game Time Bingo! Cotton Eyed Joe guy
wearing his jersey with Jay McKee’s
name and TJ Oshie’s number.
Yan Stastny playing like Dan Hinote used
to play.
Colaiacovo making that No. 28 look better than Matt
Walker did.
Someone in your section vehemently
dislikes Eric Brewer.
A goal is scored in the first two
minutes of any period.
Red Berenson Cowboy scoffs at attempts to stop
him.
Cam Janssen disburses a beating.
Patrik Berglund gets another point.
Mite game ends in a tie.
Still not motivated enough to vote for the All-Star game.
You drop at least two ‘Slap Shot’
references.
You love Boyes. Not that there’s anything
wrong with that.
Charles Glenn brings it.
BJ Crombeen gets closer to having someone put his
name on their jersey.
Someone in your section never stops playing with their
phone.
Fight!
Fight!
Fight!
Angelllla looks bummed that she
didn’t get those extra Ls that she wanted for
Christmas.
Dancing Kid seems like he’s not just
about the dancing anymore.
Air Horn Guy kinda fucking it up.
We Want Blizzards still not as good as We Want Tacos.
Someone gets their copy of GT on the
Jumbotron.
Still seeing more Stempniak jerseys
than Steen/Colaiacovo jerseys.
See a kid reading GT and think to
yourself, “uh oh.”
“Is that Martin Rucinsky?”
Another $200 stick breaks at the worst
possible time.
From The Editor (continued)
It’s becoming more and more obvious; Legace ain’t the Manny and he’ll be gone next year. The fans have picked up on the cues from management. What do you think he’s picked up?
Paul Kariya, who pulled down the top spot with a commanding 15% lead in our poll, surprised me the most. Mainly because I damn near forgot to put him in the poll.
Kariya, whose on-ice performance last year was the equivalent of hockey fluffer (all flash and dash, no payoff), started off great this year. His first 11 games had every Blues fan excited. Just two goals, yes, but his 13 assists and 15 points indicated a possible return to offensive prowess. A potential to score over a hundred points on the season would have been his best since 1999 and possibly the best of his career (his career high is 108). And that would go a long way towards getting the
(Continued from page 2) Blues back into the playoffs.
But the vagtastic voyage his supposedly lingering injuries have taken us all on have made everyone feel very similar to the way we did last year, which is that the $16 million over four years that is being wasted on Jay McKee and the $16 mil-lion being wasted on Eric Brewer are nothing compared to the $18 million the Blues are wasting on three years of Paul Kariya.
It’s still Festivus and we’ve aired our grievances. Next up is the feats of strength. Too bad most of the Blues’ worst underperformers aren’t up to the task.
Sean “keeping expectations low and getting a Stastny jersey” Gallagher
Like A Swift Kick To The Nuts.
St. Louis Game TimeSt. Louis Game TimeSt. Louis Game Time www.stlouisgametime.comwww.stlouisgametime.comwww.stlouisgametime.com
