Good morning Blues fans! It’s gameday again as the Blues travel west to take on some Canadian teams. Questions abound about the lineup.
The St. Louis Blues opened up the season with an interesting mix of opponents. They took down Central Division foes in the first two games before squeaking by the New York Rangers from the east over the weekend.
Now, the focus shifts west. The Blues begin a swing across western Canada, beginning with the Vancouver Canucks tonight.
After a hot 3-0 start, the Blues are looking to keep their streak going. While the teams they will be facing aren’t looking like playoff teams right now, the trip itself usually takes a toll on teams.
It’s going to be an interesting trip for sure. The Canucks have come from behind to win two games in a row.
The Flames look terrible right now, but the Blues tend to have bad luck against former players, especially goaltenders. Lastly, the Oilers can be preyed upon defensively, but they’ve got an unstoppable offense so far so the Blues defenders and goaltenders will have to be sharp.
The question for the Blues is going to be who lines up in their own lineup. With no call ups, the Blues will be relying on Alexander Steen and Robby Fabbri to be centers and fill in the holes on the wings with their healthy scratches.
More from Bleedin' Blue
The Blues have seen this before. They were toward the top of the league in terms of man-games missed in 2015-16.
Now, they are picking up some rather untimely ones early in 2016-17. The team seems capable of overcoming them, but scoring might be an even bigger challenge for a team many wondered where the goals would come from to begin with.
It’s up to the players that suit up to have that next man up attitude and find a way to perform. It’ll be a good test as the team settles into the early part of the year. On a positive note, Jaden Schwartz is likely to return during this trip.
Here are some St. Louis Blues morning links to kick off this gameday.
Jeremy Rutherford has your preview of tonight’s opponent. Normally, the Blues would be favored, but it’s all up in the air. (Post-Dispatch)
The Blues are going to be mixing and matching players on different lines due to the injuries. There is no definitive word as to who will or won’t be playing together either. (STLToday)
The Canucks were worried they might be without one of their own forwards after an incident against Colorado. However, they are breathing a sigh of relief after the league did not schedule a disciplinary hearing. (The Canuck Way)
Speaking of the Canucks and the others the Blues will face along the way, our friends at Arch Authority spoke to some authorities on the Pacific Division. (Arch Authority)
Despite getting off to a bad start, Vegas has odds on the Chicago Blackhawks to win it all. The Blues are not far behind though. (Las Vegas Review)
Blues fans love to wear the jersey of their favorites. Vladimir Tarasenko or Colton Parayko are likely the hottest sellers. Across the league, however, rookie sensation Auston Matthews’ sweater is flying off the shelves. (The Score)
Paul Stastny is off to a hot start. While there is no way to ever convince everyone, one particular fan has officially changed his perception of Stastny. (St. Louis Gametime)
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While the two players are at different points in their careers, Blues fans should be grateful that things never devolved with Kevin Shattenkirk. Jacob Trouba may be learning that making demands without leverage isn’t the way to go. (Puck Daddy)
Have a great day Blues fans. Enjoy tonight’s game.
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