OBG's Post Patch St. Louis Blues

[onlybygrace]

Probably do a end of year highlight show...

I'm in the middle of buying a house and life is nuts...so...

Blues/Oilers Strike Deal On D-Day

The news was quiet on today's Trade Deadline in the NHL as there were few trades that included well known players. The biggest trade of the day was made by the St. Louis Blues (36-20-7, 4th in West) and Edmonton (30-27-7, 9th in West).

It was certainly a head scratcher as the Edmonton Oilers, still in the playoff hunt sent their leading goal scorer and 3rd leading point getter to St. Louis.

"It was a quiet day...then the phone rang. It was Edmonton, it was deal we couldn't turn down", said Blues GM Doug Armstrong who worked his magic earlier in the season when he aquired Zac Parise for Erik Johnson and a 1st round pick.

Trade Details:

Aquires:

Dustin Penner
GP: 64
G: 27
A: 17
Pts: 44
+/-: +8
GWG: 4
PIM: 85
SOG: 219


Ladislav Smid
GP: 28
G: 0
A: 3
P: 3
+/-: -5
GWG: 0
PIM: 32
SOG: 14

Aquires:

Brad Boyes
GP: 61
G: 15
A: 4
P: 19
+/-: -3
GWG: 1
PIM: 10
SOG: 94

**The Oilers also recieve AHLers Adam Cracknell and Dean Arsene.

The move was perplexing to many around the NHL who believe the Oilers may have had some inner turmoil going on in the locker room that would lead them to trade the 6-4, 240 lb power forward to the Blues.

Whatever the reason, the St. Louis Blues are a bigger and better hockey team heading into the final stretch, especially when TJ Oshie returns from injury which is expected to happen in late March.

Blues Lines

Perron-McDonald-Parise
Backes-Berglund-Steen
Penner-McClement-Sobotka
Crombeen-Dagostini-Winchester

Defense
Pietrangelo-Jackman
Polak-Brewer
Strachan-Colaiacovo

Injured Reserve
TJ Oshie

Healthy Scratch
Cam Janssen
Ladislav Smid

[bthomp05]

Excellent trade for you.

[Dynasty]

Sweet deal, Smid is decent as well

[onlybygrace]

As Season Winds Down; Playoff Races Heat Up, Blues Struggle

The Blues are struggling since losing leading scorer Andy McDonald for the rest of the regular season. McDonald may be able to return in the 2nd round of the playoffs.

By Stephen Holley
OSHN Hockey Network

The NHL's regular season is winding down and the St. Louis Blues find themselves sliding having lost 6 of 8 before last nights big win over the Flames. The Blues win catapulted them into 2nd in the West while knocking the Flames back into 4th.

The Blues are finding that life without Andy McDonald, who at the time of his injury led the team with 33 goals and 57 points in 74 games, is not going to be as easy as they may have thought. The Blues need to figure it out soon as McDonald isn't scheduled to return until mid-April.

"It's been a tough adjustment, but we have to keep working. This isn't a business of excuses", said Davis Payne.

--------------------------------

Western Conference Playoff Race

(1)--SJ----77 GP--98 Pts
(2)--STL--78 GP--96 Pts
(3)--CAL--79 GP--96 Pts
(4)--CLB--77 GP--94 Pts
(5)--VAN--78 GP--91 Pts
(6)--PHO--78 GP--91 Pts
(7)--NSH--78 GP--90 Pts
(8)--ANA--77 GP--81 Pts
(9)--EDM--77 GP--80 Pts
(10)-CHI---76 GP--78 Pts
(11)-LAK--77 GP--77 Pts
(12)-MIN---77 GP--76 Pts
(13)-COL--76 GP--75 Pts
(14)-DAL--76 GP---73 Pts
(15)-DET--77 GP---68 Pts

Eastern Conference Playoff Race

(1)--NYR--78 GP--101 Pts
(2)--TBL--77 GP----94 Pts
(3)--BOS--77 GP---87 Pts
(4)--PHI---77 GP---93 Pts
(5)--CAR--77 GP---92 Pts
(6)--NYI---78 GP----89 Pts
(7)--ATL---77 GP---85 Pts
(8)--BUF---77 GP---84 Pts
(9)--FLA---78 GP---83 Pts
(10)-NJD--76 GP---81 Pts
(11)-PIT---78 GP---76 Pts
(12)-TOR--78 GP---76 Pts
(13)-WSH--78 GP--75 Pts
(14)-OTW--78 GP--74 Pts
(15)-MON--78 GP--71 Pts

[jack1535]

Good Luck in the playoffs hopefully you can win without Mcdonald.

[Dynasty]

Ouch loosing Mac really has hurt. Nice win bumping down the flames as well.

[onlybygrace]

Perron Joins McDonald On The Shelf
By Stephen Holley
OSHN Beat Writer

Things just aren't going the Blues way.

On the heels of a 6-2 defeat at the hands of the Columbus Bluejackets, the Blues were informed that they would be without the services of David Perron for the next two weeks. The Blues are hoping to see him return in the Western Conference Quarterfinals.

So far, the Blues will enter the playoffs with 62 goals sitting on the sidelines.

Perron had amassed 29 goals and 26 assists in 79 games as 2/3 of the Blues top scoring line sit on the shelf.

"It's frustrating losing games and players, no doubt. This isn't the time of the season in which you want to be struggling...but we'll have to learn from this", said Blues head coach Davis Payne.

-----------------------------------

Blues Resting Halak

The Blues have chosen not to play Jaroslav Halak until the final game of the season against Nashville. Halak has shown fatigue in recent weeks and his play has dropped off dramatically as he was pulled last night after surrendering 3 goals in the 1st period to Columbus.

[bpete07]

Any changes to your slider set OBG? They take a little time to get used to, but are amazing after a number of games! Good luck in the playoffs!