Preview: Blues vs. Phoenix

I don’t care how you do it, how long it takes, or how many goals are required, but please Blues from St. Louis: Give us fans a win.

The season is still extremely young (tonight is game #19) but we have already seen some big highs and lows to make it feel like a whole season has passed. The biggest high obviously being the huge start to the year in Sweden and the big low being this dismal home record and lack of scoring.

Tonight the Blues take on the Phoenix Coyotes for already the third time this season. Don’t you just love the insanity that is NHL scheduling? The Blues first half schedule always seems to be just a bit odd and this year is no exception.

In their two previous meetings this season, the Blues lost 3-2 in OT at Phoniex before coming back to the Scottrade and dropping a home matchup against the Coyotes by a score of 2-0.

The Blues will need to turn in the same effort they displayed in the disappointing San Jose loss, and hope that this time they catch a few bounces and a few breaks. Phoenix has played very well this season and won some big games against San Jose, Detroit and Pittsburgh already this season.

The Blues are in desperate need of a win and two points to turn this homestand back the right way. The veterans (Kariya, Tkachuk) must step up and the youngsters (Berglund, Oshie) need to loosen up and play as they did last season. There is absolutely no reason why this team can’t score goals on a regular basis – they are simply much too talented to be held in check each game. Whether they are “pressing”, gripping their sticks too tightly, or over thinking their play, it must all come to an end now and be replaced by good, solid hockey and chances that are capitalized on.

Hopefully tonight the fans behind the Phoenix goal will need sunscreen as the red lamp goes off repeatedly, and hopefully the Blues power-play will once again be a big driving force behind this team rather than an area of disappointment.

Let’s Go Blues!

Put one in the win column or else I’m afraid someone’s job will be hanging by a thread.