2009-10 Comes to a Close

The Blues finished the 2009-10 season with a shootout loss, and ending strangely appropriate in regards to how this season as a whole went. The team’s final record for the season is 40-32-10, good for 90 points. Not a horrible record, but one that fell well below expectations following a 2008-09 that saw the Blues reach the playoffs.

It’s time to look back and reflect on the season we just witnessed. What better way than to run through some numbers.

0 – Cam Janssen’s total number of points this season. Thankfully the Blues pay him to fight, not score goals.

57 – Andy McDonald’s final point total, a mark that led the team. McDonald seems to float under the radar, shadowed by some of the youngsters but obviously deserves some credit for his overall consistent production.

+10 – Mike Weaver’s team leading plus/minus. Weaver has quietly become one of the more reliable defenders in not only the St. Louis organization, but the NHL as a whole.

1,318 – The Blues total number of penalty minutes in 2009-10. Four skaters (Janssen, Crombeen, Winchester and Backes) all finished above the 100 PIM mark this year.

1,201 – Keith Tkachuk’s final number of games played. Walt skated in his final game this past weekend in St. Louis before sitting out the team’s final contest against Nashville. Tkachuk ended his career on a high note, helping the Blues get a win at home by contributing two assists on a night filled with signs and memories wishing Walt the best.

221 – Paul Kariya’s shot total this season, good enough for the team lead. Unfortunately, only 18 found the back of the net.

There are countless stories we could predict and debate for the summer ahead, but for now, let’s just enjoy the season that was. A season that saw an incredible player skate in his final game. A season that saw David Perron give us a glimpse of what he is capable of. A season where seemingly all of the United States loved David Backes.

This season, like so many before it, will not end with a St. Louis Blue lifting the Cup. Still, a lot can be learned and used moving forward as the Blues will be back in the hunt for their first Stanley Cup in 2010-11.

David Perron scores an incredible goal.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Qajl2PAamjk

David Backes doing a rock-em-sock-em robot impression on Jonathan Toews’ face.

Keith Tkachuk’s final game.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=KJ_fcVFPe9U

That concludes our coverage of the 2009-10 season. Our attention now moves onward and hopefully upward as the Blues look to improve next season.