Photo courtesy of Brittney Stein

Blues at Oilers, airing at 9pm CST on FSMW.

Let’s make this a brief one.

Three of our guys are out with bumps to the noggin. Brad Lee elaborated spectacularly about this today. Summary? Head injuries absolutely blow. Full stop.

The Oilers aren’t so much sucking lately. Remember last season how our boys were pretty well done-zo? Remember THE TRADE? Remember how then there was that whole monstrous tear where Chris Stewart earned his nickname and Berglund earned a contract and Backes earned a captaincy and Pietrangelo should have earned a qualification for Calder? Remember all that? Yeah, that’s pretty much the Oilers.

They’ve already taken a game from the Blues this year, but I think our boys should just go ahead and keep this wickedly awesome streak going. What say you?

LET’S GO BLUES!!!

Photo courtesy of Brittney Stein

Blues at Flames, airing at 8pm CST on FSMW.

So let’s recap the past few days:

-The Blues traded Ben Bishop for a 2013 second-round draft pick, and that was the extent of the trade deadline fun for the team.

-There was that win against Nashville.

-Oh, and the one against Winnipeg.

-Kris Russell got his dome piece knocked around.

-And real life snuck up and bit me. Yeah, sorry about that.

BUT. There’s a game tonight, it’s a bit later allowing for optimal viewing hours, and hopefully, HOPEFULLY life slows down a little bit to allow me to, you know, pay attention to my damn team.

That right there? Pipe dream.

Oh yeah, and Brian Elliott’s on Twitter.

Been an interesting few days.

It is technically February 23rd. Festivus is December 23rd. Our Blues just lost to the defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins.

I am angry.

Consider this a two-month-late/ten-month-early Airing of Grievances.

–Airing of Grievance against NHL refs: That was an interference call. That was also a tripping call. Both of which you missed. You are at the top of my list because you are not the most egregious of things that happened tonight. Could you have been better? Yes, but you didn’t make or break this game. I’m just, you know, annoyed.

–Airing of Grievance against the kid behind me tonight: If I know more about your team than you do, I do not take you seriously. Shut your face.

–Airing of Grievance against St Louis sports radio: I walked out of that game tonight and walked to my car. I got in that car and immediately flipped to ESPN 101, the local FM sports radio network. You know what was being talked about? The NEW YORK KNICKS AND JEREMY LIN. Look, I get it. I really do. The Lin thing is a big story. But you know what? This is ST LOUIS. We have a hockey team. That hockey team plays here on a regular basis, and we can’t even get the local radio network to support us? This is, well, bull shit. I am a die-hard Cardinals fan, and the amount of time they spend talking about that team is just fine, but it is winter. It is hockey season. It is about damn time that the local affiliates start supporting and BROADCASTING about LOCAL sports. What the hell does New York City basketball have to do with ANYTHING going on in this city? Nothing. Not a damn thing. Stop talking about it.

–Airing of Grievance against neutral zone turnovers: Stop it. Seriously. Stop it. There is no reason to give the puck up that many times between the blue lines. My head is still spinning.

–Airing of Grievance against the Blues power play: I recognize that there was one chance to show us what you were capable of, but let’s be real. You haven’t been that great as of late. Truth be told, you haven’t been that great all season. Yes, I know the Bruins won the Cup with a horrendous power play, but you are not the Bruins, regardless of how many “look how similar they are” articles out there.

–Airing of Grievance against the top six: Where were you tonight? Huh? Shots fired aimlessly at the net, ESPECIALLY with Tim Thomas in goal is going to do you absolutely no good. You saw that tonight.

–Airing of Grievance against anyone and everyone who refused to crash the damn crease: Did you SEE those rebounds? No? I’m not sure how, given that up in the upper bowl they looked like they could have been a hologram sitting right next to me. Get the rebounds. Score the goals. You saw how Chris Stewart and Ryan Reaves (?!?!?!) did.

–Airing of Grievance against my team: I was upset leaving this game. I am still upset. The team is SO MUCH BETTER than how they played. This type of, how Brad said at Game Time, lackluster play, will do all of jack shit down the stretch.

Tonight’s game made me Ann-gry.

Nashville tomorrow (today?). Ugh.

Former Bruin, Current Blue

Bruins at Blues, airing at 7pm CST on FSMW.

So guys. Remember this? Yeah, I did that. I wrote about the Bruins ON A BLUES SITE for damn near three months. I’ll admit, I got a little attached. I did.

But you know what? Not today. Not tonight.

Sure, I’ll cheer for the Bruins as my Eastern Conference team, but these are my BOYS they’re playing tonight. That officially makes them the enemy.

I’m just…..I don’t even know what to say about the game other than I am so excited I can’t even see straight.

I’m excited to get back in the Scottrade Center, as I haven’t been to a hockey game since early January.

I’m excited to see Andy Mac back on the ice.

I’m excited to watch two of my fantasy wingers (Vladimir Sobotka and Tyler Seguin) go head to head.

I’m SUPER excited to see Tim Thomas play, but can’t help but hope beyond hope that the Blues REMAIN the only team in the league he hasn’t beaten.

I’m excited for another win against an Eastern Conference team.

I’m excited for the tribute to Keith Tkachuk before the game.

I’m excited for Blues hockey.

I’m just damn excited.

LET’S GO BLUES!!

Birthday boy Ian--photo courtesy of Brittney Stein

What. A. Day.

First off, the happiest of birthdays to our up-and-down-again boys, Evgeny Grachev and Ian Cole, who turn 21 and 22 respectively. I can’t even help it. Every single time I glance at the roster, both active and prospects, it makes me cry a little inside realizing just how YOUNG these guys are.

Granted, then I do a little happy dance because with the ALREADY fantastic talent so many of them are showing, it’s clear that the best years of their careers are to come. Let’s see how many of those years are spent with our Blues.

After a morning spent seeing the well-wishes to both of our boys, then came the rather brutal announcement that Jamie Langenbrunner (who does not in fact make me feel old) will be out for the next four weeks–read: more than half of the rest of the season–due to a broken foot.

Pardon my skepticism, but how long did it take Huskins to come back from his ankle injury? Forty-six games you say? Footsie injuries are no jokesies. Oh wait, that’s right, he’s going to be re-evaluated in four weeks. I’m keeping my fingers crossed but not holding my breath that we’ll see Langs back on the ice before the playoffs. *ahem*Trade Deadline*ahem*

So, with that injury, wouldn’t it have just made Grachev’s birthday to be called up? Guess things don’t work like that as TJ Hensick was called up today and will be ready to help face the Bruins tomorrow.

If all that wasn’t enough, then we got word from Lou Korac that Andy Mac was off the ice today because of the wicked nasty flu bug that has been making the rounds through locker rooms across the league. I’d say our boys need to invest in some hand sanitizer and orange juice stat.

How is it possible that two off days garnered so much craziness? These guys need to settle down. Sheesh.

Bruins tomorrow. I cannot wait to see our boys in action.

My dearest St Louis Blues,

It’s been some time since I addressed you, yet I feel the need once again to do so.

I must admit a thing or two to you. First off, this season. I have watched you, had my moods rise and fall with your successes and failures, and through it all you’ve remained strong. It has not gotten old to be able to say “division contender” or even better, “conference contender.” Here’s the catch. I have been waiting for the collapse. I know that’s awful of me, I do, but I find myself on edge every single game that you play, hoping beyond hope that you can take two more points, and another two points, and just two more. I have held my breath and prayed to the hockey gods that every game you play you will make another stand to show you belong in the playoff hunt. There are fewer than two months left to this regular season. Don’t let me down now.

That said, I ignored you this weekend. Real life stood in the way, and though I heard about you peripherally, I didn’t watch one game. I have not looked up highlights or tried to find the hit on Backes that resulted in a suspension for Peters. I didn’t look for Reaves’s fight against John Scott, nor did I look to see that obnoxious “here let us score a goal for Chicago to make it easier on them” nonsense.

This leads me to my plea.

Beat this division. I have heard of you falling to Chicago. I saw you lose to Nashville and Detroit AND Columbus. Seriously. Columbus. You have not beaten a division rival since DECEMBER. Dudes, it’s almost March.

I have gotten to the point where I am sick of fans of division opponents scoffing at this team. I absolutely abhor that I watched you lose to a team who has HALF the number of points you do. Half. I hate even more that it makes rivals around the division and the conference continue to look at this team, at this fan base as though we’re all lucky for right now, but there’s not a shot at contention.

Prove. Them. Wrong.

I know the talent is there. I know that this team is absolutely capable of making a run at that most coveted Stanley Cup. I know that the drive, the FIRE is there to get it done.

I know that you can prove to this division, this conference, this LEAGUE that you belong here, that you’re not just some joke of a team with a pantsless mascot.

So many of us are counting on you, are rooting for you, are behind you for this. Seven weeks of regular season hockey left.

Show me what you’re working with.

As a continuation of Hockey Weekend Across America, today is try hockey day.

Well, my friends, today in St Louis is Mardi Gras. This means I will not really be focused on hockey in the slightest. However, in order to spread hockey far and wide, I have been spending time convincing my coworkers to go see hockey games. As luck would have it, one of my coworkers decided that today’s game against the Wild (airing at 1pm CST on FSMW) is the perfect day to do so. She will be trying out a professional hockey game for the first time.

She asked me what was proper etiquette for going to a game, and I took to Twitter to get a collective response from some of the most die hard fans I know.

The responses didn’t shock me slightly, but I was amused at just how emphatic some people are. Here’s what they had to say.

» Continue reading “Try Hockey Day…Sort Of”

This weekend is Hockey Weekend Across America. I love that we get a whole weekend to celebrate and love this great sport.

Throughout Aerys this weekend we’re putting together a collection of posts about different topics. Today we’re wearing jerseys (or in my case, a Blues shirt….what, I work in a lab and can’t have huge baggy sleeves) and telling our favorite hockey stories.

I am, for all intents and purposes, very new to this hockey fandom thing, yet there are still so many amazing memories I have. There was #EpicDec and the road trip to Nashville with two of my favorite ladies. There are the friendships I’ve made and the people I’ve met and watching Cam Janssen score a goal against Detroit. There are the games I’ve been to and the comebacks I’ve seen. All of it makes me love this sport more and more.

And yet, one memory stands out from the bunch, like a beacon of light. The beginning of it all for me. » Continue reading “Wear Your Favorite Hockey Day Blues Style”

Arnott--Photo courtesy of Brittney Stein

Islanders at Blues, airing at 7pm CST on FSMW.

So maybe our boys were only gone for a couple days, but there’s something pretty exciting about tonight’s game. Not one, but TWO injured guys are coming back.

Arnott and Huskins were activated from the IR today, which absolutely helps the lineup given that D’Agostini and Colaiacovo have both gone down within the last week or so.

As sure as I am that I hate shootouts, I am absolutely sure that this team has depth. I love seeing guys come off the IR and seeing this lineup, knowing we’re THATMUCHCLOSER to having all of our guys back, well, it’s a definite attitude boost.

This team is 11-4-3 against Eastern Conference teams. I’d like to see it 12-4-3 by the time tonight’s game is over.

LET’S GO BLUES!!!

Tell me I’m wrong. Losing to the Blue Jackets? Ouch.

Gotta say, I was hoping that final goal was actually a goal, however:

Well, if Perry says it was the right call then it was.

That’s ok. I’ll just sit here and watch Perron’s assist on Backes’s shorty over and over. God, that was just pretty.

Next time, boys.