Who *are* these people?? (via averagejoe)

Gallagher over on St. Louis Game Time wrote an op-ed that absolutely captured how I feel about the news media and the Blues' playoff push. Go on, keep ignoring it. Keep fawning over how well the Rangers are playing, or keep fixating on that absolutely fascinating race for the final playoff spot in the East that no one seems to want. Go on and promote hits and shots and whatnot on NHL.com, go on and focus on the Cardinals, St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Honestly, the only places that I've seen actually mentioning how well the Blues are playing are fellow hockey blogs (not all Blues blogs, of course) who actually pay attention to the whole league, and not just the usual TV-ready squads from the Eastern Time Zone (and Chicago). Words like "teamwork" and "team effort" always seem to work into these articles, mentioning how Brian Elliott being the Blues' only representative in the All-Star Game was super indicative of how the team is all chugging along together to the playoffs. It's true, you know. The Blues don't have an uberstar like Crosby, or Ovechkin, or Malkin. They don't have *that guy* who captures headlines, or that guy that when he's on the ice you know he's a big, flashy difference-maker.

The whole team is the difference-maker. Unfortunately for the Blues and fans who'd like some sort of recognition, they're also a team's team that plays in a market in the Midwest that isn't one of the bigger cities. David Backes, while he damn well should be, isn't known from coast to coast as a gritty powerforward who leads by example. David Perron, T.J. Oshie, Alex Pietrangelo, and Kevin Shattenkirk are basically unnoticed, especially in Norris Trophy voting amongst press for the latter two. I understand the frustration at them not being the lead feature on NHL Live every day, but as readers on Game Time have noted, this just helps the Blues' awesome ninja skills. Sure, they're under-estimated by fans who don't know about how great they are (and who apparently never look at standings), and they're still a teeny bit underestimated probably by some in the league, but Blues fans know. Oh yes, we know: they're good. They're damn good. And they're coming for you.

What we also know, however, is the history of our team and the fact that the Blues're third on the list for record for the most consecutive years making the playoffs at 25, and have 35 appearances overall. We're aware of the President's Trophy won in 2000, and we're well aware of that sweep by the Sharks. Basically, we're aware of the fact that the team's got a pretty nice history behind it even without a Stanley Cup. Fans were accustomed to success up until the lockout; it's only been the past six seasons where frustration's reigned, except for that one time where the Blues squeaked in in 2009.

That knowledge makes it frustrating then to see the Blues recent success not only treated like a fluke, but like a freak occurrence. When the media does notice what the team's doing, fans get to read things like this: 

When the St. Louis Blues were a game under .500 in November at 6-7-0, dreaming about a playoff spot would have been far-fetched. Thinking about being the No. 1 team in the NHL would have been a pipe dream.

But after a coaching change, the Blues have done virtually nothing wrong in four months -- and here they are, atop the of NHL standings.

But even though the Blues are in uncharted territory, they seem to be humbled by the whole scenario.

Ok, good lord, media. Fine, ignore the team -- please ignore them -- because you treating them like perennial cellar dwellers who've finally made good is a bit insulting. These aren't the Bad News Bears. This is a team that could've made the playoffs the last two seasons had they not been near the top of man games lost each of them. This is a franchise that made the Stanley Cup finals their first three seasons. Being first in the league might be new and exciting for most on the team, but it's not for the franchise.

And really, one game under .500 after 13 games does not mean your team's a failure and will finish outside of the top eight. Calm down, NHL.com. I'm not saying cover the Blues 24/7 -- please, don't do that -- but don't imply that they were a bumbling team wandering through the wilderness until Ken Hitchcock came to town. Granted, the Blues don't have the glamor of the Penguins, or the powerhouse status of the Red Wings, but my goodness. Welcome them back to this standing if you're going to mention it at all.

Which, frankly, we'd rather prefer that you not.

Who says charity always has to be squeaky clean and feel good? In an attempt to get some cash drummed up for the Dan Snyder Neurotrauma Fund at Emory University here in Atlanta, former Thrashers fan club board member Jim Carruthers has whipped up these fine duds to remind people that Thrashers fans aren't bitter, we're just still really missing our team and don't really care for the gentlemen who facilitated their exit from Atlanta.

Take special notice that it lays blame squarely where blame should be: Gary Bettman and the incompetent Atlanta Spirit Group that drove the team out of town. Not on Winnipeg, not on True North, not on Mark Chipman, not on Jets fans -- on the Atlanta Spirit Group who so horribly mismanaged a decent squad into the ground that the mascot had to steal a zamboni to get folks to come to games. I'm still convinced Thrash came up with that idea on his own.

Also, the logo on these spiffy shirts is a mash-up of the Thrashers' and old school Jets colors. I think it serves as a good reminder of the team's history, especially to broadcasters and sportswriters who insist that "The Jets are back!" No, they're still in Phoenix. These are Jets v2.0, and I'm a big believer in honoring your team's history. You know, like rocking a Nordiques jersey at an Avs game, or breaking out a Colorado Rockies one at a Devils game (NOT the Kovalfoul that was on Puck Daddy a while ago).

It's for a good cause, it calls out Atlanta Spirit, and it looks good. If you're interested in one, hit me up at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and I will get the order info to you. They're $20 each, covering the cost of the shirt, shipping and the donation to the DSNF.

BTW, whoever did the mashup is outstanding. I love the Jet as the Thrasher's eye.

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(For those of you viewing where Tumblr might be blocked for some reason, the second photo is of David Backes holding a puppy. Both photos elicit the same response in me. I'm sure that's normal.)

I know. It sounds like a terrible comparison, doesn't it? A cut of meat and a hockey player really shouldn't elicit the same reaction from people, should it? Think about it for a second, though. When you see a recipe on-line that involves bacon, what is your reaction? When I link to bacon-bourbon brownies, or bacon chocolate chip cookies, or even something absurdly easy like bacon wrapped water chestnuts, gauge your reaction. For a decent portion of you out there, men and women, your reaction is a variation on "squee." I know that it is -- don't fight it.

Now, think about your reaction when you see David Backes mentioned in an article where you least expect him. Today on Puck Daddy his name was tossed in with some others as dark horses for the Hart MVP trophy. Wysh admitted that it's not about the stats, it's about the content of his game. Some people are really pushing for Steven Stamkos to be awarded the trophy, and if the Lightning make the playoffs then he should be in the running. But a guy like Backes is the heart and soul of the Blues and nearly everyone's favorite player on the team. He doesn't quit -- he works his ass off. He's unassuming, his style of play can be described as a little salty sometimes, and whenever he pops up somewhere that's not St. Louis based media, what's your reaction? Yep. "Squee."

He's the man guys freely admit having a mancrush on, and he's the player that a lot of lady puckheads who pride themselves on not fawning over players fawn over. He is the perfect microcosm of the Blues. When you think of Blues hockey, you think of how David Backes plays. When you think of a pig (i know, I know), you think of the best part of it -- bacon.

Both of these things, along with frosty cold adult beverages, are what I consider to be the most brought up topics on Gameday Threads over on St. Louis Game Time.  Don't believe me? Make a post about a random bacon recipe tonight and see the reaction.

Heck, when this ad came into heavy rotation on FoxSports Midwest, several folks started thinking about the legality of it and how they could pull it off:

 

This is my sad face.

Can't see it? Fair enough, because it's not there. The loss of the Atlanta Thrashers (something that mayor Kasim Reed pretty much said would have noooo impact on the local economy whatsoever -- just ask the concession workers, Team Gear store employees, and ushers inside of Philips let alone the CNN Center restaurants, Dantannas employees, and Taco Mac bartenders how awesome they're doing now) has bumped Atlanta to the top spot of most miserable sports city for 2011, according to Forbes Magazine. 

Fine, I do take some personal glee in this, because the Braves' epic implosion let the Cardinals into the post-season en route towards their 11th World Series Championship (remember, drunk dude at Turner Field, 11 World Series wins >> whatever the hell the Braves failed at in the post-season... just FYI). What I most enjoy, however, isn't the failure of the Falcons, as I dislike football. The failure of the Hawks? Yes, I do take pleasure in that considering who owns them -- and considering owner Bruce Levenson actually admitted that getting them to the second round of the playoffs was good enough for Atlanta Spirit, well, they're probably ok with everything too. No, the thing that tickles me the most is that the loss of the Thrashers to Winnipeg this past summer sealed the deal. Who would have thought that the loss of an NHL team -- again -- would make Atlanta miserable?

Congrats, Atlanta Sprit. You've really outdone yourselves. When's that name-change coming again? 

Those of you who know me, or who read what I write here or anywhere else that I do work, know that I'm a bit of a pessimist. I prefer the term "pragmatist," but no one ever seems to agree with me. Maybe it's because with the exception of the Cardinals, my sports teams always seem to find some way to shoot themselves in the foot. Actually, subtract those recent World Series, and the Cards could be included. I had a feeling Albert Pujols was gone, and I have a terrible feeling about Yadier Molina. Hockey-wise, one team drug me through the dirt for eleven years to make the playffs only once, and of course get swept out. Then, to add insult to injury, they trade the best two players the franchise has ever had. Just to REALLY make sure that they've hurt me enough, they skip town and go to Winnipeg.

The Blues? Oh, they've been kicking me since I was little. Cujo? Shanny? Mike Keenan made them both cry before he shipped them out. Trading Adam Oates? Brilliant. Scaring Wayne Gretzky away when it was apparent that he wanted to retire in STL? Sure! Why not? Oh, and let the franchise's most recognizable player ever walk as a UFA without compensation? Throw that in there too.

Don't even get me started on Chris Pronger.

The Blues've had successes -- Presidents Trophies and a professional sports record 25 years in a row in the playoffs, sure. Have they won the big prize? Not yet, but many feel that the way that they've been playing this season is an indication that they could be ready to contend. A big chunk of that comes from their GAA leading goaltending tandem of Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott. Halak was heralded as the first actual franchise goaltender since Curtis Joseph, and it was always assumed that big Ben Bishop -- all 6 feet 8 inches of him -- was going to be the goalie of tomorrow.

He's the goalie of tomorrow, all right... for the Ottawa Senators. The Blues traded him on February 26th to the Sens for a 2013 second round draft pick. Pretty good return, but how'd Bishop get expendable? Jake Allen's been playing very well for the Peoria Rivermen, the Blues' AHL affiliate. Brian Elliott, who surprised many by winning the back-up job out of camp, recently signed a two year deal as a reward for his NHL-best numbers. 

Bishop suddenly became extra weight. Great extra weight to have, but there wasn't a place for him in the org anymore. He knew it, the fans knew it, everyone knew it, so now he gets a much deserved chance to shine in Ottawa at the NHL level.

I'm still kind of worried. This might be my pessimistic nature coming out to play, but Bishop is too good of a prospect to have shipped off for a pick. He could have been grouped with other parts for an offensive player that the Blues need right now; many teams need help, and the Senators -- while they do -- weren't on many people's list of teams that needed it now. If you're going to send away your next best goalie, you better be sure in what you have now.

Blues GM Doug Armstrong seems to be confident in Halak and Bishop, and while I've been impressed with both of their numbers this year, I've watched enough of Elliott over the seasons to be concerned. I remember watching him play the Thrashers as the young young up and comer for the Sens, and I was impressed. Then he started putting up numbers like this.

You have to assume that a bit of that has been him playing on some terrible teams. This year's Blues squad is generally very good defensively and has certainly helped both Elliott and Halak's numbers out. But what happens if Elliott regresses to the mean, or below it? Where do the Blues turn? Allen's not ready for the show yet.

Here's hoping that regression never happens. The little nagging voice inside of my head isn't so sure.  Still, turning a third round pick into a second round one's an upgrade. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that second rounder works out.

The next seven games provide an opportunity for the Blues to turn a weakness into a strength. They've got the defending Cup champions Boston at home, followed by a six-game road trip against the archnemesis Predators, Jets, Flames, Oilers, Canucks, and Sharks.

It's no secret that the Blues have been, shall we say, uninspiring, on the road this season. Will this be the magical stretch where they turn it around, and suddenly prove that they are legit contenders? I sure hope not. Not yet.

Right now, the Blues sit in fourth place in the West. Their first-round matchup would be...Nashville. The Predators (or, at least, Pekka Rinne) appear to hold the mortgage on the Scottrade Center this season. That matchup reeks of a first-round exit. Slipping to fifth, and giving the Preds home-ice advantage in that matchup, would only make the situation worse. To get into "better" position, the Blues would need to catch the Dead Things, which they currently trail by five points. An amazing road trip might--MIGHT--accomplish that, and give you a first-round matchup against the likes of Calgary, LA or Phoenix.

But how about this: a sixth seed, and first-round matchup against the Sharks? The Blues have played very well against the Sharks this season. To "fall" to sixth, the Blues would need to spot the Blackhawks eight points. This seven-game stretch could go a long way in that direction.

Boston figures to be a tough game, even on home ice. I'll go out on a limb and predict a loss at Nashville. Winnipeg and (especially) Edmonton are bad enough that even the Blues should manage to win those road games, but the Flames are playing very well, and the Sharks and Canucks are two of the top teams in the West. This could easily be a four-points-in-seven-games stretch. Over that same time span, the Hawks have home games against Detroit (toss-up) Dallas (win) and Toronto (win), with road games in LA (toss-up) Anaheim (win) and Ottawa (win). Nine to ten points is not an unreasonable expectation out of those games for Chicago.

Your instinct as a fan will be to panic. Hold fast. Let the Hawks play six bruising 1-0 or 2-1 games against Rinne in the first round, while the Blues take the opportunity to humiliate Joe Thornton and Co. Better yet, this sets up a SECOND round series against the Canucks, while the Hawks and Wings beat the crap out of each other. I'll take my chances against the Sedins over Datsyuk/Zetterberg. How amazing would a Western Conference Final against either Chicago or Detroit be? (Answer: pretty fucking amazing.)

Am I being defeatist? Is it disloyal to meekly accept, if not actively cheer for, your team losing? I would argue no. It would be stupid, of course, for the BLUES to think this way--all of us should be pretty worried if the team starts to accept losing. But as fans, I think it's helpful to regulate our emotions, take a deep breath, and think positively for the long term. Your thoughts?

I fully understand the fact that Warren Peters was frustrated towards the end of Saturday night's Minnesota Wild/St. Louis Blues game. The Wild were getting walloped 4-0, they only managed thirteen shots on net, and they just weren't playing very good hockey. It happens. And yes, the Blues're a pretty hard hitting team, and sure, if you're on the ice buzzing around, it might not look like Jared Spurgeon blew a tire; it could have looked like Backes rode him into the boards.

But regardless of what you saw as a player on the ice, there's never any excuse for a stupid retaliatory penalty that could cost your team. There's also never an excuse for a retaliatory penalty that could hurt another player, you know, on purpose. That's pretty much what Peters does here by cross-checking Backes in the head. It's next to impossible to interpret this to be an accident:

Sure, this is just what I wanted to see at a toy show:

Wow, really? I have to wait until fall for these? Damn. Two questions: 1) by top stars, do they mean those only on select teams (TOR, PIT, WSH, CHI, BOS, PHI, and probably DET) and 2) do the players themselves have the ability to sign off of them? I can see Sidney Crosby signing off on his -- it's all concentrate-y and hard core -- but Ovie looks more like the Geico caveman than ever, Kane looks like Corey Perry, and Phil Kessel is just a little too lifelike for my taste (and why are his gloves red?). Nothing can ever top the stuffed Tim Thomas, Henrik Zetterberg, and Evgeny Malkin, though. Those might be the only licensed toys that I can approve.

If, for some weird reason, these things are allowed to feature a Blues player (like the PillowPets featured Louie), who would it be? My money is on Oshie, because there's just something about him that lends itself well to giant bobble headed things nodding.

Wait.

For the life of me, I can't understand why teams aren't lining up around the block for Keenan. He's just what Steve Mason needs, am I right?

Apparently Mike Keenan articles are an annual feature here at Thrashing the Blues. Last year I stumbled across some depressing stuff from Sports Illustrated's archives. This year at least the Keenan news isn't depressing. Frankly, I found it quite entertaining. In an interview with NHL.com's Dan Rosen, Keenan looks towards resurgant old farts Ken Hitchcock and Jaques Lemaire as examples of why old school is better.

"There's something to be said about young coaches, but there's also something to be said for experience," Keenan said. "You look at the veteran coaches who had the greatest impact in the last two years. Who were they? Hitchcock in St. Louis, and last year it was (Jacques) Lemaire in (New) Jersey. These are two guys, both in their 60s, that had the most impact on the teams and they came in as replacement coaches.

"I would venture a guess that the New Jersey Devils would have made the playoffs if Jacques was there all season. That's not a negative comment on John (MacLean); he was just very inexperienced. And I have no idea why they got rid of Hitchcock in Columbus."

Fair points all. Where Keenan doesn't make a fair point about is why he is cut from the same cloth as the aforementioned coaches. Sure, he has some words of praise from Jeremy Roenick, who says that Keenan's a different coach than he was five years ago.

"He's an extremely smart guy, an extremely smart coach, and he's a motivator. But I think he's become a player-friendly motivator. I'm with him a lot and he's like a father-figure to me, and I know his passion to try to get back into the game."

Roenick gathers that from being analysts with Keenan on NBC. Which is exactly the same as being a player in his current system... which Keenan doesn't have.

Brian Leech was coached by Keenan when the New York Rangers won the 1994 Stanley Cup.

"They understand a lot about the team and the dynamics. Any smart coach learns from experience, from positive things as well as the negatives. He's got both in his career."

Well, considering the players he's driven away from teams and goaltenders he's chewed up and spat out, one has to wonder where this positive new experience Keenan's been having has been coming from. He's never gotten a chance to show that he's adapted to the new NHL, but Keenan might just be one of those players who is incapable of adaptation. If his players wouldn't do it for him, how can he do it for his players?

Believe this or not, this Select-a-Seat event photo was taken the day of the Tailwake when it was basically all but known the Thrashers were moving. Classy move, Atlanta Spirit.

Ok, I know most of you read the title of this post and either did a spit-take or choked on whatever you were eating. "Spoiled?" I can hear you say. "Why in the HELL would you say that? Eleven years of terrible to slightly above average hockey, superstars like Hossa and Kovalchuk walking for practically nothing in return, and DON WADDELL? How in the hell were we spoiled? We were told to 'just deal with' bad situations. You have to be joking. Or drunk."

While I have had a couple glasses of wine, I'm sober, and I'm serious. I'm currently poking around for last minute tickets to the Blues-Predators game for tomorrow night (helpful hint for those of you who need them -- click the tickets link at the top of my website), and the prices are shocking. $65 for upper, upper bowl? What were those in Atlanta, like $15? Few rows down are in the $80 range on some sites. Atlanta? $35 -- and keep in mind that those rates aren't even season ticket holder prices. Those are the regular ones.

My tickets in section 108 were $1000 for the entire season. They were lower bowl, attack once side, about 13 rows or so off of the ice. I couldn't've asked for more reasonable tickets for an ECHL team, let alone an NHL one. The Thrashers tried "premium game" pricing last year for teams like Chicago or Detroit, or for weekend games. I was pleasantly surprised when I thumbed through the tickets and saw those games at $35.00 value for a STH. The weekday ones for non-premium games? $17. SEVENTEEN DOLLARS.

I sat in virtually the exact same place in Nashville in December, and I paid $68. I would have paid about $110, but I had a coupon for 40% off the site that I used, so yay. For tomorrow, the most reasonable ticket I could find lower-bowl was $100, and tickets aren't exactly widely available. Sure, it's a Saturday night against a division rival that the Preds are fighting with for primo playoff position, but it's impossible to just grab a cheap ticket. It's impossible to do that during the week. It's hard to do that during preseason. This is the price you have to pay for going to go see a successful franchise that's supported by a large swath of the local population.

Yeah, I know the cheap tickets here in Atlanta were basically a last-ditch effort to get people in the building by a group of owners who couldn't give a flying flip, but gosh darnit, wasn't it nice?