ST. LOUIS, Mo. – After taking the last two home games against the Ottawa Senators and the New Jersey Devils, the St. Louis Blues headed to Nashville to play the Predators on Wednesday night, then headed to Dallas to see the Thanksgiving Day Dallas Cowboys football game before taking on the Stars last night.
Image credit: St. Louis Blues
The Blues topped the Senators 5-2 who were still dealing with a team tragedy earlier that week.
The next night was special for New Jersey Devils goaltender Mike McKenna, who had been called up on emergency to step in for the injured Martin Brodeur. McKenna, who attended the Blues Training Camp on a tryout basis in 2007 was born in St. Louis and in front of a packed house with about 50 friends and family watching on, he started an NHL game in his home town against his boyhood team.
Wednesday night the Blues headed to Music City to take on the Predators, a team they have already faced three previous times in the young season. On November 11th, the Predators stole the bonus point from the Blues when Marcel Goc beat Jaraslov Halak at Scottrade Center. The team didn’t have to be reminded of the loss as they took the ice against their division rivals.
It took just nine seconds for the Blues to make that point. Off of the opening face-off, Andy McDonald beat Nashville net minder Pekka Rinne high glove side with a wrist shot from the left face-off circle. The goal was the third fastest opening goal in Blues history. Greg Paslawski scored 8 seconds into a game against the Washington Capitals on October 29, 1985, and was matched by Alex Steen against Colorado on March 16, 2010.
Despite being out shot almost 2-1 and posting the lowest amount of shots on goal (15) this season, Jaraslov Halak kept the Blues in this low scoring affair, turning away 28 of 29 shots by the Predators. Jerred Smithson found himself unchecked and holding a rebound from a Joel Ward shot tied the game at 0:22 of the second period, and the score would remain tied through the free hockey period.
Rinne and Halak would turn away all opponents through the first four rounds of the shootout.Andy McDonald played spoiler as he sent a backhand shot through the pads of Rinne.
“Actually, I talked to (Brad Boyes) on the bench and he suggested that (move) to me,” McDonald said. “That’s one that I have had success with in the past, and I try to use something that I am comfortable with.”
Sergi Kostitsyn tried to keep the Predators alive, and almost did, but his wrist shot would catch the post and left a ringing in the ears of Predators fans as the red iron sent them home with a shootout loss.
The team left Nashville and headed to Dallas for a game Friday night against the Stars. The Blues, who would be spending Thanksgiving on the road, were treated to a consolation gift, a Thanksgiving tradition: a Dallas Cowboys game. Fox announcer Joe Buck, a St. Louis native himself, acknowledged the teams attendance during the later stages of the football game, noting that the Blues had just come off a shootout win against the Predators and were in town to play the Stars on Friday night.
Now it was time to move their attention from the stars of the gridiron to the Stars on the ice.
Andy McDonald continued his recent hot streak scoring both Blues goals but it wouldn’t be enough as Mike Ribero would score at 17:31 of the third period to put the Stars ahead for good.
McDonald scored the opening goal of the game while on the penalty kill, which marked the 14th time in 21 games that the Blues have scored first. The Stars got caught deep in the Blues’ zone and with 48 seconds left on the Stars power play, the puck squirted free and the Blues surged with a three on two break towards Kari Lehtonen, scoring on the rebound. Brad Richardson tied the game in the second period with a top corner wrist shot.
It sure is nice when you have a little luck on your side. That was the case for Andy McDonald, as he would find the net on what seemed to be a harmless wrist shot from the left circle that wiggled through Lehtonen and trickled across the goal line.
Jamie Benn would capitalize on an opportunity while the team was short handed when he caused defenseman Erik Johnson to cough up the puck, skated alone into the Blues zone and tapped the puck one handed past Jaraslov Halak.
Comments after the game provided some insight to the brief chess match on skates.
“I think (Johnson) was trying to make too many moves,” Benn said. “I poked it away and scored my goal.”
Over in the Blues locker room, a bothered Johnson offered his take.
“I held on to it too long,” he said. “(Benn) kind of played possum with his stick. He kind of hit it and just knocked it off my stick. Mistakes are going to happen, but I just have to make sure that it doesn’t happen again.”
Unfortunately, another mistake happened shortly after the Benn goal. Jarsloav Halak would play a puck behind his net and shoveled a pass towards Eric Brewer. For what ever reason, the pass looked to handcuff Brewer, and Jamie Benn, who’s highlight-reel game goal tied the game, jumped on the loose puck, fed an open Mike Ribero, and directed the puck into a wide-open Blues net. After the game, Halak was not in the locker room for comment. St. Louis will have another opportunity to right the ship as they travel back to St. Louis to complete the home and home series with Dallas on Saturday night.
Contact the author at roger.nebelsick@prohockeynews.com
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