Friday, February 3, 2012

Game #50: 2/3/12 vs. LA Kings

First of all, I'd like to apologize for not finishing up my 4-part series previewing the teams in the Central race for the 2nd half by posting about the league-leading Detroit Redwings.  Here's my analysis:

Fuck Detroit.

Get it?  Got it?  Good.

Tonight, the Blues FINALLY being the 2nd half of the season with a matchup with one of the few teams in the league as stingy as us, yet also one of the few as offensively challenged as us: the LA Kings.

Currently: 25-16-10, 60 points, 21 ROW; 2nd in Pacific, 7th in West
Top scorer: Anze Kopitar (15-30-45)
Probable starter: Jonathan Quick (43 GP, 22-12-9, 6 shutouts, .934 SV %, 1.93 GAA)

The Kings rank last in the NHL in goals per game at 2.16, but also 3rd at team GAA at 2.10 behind the Bluenotes and the Blueshirts.  Drew Doughty is a stud young defensman, but not really having a stud year.  Dustin Brown is their captain and is kind of a poor man's David Backes - ironically they were linemates in the 2010 Vancouver Olypics, along with Ryan "Tell Kelly [Backes] I said 'Hi!'" Kesler.  But at 13-14-27 over 51 games, Brown is not having a Backesian year either.  Mike Richards used to party it up as the next Bobby Clarke in Philly.  Now he's looking more like he'll be Eric Lindros minus the concussions - the "next big thing" that never became "THE big thing." 

Public Enemy #1: Jarret Stoll As this is my first game preview, I want to have this be a nightly feature - where I highlight one guy on the other team that I absolutely hate, either because of his play, the likelihood that he might get into a fight that night, or just my personal distaste.  The problem is that there really isn't anyone like that on the Kings.  The closest thing for me is Jarret Stoll, only because I always confuse him for one of the Staal brothers.  And then I forget how many there are.  It's confusing.  I promise future editions of PE#1 will be much more venomous. 

Keys for the Blues: We need to score first, because with these two teams, it's quite possible that we could have a 1-0 final score.  It's also important because we haven't played in 9 days - and Jaro, tonight's starter for The 'Note, hasn't played in 11 - which is the longest break of any team in the league.  In the time since the Blues last played, Detroit has played 3 games, Chicago 2 (and another tonight), and Nashville 2.  Luckily, between the possible 8 points we could have seen collected by the Hawks and Preds combined, only 3 were picked up. 

Tonight is one of only 13 home games the Blues have left in the regular season.  If we want to start the playoffs at Scottrade Center, we need to pick up probably at least 20 of those 26 points.  That starts tonight. 

Let's go Blues!!!

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