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Game Day: at St. Louis

Jackets play first of home-and-home with Blues

Friday, 03.09.2012 / 10:36 PM / News
By Rob Mixer  - BlueJackets.com

  Columbus Blue Jackets vs. St. Louis Blues
RECORDS - CBJ: 22-38-7 (Road: 9-20-4), STL: 43-18-7 (Home: 28-4-4)
WHEN: Mar. 10, 2012 - 8 p.m.   |   WHERE: Scottrade Center
WATCH: FOX Sports Ohio (HD)  |  LISTEN: 97.1 FM & BlueJackets.com
GAME NOTES

GAME DAY ON THE ROAD presented by:



Atkinson
Richards
Breakdown
Unlike the last three teams that have faced the Blue Jackets, the St. Louis Blues find themselves in an enviable position as the NHL regular season approaches the final furlong. They have built their season in pieces, and it began when Ken Hitchcock took over a 6-7-0 club back in November when St. Louis let Davis Payne go. Since the All-Star break, the Blues are firing on all cylinders and have benefited from two goaltenders playing lights-out hockey.

Heading into Friday night’s schedule, St. Louis was the No. 1 team in the Western Conference and tops overall in the NHL after a 3-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks – who had been on quite the streak of their own up until the last couple of weeks. After dropping a 2-0 decision to the previous conference leading Vancouver Canucks last weekend, the Blues are now on a three-game winning streak and have allowed just three goals in that span. The Blues lead the NHL in team goals-against average (1.87), 19 percentage points better than the second-best New York Rangers (2.06). Both Brian Elliot and Jaroslav Halak are in the top-three in goals-against among all NHL goaltenders, and Elliot is tied with Henrik Lundqvist for the best save percentage in the league (.937).

Add in some timely scoring and a solid mix of skill and grit, and it’s not hard to see why the Blues are becoming one of the more dominant and imposing clubs in hockey. Captain David Backes has turned it up offensively, and scored a pair of goals in the Blues’ win over the Ducks two nights ago. St. Louis is missing five regulars – Matt D’Agostini, Kris Russell, Jamie Langenbrunner, Kent Huskins and Alex Steen – but has seen several youngsters and call-ups from Peoria (AHL) step into the lineup and contribute.

The Blue Jackets will be without Derek MacKenzie, Fedor Tyutin, Derek Dorsett and Steve Mason for tonight’s game at Scottrade Center. They are expected to recall a forward from Springfield (AHL) prior to the game.

G
 Nash (24) Backes (21)
A
 Prospal (33) Pietrangelo (31)
PTS
 Nash (47) Backes, Oshie (47)
PIM
 Dorsett (192) Reaves (92)
+/-
 MacKenzie (+4) Shattenkirk (+26)
W/L
 Sanford (10-15-4)
 Halak (23-10-5)
GAA
 Sanford (2.61) Elliott (1.63)
SVP
 Sanford (.912) Elliott (.937)
• The Blue Jackets have gone 9-6-1 the last 16 games after posting a 4-15-2 mark the previous 21 outings. Tonight’s game starts a stretch that has Columbus playing four of five on the road. The Blue Jackets are 4-1-1 in their last six road games.

• Jack Johnson has points in three straight games after scoring his 10th of the season Thursday against Los Angeles. The 10 goals are a career high and two better than his previous best of eight set in 80 games in 2009-10. The goal against the Kings proved to be the game-winner, his fifth of the season and first as a Blue Jacket. He registered 1-1-2 Mar. 6 vs. Phoenix.

• Derick Brassard has points in five-straight games after notching an assist Thursday against Los Angeles. He has 1-5-6 during that stretch, while registering points in eight of the last 10 (3-7-10). He has collected 10-17-27 the last 35 games after being held to 2-3-5 the first 24 games of the season.

• Tonight marks the third and six meetings overall and second of two at Scottrade Center this season between the Blue Jackets and Blues. Columbus is 23-29-13 all-time against St. Louis, including an 8-18-7 mark at Scottrade Center.


BRIAN ELLIOTT
  G - #1
  20-8-2 (6 SO)
  1.63 GAA
  .937 SAVE %




• Elliott was cut loose by the Ottawa Senators and Colorado Avalanche last season, and signed with the Blues this summer to compete for their No. 2 job in net. His resurgence has become a top story in the NHL, and is leading the league in save percentage and top-five in goals-against average.


D Radek Martinek (concussion); out for the season
LW Kristian Huselius (lower body); indefinitely
D Marc Methot (jaw); indefinitely
RW Jared Boll (foot); week-to-week
D Fedor Tyutin (hand); indefinitely
G Steve Mason (hand); day-to-day
RW Derek Dorsett (upper body); undisclosed
C Derek MacKenzie (concussion like symptoms); day-to-day

SCHEDULE

HOME
AWAY
PROMOTIONAL

STANDINGS

WESTERN CONFERENCE
  TEAM GP W L OT GF GA PTS
1 p - CHI 48 36 7 5 155 102 77
2 y - ANA 48 30 12 6 140 118 66
3 y - VAN 48 26 15 7 127 121 59
4 x - STL 48 29 17 2 129 115 60
5 x - LAK 48 27 16 5 133 118 59
6 x - SJS 48 25 16 7 124 116 57
7 x - DET 48 24 16 8 124 115 56
8 x - MIN 48 26 19 3 122 127 55
9 CBJ 48 24 17 7 120 119 55
10 PHX 48 21 18 9 125 131 51
11 DAL 48 22 22 4 130 142 48
12 EDM 48 19 22 7 125 134 45
13 CGY 48 19 25 4 128 160 42
14 NSH 48 16 23 9 111 139 41
15 COL 48 16 25 7 116 152 39
COMPLETE STANDINGS

STATS

2012-2013 REGULAR SEASON
SKATERS: GP G A +/- Pts
V. Prospal 48 12 18 3 30
M. Letestu 46 13 14 7 27
M. Gaborik 47 12 15 -3 27
F. Tyutin 48 4 18 9 22
B. Dubinsky 29 2 18 2 20
N. Foligno 45 6 13 6 19
J. Johnson 44 5 14 -5 19
A. Anisimov 35 11 7 -6 18
C. Atkinson 35 9 9 9 18
R. Umberger 48 8 10 3 18
 
GOALIES: W L OT Sv% GAA
S. Bobrovsky 21 11 6 .932 2.00
FULL TEAM STATS
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