There is a reason why a favored saying among puckheads is "they play the game on the ice and not on paper".
The outcome of Saturday's tilt between Columbus and St. Louis seemed predetermined. With the Blues attempting to lockdown their spot on top of the Central and consistent dominance at Scottrade, taking two points from the Blue Jackets for the fifth time in six games seemed as automatic as a Michael Jordan slam dunk.
Motivation? Check.
Historical success? Check.
To put themselves in to such a position the Blues have worked as hard, if not harder, than any other team in the league. A concept that has eluded them for a second consecutive game. Instead of taking care of business on their own terms they used a 5-2 loss combined with Chicago's regulation victory over Nashville to back in to their 8th division title.
Warning signs flashed trouble ahead early on when the new look 4th line was touched for the opening goal of the game. Chris Stewart lost his bearings in the neutral zone which allowed Aaron Johnson to hook up with a streaking Darryl Boyce to enter the zone. Boyce then sped around Barret Jackman and created the chaos that Jared Boll finished for his 2nd goal of the season.
The Blues answered quickly, 17 seconds later to be exact, when David Backes buried his 24th goal by putting in Kevin Shattenkirk's rebound.
The next goal could be argued as the turning point in the game.
At the 12:20 mark of the first period RJ Umberger registered his first of the game on a clear breakaway complements of a careless turnover by Stewart. With possession low in the zone Stewart made a power move to the middle on his backhand. He was cut off and pushed out to the blueline. He hesitated in shuffling the puck off to Jackman at the left point (the correct play) and instead tried a running back like head fake and turned to pass across the middle to Shattenkirk. Umberger read the play perfectly and it cost the Blues dearly.
Umberger would strike again and bag his 2nd of the game, 19th of the season, a minute past the halfway mark of the second period. The power play tally was Columbus' third in 26 previous opportunities against the Blues.
Scott Nichol did his best to get his team going by throwing down with Boll after the Columbus forward collided with the feisty centerman behind the visitors net. The hit was clean, but the fight was worth the subsequent instigator penalty. The Blues were getting run down by the 15th place team in the Western Conference in their barn. Someone needed to step up and stop the button pushing. In his typical honeybadger fashion, Nichol was willing to be the one to do it.
It's events and situations like this one that validates the "need" for fighting in the game.
David Perron got the message and answered for the Blues with his 19th goal of the season five minutes later by sneaking a shot past Blue Jacket's netminder Allen York on the short side.
When Derrick Brassard went off for tripping at 18:36 the power play took the ice with a chance to knot the game before the end of the middle set. Given their success up a man at home it seemed as if the hockey gods were going to make up for the flukey calls, like blowing play dead when the puck was clearly loose, and give hope to the sold-out crowd.
It was not meant to be as the 30th rated road penalty killing team shutdown the 5th ranked home power play unit. Killing off all five opportunities.
The wheels came off in the third as Columbus continued to get under the Blues' skin.
Though the officiating was not up to acceptable standards, far too ticky tacky for a game in March, the Blues failed to adequately manage to that expectation by taking nine minor penalties in the final 20 minutes. In one instance yielding an extended 5 on 3 which lead to Derek Dorsett's 12th goal of the season, 4th against the Blues this season, to put Columbus up 4-2.
With Jaroslav Halak pulled Vinny Prospal ceased any comeback efforts with a long range empty net goal.
Quick Hits
- Ken Hitchcock was quick to point out after the game that the loss is not the fault of the officials, but on the Blues for losing their cool. When reviewing the game objectively, he's spot on. However, that does not change the fact that the officiating was not good enough. Blues radio voice Chris Kerber summed up the truth of the matter best in a series of Tweets.
- Of the three returning from injuries Andy McDonald looked the most ready to play by far. Roman Polak had his good and bad moments, but didn't have as must rust as Matt D'Agostini.
- Yet another loss for Jaroslav Halak that shouldn't be hung on him. For those who didn't know any better these last two games could easily be confused with efforts from October. He stopped 28 of 32 shots faced.
- Allen York was solid puck stopper for Columbus. He turned away 34 of 36 shots. Is he a world beater? Maybe, maybe not. He did look more formidable than Steve Mason and Curtis Sanford has against the Blues.
How Much Criticism is Due?
How much criticism should be laid at the feet of Ken Hitchcock Sunday morning?
Over the duration of his tenure in St. Louis Hitchcock has made virtually all the right moves. Primarily because he hasn't had to make difficult assessments of multiple player options and decide who sits and who dresses. He's excelled in taking in what's been given to him and making it work on the ice. Last night was his first attempt to grasp a new dynamic and it did not go well.
The game plan Columbus utilizes against the Blues is simple. Do everything they can to get under your skin. Walk the fine line between appropriate chaos and running around like fools. There are two ways to negate the effectiveness of such a method.
1. Use speed and skill to make counter excessive physicality and punish the aggressor by capitalizing on bad penalties.
2. Fight fire with fire. Roll a gritty energy line that can dish out the same torment.
The first option is the favorite of the Detroit Red Wings. Considering the current roster's construction and Hitch's "system", this is the preferred going forward.
Option two is how the Blues climbed the Western Conference ladder. Just enough skill players have been healthy to field two scoring lines, a swing third line and the fourth line would roll out, grind away and answer the bell when the game got rough.
So why then did Hitchcock divert from what he knows has worked?
He had to know how option one would play out and the only way to find out is to put it to use.
As rational as the reason maybe, the timing of the trial warrants questioning.
Columbus is who they are and that is not changing anytime soon. With the shenanigans that transpired during the two teams last meeting in the back to back, home and home set, Hitch had to know they would attack as they did. With the ability to really maximize the matchups to his favor with so many healthy bodies, why not get in that habit now?
Why dress someone in Stewart who has continued to have a inconsistent positive impact to the bottom line? Why make D'Agostini's first game back after missing 26 with a concussion in a grinding role where his speed and shot were not utilized? Why not go with a reliable physical trend setter in Chris Porter? Why not get the nuclear deterrent with a big body to counter the likes of Boll and Dorsett in Ryan Reaves?
After Stewart's gaffes and D'Agostini's sluggish restart it would be best to get the fourth line back to a composition better suited for its role. Porter, Nichol and Reaves (or BJ Crombeen) can handle the dirty deeds while the plethora of skilled options raise their games in an effort to stay in the lineup with many suitable choices ready to step in for faltering teammates.
The Blues are not the Red Wings. They're the Blues. They've gotten to where they are by blending #1 and #2. Realization can be painful process and last night's game was painful to watch. It need not be a long one. Hopefully one game is enough because there are only three left before the situation gets extremely troublesome.
Randomness
- If you have some free time today, head out to the
annual Guns & Hoses Hockey Classic. All proceeds go to Backstoppers. A group dedicated to helping the families of police and firefighters who fall in the line of duty. The event is at the Hardee's IcePlex in Chesterfield and begins at 3:30 pm. Tickets are $10.
- The folks at EA Sports have come up with an interesting way to determine who is on the cover of NHL 13. Let the fans decide! Each team has to player's to choose from.
Go vote here for either David Perron or TJ Oshie.
- I'm a little late to the party, but
the Blues have their very own 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs commercial. Personally, I'm not as down on the "Because It's the Cup" campaign. It could be much worse. Just think back to "Don't Stop Believing"...
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Thanks for reading.
As always, you’re welcome to follow me on Twitter:
@JTQ_1 
St Louis Blues Blogger • 
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