I'll try to post some comments during tonight's game for the benefit of the out of towners who can't be here.
I'm disappointed that Erik Johnson is not on the Blues roster tonight. I've seen him on TV, but not yet live. Looks like it will be 2008-09 before that happens.
1st intermission: Lots of penalties so we're seeing a lot of special teams play. That's good practice of course, so it's all good.
PP units I saw: 41-5-12-16-17 and then 18-28-77-26-38
I'm watching Patrick Berglund and am very impressed. He's big and he's skilled -- can't go wrong with that. David Perron, Steve Wagner, and Chris Porter look solid as well. The Blues have a bright future with these guys.
Tobias Enstrom had a shaky start to the period, a holding call and then falling down as he backed up to take a shot, but at the end defended a rush by Keith Tkachuk by taking the puck away from him. Maybe he was nervous in front of the home crowd.
Nathan Oystrick is paired with Steve McCarthy this game, but isn't faring much better. He pinched too far and couldn't get back, and then later had a needless icing.
2nd intermission: Preseason is a practice for everyone, including the off-ice officials. The clock wasn't on for the first two minutes of the period, and then suddenly there was 18:08 left. Lots of scoring this period, the STL one a PP goal in which they got Moose too far out of position and he couldn't get back. At the other end, Marian Hossa drove the net off a faceoff and put one in backhand. He went right past Berglund and Wagner. On the second STL goal, Perron powered to the net past Enstrom, and landed in it head first. Quite a goal. He's showing how silly all 30 teams were to pass on him last year.
McCarthy had a big hit, but hasn't played to a level where you'd say his roster spot is secure yet. Someone like Mark Popovic could certainly take it from him. I notice that Enstrom has had the most ice time so far, with 14:04.
The Haydar-Little-LaVallee line was hemmed in their own zone for a good while, getting more and more tired. (Alexei Zhitnik and Nic Havelid were out with them.)
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2 comments:
So, statistically, and from what you've said. It sounds like Enstrom's had a pretty bad game :S How's Zhitnik doing?
No, Enstrom didn't have a bad game. He maybe had a sub-par first period, but the rest of the time he did well. I don't know if anyone would have stopped that Perron goal.
I don't watch vets who have roster spots locked up during preseason, so all I would say now is that he looks about like his normal self.
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