We are officially less than a month away from the start of hockey season, Blues fans! Are you trying to pick out games to go to or deciding what nights you need to take off work? Here’s a guide to the 10 must watch Blues games of the 2016-17 season.
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
The Blues very first game of the season takes place in Chicago against the Blackhawks. Every Blues fan knows that the fierce rivalry between the two teams runs deep and that Chicago is a tough town to play in. It is a rematch of the 2016 Western Conference Quarterfinals in which the Blues beat the Blackhawks 4-3 and knocked them out of the playoffs. The Blackhawks will likely be angry and ready to get revenge. The Blues will need to play their hearts out if they want to win. It will also set up the 2017 Winter Classic at Busch Stadium.
Thursday, October 13, 2016
The Scottrade Center will be packed with Blues fans for the first time since May as the Blues take on the Minnesota Wild in their home opener. There is usually a pre-game party on Clark Avenue with a band and free prizes. Bruce Boudreau, a successful regular season coach, will coach his first game for Minnesota. Blues new assistant coach Mike Yeo will coach against his former club. Newly named Wild player Chris Stewart will come back to the Scottrade and face his former team. Eric Staal will play his first game as a Wild player after being traded from the New York Rangers in the offseason.
Tuesday, October 25, 2016
Fair warning, the faint of heart may not want to watch this game. The Flames come to town with former Blues Troy Brouwer and Brian “Moose” Elliott. While Brouwer only played a year for the Blues, he was an essential part of the Blues playoff run. He had 13 points in 20 playoff games and is most known for scoring the game-winning goal in Game 7 against the Hawks, his former team, to knock our rival out of the playoffs. You could say that we would not have made it to the Western Conference Finals without Brian Elliott and you would be right. He played 3,321 total minutes in net last season, had a .930 Save Percentage and a 2.07 Goals Against Average in the regular season. After donning the Curtis Joseph style pads, he was a force to be reckoned with. Blues fans just have to hope that he does not shut them out.
Thursday, November 3, 2016
The Blues travel to take on Central Division rival, the Dallas Stars. They faced the Stars in the 2016 Western Conference Semifinals. The Blues beat the Stars 4-3 so the Stars will likely be fired up and tough to play against. They have the need to prove that they are a better team than they were last season and win the rematch of the Western Conference Semifinals. Newly acquired Stars player, Adam Cracknell, will play against his former team.
Thursday, November 17, 2016
This game will probably not be fun for Blues fans, but stranger things have happened. The Blues lost to the San Jose Sharks in the 2016 Western Conference Finals. Blues fans and players are still upset over the loss. The Sharks went on to lose in the Finals to the Pittsburgh Penguins, so they are still hurting too. Both teams will have something to prove against each other in this Western Conference Finals rematch.
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
Former Blues Captain, David Backes comes to town for the first time since signing with the Boston Bruins in the offseason. Backes was drafted by the Blues in 2003 and played with the Blues for 10 seasons before leaving for more money and a longer contract with the Bruins. The fans and the community of St. Louis loved him as a person and a player. He was the captain for 5 years in St. Louis. It will be painful to see him in black and gold, but be certain that he will still get a standing ovation from the fans at the Scottrade.
Thursday, January 19, 2017
A fan favorite, T.J. Oshie, is coming back to town to play against his former team. Oshie was drafted by St. Louis in 2005 and played seven seasons in St. Louis. Fans watched him grow from a bleach blonde rookie with less than 40 points to a USA legend known as T.J. Sochi who had almost 60 points and a beautiful family. Last year, when Oshie returned, he was welcomed with a video on the Jumbotron and a deafening standing ovation. Seeing how he made it to the Eastern Conference Semifinals last year; I bet he will get another one from his fans here in St. Louis.
Thursday, December 22, 2016
The one and only Ben Bishop is back in blue, just not for the Blues. Former Blues prospect goaltender Bishop is now the starting goaltender for the Tampa Bay Lightning. He led the team to the Eastern Conference Finals, losing to the Penguins four games to three. The Blues drafted him but did not give him much of a chance when he was here and now they should regret it. Barring any injury, Bishop could lead this team to another Conference Final or more. It would sure be crazy if the Blues played the Lightning in the Finals.
Monday, January 2, 2016
Anyone else ready for outdoor hockey at Busch Stadium? I thought so. So far, tickets for the Winter Classic against the Chicago Blackhawks have only been available for Season Ticket Holders and scalpers are charging almost a thousand dollars to get in. There will be live bands, an alumni game, and many other special surprises that await. Hockey was meant to be played outdoors and knowing St. Louis, it just might snow. Grab your gloves, hats, and scarves. and get ready to watch two of the biggest rivals in the NHL face each other at Busch Stadium, the home of the St. Louis Cardinals.
Tuesday, January 24, 2017
The Blues visit the defending Stanley Cup Champions, the Pittsburgh Penguins in Pittsburgh. The Penguins have a quite similar team to last season so they will come out fighting hard. This will be a tough game for the rebuilt Blues. New captain Alex Pietrangelo, has something to learn from two-time Stanley Cup Champion and captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Sidney Crosby. The Blues will face former Blue, Ian Cole, one of the Stanley Cup Champions from last season. The Blues will have to play out of their minds if they want to get past the Penguins. Look for a hard fought game from both teams.
