GDT #38: 1/2/15 | 9:00PM CST | @ Ducks | FSMW/KMOX

[dmiles2186]

The St. Louis Blues and Anaheim Ducks both got key contributors back their last time out.

Neither return, though, led to a victory.

The slumping Blues try to record their first win in Anaheim in over five years Friday night when they face Corey Perry and the Ducks for the third time this season.

When Brian Elliott suffered a lower-body injury against Ottawa on Nov. 25, it left the Blues very thin in net with only second-year pro Jake Allen on the roster. St. Louis signed 42-year-old free agent Martin Brodeur on Dec. 2, and he helped the team win seven of its first nine games in Elliott's absence.

However, the Blues (22-12-3) allowed 18 goals during a season-high four-game losing streak before Brodeur notched his NHL-record 125th shutout Monday in a 3-0 win over Colorado.

Elliott made his return Tuesday at Nashville and his teammates made sure he had a busy night, allowing a season-high 47 shots in a 3-2 loss.

"That is one way to get back into it, getting a lot of rubber," said Elliott, whose 44 saves matched a career best. "It is not the game we wanted to play, but they came at us, and we knew what to expect."

Now St. Louis is left with three goalies, and it's uncertain how long the team will continue with that often problematic situation.

Elliott would seem an odd choice to face the Ducks since he's 0-5-2 with a 3.38 goals-against average in his last seven starts against them. He was in net for the Blues' 3-0 loss in Anaheim on Oct. 19, their eighth straight defeat there since a 5-0 victory Oct. 17, 2009.

Allen has won both of his starts against the Ducks, including a 24-save performance in a 2-0 home win Oct. 30. Brodeur is 4-0-0 with a 1.70 GAA in his last four meetings with Anaheim.

Whichever goalie coach Ken Hitchcock decides to play will be tasked with helping the Blues avoid a fifth consecutive road loss for the first time since a seven-game slide Dec. 3, 2008-Jan. 2, 2009.

Despite leading the NHL with 54 points, the Ducks (24-9-6) have lost four of seven since a seven-game win streak and are coming off Wednesday's 3-0 defeat to San Jose.

The lone bright spot for the Pacific Division leaders was seeing Perry in action for the first time since Dec. 5. The star forward remains second on the team with 14 goals even after missing 10 games because of a sprained knee and another five in November with the mumps.

"I felt all right. The first game back is always a test, but the legs felt OK and the knee felt fine," Perry told the team's official site. "It's just a matter of getting back into the swing of things."

Perry's return should boost a power play that has failed to convert on 21 straight opportunities since Jakob Silfverberg's goal Dec. 13 at Winnipeg. Facing a St. Louis penalty-killing unit that ranks 24th in the league after allowing 10 goals in the last eight games could help, too.

Frederik Andersen figures to get the start for the Ducks after his five-game home win streak was snapped Wednesday.

He's 3-0-0 with a 1.33 GAA lifetime against St. Louis.

Blues forward Jaden Schwartz, sidelined since Dec. 16 with a right foot injury, has been upgraded from week-to-week to day-to-day. Schwartz is second on the team with 11 goals.

"We're hoping he's really turned a corner and is getting close to ready to play," Hitchcock said.

[cardsfan04]

I don't think this mini west coast trip could come at any worse of a time. Seems to be the place we go to kill winning streaks, so I'm not real eager to see what happens when we're playing poorly. That said, if we have a successful trip, it could be a good way to turn the corner.

[cardsfan04]

Gunnarson activated.

[drwoland]

Blues 5
Ducks 0

It must be this way, or there won't be anyone left to come to home games; everyone will have jumped off a bridge!

[ComradeT]

I don't think this mini west coast trip could come at any worse of a time. Seems to be the place we go to kill winning streaks, so I'm not real eager to see what happens when we're playing poorly. That said, if we have a successful trip, it could be a good way to turn the corner.

Perfect timing then, as there is nothing to kill as of the moment.

[STLADOGG]

http://blues.nhl.com/club/blogpost.htm?id=35512
Apparently Stastny might center Tarasenko and Lehtera tonight and also apparently Colin Fraser was called up.

[drwoland]

Holy shit what... I guess Hitch is as worried as you all!

[ComradeT]

"This is the first time we’ve ever played them together,” Hitchcock said Thursday. “They looked good. We’re probably a few days away from Jaden (Schwartz) joining on a full-time basis, so it might give an opportunity for a game or two for us to look at that. It gives us a very very big third line. We’re certainly intrigued by what we saw."

STL = Scary Third Line?

[gaijin]

I don't necessarily hate the Ducks, but I hate playing them.

2 points, please.

[Oaklandblue]

Lead us to victory, Marty

Blues - 3
Ducks - 0

Frank the Tank shoots those fuggers out the sky! Quack Quack mofos!

[Krigloch the Furious]

Good start
Crap PP. Jay Bo and Pie suck in front of the net. Typical.

[Nyghtewynd]

Fire Hitch.

By the way, did everyone enjoy that first period where Marty was flopping around like an octogenarian without his walker? Because, well, he's an octogenarian without his walker? Or are you still falling for it?

[Oaklandblue]

Fire Hitch.

Somewhere in the expanse that is the Hockey World, Marc Crawford looked up.

[flyingnote38]

We appear to not understand our defensive zone assignments.

[Toasted Oates]

If these guys don't lead the league in too many men penalties I'd be stunned. Their communication in that regard is pathetically bad.

Also, Korac and Rutherford seem confused on Twitter (like the rest of us) as to why Cole played over Butler. I won't hold my breath for them to ask the coach about it. I always try to find ways to champion Hitchcock, but he's losin' me. Maybe a coaching change would spark them or maybe it'd be a disaster. I have no idea, but I'm at least curious about it.

May get Schwartz tomorrow and that'll be a welcome sight at least. Just get a W so I can love everyone again and climb back up to the bridge. Ready to jump at a moment's notice.

[abc789987]

This team is flipping frustrating to watch...
At least we scored a few goals, I guess....

Sigh....

[drwoland]

Boy the gwg was just too good. Jackman literally falls down in open ice (nice try john jelly saying he was "knocked down"), and then walking bag of pucks Patrick Berglund is in no mans land instead of covering Jackman's position as he was skating up ice.

Wow.

[cardsfan04]

If these guys don't lead the league in too many men penalties I'd be stunned. Their communication in that regard is pathetically bad.

Also, Korac and Rutherford seem confused on Twitter (like the rest of us) as to why Cole played over Butler. I won't hold my breath for them to ask the coach about it. I always try to find ways to champion Hitchcock, but he's losin' me. Maybe a coaching change would spark them or maybe it'd be a disaster. I have no idea, but I'm at least curious about it.

May get Schwartz tomorrow and that'll be a welcome sight at least. Just get a W so I can love everyone again and climb back up to the bridge. Ready to jump at a moment's notice.

I would have preferred Butler too. Not sure why it was Cole.

As for Hitch, I'm not quite there yet, but moving in that direction. I'm strongly opposed to firing him mid-season, and I don't think he's the problem. But, at some point he won't be the solution either. At this point, I don't think he's lost the locker room. To me, injuries/random slump seem more likely for the current rough stretch than Hitch losing the locker room coming off of a 5 game winning streak. So, I don't think that's the issue yet. But, if we don't have better success this year than in previous, I think it's time to at least consider his role.

Part of why I'm not ready to fully commit to moving on from him is that I don't know who would be better. But, if we have another playoff disappointment, several years in a row with disappointing playoff exits is the kind of thing that can get a coach fired, his fault or not.

[Krigloch the Furious]

The D has backed into the zone all year letting teams do what they want.
I'm tired of Hitch. They show him on the bench, same face every time.

[glen a richter]

Dan Bylsma, folks. Also, nyghtewynd, what do you propose, given a salary cap, limited financial resources and a hockey team playing in a baseball city? It's not like Armstrong is swimming in money or options, #1and #2 you whine about a lack of offense, I believe this team is #8 or 9 in scoring and the obvious problem is the defense. Obvious to everyone but you. Except you have an agenda. So you go on and on like a broken record about Army and the supposed lack of offense. Your professional alternative is...?