GDT Game 29: 12/11/18| 7:00 PM CT| vs Panthers | FSMW/KMOX

[theohall]

ST. LOUIS -- The frustration from another embarrassing outing on home ice for the St. Louis Blues spilled over into practice on Monday as defenseman Robert Bortuzzo and forward Zach Sanford got into a fight during a battle drill.

The tussle took place at the end of practice. The players were separated by assistant coach Steve Ott.

"Guys are frustrated and they should be," Blues interim coach Craig Berube told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "Sometimes in practice it boils over and things happen. ... They do care. I know these guys care, and that's what happens because they do care and want to be successful."

Blues forward Pat Maroon looked at it as a positive.

"You've got to enjoy it," Maroon told the Post-Dispatch. "That's part of hockey, right? We're still teammates. Sometimes people get heated and frustrations build up. I love that stuff. I think it's great. That's me though. I don't know if anyone else likes it."

The Blues, fresh off a 6-1 drubbing against the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday, hope to take that fight into their next game as they host the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night.

And they could be getting back forward Jaden Schwartz for the game. Schwartz has missed the last 11 games after getting hit in the hand by a shot from teammate Vladimir Tarasenko in a Nov. 16 game at Vegas.

"I'm feeling better," Schwartz told the Post-Dispatch. "This last week, I'd say I've made strides. We'll see how it feels in the morning, but I feel like I'm getting close.

"We'll see how it feels in the morning and try a couple more things out and then make a decision right after that."

The Blues also made a change in the nets, as Jordan Binnington was called up from AHL-San Antonio after the loss the Vancouver loss. Backup Chad Johnson has been put on waivers.

Berube would not say whether Binnington or starter Jake Allen, who was pulled on Sunday, would start against the Panthers.

The Blues have lost three of their last four games. St. Louis lost both games against Florida last season.

The Panthers enter the game off a 5-4 shootout loss to the New York Rangers. They have also lost three of their last four games.

Panthers left winger Jonathan Huberdeau had a goal and two assists to reach 301 career points in 413 NHL games in the loss.

"We got one point, but obviously we need two points," Huberdeau told NHL.com. "I think we had nine points out of 16 at home. So we just have to take the positives of it and go on the road. Make sure we're ready to go in St. Louis (on Tuesday)."

Florida came out slow, but overcame a two-goal deficit to force overtime against the Rangers.

"We had chances to win the game, but they did," Panthers center Aleksander Barkov told NHL.com. "So we're not happy because of that. We're happy with how we played. ... In this league, if you come out the way we did in the first period, it can cost you the whole game."

[gaijin]

Panthers? Meh.

I think the fact there is a game tonight is eclipsed by the sheer volume of problems this team has.

[Portland Blues]

Side note - How awesome would it be to be able to pummel an annoying co-worker and have your boss say it's because you "care."

Blues - 1
Panthers - 4

[theohall]

Projected Lines

Steen-O'Reilly-Tarasenko
Schwartz-Schenn-Perron
Maroon-Bozak-Thomas
Nolan-Barbashev-Sundqvist

Dunn-Parayko
Bouwmeester-Bortuzzo
Butler-Schmaltz

Allen

(Edmundson day-to-day with upper body injury - supposedly something to do with his arm getting whacked by a stick at some point)

And I still don't get the fascination with continuing to play Maroon, the possession killer. Would rather see Kyrou playing through it.

[gaijin]

No Sanford, I see.

[tjk002]

Side note - How awesome would it be to be able to pummel an annoying co-worker and have your boss say it's because you "care."

Blues - 1
Panthers - 4

Who and when was this said? I missed it?

I could tell by Otts reaction, he wasn't too upset by it?

[Portland Blues]

Side note - How awesome would it be to be able to pummel an annoying co-worker and have your boss say it's because you "care."

Blues - 1
Panthers - 4

Who and when was this said? I missed it?

I could tell by Otts reaction, he wasn't too upset by it?

"Guys are frustrated and they should be," Blues interim coach Craig Berube told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "Sometimes in practice it boils over and things happen. ... They do care. I know these guys care, and that's what happens because they do care and want to be successful."

[theohall]

No Sanford, I see.

Well, young guys can't go beating up on fragile, oft-injured defenseman like Bortuzzo.

[glen a richter]

There's so much wrong with that lineup, they should lose 10-0 tonight.

That said, they'll win.

Blues 3 - O'Reilly hat trick
Panthers - 0

[Robb_K]

Nice to see Schwartz back, and after only a few seconds, he skates right through the opponents' defence in in goal and draws a 4 minute penalty.

[ComradeT]

Typical.

[Robb_K]

Thomas sends a great feed from behind the net to Barbashev, to tie the game. And seconds later, Perron buries another on a beautiful feed from Schwartz!! Blues go from almost down 2-0, to up 2-1!!!

[Robb_K]

Perron blasts one by Luongo, on a great feed by Schwartz!!! Blues go from dead to alive. But give it right back seconds later. We rarely get to enjoy goals this season.

[Robb_K]

Pathetic! Blues get down giving up a goal after erasing a deficit and forging a 2-goal lead, then they give up yet another, seconds after that. Tied 3-3, now.

[Robb_K]

Now Schenn scores knocking in the rebound right in front! Blues lead 4-3!!! A ridiculously uneventful game turns into a scoring fest! Who'd believe it???

[Robb_K]

Blues win!!!! Blues WIN!!! When was the last time they scored 4 goals in The 3rd, after being down?????? UNBELIEVABLE!!! But, given The Blues' usual luck, THIS 2 points will make the difference between getting the 10th and 11th draft position AFTER the Lottery.

[gaijin]

Can't even lose properly.

This follows in the pattern- win a close one -> lose a close one -> somehow beat a top team -> get absolutely obliterated -> lose to a horrible team.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

[theohall]

Tuesdays and Fridays - undefeated.