GDT 54: 2/4/20 | 7:00 PM CT | vs Hurricanes | FSMW/101ESPN

[cprice12]

About the Hurricanes: After reaching the Eastern Conference finals last season, the ’Canes again are in playoff contention at 30-19-3, for 63 points. Carolina has played 12 of its last 14 games at home, but has lost its last four road games, dating to an 8-6 loss at Toronto on Dec. 23.

Carolina is 13th in the NHL scoring, averaging 3.12 goals per game and just behind the Blues (3.15). The speedy Sebastian Aho has 26 goals; 19-year-old Andrei Svechnikov has 20. Eight players have 10 goals or more, so there’s scoring depth behind them. But one of the league’s highest-scoring defensemen — Dougie Hamilton (14 goals) — is out because of a broken leg.

The Hurricanes are 22-3-1 when scoring first, which by winning percentage (.865) is second-best in the league (and just ahead of the Blues’ 22-1-6, .862). They come out strong in the first period, with a league-best plus-106 shot differential in the opening 20 minutes.

— Jim Thomas

[gaijin]

End this skid. Hopefully home ice will make a difference.

[glen a richter]

Faulk playing against his former mates. Great, he'll press even more.

Blues - 2 (Pietrangelo, Blais)
Hurricanes - 5

Faulk: -4

[cprice12]

Faulk playing against his former mates. Great, he'll press even more.

Blues - 2 (Pietrangelo, Blais)
Hurricanes - 5

Faulk: -4

Man...if Faulk is a -4 vs CAR... I think Blues Social Media will burn the internet down.

[theohall]

Want some more reason to be doubtful about tonight....

Projected Lines:

Sanford-O'Reilly-Perron
Schwartz-Schenn-Thomas
Steen-Bozak-Kyrou
Blais-Barbashev-Brouwer

Gunnarsson-Pietrangelo
Bouwmeester-Parayko
Dunn-Faulk

Binnington

Why is Brouwer even playing after his pitiful effort vs Winnipeg? The crap he did gets younger players benched. What happened to holding all the players to the same standard?

Nonsense Conspiracy theory: The Blues just want Eddy to win the night he gets his Cup ring.

[Robb_K]

Blais, standing right in front of the goal, flips in the rebound!!!! Blues lead 1-0!!!

[Robb_K]

Good kill by The Blues!

[Robb_K]

The Blues had several great chances to score on that power play, including Perron hitting the post. Too bad. A good period for The Blues either way.

[Robb_K]

Sanford scores again, as the refs say the puck DID cross the line!!! Blues lead 2-0!!!!

[Robb_K]

Parayko blasts a bomb past Mrazek!!! Blues lead 3-0!!!

[Robb_K]

Schenn knocks the puck in on his 2nd rebound attempt on the PP!!!! Blues lead 4-1!!!!

[Robb_K]

Schenn scores his 2nd PP goal on a nifty pass by O'Reilly!!!! Blues lead 5-1!!!

[Robb_K]

Great dominant period for The Blues. I guess this stops their recent slide. I hope they can keep this up all the way until Sundqvist returns.

[Robb_K]

Sanford blasts one in!!! His 2nd!!!! Blues lead 6-1!!!

[Robb_K]

The Blues finally get a dominating win, after a long mediocre run of games. Nice to see. Worth staying up late and early.

[StL Dan]

Want some more reason to be doubtful about tonight....

Projected Lines:

Sanford-O'Reilly-Perron
Schwartz-Schenn-Thomas
Steen-Bozak-Kyrou
Blais-Barbashev-Brouwer

Gunnarsson-Pietrangelo
Bouwmeester-Parayko
Dunn-Faulk

Binnington

Why is Brouwer even playing after his pitiful effort vs Winnipeg? The crap he did gets younger players benched. What happened to holding all the players to the same standard?

Nonsense Conspiracy theory: The Blues just want Eddy to win the night he gets his Cup ring.

theo...theo...theo....this did not age well - at all.

[theohall]

Good! Very happy it didn't age well!

[theohall]

Just because I can't let go of some things... Brouwer only playing 8:33 probably helped. Even in a kind of blowout win, Berube still limited Brouwer's ice time to the fewest of any of the forwards. Kyrou was 2nd fewest, largely because Berube isn't leaving him on the ice for defensive zone faceoffs whenever possible. Right now, the Blues aren't rolling 4 lines as evenly as they did in the playoffs last season, largely because Sundqvist is out. Sundqvist's last game - the only forward under 10 minutes was Jacob De La Rose. Since Sundqvist has been injured, there have been at least 2 forwards under 10 minutes almost every game. He's that important to keeping the lines balanced.

[StL Dan]

Just because I can't let go of some things... Brouwer only playing 8:33 probably helped. Even in a kind of blowout win, Berube still limited Brouwer's ice time to the fewest of any of the forwards. Kyrou was 2nd fewest, largely because Berube isn't leaving him on the ice for defensive zone faceoffs whenever possible. Right now, the Blues aren't rolling 4 lines as evenly as they did in the playoffs last season, largely because Sundqvist is out. Sundqvist's last game - the only forward under 10 minutes was Jacob De La Rose. Since Sundqvist has been injured, there have been at least 2 forwards under 10 minutes almost every game. He's that important to keeping the lines balanced.

Good follow-up post, theo. We all know how valuable Sunny is to the team, but the way you laid it out really highlights and punctuates it.