SB Nation St. Louis - 2011 Blues Schedule: Blues To Meet Important Division Opponents Without T.J. Oshiehttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49009/stl-fave.png2011-12-26T11:46:27-06:00http://stlouis.sbnation.com/rss/stream/24259582011-12-26T11:46:27-06:002011-12-26T11:46:27-06:00T.J. Oshie Injury: Blues Will Be Without Oshie For Two Games
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<p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">The </span><a style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.stlouisgametime.com/">St. Louis Blues</a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"> will kick off their four-game slate this week without the services of leading scorer </span><span>T.J. Oshie</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">, who, </span><a href="https://twitter.com/#!/jprutherford/status/151352979142873088">according</a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"> to the </span><i style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">St. Louis Post-Dispatch</i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">'s John Rutherford, will miss two games with a wrist injury. Oshie has been dealing with a nagging injury to his wrist since late November.</span></p>
<div style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: bottom; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" class="commentable-body">
<p style="margin-bottom: 12px; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: bottom; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">The Blues center, and first round pick in 2005, currently leads the team in points with 23, thanks to 11 goals and 12 assists. It's currently unclear who will replace Oshie on the roster, but Blues stars such as Alex Steen and <span>David Backes</span> will certainly be looked at to pick up the slack offensively.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 12px; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: bottom; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Oshie is expected to return to the line up for St. Louis' Dec. 30 game vs. the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.ontheforecheck.com/">Nashville Predators</a>. </p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 12px; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: bottom; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><i style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">For updates, stay tuned to <a style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; color: #703600; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="http://stlouis.sbnation.com/">SB Nation St. Louis</a>. For more in-depth coverage of the Blues, head over to <a style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; color: #703600; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="http://stlouisgametime.com/">St. Louis Game Time</a>. And for more news and notes from around the NHL, check out SB Nation's <a style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; color: #703600; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="http://sbnation.com/nhl">NHL news hub</a>.</i></p>
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https://stlouis.sbnation.com/2011/12/26/2661922/tj-oshie-injury-blues-out-two-gamesJordan Sargent2011-12-26T11:33:26-06:002011-12-26T11:33:26-06:002011 Blues Schedule: Blues To Face Tough Division Opponents
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<p>The St. Louis Blues will be fighting for their place in the Central Division. </p> <p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">The <a href="https://www.stlouisgametime.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">St. Louis Blues</a> have rocketed up the Western Conference standings since hiring head coach Ken Hitchcock in early November, and this week they'll once again have a chance to prove that they're one of the West's elite teams. The Blues will play four games this week against three opponents, and all three are in the top eight of the West standings.</span></p>
<p><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Dec. 26: vs <a href="https://www.defendingbigd.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Dallas Stars</a></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"> (6:30 p.m. CT, Versus)</span></b></p>
<p>With 41 points, the stars are currently the seventh best team in the West, and they've had a solid month, going 6-4 in December. The Stars are led in goals by veteran winger <span>Michael Ryder</span> (13), but Dallas wants to play low-scoring, defensive minded games.</p>
<p><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Dec. 27: at <a href="https://www.wingingitinmotown.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Detroit Red Wings</a></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"> (6:30 p.m. CT, Versus)</span></b></p>
<p>This will be the first of two trips to Detroit this week for the Blues. St. Louis has won both games vs. the Red Wings this season, which is a major reason why the Blues currently top the Detroit in points by one. In the teams' last match up on Dec. 6, <span>Patrik Berglund</span> scored the game winning goal in the third period.</p>
<p><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Dec. 30: vs <a href="https://www.ontheforecheck.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Nashville Predators</a></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"> (7:00 p.m. CT, Fox Sports Midwest)</span></b></p>
<p>The Blues saw Nashville on Dec. 17, and they suffered a 2-1 overtime loss to the Predators. Nashville is currently eighth in the West, and will likely be fighting for playoff position for the rest of the year.</p>
<p><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; ">Dec. 31: at Detroit Red Wings</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; "> (6:00 p.m. CT, Fox Sports Midwest)</span></b></p>
<p>If the Blues defeat the Red Wings earlier in the week, they'll be able to take a commanding 4-0 lead in the 2011 head-to-head series with a win here. But a loss on the 27th might mean that the Blues will be fighting for second place come New Year's Eve.</p>
<p><i style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">For updates, stay tuned to <a href="http://stlouis.sbnation.com/" style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; color: #703600; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">SB Nation St. Louis</a>. For more in-depth coverage of the Blues, head over to <a href="http://stlouisgametime.com/" style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; color: #703600; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">St. Louis Game Time</a>. And for more news and notes from around the NHL, check out SB Nation's <a href="http://sbnation.com/nhl" style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; color: #703600; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">NHL news hub</a>.</i></p>
https://stlouis.sbnation.com/2011/12/26/2661856/st-louis-blues-schedule-2011Jordan Sargent