Tonight, the St. Louis Blues (44-14-6) take on the Dallas Stars (31-23-10), who have had quite a lot of attention themselves over the past day.
But not for the right reasons.
Last night, in a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Rich Peverley collapsed after having a cardiac event while on the Stars bench, delaying the game (the rest of the game was eventually postponed). Peverley was rushed to the hospital, and was treated successfully, and is resting comfortably currently.
Less than 24 hours after that horrific incident, the Stars are dealt with the tough task of having to face the red-hot Blues at the Scottrade Center.
The Blues have been unstoppable ever since Miller and Ott were traded to the team two weeks ago. They have won five straight, the last of those five wins being a shootout win against the Wild. Miller will start in the net tonight, and it’s easy to see why. He’s 4-0-0 with a 1.50 GAA in his four starts with the Note. When facing the Stars, Miller is 4-1-0 with a 2.73 GAA.
Tim Thomas, who was also traded to another team, will most likely get the start in goal tonight for the Stars, which will be his first start in a Dallas uniform since being traded.
Both teams have top 10 offenses, with the Stars scoring 2. 8 goals per game (8th in the NHL), and the Blues with 3.2 goals per game (2nd in the NHL).
The key player the Blues will need to watch out for tonight is Dallas center Tyler Seguin. One of the top players at his position, and the Dallas Stars’ leading scorer, Seguin has 66 points, 29 goals, and 27 assists on the year. He is able to breakaway past defenses and plays an integral part of the Stars’ offense, in whatever position he is in.
While Dallas is clinging onto the final playoff spot by one point (ahead of the Phoenix Coyotes), a win for the Blues would help their already-season high lead over the rival Chicago Blackhawks. As of today, the Blues are four points ahead of the Blackhawks in the Central Division standings.
The Blues are also looking to keep their unbeaten streak in the Central Division alive. Although they lost 4-3 to the Winnipeg Jets, it was an overtime loss: the Blues have not lost in regulation against a Central Division rival this season.
Expect the Blues to play really aggressive on offense tonight, and expect Dallas to play with a lot of emotion based off the events that have transpired in the past 24 hours.
(Photo credit: Chicago Tribune)
