NHL

Did a Fight During Practice on December 10, Bring the St. Louis Blues Together?

For those of you who do not know, Robert Bortuzzo and Zach Sanford were in the midst of a tough practice after a disappointing 6-1 loss on Sunday (12/9) to the Vancouver Canucks. Bortuzzo was giving Sanford a few hard crosschecks to the back. Zach Sanford stood up and gave Robert Bortuzzo a stinky mitt to the face. Bortuzzo began feeding rights before his counterpart could get his gloves off. Here is the video:

Post-Fight

Since the fight, Robert Bortuzzo has one assist and is a plus-two. Meanwhile, Zach Sanford has been a healthy scratch in the last two games. This season, Sanford has four goals and nine points and has not recorded a point since November 24 (an assist against Winnipeg).

The Blues have also played two great games leading to two one-goal victories over tough opponents. The first win came against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday (12/11). In this game, the Blues played a really good 55 minutes but surrendered a two-goal lead and had to score one late to take the game. All four goals in this 4-3 victory came in the third period. On Friday (12/14), St. Louis scored first, then gave up two goals in the first but tied it with less than a minute to go and the game became a two period game. Each team scored one in the third and the Blues took the game in overtime after an odd call. The Blues played a full 62 minute game and were the better team.

The Odd Call

During overtime on Friday, Colton Parayko had his stick knocked out of his hand behind the net. The stick ended up in the corner. Vladimir Tarasenko handed his stick to Parayko and seconds later went to pick up Parayko’s stick. Colton Parayko dove to block a shot and as soon as he touched the puck, play was blown dead and Tarasenko was sent to the box for Illegal Equipment.

Colton Parayko is 6’6″ which makes him exempt from the stick height limit of 63 inches. His stick is 65 inches, which is the limit for a player 6’6″ and up. Vladimir Tarasenko is only 6’0″ so when he picked up Parayko’s stick, he used a stick that was above his limit of 63 inches. Here is the official rule:

After the penalty, Robert Bortuzzo blocked a shot that sprung Ryan O’Reilly on a break away and that’s the game.

Give this call from Blues’ radio (KMOX) play-by-play man, Chris Kerber, a listen.

State of the Team

After the fight in practice, the Blues have looked like a better team. They have gone out and showed the NHL why they were considered Cup contenders before the start of the year. Although Jake Allen could be a tad bit better, he has, at times, carried this team the past two games. After allowing three goals on six shots against Vancouver and getting pulled, Allen stopped 22 of 25 against Florida and made 39 saves in the overtime win over Colorado.

The fight seemed to gel the team together rather than separate the players even more. Bortuzzo and Sanford were seen after practice talking and it seems like the apology was accepted. While the Blues still face injuries, defensemen Jordan Schmaltz and Chris Butler have slotted in well and have been playing at a higher level with good consistency.

Another note that I never thought I would ever say: Jay Bouwmeester played really well tonight on the top pair with Colton Parayko. The two usually play on the second pair but with Edmundson and Alex Pietrangelo out, someone has to fill the slot. Parayko scored two goals and Bouwmeester added an assist on Ivan Barbashev’s goal. Combined the two were plus-five in Friday’s match up.

Yes, this is just two games after the fight, but St. Louis has finally put together wins with two great-played games and have begun to build confidence. It is make or break time for the team and some of the players that could be traded if another bad skid occurs. We are no longer early in the season and it is time for the team to gel and let the chemistry build and lead to success. It looks like the fight in practice and a couple of team efforts may possibly be the turning point of the 2018-19 season.

What’s Ahead?

The St. Louis Blues (12-14-4) stay at home to play host to the Calgary Flames (20-10-2) on Sunday, December 16 at 2:00 p.m. Find the game on FOX Sports Midwest. This season the Blues have not been good in afternoon games as they have played to a record of 0-2-0 and have been outscored 9-3. To keep momentum heading on the road, the Blues must win this game.

Other Blues News

• Chad Johnson was placed on waivers and claimed by the Anaheim Ducks.
• Alexey Toropchenko (113th overall pick, 2017 NHL Draft) signed an entry level contract with St. Louis on Thursday (12/13)
• Alex Pietrangelo underwent a successful surgery to his wrist Friday. This will not effect his time table on the Injure Reserve.

Social Media

Follow Jared on Twitter: @jared_pettus_00

Photo Credit

Photo Courtesy of: The Telegraph