After St. Louis Blues goalies Brian Elliott and Jake Allen combined for four consecutive shutouts, Colorado Avalanche forward Mikhail Grigorenko scored Tuesday to end the streak at 258:29, dating back to March 16. It's the third-longest such streak since 1987.
After not allowing a goal for nearly two weeks, the Blues' Twitter account wasn't sure how to react:
Are we supposed to tweet when the opposition scores? We forgot what to do here. #stlblues
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) March 30, 2016
It was Elliott who allowed the goal after entering Tuesday with three straight shutouts, two of them coming against the Vancouver Canucks - who have been blanked in four of their last six games.
Allen continued the franchise-record streak in the team's most recent game, stopping 32 shots in Saturday's win over the league-best Washington Capitals.
| Date | Opp. | Goalie | Saves |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar. 19 | VAN | Elliott | 19 |
| Mar. 22 | SJS | Elliott | 37 |
| Mar. 25 | VAN | Elliott | 15 |
| Mar. 26 | WSH | Allen | 32 |
The Blues enter Tuesday's action tied for first in the Western Conference with the Dallas Stars - who are also in action against the division rival Nashville Predators.
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Duncan Keith will likely be hearing from the NHL's Department of Player Safety after this one.
The Chicago Blackhawks defenseman received a match penalty for intending to injure after swinging his stick at Minnesota Wild forward Charlie Coyle's face.
With Brent Seabrook sidelined due to illness, Keith's ejection marked a first for the Blackhawks.
The #Blackhawks have never played without both Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook since they entered the NHL in 2005-06.
— Mark Potash (@MarkPotash) March 30, 2016
Coyle left to receive medical attention but was able to return later in the opening period.
A match penalty, if not rescinded by the NHL, carries an automatic one-game suspension, meaning Keith would be ruled out of Friday's game against Winnipeg. Based on his track record, however, it could very well be longer.
Source: NHL Dept. of Player Safety reviewing Duncan Keith stick swinging incident. He's been suspended before for high sticking. #Blackhawks
— Chris Kuc (@ChrisKuc) March 30, 2016
Keith was suspended one game back in the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs for a similar incident involving Los Angeles' Jeff Carter.
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Petr Mrazek is playing his worst hockey of the season at the absolute worst possible time.
With his team's playoff hopes hanging in the balance, the Detroit Red Wings goaltender was called upon to make the start Tuesday in Montreal, only to allow two goals on seven first-period shots and earn a seat on the bench to begin the second period.
In came Jimmy Howard in relief, and not for the first time in the past several weeks.
That makes five times since Feb. 14 that Petr Mrazek has been pulled.
— Helene St. James (@HeleneStJames) March 30, 2016
At one point this season, it appeared as though Mrazek may have been in position to take over the starting gig on a permanent basis, but his performance so far in March leaves much to be desired.
| Month | Games Played | Save Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| October | 6 | .921 |
| November | 8 | .941 |
| December | 10 | .913 |
| January | 9 | .952 |
| February | 10 | .910 |
| March | 10 | .884 |
Heading into Tuesday's action, the Red Wings were tied with the idle Philadelphia Flyers in points, but with one more game played.
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The St. Louis Blues took the ice in style ahead of Tuesday's game against the Colorado Avalanche, wearing St. Louis Cardinals-themed jerseys with the MLB season just five days away.
Birds and Blues. Bid on these autographed @Cardinals warm-up jerseys right now! BID: https://t.co/3NZYqW25lU pic.twitter.com/aXLENJBAsD
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) March 30, 2016
It wasn't just the players donning the new uniforms as Blues mascot Louie the Bear and Cardinals mascot Fredbird were both sporting the new sweaters while giving out prizes at Scottrade Center.
The jerseys are being auctioned off in support of the Blues for Kids Foundation.
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Matt Moulson, Ryan O'Reilly, and Jake McCabe each ended long goalless droughts on Tuesday after scoring on Pittsburgh Penguins rookie netminder Matt Murray during the first period to give their Buffalo Sabres a 3-0 lead.
Moulson opened the scoring on a power play to end an 18-game goalless drought. After scoring three goals in October, the 32-year-old has scored just three goals since.
The Sabres' second goal was a shorthanded marker initially credited to David Legwand, but later given to the Masterton Trophy nominee, O'Reilly. The tally ended a 24-game stretch without a goal for the team's leading point-getter.
To cap off the period, McCabe scored with both teams playing 4-on-4 with just over a minute remaining in the frame. The goal was his first of 2016, ending a 41-game drought.
Sabres scored five-on-four, four-on-five and four-on-four.
— John Vogl (@BuffNewsVogl) March 30, 2016
Despite giving up three goals on just nine shots, Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan stuck with Murray to start the second.
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The Philadelphia Flyers are adding reinforcements in net.
Free-agent goalie Ray Emery will report to the club on a tryout basis, beginning with Wednesday's morning skate.
The addition comes with a caveat, however.
Ray Emery wouldn't be eligible to appear in playoff games for the #flyers, but can dress before then if needed.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) March 29, 2016
Steve Mason has been carrying a heavy load for the Flyers during their recent playoff push thanks to an injury to backup Michal Neuvirth. Rookie Anthony Stolarz is also on the roster, but he has yet to make his NHL debut.
Emery had been playing for the Manheim Eagles in Germany after brief stints in the AHL earlier this season.
The 33-year-old has appeared in 287 NHL games, most recently with the Flyers during the 2014-15 season. He boasts a career save percentage of .906.
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After Dallas Stars forward Valeri Nichushkin told Russian news outlet Sport-Express that he didn't feel trusted by head coach Lindy Ruff and wanted more ice time, the 21-year-old's agent Mike Gandler came to his defense Tuesday.
"He is frustrated, but he is frustrated with himself," Gandler told Mike Heika of The Dallas Morning News. "He wants to score more, and he knows he's getting chances and he wants to put the puck in. I think that is natural for him."
"Val can go from 0 to 100 emotionally, and this was right after a game and he was frustrated," Gandler continued. "But he can also go from 100 to 0. I talked to him today and I don't think he even knew what was said in the interview. I know he was going to talk to Lindy Ruff and Jim Nill today."
Nichushkin has struggled of late, recording just one assist in his past 10 games, while failing to record a single shot on goal in his past two. The Russian will need to pick up seven points in his team's final six games to match his rookie totals from two years ago.
A restricted free agent at season's end, Nichushkin could head to the KHL if a suitable contract can't be agreed upon with his current team. Though Gandler notes general manager Jim Nill only wants the winger focusing on the playoffs, he ensured Nichushkin has no issue with playing in Texas.
"I don't want to say much about contracts," Gandler said. "But I can tell you that Val loves it in Dallas. He's very happy there."
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Peter Mueller isn't giving up on a potential return to the NHL.
The soon-to-be 28-year-old is nearing the end of his third season plying his trade in Europe, but remains intent on catching on with a team back in North America as soon as this summer.
"The word I'd use is there's a curiosity about him," agent Darryl Wolski told Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. "It might take time, but we'll be patient and see how it plays out."
The major cause for concern is that Mueller, who was drafted eighth overall by the Coyotes in 2006, suffered a series of serious concussions, spelling the end of his NHL tenure, for the time being at least.
"He's been haunted by that injury," said Wolski. "When we first mentioned his name, the response was, 'Doesn't he have concussion issues?'"
Mueller - whose last taste of NHL action was as a training camp invite of the St. Louis Blues in 2014 - boasts a clean bill of health, and will look to add to his 297 career NHL games as a free-agent signing this offseason.
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