Beyond Checkerdome

Are you ready for another round? We take some time to note a loss in the family and then take a look at the NHL playoff picture. Round 2 should be quite the challenge. Lets Go Blues!

Play Gloria! What a way to wrap up a series, eh? The boys in Blue put up a solid defensive game, Jaden Schwartz provided ALL of the offense, and Binnington was (calmly, natch) ready to shut the door on the Jets. We talk about all the twists and turns that this game took, but we're ultimately just happy it ended the way it did.

Holy Crap! What an ending! Believe it or not, you can be speechless and still crank out a podcast mini-episode. Here is living proof. Celebrate the gutty win, and prepare for a real tough test in Game 6.

You kinda knew that was going to OT, didn't you? That was a late one, so we waited until today to get our Quick Shot done for Game 4. An exciting game with a very unfortunate result, but that's part of what makes them entertaining. Can't wait til Game 5!

So, it turns out that we CAN lose a game after all. It isn't nearly as much fun though. They should probably try to not do that as much. Regroup, and play better boys.

Despite it all, the Blues take game 2 as well. Some postgame thoughts and reactions from us, as well as a possible explanation for Binnington's success. Our boys come back to St Louis with a 2-0 series lead, and ... that's pretty good.

Well well well .... how about dem Blues, eh? Our boys pulled off a tough road win in Game 1. Jordan Binnington did NOT look nervous, and Tyler Bozak sealed the win with a late game-winner after coming so close earlier. One down, more to go!

Well, we've finally made it ... the end of the regular season and the beginning of the postseason. We got together and got caught up on the 4-1-1 ending to the season, including the 2 games on the East Coast that CCR got to see live. We talk about the trip and also the how the Blues closed the season. We also talk about the foe ahead, the Winnipeg Jets. They bring a lot to the table, but have they met THIS Blues team? It should be a fun series.

It's a family affair on this week's edition of Beyond Checkerdome, and not because DK's son wandered onto the podcast! (He didn't.) We dive into a perfect Blues 4-game home stand which included Alexander Steen joining elite company with his father and Ivan Barbashev netting a hat trick in front of his parents and brother. With our beers of the episode, we discussed sustainable six-pack holders. We also covered the possible pending playoff spot the Blues could lock up soon, Jaden Schwartz's hat trick, how we were both wrong about when Vladimir Tarasenko was going to come back, Carl Gunnarsson's return to the lineup, a goal streak, some point streaks, how Steen and Jay Bouwmeester are "gray beards" without growing beards, CCR's upcoming trip to NY/NJ and so, SO much more . . . including our usual tangents. It is indeed a great time to be a Blues fan.

Another week in the books, and not the results that we expected. We take a look at the 1-2-1 run of games with Arizona, Ottawa, Pittsburgh, and Buffalo. Even with that record, there were plenty of positives to take out of those games. Some of those positives were off the ice. We also speculate how long Vladdy's injury might last - and totally whiff. That'll happen.

This California road trip yielded better results than we expected: a 2-0-1 run through Anaheim, LA, and San Jose. We talk about the oddities of those games and the continuation of the injury woes. Also, another Best of/ Worst of conversation. This upcoming schedule could be either helpful or not, depending on a few factors. Either way, it's going to be grueling. Buckle Up!

It was a 1-2 stretch of games that we cover, but it sure doesn't feel like a 1-2 week did back in Oct/Nov. We talk about the Nashville/Carolina/Dallas games and a few observations about how the boys are playing. Learn why Colton Parayko could be hockey's Billy Jack, among other things. The schedule ahead has some quirks, and we bid farewell to Terrible Ted. Also, thank goodness we aren't Sens fans.

Well, the streak is over. This time around, we have a .500 week to cover, from Toronto to Dallas, Boston and Minnesota. All told, it's not that big of a deal. We talk about what this all means, and the roster moves over this past week. Not least of which is the HUGE splash the Blues made at the trade deadline. OK, not ours, but there were some moves made elsewhere to talk about.

We had a chance to talk on Monday about the amazing run the Blues had been on. Undefeated and almost completely unscored-upon: we cover the 4 game run against New Jersey, Arizona, Colorado, and Minnesota. We're all smiles over here. There's also a direct connection between this run and old friend Brendan Shanahan. We also take a look at the upcoming trade deadline and speculate what Army is going to do. It's a good time to be a Blues fan.

For the first time this season, we record a show without discussing a single loss. That has us as giddy as schoolkids. That, and the excellent suds provided by Enabler In Chief @BiologistRyan ! We have a great conversation about the 5-0 run since the ASG break, with those wins coming up against some good teams: Columbus, Florida, Tampa, and Nashville - twice! There are also a lot of tangents and the beginning of trade deadline speculation. And, another coach gets the can. #GoodOneRandy.

In the midst of the coldest weather in recent memory, we had a chance to catch up on the last of the Blues games before the ASG. A 2-2 run through Boston, Ottawa, LA and Anaheim had plenty to tell us. We talk about the All Star Game itself, and how ROR did us all proud as well. This also presents an opportunity to look ahead at the stretch run towards the ... playoffs?

Not a myth - the Blues CAN win 3 in a row! We cover a six-game stretch that includes Dallas twice , Philly, Montreal, Washington, and the NY Islanders. All in all, a 4-1-1 record, which ain't too shabby. We're excited for the first starts of Jordan Binnington's career, and the amazing streak from David Perron. Vladdi seems to be heating up, as well. This could all mean something, or nothing...

Happy New Year! We pick up with the Blues playing the Eastern Conference, yielding a 2-3-0 record against Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Washington and both New York teams. The weirdness continues with this team. We talk goaltending (again) and the organization's depth at that position. Also, how about that Oskar Sundqvist guy, eh?

It's been a while, so there's some catching up to do. We have an 8 game stretch for the Blues, from Winnipeg through the homestand and then the Western Canada trip before Christmas. In those games we went 5-3-0 , which is .... good? Can it be? We also talk about the frequent deep dives into the NHL rulebook and the strange case of Patrik Berglund, Also Also, a 3-year extension for Robert Bortuzzo, which is a heck of a reward for fighting in practice.

Yet another drama-filled week in the books. Here we talk about a 1-2-1 week of games, from Detroit and Colorado to Arizona and Edmonton. There's a little info about our broadcasters and some speculation about what Berube's done differently with this team. Also, we confirm the Ryan Reaves can leave his wallet at home in most NHL cities, especially St Louis.