Beyond Checkerdome

Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope you found everything you were looking for under the tree this morning! In this episode, we talk about the #11s in Blues history, as few as there were. Of course, there was THE 11, the man who's number hangs in the rafters. Also, a lovely 3-game winning streak that makes things look a little rosier for Blues fans than the week before. A critical look at the Jets, and the Preds and Flames games are covered too. Join us as we have a good laugh at the talents that have left Boston. And then there are tangents as always - goofy rules, stock vs cash, and the importance of the regular season.

The Blues have been really ... something this past week. Sometimes they're good and they win, sometimes they pour it on, and lose. Other times they're pure crap ... and still somehow win. And of course, there are the absolute worst games that they deservedly lose. Lately, we've had all of the above. In a similar manner, our history segment is chock full of variety. From Miracle heroes to teammates of Slap Shot villains, from the WHA to the NHL and back again, we cover a LOT of ground. We discover what happens when GMs get drunk, get hungry, and make a trade by accident. And of course, a few chuckles along the way.

In an effort to mirror the team we talk about, we decided to show up late and put in a half-assed effort. Actually, we've had to battle some technical difficulties for this one, but we persevered and are finally able to publish. Faulty microphones and noisy neighbors are no match for this fully armed and operational podcast. We talk about a couple of games, from the Columbus win to the Panther/ Maple Leaf shit-shows. There's also come discussion of #9s of yore, and the John Scott ASG fan campaign. Somehow, we also squeeze in Yankee candles and hockey player entrepreneurs ...

Right off the bat, we have to apologize for the rough sound quality... it seems the Gods of Technology were not with us when we recorded this. Trying to clean this up even a little bit was enough to drive anyone nuts. Ironic then, that one of our number 8 jerseys had the nickname "Mental Case". It was probably pretty deserved, as you'll hear. Obviously, there's a lot of love for Barclay Plager as well. Then we cover the three games, where 4 out of 6 possible points is probably better than the team deserved -but we'll take them nonetheless. And finally, there's the recent goal-scoring panic, and the resulting ideas that have come out about that. All told, quite a bit of craziness.

Hello there, friends and fellow Blues fans! We recorded this on Saturday afternoon, when things looked a might different than they do now (welcome back Stastny!). Much like last week, there's a rich history behind the #7 sweater for the Blues, and we discuss that. I guarantee you'll learn something (try not to hold it against us). Also, we talk about a few games, and some things we've noticed with the ice time of one Mr. Peter Angelo. There are a few odds and ends, and we of course want to ask you all about the current wave of panic over the lack of goal scoring. And then there's the kerfuffles and rabbit holes that always happen, too...

Who knew that a 1-2-0 week would have so much to say? We spend a lot of time on the history of the #6 with the Blues, since there been several players wear that number, and have long and distinguished careers. Pick one at random, and odds are pretty good he's coaching somewhere. We talk about the week that was, with a great start and a bummer of an ending. Also, there's an amusing story of your typical Chicago meatball fan. And the critical question on everyone's minds... how will St Louis remember the Martin Havlat Era?

This week sure started off on a low, but boy did it improve as it went along. This time around, we're talking of the #5 in Blues history, and not just the obvious ones. But those, too. Also, the week's worth of games, and the accidental meme that was sizzling across social media Thursday night. There's also some good conversation about the status of the youngsters on the team, and what the movements of Ty Rattie and Magnus Paajarvi could possibly mean. We also welcome Martin Havlat to the team, in our own way.

For a week that began with doom and gloom, it sure finished on the positive side! For a team plagued with injuries, the Blues came through with a 3-0 record this week. Better than expected! Our boy Ty Rattie got some increased playing time, and responded with points in back-to-back games. Better than expected! Steve Ott got an assist and - more improbably - a first star. Better than expected! Hell, We even send some compliments Ott's way, and so far the sky hasn't fallen. Better than expected! All that, plus the usual tomfoolery. Maybe this team is better than we thought - or we've been conditioned to lower our expectations. You know what they say - pessimists only have pleasant surprises.

What a difference a week makes, eh? If the Blues didn't have bad luck, they wouldn't have any at all. Losses everywhere. In our history of #3 , we of course have to remember the late Bobby Gassoff. That, of course, leads into the loss of the great Jimmy Roberts, the Original Blue. There are two losses in terms of competition, but just as bad are the losses to injury: Paul Stastny and Jaden Schwartz. The hits just keep coming. It's not all gloom and doom, though, and we manage to have a few laughs along the way. We finish on a fun note - a sort of abstract question from the ol' mailbag that will test your creativity.

Man oh man, what a road trip that was! This week we have a FULL slate of games to talk about, with plenty of goals and firsts and fun stuff to cover.... but also some bad habits and injuries as well. All in all, a lot of positives in the end. We cover a lot of history also, first with the number 2 but with the overall franchise too. That's because of our guest this week- Kat a/k/a @RunsOnDuncan. She was a Blues fan for this week (she picked a good one!) and she has a VERY interesting perspective to share. She had a good experience being one of us for a while, and she has a great story to tell for her time as a Blues fan. Easily, one of the best angles we've covered on the show.

We made it, Blues fans!! The long offseason is over, and we actually made it to the new season! Hockey is here, and wouldn't you know, we have something to say about it. This is all about firsts, debuts, and beginnings. We have actual games to talk about - the home opener against the Edmonton McDavids, and then the road trip beginning with the Wild. There's the first goal of Robby Fabbri, and the first fight of Joel Edmundson. The debut of Connor McDavid was (thankfully) uneventful. And then there were the inaugural games of the NWHL - something you'll want to keep an eye on. We have a wonderful question about jerseys, and of course we talk about players who wore jersey #1. That, and a few other things come to mind.

Hello there, gang. Listen, this was a special occasion, so we thought we'd try something different: a live show. No post production, barely any prep, just .... let it out all hang out there. Anything can happen, and boy, it sure did. It was fun, it was loud, it was chaotic, and it was random. Chalk it up to learning, and just simply trying something new. We were able to talk a little about the Blues "bonding" trip, and the roster cuts thus far. Also, what some of our expectations are for this year. You'll hear some other voices as well, and maybe even a squawk or two. It's all there. Give it a listen, eh?

The season just keeps getting closer and closer! This week, we talk about the progress of camp, with cuts and releases already sending players back to their other leagues. How will history remember the Stu Bickel era? Colton Parayko and Joel Edmundson continue to impress, as well as Robby Fabbri . There's been a few preseason games, and we talk about those as well. It's just the preseason, after all. We also discuss the Erik Johnson and Brent Seabrook contracts of the past week. There's more to the Todd Ewen death than what we knew last week, so we talk about that a little bit. And of course, we begin the show talking about that blonde kid from Brantford, Ontario that did pretty OK with hockey.

Do you smell that? That's the new-season smell... or at least I hope that's what that is. On this episode, there's a lot of ground to cover. There's the usual off-season and pre-season injuries, and some good news about Jori Lehtera in particular. Congrats to Paul Stastny on the imminent birth of his first child - with Oshie and David Backes and now Paul, there sure seems to be a lot of that going around. And while some things are just beginning, other things are ending. We salute some Blues players that have retired lately, and also celebrate the late Todd Ewen. RIP, Animal. Other topics include the Kane appearance at Chicago's camp, and also a bonus chat we recorded at the Scottrade Center after the first public session of training camp. It's beginning to look a lot like hockey season!

As we say in this episode, its the most wonderful time of the year. Fall colors, cooler weather, baseball starts to become interesting, and hockey camps are on the way. We talk about the Jori Lehtera and Patrik Berglund injuries, and who benefits in terms of ice time. We also cover the PTO invites to Scott Gomez and Scottie Upshall. One of the annual milestones to hockey season, the Traverse City Tournament is coming up, and we also discuss the legacies of Al Arbour and Bryce Salvador. Stick around, and you'll also find out what #ByTheBrouwerOfGreyskull is all about.

Hello there, and welcome once again to another episode of Beyond Checkerdome. There's not much happening these days, but there are some notable stories. Of course we talk a little about the Kane situation, and what's happening in hockey twitter as a result. And the other big news event, the deal with NHL and Adidas and the possible ramifications for jersey ads. We have some fun connecting appropriate sponsors for various teams. Also, we attempt and fail spectacularly at cribbing off of another podcast. I guess there's something to be said for preparation...

Hello again! The dog days of summer are here, so there's not much to talk about... but that's never stopped us before, right? It's a special episode for us, as we actually got to sit in the same room and do our thing. We talk a little more about the team's efforts in free agency, and spend more time talking about some season-ticket holder events and news, and about a Q&A with Blues owner Tom Stillman. The biggest news of the day was the deal that the NHL signed with MLB Advanced Media. That and some other events and trends leads us to discuss the bigger picture, what we've heard called "Capital H Hockey".

Well well well, what a couple of weeks we've had. As the hockey news cycle dies down, we have a chance to look over the free agent signings over the past while. There are several new faces in new places, but some familiar ones as well. We're still giddy about the Blues signing Vladimir Tarasenko long-term. There are some questions about what is happening with the Blackhawks and the Stars this offseason. Some free agents were good value pickups, while others were just outright hilarious. We talk about the Super Schedule, and also some really good articles here on Game Time. Lastly, we talk about the OT changes for the upcoming season, and the chances for expansion soon. And of course... the usual tangents...

Ok everyone, you can exhale now. Vladimir Tarasenko signs, 8 yrs / $60 million, with a cap hit of $7.5 million. Not too shabby.

Well, that was a real hell of a week, eh? Obviously, the focus of the show is on free agency and the TJ Oshie trade. We talk about the re-signing of a few players, and the new faces that we'll be seeing this year in a Blues uniform: Kyle Brodziak, Jordan Caron, and Peter Harrold (OK, maybe in a Wolves uniform) as well as Danny Kristo and Konrad Abeltshauser - the Big Fucking German! Then, of course, there's the big trade, Oshie for Troy Brouwer, Pheonix Copley and a third round pick. We also expand on our mutual disgust with the Bernie column about the Oshie trade. That, and an interesting thread that connects those 3 free agents.